The Divas Era for WWE’s women’s division wasn’t the best, with it being more about looks and appearances than it was about in-ring action. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though, as there were plenty of highly talented individuals on the roster who made the most of their time, even if it wasn’t for very long. When it comes to the Divas Championship, it is often held in low regard due to poor booking and a lack of being featured. However, Nikki Bella’s reign was a rare highlight for the Divas Era, and it is perhaps one of the most important Divas Title reigns of all time. It should be considered to be up there with some of the best reigns of all time in WWE’s women’s division.
Nikki Bella’s Heel Turn Helped Her Become A Great Character
In 2014, during a feud against Stephanie McMahon, Brie and Nikki Bella were beginning to receive some differentiation from one another, which was the first step in what would become a great title reign down the line. At SummerSlam 2014, towards the end of the match between Brie and Stephanie McMahon, Nikki turned heel, betraying her sister. This came following weeks of being treated poorly by the Authority, eventually giving into the dark side.
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Nikki and Brie would feud, with Brie eventually being forced to side with her sister following a match. Nikki was displaying some great microphone work, delivering promos with a confidence and delivery that fans hadn’t seen from her in the past. Over time, the likes of AJ Lee had been showcasing great promo work, with certain women being given more time than usual to develop storylines and feuds. This strong character direction led to her getting in contention for the Divas Championship.
Nikki Bella Was A Great Divas Champion In WWE
At Survivor Series 2014, with the help of Brie, Nikki defeated AJ Lee to become the Divas Champion, which would mark the start of a record-breaking and historic reign. She would defend the title against the likes of Naomi and Paige, in what were solid matches. In the build-up to WrestleMania, The Bella Twins feuded against AJ Lee and Paige, making their match one of the first legitimate women’s WrestleMania feuds and matches in a long time where Playboy bunnies and lumberjills weren’t the focus. This marked a change in the correct direction, and Nikki’s role as a great heel played a part in legitimizing the feud.
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She defended the belt multiple times over the next few months, becoming the longest-reigning Divas Champion of all time, eventually losing it at Night of Champions 2015 to Charlotte Flair. During her time as champion, the “Women’s Revolution” began in WWE, with the women of NXT stealing the show, leading to the call-up of Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks in the summer of 2015. They would feud with the likes of Nikki Bella, who didn’t once feel out of place amongst the names who would lead the division for years to come.
Nikki Bella’s Reign Was Integral To The Women’s Revolution In WWE
What made Nikki’s reign so impressive was that she was the woman who successfully helped make the transition from the “Divas” to “Superstars” era of women’s wrestling within WWE. She was the perfect mixture of both, representing all that was good with the Divas era, with her improving so much over the years to seamlessly fit in with the perhaps more accomplished wrestlers and flashy in-ring performers.
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Since 2015, there have been several great women’s champions, with the likes of Flair, Lynch, Banks, Alexa Bliss, and Bayley tallying up several women’s championship reigns, signaling a much better time for females to compete in WWE. However, Nikki’s reign should be considered on a similar level to those names, even if the belt design was a giant pink and purple butterfly, which was an eyesore for most people, with the lineage not being overly memorable. Her reign added prestige to the title, which made Flair’s victory over her feel so much more impressive and significant.
Nikki’s reign lasted for 301 days, which is longer than most title reigns in WWE nowadays. She became such a well-rounded performer over that time, and although she didn’t have any classic matches, it was nearly impossible to do so in the environment of WWE around then. With so little time, Nikki managed to make herself a great champion, and arguably the best Divas titleholder in history. This reign should be held in high regard and treated with the respect it deserves, as it helped usher in a new era, and it played an important role in pushing Charlotte Flair as one of the faces of the division, with title losses just as important as title wins.
