Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! WrestleMania is in the history books with Bianca Belair retaining the Raw Women’s Championship over Asuka, while Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus won to end their rivalry with Damage CTRL. Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley secured the Smackdown Women’s Championship by defeating Charlotte Flair, but will this leave Ripley brand hopping to stay a part of The Judgement Day, or will she be switching to Friday Nights? Let’s get into it, and find out what surprises are in store for the usually eventful Raw After Mania…
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
Raw Women’s Champion BIANCA BELAIR went to the ring for a promo, showering Asuka with praise. But before she could brag about being 3-0 at Mania, RHEA RIPLEY the new Smackdown Women’s Champion interrupted. Mocking Belair and pointing out that Ripley chose to face Flair instead of Belair at Mania. Warning Belair that ‘they will get back to this’ (perhaps referencing their title match from last year that never ended up happening) soon enough. Belair wasn’t intimidated, implying Ripley didn’t choose to face her ‘for a reason’ and welcomed the future challenge. But Ripley backed off without any fists being thrown.
Tag Team Match – Winners Get Future Tag Title Match
LIV MORGAN & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ defeated DAMAGE CTRL (DAKOTA KAI & IYO SKY)
As Morgan and Rodriguez made their entrance, Ripley was leaving during the previous segment and had a brief stare-down with Rodriguez. Bayley did not accompany Damage CTRL to the ring. Kai and Rodriguez started off. Not long after the bell Kai went for a Scorpion Kick but Rodriguez blocked, using an elevated Stretch Muffler grip to spin Kai around Airplane Spin style. Kai managed to hit the Scorpion Kick after a Jawbreaker, the momentum from the kick sending Rodriguez back to her corner for Morgan to tag in.
Kai nailed Morgan with a Running Big Boot at the ropes, only for Morgan to hit a Backstabber right after. Kai quickly tagged out, and while Morgan cut Sky off with a Dropkick going for the rollout after the corner Back Elbow left Morgan open to take a Dropkick herself. Moments later after Morgan had sent both of Damage CTRL to the floor Rodriguez used an Awesome Bomb on Morgan to use her as a weapon, tossing her down onto Kai and Sky on the floor!
The match went to in-picture for adverts. When it returned to live action Morgan was being punished against Sky. Morgan hitting the Side Codebreaker to get a break before tags were made on both sides. House on Fire mode from Rodriguez hitting Clotheslines then a Fallaway Slam, but going for a Vader Bomb into a Twisting Senton Kai just got the knees up. Damage CTRL tried to double team, only for Rodriguez to toss Kai into Sky like a lawn dart. Sky managed to pull Kai down from taking the One-Arm Powerbomb but only to get Kai shoved into her, sending Sky off the apron. That left Kai alone to take the One-Arm Powerbomb with Morgan tagging in during the lift up, leading to Morgan hitting ObLIVion and pinning Kai.
The WWE announced that Morgan and Rodriguez would get their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match ‘next week’ against Becky Lynch and Lita.
Briefly seen backstage MAXXINE DUPRI and Chad Gable were bickering over Otis.
BECKY LYNCH, LITA and TRISH STRATUS were interviewed backstage but nothing of importance was said.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A supremely lacking Raw After Mania without any debuts and only a tag title match confirmed for next week. No doubt that a certain Chairman is back in control of creative. Even worse that Morgan and Rodriguez didn’t even win at the Mania Showcase match, but they were put into a contendership match on Raw. Proof it ever needed that the Showcase match was as throwaway as feared. This was not a stellar start to the new WWE calender year for the women’s division.
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!