10 Best Female Superstars Of The New Era
7. Nikki Bella
This won’t be a popular choice. Her tenure on Total Divas/Bellas, her relationship with John Cena, and her previously questionable acting skills (“I wish you’d died in the WOOOMB”) have previously made Nikki Bella an unpopular figure. She has been perceived as a barrier against real change, the last “diva” in a world that has moved on. However, the fact is that she is still a valuable part of the SmackDown Live roster, and is one of the veteran female superstars in the division.
Nikki’s in-ring work has improved so much that her performance now is almost unrecognisable compared even to three years ago. For a while, Nikki Bella carried the Divas Division on her back, whilst we waited for the new crop of female superstars to gain more prominence and momentum. That run may have been unpopular, partly because she didn't defend the title as often as she could have (no fault of Bella's) and partly because her record-breaking Divas Championship run was seen as a deliberate attempt to erase AJ Lee from the record books. Even so, Bella continued improving, playing the part of the nasty arrogant heel who had the run of a stagnant women's division.
Even when the tables were turned with the long-awaited "women's revolution", Bella held her own against the more technically accomplished newcomers. It says something that her current rivalry with Carmella gives the newer superstar legitimacy and relevance on the SmackDown Live roster. As it stands, Nikki is the natural successor to Becky Lynch as the next SmackDown Live women’s champion, and it’s a rivalry that has the potential to bring the best out of both women.