Entering Friday, Nikki Bella is 10 days shy of tying AJ Lee's mark for the longest Divas Championship reign in WWE history.
Lee held the gold for 295 days, which spanned from June 2013-April 2014 and Bella, who dethroned Lee at the Survivor Series in November, is entering Day 285. Charlotte won a Beat the Clock challenge to become the No. 1 contender for the title, with the match originally planned for Night of Champions on Sept. 20.
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The WWE has decided to move the match up to next week on either Monday Night RAW or SmackDown to add suspense to Bella possibly losing the title before reaching the milestone. They booked Charlotte to ask The Authority to move the match up on SmackDown.
With the influx of young, athletic Divas, Bella's quest for the goal has been met with mixed reviews. While there have been rumors that her boyfriend John Cena used his political stroke backstage to keep the belt on her, which Bella publicly denied on Twitter, there are three reasons why the WWE should go through with having Bella break Lee's record.
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1) "Total Divas"
Like it or not, a lot of the things the WWE does with its ladies is geared toward the E! Network reality show, whether there's a Divas Revolution or not. The "Total Divas" cameras are likely to follow Bella through her quest to surpass Lee and it will probably make for compelling television when the reality show hits the airwaves for Season 5.
2) Lee Left
It's understandable why AJ Lee decided to retire from the WWE, but likewise it's also clear why the WWE would like to establish a new standard bearer for the division. With CM Punk, Lee's husband, walking out on the WWE in January 2014, it undoubtedly made for some awkward situations for the Diva behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, she remained in Vince McMahon's company for over a year following his departure and didn't waver in light of Punk going on Colt Cabana's podcast to publicly reveal why he left. The "Best in the World" also blasted the promotion and its doctor, Chris Amann, leading to a lawsuit from the physician. This is reportedly the final nail that drove AJ Lee away.
Though it makes sense why Lee would retire shortly after WrestleMania 31, the WWE wants to keep any mentions of Punk at a minimum, so having Bella become the new longest-tenured title-holder is a logical move. They've gone this far already and it's also fitting that Bella was the one to end Lee's third and final reign with the gold.
3) Future Is Bright
Many members of the WWE Universe are clamoring for some of the new call-ups from NXT to get their chance to shine with the belt. Charlotte is the No. 1 contender and is well-known not only for being Ric Flair's daughter, but for having myriad skills in the ring and she would make a great champion if the WWE booked her to defeat Bella.
Sasha Banks, the former NXT Champion, wrestled in what is definitely the Match of the Year for the Divas and possibly overall against Becky Lynch at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, and is another worthy contender. Becky Lynch, who is Charlotte's stablemate in PCB, has already wowed the audience with her in-ring ability very early in her main roster WWE career.
Then there's Paige, who has held the title twice already, but is one of the best in the division and hasn't held gold in over a year.
Though all these ladies are worthy for a reign, they aren't going anywhere and the WWE should take the necessary time to build them up to win the gold, much like Bayley in NXT. Paige is only 23-years-old while Banks (23), Lynch (28) and Charlotte (29) all have prime years left.
The future is bright for the Divas Revolution, so there's no reason to push anyone to the gold too soon. It will make it all the more memorable when they finally overcome the obstacles and stand tall to represent their division proudly.
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