There can be no denying that NXT Women’s Divison is massively responsible for the change that we have seen within the world of women’s wrestling.
From representing a new kind of female star to simple changes such as a women’s instead of divas championship, varying characters, better storylines, and longer matches all played vital roles in creating a women’s evolution within the industry.
To this day the black and gold brand continues to provide some of the best women’s wrestling content.
Here i will take a look at the history of the NXT Women’s division as I take a look at some of the biggest and best rivalries from the female talent of the black and gold brand right from the very start…
Bayley vs Sasha Banks
Of course, the four horsewomen of the WWE are incredibly responsible for the changes we saw within the women’s division right at the start of the evolution as Banks, Bayley, Flair, and Lynch worked lengthy and entertaining matches that grabbed the attention of fans in a way we hadn’t seen in a very long time from the division.
We saw several fantastic matchups involving these four superstars, but it was the one on one rivalry between Sasha Banks and Bayley that created the biggest discussion and movement.
Their Takeover Brooklyn collision was a huge game-changer feeling like the true main event of the Live special these two women tore the house down in an instant wrestling classic that has gone down as not only a highlight for both women but one of the best matches in NXT history.
The story was a classic tale of cocky heel vs the ultimate babyface and the focus on the love Bayley was receiving from the NXT universe was a touching and special element to the storytelling we saw here.
Their epic Brooklyn match up then went on to result in a rematch that would make huge history; the first-ever women’s Ironman match but also the first time two women had the main event on a major WWE live special.
The 30-minute bout was a reminder of how far women’s wrestling had some, how far these two superstars had come and the direction and clear hope we all had for the women’s division and the future of it.
This collision had everything you could ask for as these two superstars set the bar, the tone and ended one of the most iconic rivalries of this generation.
Asuka vs Ember Moon
It can be easy to forget the incredible things Ember Moon did during her first run with NXT. From strong rivalries to epic one on one matchups that highlighted just how talented she really is and the highlight of not only her NXT but her entire WWE career so far was without a doubt her one on one rivalry with the Empress of Tomorrow, Asuka.
As two intense performers, it was exciting to see the striking abilities of Asuka and the athleticism of Moon clash as the pair worked fantastic bouts every single time, they stood in the ring together.
Now, we may not have ever seen Ember score a win over Asuka she worked some of the best matches of her against the Empress performing as part of some of NXT’s most intense collisions.
There wasn’t a huge personal story being told here and we didn’t see those strong promos and segments as we did see in some of the other rivalries we will be discussing today.
However, the story of a determined almost desperate Ember Moon seeking to dethrone and end the undefeated streak of Asuka made for brilliant viewing that has resulted in a huge crowd reaction whenever the two have since shared a ring.
Dakota Kai vs Tegan Nox
While I still don’t feel as though Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai was pushed as far as it possibly could, what we did get here was very special, I really enjoyed it and has been one of my personal favourite feuds from the women’s division in a while.
After spending months as a tag team under the name Team Kick the two women formed a sister-like bond working strong tag matches and sharing a difficult injury history that connected them even more.
Now, I do wish we got to see more of the pair as a team but when Kai turned on Nox at the 20219 War Games event attacking her partner in brutal fashion and targeting the previously injured knee of Nox it was the start of an intense and personal rivalry.
The character change Kai was evident and Tegan’s likeability and strong babyface stance meant she was easy to root for. The two collided in a strong singles competition including a steel cage match and a brilliant street fight at the start of the year.
The story has continued to be touched on throughout the year and while I do wish we got a little more from the angle this was a strong favourite of mine.
Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler
After meeting for the first time in the finals of the first Mae Young Classic Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler were set to work several one on one matchups during their time in NXT that would go down as some of the best in the history of the NXT Women’s division.
Both women are known for the intensity as well as their striking abilities and that was on clear display every single time they stood in the ring together and the experience of Sane along with her in-ring style meant that she was able to push Baszler and give her some of the best matches of her career so far.
The mix of Sane’s high risk and diverse move set and Baszler’s submission expertise made each match thrilling and unpredictable and the simple but effective storytelling was great to see.
Despite Sane becoming champion before Baszler and defeating her at the Mae Young Classic Sane Kairi always felt like the underdog when these two met which was so interesting to see and the chemistry between them was simply fantastic!
Paige vs Emma
Going right back to the early days of NXT we saw signs of change for the female talent. Varying characters and longer matches were promising and leading this new era were young stars, Paige and Emma.
Meeting in the finals of the tournament to determine the first-ever NXT Women’s champion the two women worked an iconic battle that sparked a conversation regarding change for the division.
The strikingly different characters worked incredibly well together and divided fans so equally that it created exciting energy in the Full Sail Arena.
Their collisions saw these two women make history and kick start a new movement for female talent in the world of pro wrestling in one of the first big rivalries for the division in NXT history.
There have course been more collisions within the NXT Women’s divisions history that has been fantastic to witness but I would love to know what your all-time favourite is so feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria.