Charlotte def. Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks to become first new WWE Women’s Champion

DALLAS — WWE’s newest championship now belongs to one of sports-entertainment’s most influential families.

Charlotte secured her place in the WWE history books at WrestleMania Sunday evening by winning the Triple Threat Match to determine the first-ever WWE Women’s Champion. The Flair family scion secured victory via submission after forcing Becky Lynch to tap out to the Figure-Eight Leglock, while Banks was restrained at ringside by WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.

Though she arrived at AT&T Stadium as the reigning Divas Champion, Charlotte, as well as her adversaries and the WWE Universe, learned early in the evening that a new title would be up for grabs in the highly-anticipated Triple Threat Match. During an in-ring segment on the WrestleMania Kickoff, WWE Hall of Famer Lita revealed two major changes to the competitive climate for all of WWE’s female grapplers.

“The Divas Revolution, they are so much more than Divas in this ring,” Lita said. “Today, they are all WWE Superstars. So, it is with my great honor to let you know: Tonight, the winner of the Triple Threat [Match] will be the recipient of the [new] WWE Women’s Championship.”

Lita’s historic announcement only added fuel to the fiery rivalry between the NXT alums which has engulfed nearly all of 2016. Becky Lynch has tried – and repeatedly failed – to knock Charlotte from the apex since their first championship encounter at Royal Rumble 2016. Her struggles against the Flair family scion eventually emboldened Sasha Banks, who made her intentions known that she wanted a chance to succeed where Lynch had faltered. 

After preparing to fend off both aspiring challengers at WrestleMania, Charlotte then learned her Divas Championship reign would end by official decree. Rather than competing as a reigning titleholder, the Charlotte, N.C., native instead became the third and final contender for an unprecedented opportunity to make WWE history on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

The enthusiasm for this encounter hit a fever pitch even before the opening bell, with the Superstars in this bout making a memorable entrance for each of their respective WrestleMania debuts. The Irish Lass Kicker came out in a steampunk style, while Sasha Banks received a warm introduction from her WWE Hall of Fame cousin, Snoop Dogg. Then, Charlotte reclaimed the spotlight for herself with a scintillating blue-and-white robe, cut from the literal cloth of the iconic robe worn by Ric Flair in his last match at WrestleMania XXIV.

Then, the bell rang and the real battle for supremacy started in earnest — and with a series of spectacular pinfall attempts and reversals which nearly ended the clash before it even started. No Superstar found an early edge because a third party always stepped forward to bring any budding momentum to a halt. Charlotte finally gained footing after dragging Banks out of the ring and then throwing her into the bottom rope.

Charlotte held her ground despite the persistent efforts of her fellow NXT alums. Most notably, she held on after suffering a Five-Star Frog Splash by Banks, whose outfit for WrestleMania paid homage to her grappling idol, Eddie Guerrero. Moments later, she used Ric Flair as a shield on the floor when Lynch dove at her from above.

The match reached its climax as the three opponents battled on a ring post near the entrance ramp. A final Bexplex attempt by Lynch proved fruitless, followed by a Backstabber and Bank Statement by The Boss that yielded no dividends. Moments later, Charlotte locked in her signature Figure-Eight Leglock on The Irish Lass Kicker, which proved to be too much for Lynch — and too far for Banks to reach, as the Boston native was restrained by the elder Flair while his offspring secured victory via submission.

With her victory, Charlotte becomes the first Superstar to win a championship in his or her WrestleMania debut since Mickie James seized the original Women’s Title from Trish Stratus at WrestleMania 22. The new Women’s Champion will also be listed as WWE’s final Divas Champion, concluding a 196-day reign which will stand as the fifth longest in the now-deactivated title’s history.