The WWE has followed through on its promise of a competitive women's division.
Sasha Banks defeated Charlotte on Monday night as part of the debut episode of a revamped "WWE Raw," winning the WWE's women's championship and fulfilling a life-long dream.
Banks, 24, nicknamed "The Boss," was called up to WWE's main roster just over a year ago alongside Charlotte and Becky Lynch in what was tabbed the "Divas Revolution." Previously, all three women belonged to the developmental NXT roster, where Banks was a one-time NXT women's champion.
"This has been my dream since I was 10 years old," an emotional Banks said after her victory. "I told everyone that I was the best, and now this proves that I am the best. ... It's an era of change. It's the era of women's wrestling. I promise you: Every single week when I step into this ring, I'm going to show everyone why I'm champion."
Banks is the second WWE women's champion in the current lineage, which began at WrestleMania 32. Charlotte, the real-life daughter of two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, had a combined title reign as the last WWE Divas champion and first WWE women's champion that lasted 309 total days. Her reign is the longest of any Divas champion and the longest by any woman in the modern era since Trish Stratus' 448-day run that ended in April 2006.
The match between Banks and Charlotte was reminiscent of their three-person match with Lynch at Wrestlemania on April 3, with a number of high-spots and acrobatic maneuvers that were largely unseen in women's wrestling before the three women were called up to the main WWE roster.
