5. Michelle McCool

Michelle McCool has always been an athlete. She worked as a personal trainer and taught kickboxing and gymnastics. In 2004, she was a contestant on the second edition of WWE Diva Search – and the rest is history. McCool actually lost to winner Christy Hemme, but was signed to a three-year contract with the company.

WWE saw something in McCool and sent her to their developmental territories Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling. She became a four-time champion, holding the Divas Championship twice and the WWE Women’s Championship twice.

In 2008, she was the inaugural winner of the infamous Divas butterfly belt and held that title for five months. The following year, McCool won the Women’s Championship, making her the first woman to hold both titles. In November 2010, she was ranked No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated‘s Female 50.

Michelle McCool, like Trish Stratus, had to make the most out of the little time women’s matches were allowed, but McCool made an impact when she could.

Before her retirement in 2001, she along with Layla formed the team of LayCool, one of the few true women’s tag teams during that time. They even considered themselves co-champions, each coming to the ring with a belt.

One of the stars of the Divas era, Michelle McCool stood out with her athleticism inside the ring and her skills on the microphone.