While thinking of the women I would name in this article, something stuck in my mind that I couldn’t just ignore. I’m going to tell you all exactly what my biggest issue is with Flair. It’s like she has played the same damn character for her entire WWE career so far and it’s become boring and stale. It’s like watching Super Cena in the ring, except Cena was entertaining at least. Charlotte Flair’s act is becoming stagnant, she doesn’t suck me into the character of her stories at all. She is good in the ring, I’m not debating that she is. But is she the best that WWE has? The answer is a resounding no. She’s nowhere close, not even in the top 10.
I’m going to start this out the same way that I did with part one. The views and opinions expressed within this article are my personal ones. If you disagree, that is your choice, but you’re not going to change my opinion.
So guess what? I’m going to really upset all the Charlotte stans and super fans out there as I look at the 10 former or current WWE women’s champions, on all brands, who are better than Charlotte Flair is. Of course, I mean in the ring, but also in most cases on the mic as well. Disclaimer; I will not be including Becky Lynch on this list as she is not currently active on the roster. She’s signed, of course, but she is still getting back into ring shape from the birth of her first child. That said, let’s get into it!
10. Naomi – Raw
[4 Charlotte Flair Matches]
Naomi deserves so much more than she has gotten so far in WWE. She started as a valet but has shown she is more than competent in the ring and has strong fan support behind her. She’s a two-time Smackdown Women’s Champion and it’s a damn shame she hasn’t had more reigns than that. The eleven-year veteran has improved greatly during her time with the WWE and even has had a hashtag on Twitter pop up. Naomi deserves better. She’s every bit as good in the ring as Charlotte is and I’d much rather hear her talk than Charlotte any day. She’s just got out of an angle as the tag partner to the recently departed Lana, so another single’s title run is likely not in the cards for a while. This is a shame since she was fed to the returning Eva Marie and the debuting Piper Niven [Doudrop]. I’m not against Niven beating Naomi, but to be fed to Eva Marie is just degrading.
9. Ember Moon – NXT
[2 Charlotte Flair Matches]
I’m not gonna pretend that Ember Moon has had the best run in WWE. She had a career-threatening injury that pretty much derailed any momentum she had. But the former NXT Women’s Champion is another underrated and frankly phenomenal performer that WWE has. Formerly known as Athena and Trouble, she has held nine championships so far in her 14-year career. This woman is another badass. While not as technically skilled as Shayna Baszler is, or as well rounded as the likes of Asuka, she is a talented all-rounder with a beautiful finishing move. She’s shown since going back to NXT that she has personality and charisma, teaming with the Ballsy Badass Shotzi Blackheart in what has been a super fun tag team so far. Ember Moon, if pushed, could easily be a top face in the company. Whether people want to admit it or not, she is on par with Charlotte Flair as far as ring skill and though she doesn’t get on the mic a whole lot, she at least can suck you into a promo.
8. Alexa Bliss – Raw
[3 Charlotte Flair Matches]
Little Miss Bliss is up next. Granted I wasn’t too big a fan of her heel run when she came up, but I grew to love her over time and more so when she teamed with Nikki Cross. Since then, she has carried a feud between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton and had another character transformation. This time though, she is a spooky and supernatural force that I am fully invested in. She seems to be having so much fun playing this new character that frankly, I want to see just how far the seven-year vet can take it. Alexa is a three-time Raw Women’s Champion, a two time Smackdown Women’s Champion and has held the tag titles a couple of times too. As far as character work goes, Alexa Bliss has adapted to all her roles admirably and has shown that she has quite the range to her. She may not be a submission specialist but she has the skill in the ring to carry any division. Let’s face it, this new character she has developed really shows just how boring Charlotte is. Alexa is fun, she is entertaining and she has a huge ceiling to her career.
7. Bianca Belair – Smackdown
[1 Charlotte Flair Match]
There’s a reason why the four-year veteran, Bianca Belair, has been pushed so hard since coming to the main roster. There’s also a big reason why she has been kept far away from Charlotte Flair. The EST of WWE is arguably the most charismatic female on the roster. Honestly, I’d name maybe two people more so than her, but she is definitely near the top of that list. She’s incredibly strong, easy to root for, and by god she has it factor that WWE has sorely been needing lately. Her athleticism in the ring is nothing to sneeze at either. Hell, she freaking carried Otis around the ring. Bianca got to main event Wrestlemania against Sasha Banks in what was an amazing and history-making match-up. Wanna know why Flair has been kept away from her? It’s simple. WWE knows that Bianca Belair would wrestle circles around her. Not to mention she would show the world just how dull and bland Charlotte’s character is. Whether on the mic or in the ring, the EST of WWE is quickly gaining a massive fan base due to how good she is.
6. Shayna Baszler – Raw
[9 Charlotte Flair Matches]
The former two-time NXT Women’s Champion kicks our list off today. A legitimate badass, Shayna is a trained mixed martial artist who has successfully transitioned into a career inside the squared circle. By using her grappling and martial arts knowledge, and being a naturally charismatic heel, she has established that she is a force in the ring. Sure, WWE is not the UFC or any other MMA promotion, but that does not matter in this world. What matters most is that Shayna is a phenomenal athlete and she is damn good at what she does. She kind of reminds me of Samoa Joe, to be honest. The way she uses her strength and knows all those submissions, it’s literally like watching a female version of Samoa Joe in the ring. She had a combined 549-day reign as NXT Women’s Champion and was extremely dominant during that run. Why the WWE hasn’t let her have the same kind of success on the main roster is a mystery. Currently stuck in a dead-end story and partnership with (groans) Nia Jax, Shayna deserves much better than what she has gotten. Shayna has some of the best instincts in WWE, has a much better submission game than Charlotte Flair does, and if they let her she would show she is more charismatic than Flair is too.
5. Asuka – Raw
[11 Charlotte Flair Matches]
Next on our list is the Empress of Tomorrow, Asuka. Formerly known as Kana while wrestling in Japan, Asuka has had a career inside the ring that most competitors can only dream of. She had a massive undefeated streak in NXT, a reign as that brand champion for 510 days before she relinquished the title, and has been the glue that holds the Raw Women’s Division for the better part of the pandemic era. From teaming with the amazingly talented Kairi Sane as the Kabuki Warriors to her single’s career, Asuka has carried the division on her shoulders despite being booked in a 50/50 style with Flair. Throughout her career, Asuka has had twenty title reigns for several different companies and has faced some absolutely legendary performers. Perhaps the biggest knock on Asuka from American fans is that she doesn’t speak English very well. Boo, freaking hoo. If that really is your issue with her, you’re just an idiot. Charlotte Flair, on her best day, isn’t worthy of lacing up Asuka’s boots. When you look at the sheer talent in the ring, Asuka is leaps and bounds ahead of Flair. Sorry, not sorry. It’s just fact.
4. Bayley – Smackdown
[17 Charlotte Flair Matches]
Oh yes, I am going there with the next pick. Bayley may be an annoying as a heel character, but dammit she is amazing in the ring. Face or Heel, there is no reason why Bayley isn’t considered one of the best talents that WWE has regardless of gender. She has had six title reigns in her WWE career and is the longest-reigning Smackdown Women’s champion. No one on the current women’s roster plays the underdog better than Bayley did as a face and let’s be honest, her heel run has been fun as hell. I loved her new shtick with the whole Ding Dong, Hello! the thing she’s got going on. She’s had great feuds with the rest of the Horsewomen but her rivalry with frenemy Sasha Banks has been one of the best feuds WWE has had in recent memory. Bayley has the kind of charisma that Charlotte dreams she had. Say what you will about Bayley, but you cannot argue that she has been one of the best women on the roster for a few years now. She’s improved so much in her 12-year career that I cannot understand why people still think she is not up to Flair’s level. There’s a reason PWI named her the best woman in the world for their 2020 rankings and not Charlotte Flair.
3. Sasha Banks – Smackdown
[17 Charlotte Flair Matches]
You had to know that the Boss would be on this list. Sasha Banks is utterly amazing. She really is. She’s a history maker alongside Bianca Belair and has only had phenomenal matches since joining WWE. She’s held eleven titles thus far in her ten-year career and the sky is the limit for the Boss. There is no doubt in my mind that she deserves every bit of respect and recognition that she has earned. I touched on it earlier, but her rivalry with frenemy Bayley has been one of the best on WWE TV in a long time. From NXT to the Main Roster, The Boss has established herself as one of the top stars in the women’s division. She’s infinitely more entertaining than Charlotte Flair is and I will argue that she is better in the ring than Flair is too. She has the attitude and the skill to back it up. Suck it up buttercup, the Boss is one of the best on the roster today.
2. Kay Lee Ray – NXT UK
[0 Charlotte Flair Matches]
In what might surprise the majority of you reading this today, our runner up is none other than Kay Lee Ray from the NXT UK brand. KLR has had a history-making title reign for NXT UK, sitting at well over 600 days. She’s dominated the brand since winning the title from Toni Storm and so far it’s looked like no one can come close to taking that title from her. That said, she did just lose her title to The Final Boss Meiko Satomura… She’s got ten years in the business to date and has had twelve total title reigns in her career. She’s got attitude, she’s got charisma and what’s most important is that she has the skill to back it all up. This Scottish Superstar deserves to be on the main roster. She’s done everything she needed to do in NXT UK and doesn’t need to move to NXT US. She needs to come to the main roster yesterday. KLR is superbly entertaining and one of the best heels in the women’s division right now. She would be a fresh face for Raw or an even better addition to Smackdown and should be pushed right away. She’s miles ahead of Flair in every aspect and it’s not even close.
1. Io Shirai – NXT
[1 Charlotte Flair Match]
Taking the top spot today is none other than the Genius of the Sky, The Joshi Judas, the best in the damn world Io Shirai. Much like Asuka, most American fans are critical of Shirai for not speaking much English in her promo’s and to them, I say this. Grow the hell up. Outside of Mayu Iwatani, no one in the world is more skilled or as consistent in the ring as Io Shirai today. Her moonsault makes the ones that Charlotte does look like trash. Io Shirai even made Raquel Gonzalez look like a top tier performer. Let’s say that about Charlotte Flair. Oh wait, we can’t. As good as Charlotte is in the ring, she is not capable of carrying a match against an opponent of lesser skill than she has. There are several women on the roster who are not as good as Charlotte, and she has never been able to make any of them look good. Shirai on the other hand turns every match she has into gold no matter the opponent. There’s a reason why the majority of the world thinks Io Shirai is the best performer today. Just watch any of her matches from Japan or NXT. She’s always in peak condition and puts everything into her matches. Oh, and just because they’re in Japanese doesn’t mean she can’t cut a promo. She has amazing charisma and can cut a promo better than 90% of the women in WWE today. Face it Charlotte Flair super fans, Io Shirai is the real Queen in WWE. The Queen of the Sky, The Queen of the ring and the Queen of the world.
There you have it. 10 women in WWE are better than Charlotte Flair is in WWE. With that, I drop the mic and say goodnight. I’ll see you next time.