Professional Wrestling is a sport that, decades ago, was synonymous with men. Thanks to more progressive attitudes and an entire host of women showcasing amazing talent equal or greater to that of their male counterparts, women in WWE are now some of the biggest stars of the sport.
Nowadays just known as Superstars of the women's division, rather than "divas" as they were once called, female competitors have proven to dominate the ring. Although a pay gap still exists, women are seeing an increase in salary because of fan reception and increased visibility in major wrestling events such as WWE All-Women Pay-Per-View and the Raw Women Championship. Let's take a look at some of the sport's highest-paid female superstars in 2020.
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| WWE has grown immensely since its beginnings, now hosting over 450 live events each year. |
Becky Lynch
Currently signed to WWE under the Raw brand, Irish native Becky Lynch is first on our list as the highest-paid female WWE performer in 2020 with an annual salary of $3.1 M. Starting her training in 2002, Lynch began her career with her brother under the stage name "Rebecca Knox," teaming up with him in the wrestling ring.
Since then, she has been extremely successful, competing in a SmackDown Women's Championship at Backlash 2016 and winning – even after being out of the game for some time because of a serious head injury. More recently she coined the nickname "The Man" representing herself as a fierce figure not to be reckoned with.
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey comes in at number two with a salary of $2.1M, unsurprisingly given her long list of accomplishments. Not only has the wrestling star won an Olympic medal, but she has also become the only woman to have won a WWE and UFC championship as well as the first and only female athlete in the sport to have headlined a main television event in the UFC and WWE.
Rousey or "Rowdy" is also a former mixed martial artist and judoka, special skills that keep her within the top betting picks, most recently for the Woman's Royal Rumble set to take place on January 26th. What better way to start the new year than watching this dynamic powerhouse take the ring?
Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair, daughter of famous wrestler Rick Flair, is a second-generation athlete in the sport and third highest-paid in 2020, earning a salary of $1.1M per year. She has a big list of important wins under her belt, such as coming out on top (a whopping 4 times) in the Raw Women's Championship. She's also the five-time holder of the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Most recently, she gained another victory at the beginning of the year at the 2020 Women's Royal Rumble Match. Flair was born a star, and the art of wrestling is undoubtedly flowing in her blood.
Alexa Bliss
Signed to WWE in May 2013, Alexa Bliss continues to prove her value to the company and the sport as one of the greatest in the game, currently earning $350,000 a year. She's a two-time SmackDown Woman' Champion and has claimed victories on three different occasions in the Raw Women's Championship. With fellow wrestler Nikki Cross, Bliss also holds the title as the first two-time Women's Tag Team Champion in the history of WWE. Surely there are great things to come for this superstar.
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| Injuries in wrestling can happen no matter the gender of the competitor, but the way Becky Lynch sprung back into the ring after a serious head injury is quite impressive. |
Kanako Urai
Last but surely not least we have the great female wrestler Kanako, more commonly known by her ring name, "Asuka." Originally from Japan, Asuka was signed with WWE in 2015 and has since then won several competitions such as the Women's Royal Rumble and Women's Tag Team Championship. WWE is more than happy to have her on their side providing her with a salary of around $350,000 a year. She is considered, by some, one of the greatest to compete in the sport due to the diversity in her performances.
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