Welcome to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! This week will see Bianca Belair defend the Raw Women’s Championship for the first time since winning at WrestleMania. But with her opponent being WWE Official Sonya Deville will there be any shenanigans as Deville tries to seize the title? And what’s next after Rhea Ripley turned her back on partner Liv Morgan with a vicious attack? Let’s get into it, and find out…
Raw Women’s Championship Match
BIANCA BELAIR defeats SONYA DEVILLE via count-out to retain.
Belair bulldozed Deville with a Shoulder Check, sending her out of the ring. Moments later Belair countered her opponent and sent Deville across the announce table, and Deville selling her ankle didn’t even make it around the table to beat the count. While Belair looked all too happy to have retained by the lesser option by a pin, let alone how quick this ‘match’ had been.
Deville however grabbed a mic, making an excuse that the ‘floor was wet’ and used her powers as an Official to restart the match with No Count-Outs.
Raw Women’s Championship – No Count-Out Match
BIANCA BELAIR defeats SONYA DEVILLE by disqualification to retain.
Belair took the fight to Deville on the floor, with an exchange of shoves into the ring apron. Deville tried to pull the braid but Belair used her hair to send Deville over the barricade into the Timekeeper’s area. Moments later Deville used a steel chair, clearly in front of the referee, to attack Belair and cause a DQ. To no one’s surprise, Deville changed the rules again to make another restart and adding in No DQ.
Raw Women’s Championship – No DQ, No Count-Out Match
BIANCA BELAIR defeats SONYA DEVILLE to retain.
Right away, Deville summoned out the former Women’s Tag Team Champions in CARMELLA and QUEEN ZELINA down to the ring (even though a few weeks ago they broke up their team in a brawl). Back from a commercial Carmella was holding Belair as Deville hit some body blows. Belair fought the two off, sending Carmella down with a Back Elbow before hitting a Spinebuster to Deville. Zelina hooked on a back Sleeper before the two worked over Belair, with Zelina sending Deville across to hit a Shoulder Thrust to Belair in the corner.
Belair managed to toss out Zelina then Carmella, but trying to hit the Glam Slam on Deville saw a counter Belair getting sent face first into the middle turnbuckle. Deville hit a DDT onto a steel chair to get a near fall. However, after ordering Zelina to set up another chair in a corner Belair sent Deville head first into it. Knocking Zelina then Carmella down (with Carmella getting the handspring bounce knockdown). A KOD to Deville followed to retain the title by pinfall.
Backstage Zelina and Carmella bickered before Deville ranted, saying they’d failed and as a result they weren’t getting any title shot, before slapping them both.
Non-Title, Mixed Tag Team Match
TAMINA & Akira Tozawa defeated 24/7 Champion DANA BROOKE & Reggie.
R-Truth was the special guest referee. The men started but they didn’t seem to be anywhere in sync with their female partners. Brooke soon got a tag in before Tamina got the same. Doing a few counters before oddly Tamina held Brooke over backwards, teasing like the two women were going to smooch! However, Tozawa tagged in to bring the men back in, and not long after Tozawa pinned Reggie after a Top Rope Senton.
After the match Tamina attacked Brooke, but R-Truth refused to count a pin attempt by Tozawa, sending him into Tamina to take them out. Truth showed his true colours by trying to roll up Brooke but couldn’t hold the pin and make the count as Brooke escaped with her title.
BECKY LYNCH returned to Raw for the first time since losing the Raw Women’s Championship looking from body language like a shell of her former self. Lynch sounded distraught over losing her title, saying she hadn’t been without the gold for three years. Lynch then sounded insane as she claimed after hitting rock bottom the only way was up, and this was the start of a comeback story.
ASUKA suddenly made her long-awaited return, leaving Lynch looking like she’d seen a ghost. After dancing around, Asuka told Lyunch she’d stop her because no one was ready for Asuka. Even booping Lynch on the nose before avoiding a cheapshot, then making Lynch flee from a Backfist to send Lynch backing away.
SARAH SCHREIBER interviewed RHEA RIPLEY about her recent betrayal. Ripley claimed she was done with being with women who dragged her down and left her weak. LIV MORGAN suddenly attacked for a brief brawl before the two were pulled apart.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A short, painless match with Deville as expected flaunting and abusing her power to try, but fail, to steal Belair’s title. The match itself was quite a rushed mess but I suppose did its job. We’ll have to see if there’s a rematch for WrestleMania Backlash or not. And it’s great to see Asuka back again in the WWE, and a match against Lynch is delicious. Elsewhere? More of the same with the 24/7 stuff, but Morgan and Ripley did a fine job with their little segment to build their feud.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days time for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!