The critics have some negative opinions about Michelle McCool.

Some people believe her success in WWE is partially due to her relationship with The Undertaker. She has gotten heat for “stealing” her Faith Breaker finisher from AJ Styles and the Team Lay-Cool concept and ring entrance from The Beautiful.

Those are just opinions, but here are a few facts.

FACT: In June 2009, McCool became the first woman in WWE history to have held both the Divas and Women’s championships, thanks to a win over Melina.

FACT: Over the past 12 months, McCool has scored pinfall victories over Melina, Gail Kim, and Mickie James—three of the most decorated women wrestlers of the past decade.

FACT: From July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, McCool held (or co-held) the WWE Women’s championship for 325 of 365 days.

Here’s another fact: Michelle McCool—a woman who has been reviled by fans and derided by peers—is the best woman wrestler in the game today. Like it or not.

For the past two years, McCool has established herself as the top Diva on the Smackdown roster. She may be arrogant and condescending, but she has every right to be. No other female can match her overall success over the past year. She even found a way to “co-hold” the women’s title after Layla El pulled off an upset pinfall over Beth Phoenix.

She’s also managed to become arguably the most hated woman in wrestling today, narrowly edging out Maryse and Vickie Guerrero for that dubious distinction. But even though the fans serenade her with catcalls and boos, McCool always seems to have a smile on her face. Success has a way of putting you in a good mood.

When we called McCool to notify her that she had earned the top spot in the third annual “PWI Female 50,” she had a spokeswoman get back to us for the express reason of telling us that McCool did not want to comment on an award that had “no other possible recipient.”

While, we don’t necessarily agree with that sentiment—Angelina Love received strong consideration for the top spot—we certainly don’t agree with the arrogant manner with which it was presented.

That sort of attitude may rile fans, opponents, and the media, but—arrogance notwithstanding—McCool’s wrestling skills have improved dramatically over the past few years. Her Brazilian heel hook submission lock is an extremely effective hold that helped her upset Natalya for the Divas title in 2008. The Faith Breaker is a dynamic finisher that has put down some of the top names in the sport. And her combination of brawling abilities and fundamentally strong mat wrestling skills, coupled with her willingness to break the rules and an overall ring awareness that belies her relative inexperience, makes her a formidable and dangerous wrestler.

“The key to McCool’s success is her extraordinary will to win and a deep-seated competitiveness,” said Smackdown color commentator and NXT host Matt Striker. “Every action Michelle takes in the ring is designed to help her win the match. She doesn’t make the mistake of getting too flashy when she doesn’t need to. She’s perfectly content with winning a match by a quick roll-up or even by grabbing the tights for more leverage, as opposed to telegraphing big moves. She’s a smart wrestler and she will never accept being second-best to anyone.”

Another quality that deserves mention is McCool’s ability to bounce back from potentially crushing defeats. At the Royal Rumble, Mickie James destroyed her in just 20 seconds, taking the Women’s title that McCool holds so dear. But less than a month later, McCool avenged that loss and regained her position as the top Diva on the Smackdown brand. At Extreme Rules, McCool lost the Women’s title to Beth Phoenix in an Extreme Makeover match. But just a few weeks later, she and Layla recaptured the championship by beating “The Glamazon” in a two-on-one handicap match, which allowed her to hold the Women’s title jointly with her Lay-Cool partner.

Every time she gets knocked down, McCool gets right back up again. And that’s the true sign of a champion. The “haters” criticisms, on the other hand, aren’t entirely without merit. McCool hasn’t been very popular. Her mockery of Mickie James was offensive and mean-spirited. She has lost high-profile matches to both James and Phoenix. She has relied on outside interference (from both Layla and Vickie Guerrero) on numerous occasions.

Yet, for the past 12 months, McCool has managed to be at the forefront of the Women’s title picture on Smackdown. Challengers have come and gone, and McCool still holds (or co-holds) the gold. Even though McCool may not feel inclined to speak about the award, the results speak for themselves. And the smile on McCool’s face is broader than ever.