4 reasons why the NXT women's division is the best division in all of WWE
Including NXT UK and all Performance Center recruits, NXT has thirty-nine women signed to its roster. This includes several talented wrestlers including current NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley, former NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler, NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray, former NXT UK Women's Champion Toni Storm, Io Shirai, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair, Tegan Nox, Piper Niven, and Mia Yim. This is by far the best the division has looked since the days of the Four Horsewomen and Asuka.
#4 The match quality of the division is consistent
The NXT women's division has produced several match of the year contenders. Former NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler had many excellent matches against superstars like Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, Kairi Sane, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae, and most recently Rhea Ripley. The match with Ripley was especially good with some near falls that led the NXT Universe to believe that either woman could walk away with the title. The moment when Rhea Ripley broke out of the Kirafuda Clutch was an iconic moment that the NXT Universe will never forget. They also will not be able to forget the beautiful Avalanche Riptide that The Nightmare used on Baszler to become champion.
The first-ever NXT Women's War Games match featuring Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, Kay Lee Ray, Candice LeRae, Rhea Ripley, Dakota Kai, and Tegan Nox exceeded the ridiculously high expectations. Not all of the matches had to feature Baszler to be great, though.
Io Shirai has proved herself to be the division's ace with a number of excellent matches against Mia Yim, Shayna Baszler, and Candice LeRae. The match mentioned above between her and Candice LeRae at NXT Takeover: Toronto II was arguably the best women's match of the year and proved that Candice LeRae could still go. The fatal four-way match featuring Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Bianca Belair, and Io Shirai on the first episode of NXT on the USA Network was exceptional as well, and it only fits that it was the first match of NXT's new era. It showed all of the strengths of the four women, including Io Shirai's high-flying, Bianca Belair's raw power, and the pluckiness of both Candice LeRae and Mia Yim.