WWE Women's Championship

The final belt design of the original WWE Women's Championship.(June 2002–September 2010)

## Statistics

### Youngest winner

Wendi Richter (22 years, 10 months)

The **WWE Women's Championship** is a women's professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) promotion.

## History

On September 18, 1956, The Fabulous Moolah became the third NWA World Women's Champion (a championship that still exists today). At that time, the WWE
 did not exist and did not become a company until 1963 when it was
established as the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). Moolah, who bought the rights to the championship in the 1970s, defended the
championship as the NWA World Women's Champion up until 1984; by this time, the WWWF had been renamed to World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In 1983, the WWF disaffiliated with the NWA and Moolah sold the championship's rights to the WWF in 1984, and she was recognized as the WWF Women's Champion. Instead of beginning her reign in 1984, the WWF claimed the lineage of her reign from when she first became champion in 1956. The preceding champions and the title changes between 1956 and when Moolah lost it in 1984 are not recognized by WWE (although they are recognized by the NWA). As a result, The Fabulous Moolah's first reign is considered to have lasted 28 years by the promotion.

In 1990, the Women's Championship became inactive after Rockin' Robin vacated the championship following her departure from the WWF. Then in December 1993, the title was reactivated with Alundra Blayze winning a tournament for the vacant Women's Championship. However, the Women's Championship became inactive again when Blayze was
released from the WWF. Blayze, as Madusa, unexpectedly signed with World Championship Wrestling in 1995 and threw the championship belt, which was still in her possession, in a trash can on an episode of *WCW Monday Nitro*. The Women's Championship was reactivated again in September 1998 when Jacqueline Moore defeated Sable to win the title.

## Reigns

*Main article: List of WWE Women's Champions*
As per WWE's official title history, the inaugural champion was The Fabulous Moolah, who defeated Judy Grable on September 18, 1956. Moolah had the longest reign by holding it for 10 years, although the WWE considers it to be longer at 28 years, as title changes between 1956
 and 1984 are not recognized by the promotion. The Fabulous Moolah technically has the most reigns with 8, but because the WWE does not recognize the title changes between 1956 and 1984, Moolah only has 4 and Trish Stratus has the most reigns with 7. Mickie James has the shortest reign with 1 hour. While in Paris on April 24, 2007, James defeated then-champion Melina and Victoria in a Triple Threat Match. However, Jonathan Coachman, the Acting General Manager for *Raw*, said that since Mickie pinned Victoria, Melina deserved an immediate rematch, which she won.

The only male Women's Champion was Harvey Wippleman. On January 30, 2000, Wippleman won the WWF Women's Championship from The Kat while he was in a disguise and used the name "Hervina" in a "Lumberjill Snow bunny" match; the match took place in a snow filled pool surrounded by female wrestlers whose purpose was to keep the competitors from leaving the pool.

The women's division was deemed inactive in 1990 during Robin's reign. Alundra Blayze won the Women's Championship after it was reactivated in 1993. Trish Stratus won her seventh title reign in her final match at Unforgiven in 2006 against Lita before retiring the same night, thus vacating the championship the next day. Michelle McCool unified the Women's and Divas Championships in Layla's
place, thus leaving Layla the final and undefeated champion.