Charlotte def. Divas Champion Nikki Bella

HOUSTON – No one ever accused Charlotte of being stoic in victory. And her Night of Champions pay-per-view debut proved no exception. The former NXT Women’s Champion became overwhelmed with emotion after capturing the Divas Championship and ending Nikki Bella’s controversial 301-day reign.

Check out photos of Charlotte's gutsy win

The daughter of two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair rattled the main roster, along with former NXT whirlwinds Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks, just two short months ago to kick off the Divas Revolution. During last week’s Raw, that revolution shifted into high gear when Charlotte appeared to topple the queen only to discover she had actually pinned Nikki’s sister Brie to due to Bella trickery. As a result, Nikki would retain to become the longest-reigning Divas Champion in history.

Her comeuppance, however, would be monumental. Early on during their match, Charlotte took a painful spill outside the ring and wrenched her left knee. As a cunning competitor, Nikki spotted the weakness and focused all her malice on further punishing the questionable leg. Her efforts were dogged and resulted in a series of near falls. At one point, Nikki’s Team Bella cohorts attempted to get involved, but the champion waved them off, knowing she would lose her title due to interference as stipulated by Stephanie McMahon on Raw. As all hope seemed lost for Charlotte, Nikki took to the ropes to extinguish the threat once and for all. Instead, as she leaped from the second rope, her opponent leveled her with an improbable spear. Charlotte then quickly turned the tables and twisted Nikki into the Figure-Eight Leglock, forcing her to tap to the excruciating maneuver.

With Nikki dethroned, the WWE Universe now ushers in a new queen and watches intently as the revolution marches on. Will Charlotte reign as a benevolent monarch, or will the Divas Champion rule with an iron fist?