The WWE SmackDown Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE on the SmackDown brand. It is one of two women's championships for WWE's main roster, along with the Raw Women's Championship on the Raw brand. The current champion is Carmella, who is in her first reign.
Unveiled on the August 23, 2016, episode of SmackDown Live, it was created to be the counterpart title to the then-WWE Women's Championship, which became exclusive to Raw as a result of the 2016 WWE draft. That title was subsequently renamed after the crowning of the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion, Becky Lynch.
Video WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
History
Following the reintroduction of the WWE brand extension and subsequent draft on July 19, 2016, then-WWE Women's Champion Charlotte was drafted to Raw, leaving SmackDown without a women's championship. Immediately following SummerSlam on the August 23, 2016, episode of SmackDown Live, SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and general manager Daniel Bryan unveiled the SmackDown Women's Championship (Raw's title was subsequently renamed). A six-pack elimination challenge was then scheduled for Backlash on September 11, 2016, to determine the inaugural champion. The six women who competed at SummerSlam in the six-woman tag team match were chosen for the six-pack challenge: Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Natalya, and Nikki Bella. Lynch became the inaugural champion when she last eliminated Carmella.
The championship belt design is nearly identical to the Raw Women's Championship with the difference being that the background of the center plate and the default side plates' globes are blue (as opposed to red for both) to symbolize its exclusivity to SmackDown. As with the Raw's Women's Championship, the side plates can be customized with the champion's logo. During Naomi's second reign on the July 4, 2017, episode of SmackDown Live, strips of multi interchanging colored LED lights were placed around the outline of the WWE logo and the outline of the belt to go with her "glow" gimmick.
Inaugural championship match
Maps WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Reigns
As of May 9, 2018, overall there have been 8 reigns between 6 champions and 1 vacancy. Becky Lynch was the inaugural champion. Charlotte Flair holds the record for the longest reign at 147 days, while Naomi has the shortest reign at 9 days and the longest combined reign at 149 days. Naomi is also tied with Alexa Bliss with the most reigns at two. Natalya is the oldest champion, having won the title at 35, while Bliss is the youngest when she won it at 25.
Carmella is the current champion in her first reign. She defeated Charlotte Flair on SmackDown Live in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 10, 2018, after cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase.
Combined reigns
As of May 9, 2018.
References
External links
- Official SmackDown Women's Title History
Source of article : Wikipedia