Earlier this year, there were rumors of the cruiserweight division coming back, and a tournament has now started to make it come true. Now, WWE is going to make some major changes to a division that is already in place and that includes retiring one title and creating a brand new (old) one. The Divas division and championship are about to be no more, as the Women’s division is officially going to be returning.
PW Insider is reporting that the purple and silver butterfly belt known as the Divas Championship is about to be no more. After many have wanted it to happen and a lot of criticism has come their way, WWE is going to be returning to the Women’s division and bring back the Women’s Title.
There actually is already a new Women’s Title belt commissioned, and either in the process of being created or already done. SEC Scoopshas verified this news, and said that the announcement is set to happen on the Monday Night RAWthe day after WrestleMania 32 .
With that being said, it means that Charlotte, Sasha Banks, or Becky Lynch will be walking out of WrestleMania 32 as the last-ever Divas Champion. Whomever holds that title at the end of Sunday night will have to give it up on Monday night, as they are handed a new title belt.
As it stands right now, the new WWE Women’s Title is going to look like and resemble a smaller version of the WWE World Heavyweight Title. That would not only make sense, but also make it much better than the butterfly belt.
The main differences is that it would be smaller and it would also be mounted on a white strap.
The WWE Women’s Championship actually was in existence from 1956 and all the way through to 2010, when it was retired for the Divas Championship. The last women to hold the title was Layla, who won it in May of 2010.
Layla pinned Phoenix for the Women’s Title, but she was a part of the team “LayCool” with Michelle McCool. They actually both carried title belts, and would often each defend it at different times. McCool was never officially recognized for this title reign, though.
The Divas Championship actually came into existence in summer of 2008 when Michelle McCool defeated Natalya to become the first ever champion. At Night of Champions in 2010, McCool (Women’s Champion) defeated Melina (Divas Champion) to unify the belts.
The reason for the multiple titles in the Women’s/Divas division is that the brand splitwas still going on back in 2008. The Women’s Title was defended on Monday Night RAWwhile the Divas Title was defended on SmackDown, and in time, they were unified as one.
It was kind of a shock to many when the Women’s Championship was retired in 2010, as it was seen as one of the longest established championships in not just WWE, but all of professional wrestling. Going back to 1956, it was just a bit older than the WWE Championship, which debuted in 1963.
Over the years, many have spoken out against the Divas Title belt as to how it looks quite cheesy and not like a legitimate championship. Many have looked at it as being rather degrading to women, and as if the championship isn’t worthy of looking professional or legitimate.
With a rebranding of the Women’s division, dropping the Divas Title, and bringing in a new (old) Women’s Title, WWE is really turning a page. This is going to be a huge and necessary change, and as of Sunday at WrestleMania 32 , the last ever Divas Champion will be seen.
[Image via WWE]