WWE's current Women's Division is widely considered to be the most competitive it has ever been, with women coming through WWE's developmental training and showing that there is new hope for the new generation.

After the likes of Melina, Mickie James, Trish Stratus, and Lita left the company the Women's Division seemed to hit a wall and has since been trying to build itself back up. Women are no longer expected to be eye candy for the male demographic in the WWE Universe. Instead, it seems they are being taken seriously as athletes.

Women are fighting for the places on the main roster now and this is why it is currently considered to be at it's most competitive. WWE has trained many exceptional female wrestlers over the past few years and the recent Brand Extension looks like it could have been the best decision the company ever made in regards to their Women's Division.

Now Monday NightRaw and SmackDown Live have rosters which consist of some of the best female wrestlers in the world. With the Women's Championship on Raw, it seems that WWE may be forced to create a second belt for SmackDown.

That being said, regardless of whether there is one of two championships for the women to fight over, these are the top 15 women who deserve a shot at the gold in the near future.

17 15. Becky Lynch

The Irish Lass Kicker has to be one of the feistiest women to ever step foot in WWE. She is the only one of the Four Horsewomen to have not won the NXT Women's Championship and a year after she was promoted to the main roster, she is the only one to have failed at winning a title.

Becky is much better than the stats reveal. She has been used ineffectively by WWE over the past few months and her highlight of the past year would definitely have been fighting for the Women's Championship at WrestleMania. She deserves a one-on-one shot at the Championship and if Sasha Banks keeps the title and Becky is eventually moved over to Monday Night Raw then perhaps these two incredible women's wrestlers could re-create some of their stand out matches from last year.

16 14. Carmella

"The hottest chick in the ring" is yet to pick up a title during her run in WWE. The closest she has come to winning a strap came when she faced her best friend Bayley for the NXT Women's Championship a few months ago.

Carmella has been positioned with Enzo Amore and real life boyfriend Colin Cassidy for much of her WWE career and has only recently been allowed to solely focus on her own singles career. Her promotion to SmackDown Live during the Brand Extension Draft means that it would be hard for her to be push towards a title unless the brand reveals its own. However, she is a definite candidate for future leader of the Women's Division.

15 13. Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss is one of the best all around characters that the Women's Division currently has. She worked well in NXT as a face Superstar when she portrayed a fairy-style character before she turned heel and began working with Blake and Murphy. She then led her team to the NXT Tag Team Championship and fought for the NXT Women's Championship on numerous occasions.

Alexa has what it takes to go all the way to the title, she just isn't quite ready for that push right now. this is perhaps why she found herself on the SmackDown Live roster. She has the talent and she has the women surrounding her on that brand to help her stand out. Maybe at some point there will be another Draft and she will be switched over to Monday Night Raw.

14 12. Summer Rae

Not many of the WWE Universe rate Summer Rae, which is sad because she was one of the most gifted female wrestlers when she was a part of the NXT roster. Her promotion to the main roster along with Fandango and her subsequent matches that have done very little to boost many fans opinion of her haven't helped her cause.

Summer has the talent to step in the ring with the likes of Sasha Banks and Charlotte. She has the ability to be pushed towards the Women's Championship but it seems WWE have been holding her back. She was however the first woman to appear in a WWE feature film, so perhaps WWE has different plans for the blonde Superstar. However, a shot at the Women's Championship would be the best thing they could do for the long-legged star.

13 11. Alicia Fox

The former Divas Champion, Alicia Fox is a competitor like no other. She has adapted to the WWE lifestyle over the past decade and while she has never felt like an important part of the program,, that could change with character shift and some sort of push.

Alicia has been part of Total Divas and even played her part in last year's Divas Revolution storyline as part of Team Bella. However, her role in storylines always seems minor at best. If WWE would allow Alicia to be more than a sidekick or an all-around joke of a character (remember Crazy Alicia stealing drinks from fans at ringside?) then perhaps a Women's Championship run is not out of the question.

12 10. Eva Marie

The leader of All Red Everything and self proclaimed Red Queen has had doubters on her back ever since her debut. She stepped into WWE not knowing anything about wrestling and has since worked hard over the past two years to prove WWE is where she belongs.

The improvement of in-ring work and technique is noticeable and if she was given the opportunity to head towards a Women's Championship then there is no doubt that Eva Marie would definitely step up her game. Eva has been the subject of a lot of verbal abuse over the past few months and despite this she has continued to thrive. This proves that regardless of what the doubters think, Eva has the passion and the heart of a future Champion.

11 9. Naomi

It is an absolute crime that Naomi has not been allowed to hold a title during her time in WWE. The former Funkadactyl has set the Women's Division alight over the past few years and proved that she is one of the most athletic women's wrestler in WWE.

Naomi also worked as a dancer and her agility and technique in the ring is some of the best that has ever been seen in a women's wrestling. She has taken some time away from WWE recently to help with filming the latest Marine film for WWE Studio's but now she has made her return to WWE with a new look and attitude. There should be nothing standing in the way of her title bid somewhere down the line.

10 8. Nia Jax

The cousin of The Rock and perhaps one of the most dominant female wrestlers to have set foot in a WWE ring for many years, Nia Jax often leaves a trail of destruction in her wake. In NXT, the company has positioned Nia as a dominant Superstar until she crossed paths with a unique breed of wrestler.

Nia was defeated by Bayley at last year's NXT TakeOver: London event when she fought for the NXT Women's Championship for the first time. Since then it has been impossible for many of the WWE Universe to believe in her dominance. Bayley defeated Nia once again the week before she was called up to the main roster but WWE have allowed her to pick up her brutal streak on Monday Night Raw. Of course, NXT and WWE are separate and Raw provides new opportunities for Nia. Could Nia's time be closer than first thought?

9 7. Emma

WWE's first Australian women's wrestler has made a huge impact in WWE since her heel turn. Her alliance with Dana Brooke was one of the most interesting women's storylines in NXT and if it wasn't for a badly times injury Emma could be pushing herself towards a championship shot right now.

Emma wasn't part of the Brand Split. Since her injury back in May required surgery it is currently unknown as to when or if she will make her return to WWE. This means that if she does return to the company it is unknown where she will actually end up. Returning talent is usually decided close to the time of their return and slotted into a roster. This means Emma could easily head back to Monday Night Raw and fight for the Women's Championship.

8 6. Dana Brooke

The closest Dana Brooke has come the the Women's Championship over the past few months was when she was holding it for Charlotte. Dana is apparently loved by many of WWE's officials backstage and they have big things planned for the current protege.

Dana is one of the most talented women to step through the WWE ropes in a long time. She is a former body builder,  highly athletic, talented on the mic, and she can deliver a believable character on screen. This is why it makes sense that there is a lot of hype surrounding her right now. She is already a part of the Women's Championship storyline so it isn't that far of a stretch to see her holding the title one day.

7 5. Asuka

The current NXT Women's Champion is one of the most unique Superstars in WWE history. She has dominated the NXT Women's Divsion over the past few months and even though she is holding the title right now, it wont be long before she turns her focus to the main roster.

The Empress of Tomorrow is the kind of star that sets her sights on something and takes it. She did it with the NXT Women's Championship and could easily do it on the main roster with the Women's Championship. There are no women on the main roster equipped to deal with the threat of Asuka, which is why it seems that she will definitely be lifting that title one day in the not too distant future.

6 4. Natalya

The former Divas Champion and one of the few women in the company who is currently considered to be a veteran, Natalya is one of the best technical women's wrestlers in WWE today. So much so that Natalya often heads down to the WWE Performance Center to help train the next generation of women's wrestlers.

Natalya isn't threatened by the new comers to the division and has just been a part of a fantastic feud with Becky Lynch following her heel turn. She is a women's wrestler who knows how to step up her game and how to change and adapt. She comes from one of the most famous families in wrestling and she is destined to hold that Championship.

5 3. Nikki Bella

The longest reigning Divas Champion of all time, Nikki Bella has become one of the best known Women's wrestlers since the era of Trish Stratus and Lita. She has overcome the odds many times and managed to retain her championship in the harshest of circumstances.

Nikki is currently training and rehabbing in the hopes that she will make her return to WWE following SummerSlam. This is after career threatening neck surgery. There is nothing that will stop Nikki Bella from achieving something if she sets her mind to it. Which is why her sights will be set directly on the Women's Championship upon her return, and then it wont be long before she holds it.

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3 2. Paige

Paige has been the saviour of the Women's Division on many occasions and for a while was setting the WWE Universe on fire with her different look and style. She was the inaugural NXT Women;s Champion, she won the Divas Championship on her first night on the main roster, and is the only women to have held both the NXT and Divas Championships simultaneously.

Paige has to hold the Women's Championship; it's in her blood. Her mother, father, and brothers are professional wrestlers, and now she is representing her family on the biggest and grandest stage. She may have been left out of many major women's feuds in recent months but when placed back into the proper position, she is sure to bring the title home.

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1 1. Bayley

Bayley has carried the NXT Women's Division on her back for the past year and she still continues to be one of the biggest draws for the NXT product. She made her first main roster appearance at Battleground back in July but it appears this could be her only appearance, at least for a while.

WWE announced that she would remain on NXT following this, but she is fighting to become the first ever two-time NXT Women's Champion at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II in a few weeks time. Bayley is the final member of the Four Horsewomen who is waiting to be promoted to the main roster. She is an incredibly tough competitor and when she is finally given that push towards the main roster, the Women's Champion shouldn't be that far out of reach for Bayley who is bound to hold the title.