Heading into 2025 and throughout the year, WWE introduced something new for the women of Raw and SmackDown. Despite NXT having the NXT Women’s North American Title since April of 2024, the announcement of mid-card women’s titles for WWE’s Main roster didn’t come until the end of last year. More opportunities for women across the board is never a bad thing. What can be tricky, however, is for the belts (and ladies) to get the attention they need in order to flourish.
Let’s take a look at the first year under both belts. The Women’s United States Championship was announced first and won at Saturday Night’s Main Event last year in December. The first champion was Chelsea Green, who defeated Michin in the finals. Since Green, we have gone on to crown two more champions as the belt is currently back on Green. Zelina Vega became the second champion, while Giulia was the third. To say that the booking of this championship has been challenging would be the nicest way to say it. Despite the SmackDown roster having at least a roster of 15 women, the same four women have been circling the gold since its inception, with no real variation. And out of those four women, three have held the gold, while Michin has yet to have a title in her WWE career.
Now, let’s pause from this and shift over to Raw. The Women’s Intercontinental Championship was crowned about a month later than the U.S. Title. On Jan. 13, Lyra Valkyria became the inaugural champion by defeating Dakota Kai in the finals. The common thing with both of the mid-card titles was the slow booking at first. The better booking in the beginning slightly leaned to the U.S. Championship as Chelsea was on screen more than Lyra. Much like SmackDown, Raw had plenty of talent that could challenge Valkyria at the incarnation of this title. However, this shifted around WrestleMania time. It wasn’t until Becky Lynch’s return that fueled the division surrounding the IC Title.
The feud between Valkyria and Lynch was arguably one of the better feuds of the year, with Bayley thrown into the mix. Having two top stars such as Lynch and Bayley working with Valkyria did put her over with the fans, even when Lynch became champion. This is perhaps where SmackDown missed the mark with the U.S. Title. Lynch being champion morphed into a feud with a returning AJ Lee, and although Lee never had a title shot against Lynch, it was a fun additional “what if?” moment.
Time and visibility matter. Regular TV matches, meaningful premium live event defenses, and promo time are essential. Unfortunately, with the current creative wanting only four to five matches on each premium live event, it cuts into time where mid-card titles can be utilized. NXT’s Women’s North American Title benefited early on because it was presented as important from day one, with competitive matches and focused storytelling. Raw and SmackDown need to replicate that approach rather than assuming the audience will care simply because the belts exist.
How are we stacking up starting 2026? Although it is too early to tell, a title change already in 2026 has raised questionable decisions and is a head-scratcher. We can argue that the three women who have held the U.S. Title (Chelsea Green, Zelina Vega, and Giulia) aren’t to blame for the lack of success the title has had so far. All three of these women were relegated to backstage promos, fake-out matches (where a match was confirmed but a brawl happened instead), or not even on TV at all has hurt this title from getting off the ground. On the first SmackDown of the year, Chelsea Green lost the title back to Giulia. Why? Who knows. Giulia wasn’t utilized the first time she held the title, barely even being on TV, so what is the plan for her now?
As for the Women’s IC Title, a title change could also take place as Maxxine Dupri is set to defend against Becky Lynch on Jan. 5. The difference here between the Giulia vs. Chelsea match we just witnessed is the excitement behind it due to the time put into the feud and the time we have seen on-screen between the two.
The Women’s IC Title’s first year clears beyond mountains how the Women’s U.S. Title has been booked and presented. Hopefully 2026 does better for both belts, but at least puts the U.S. Title on the same level as the I.C. Title.