At this point in our countdown of the top 40 WWE women’s matches of 2025, nothing on this list is anything other than fantastic and worthy of explicit praise. Today’s matches highlight just how dramatically the division shifted this year with veterans elevating their game, new championships gaining meaning, and rivalries taking sharp turns as the pace, intensity, and quality of women’s wrestling rose. Each match featured today is stellar, punctuated by memorable moments that stuck with us long after they were over.
From breakout title feuds to vicious turns of attitude, today’s selections show just how deep the in their bag the women were this year. And next week, we round the corner into the top 10 where the very best of the best awaits.
For 16 through 14 click here.
For 19 through 17 click here.
For 22 through 20 click here.
For 25 through 23 click here.
For 28 through 26 click here.
For 31 through 29 click here.
For 34 through 32 click here.
For 37 through 35 click here.
For 40 through 38 click here.
13. Nia Jax (c) vs. Naomi — WWE Women’s Championship — Smackdown (January 3, 2025)
There’s been plenty of discussion about the world-class wrestlers who entered the division in 2025 and how their presence pushed the longer-tenured women to raise their game. Perhaps no two veterans embraced that challenge more than Nia Jax and especially Naomi, who both hit genuine career peaks this year. These two have always been strong individually, but together they’ve quietly developed some of the division’s most surprising and consistent chemistry. This WWE Women’s Championship match at the very start of the year was their best meeting yet. Nia and Naomi had the time to showcase everything they bring to the table — Nia’s power, Naomi’s innovative offense, and the escalating stakes as both women grew more desperate down the stretch. The dramatic near falls had us all believing Naomi might finally pull this one off, but Tiffany Stratton’s interference cost her the match in a way few saw coming, allowing Nia Jax to retain the championship — just not for long. We all know what happened next: arguably the best Women’s Money in the Bank cash-in of all time (that KOD to Nia!), with Tiffany walking out as WWE Women’s Champion. A classic from beginning to end.
12. Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley — Raw (September 22, 2025)
Asuka returned from injury in 2025 in noticeably great form — sharper, crisper, and more lethal than she’d ever been. In this match, she met longtime foe Rhea Ripley in a big-fight-feel Raw main event, coming right on the heels of tension between them over Iyo Sky’s loyalty. These two worked together better than they ever have, delivering a hard-hitting match filled with nasty-looking suplexes and bombs. At one point, Rhea nearly decapitated Asuka with a brutal dropkick as Asuka descended from the top rope. As usual when these two meet, Asuka wasn’t able to put Rhea away, getting rolled up to take the L. But she made up for it with the nastiest mist attack she’s ever delivered, memorably dousing not only Rhea in her signature green but also her now-former friend Iyo. It was an unforgettable image and a clear message that this new, vindictive Asuka was here to stay.
11 (TIE). Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Becky Lynch — Women’s Intercontinental Championship — Backlash *AND* — Money In the Bank
These back-to-back PLE matches between Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch accomplished so many things: they raised the profile of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, established Lyra as a here-to-stay, technical wrestling superstar, and showcased the heel work Becky would lean into for the rest of the year. Not to mention, they gave us arguably the 1-on-1 women’s feud of the year. For all these reasons, these two matches feel inseparable. Becky’s heel turn lit the spark, the Backlash match elevated the feud into rarified air, and the Money in the Bank match cemented that this rivalry was not one to be forgotten. Together, they showed the real merit of introducing mid-card titles into the women’s division, giving veteran Becky the flexibility to play with a new character direction while giving rookie Lyra a stage to create defining moments. And all this was accomplished in a set of matches that delivered impressive technical acumen and sharp mat wrestling from bell to bell. Each PLE bout also ended with a memorable moment. At Backlash, Lyra rolled up Becky for the upset win, earning herself a Big Time Beatdown in return. And at Money in the Bank, she was forced to strap Becky up with the title before delivering some retribution of her own. Becky and Lyra have fantastic chemistry both in the ring and as characters, and it’s hard not to imagine their paths crossing again in the years to come.
Check back next week as we begin the final stretch of the Top WWE Women’s Matches of 2025, counting down two matches a day until we reach No. 1!