Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! Backlash is in the history books and it saw Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill capture the Women’s Tag Team Championships from The Kabuki Warriors. Meaning that while a part of the Smackdown roster, Belair and Cargill could show up on Raw at any time. But now we head towards the King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event and the first-ever Queen of the Ring tournament (second if you count the Queen’s Crown tournament from a few years back). The first-round matches on the Raw bracket will take place this week, so who will advance in this potentially prestigious tournament? Let’s get into it, and find out…
MAXXINE DUPRI and The Alpha Academy was briefly seen backstage being verbally berated by Chad Gable.
CATHY KELLEY and JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
Queen of the Ring Tournament First Round Match
IYO SKY w/h DAKOTA KAI & KAIRI SANE defeated NATALYA
They started off with arm work as Sky kipped up to counter a Wristlock, before Natalya rolled and then flipped through before she hit a Wrist-clutch slam for a two count. After an exchange of waistlocks, Natalya got Sky down with a Leg Lock but the two women traded kicks and stomps while Natalya kept the leg. Natalya went for The Sharpshooter but got kicked away and it led to a series of strikes by Sky in a corner. Moments later, Sky went for a Springboard but Natalya slid though the ropes to the floor. Sky would go for a Moonsault off the middle rope but had to land on her feet when Natalya moved. Just for Natalya to use an Atomic Drop grip to (barely) toss Sky into the ring apron. Natalya then kicked Sky into the apron, and once back in the ring Natalya got a two count.
Sky escaped a waistlock by vaulting to the outside through the ropes and the momentum sent Natalya into the middle rope to stun her. A Springboard Missile Dropkick got Sky a near fall. After a commercial break, Sky got the better of a strike exchange with a Palm Strike but got hit with a kneeling-style MD2 when she ran the ropes. Soon after, Natalya hit a Top Rope Superplex to get a two count. Sky would lock on a Crossface, but Natalya powered up to escape. Sky turned a Wheelbarrow into a Samson Clutch, just to hit a Double Stomp. A Basement Dropkick got Sky a near fall.
An exchange of pin holds and two counts led to Natalya rolling through and hitting a Sit-out Powerbomb for a near fall. Sky would counter the Atomic Drop toss with a Samson Clutch but her stomp this time just hit the canvas. Natalya used a Roll-Up to bring Sky down and go for the Sharpshooter but Dakota Kai provided just a brief distraction that allowed Sky to flip the hold and send Natalya into the bottom turnbuckle. The Running Corner Meteora to a downed Natalya followed, before the Over the Moonsault got the victory and Sky advances to the next round.
Post-match Dakota Kai bragged that Damage CTRL was back on Raw to dominate. Kai casually stated that she would be replacing an injured Asuka to face ‘bird lady Lyra’. After she owned the crowd’s what chant, Kai warned that Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill should enjoy the tag titles while they could, and that Becky Lynch was their next target.
Queen of the Ring Tournament First Round Match
ZOEY STARK defeated IVY NILE
Stark charged Nile into a corner and hit some shots and moments later failed to land on her feet after a flip from the corner. Stark decked Nile with a Clothesline moments later, but a little later Nile hit a Shoulder Knockdown before she countered Stark’s dropdown to go for a Rear Naked Choke. Stark would power up, just for Nile to hit a long Delayed Suplex before she kipped up.
A Superkick then a Spin Kick sent Stark through the ropes but Stark yanked Nile into the ropes to stun her before she hit a Lucha Kick. Stark hit a Springboard Dropkick for a near fall. Nile would be set up on the top rope, but eventually escaped to hit a Super Bulldog for a near fall. Stark would duck one Head Kick but a second got a ‘glancing blow’ (as in missed by a mile). Stark would hit a Superkick then a Sliding Knee to a downed Nile for a near fall.
Nile tried for a Suplerplex but Stark slipped down back to the ring and swept the leg to send Nile face-first into the top turnbuckle. Stark hit a great looking Half-Nelson Suplex before she hit Z-360 and got the victory.
An in-ring interview with Women’s World Champion BECKY LYNCH was held by Micheal Cole. Lynch joked about her bizarre choice of outfit from the Kentucky Derby but she turned her attention to the draft and said there was change coming. She singled out Alba Fyre, Isla Dawn and newcomer Kiana James along with praise for Lyra Valkyria. The segment dragged and lost the crowd as she addressed the WrestleMania loss.
Finally, LIV MORGAN interrupted and was all fired up about the fact Lynch talked about everything, including her hat, but didn’t talk about her. She listed off her accomplishments and said that the fact she couldn’t get any respect out of Lynch ‘blew her mind’. Lynch fired back and said Morgan would get her title match at the King and Queen of the Ring event, but warned that one thing she’s not accomplished is beating her. Morgan vowed that her ‘purpose’ is to get her revenge tour over Rhea Ripley and get the World title.
Damage CTRL would then interrupt as Dakota Kai mocked Morgan for getting a title shot when she did ‘nothing’ to earn it. The group surrounded the ring to intimidate but rather than stand and fight, Morgan rather smartly bailed from the ring and laughed that ‘it wasn’t my problem’. That left Lynch to be overwhelmed by the numbers until LYRA VALKYRIA rushed out (and yelled at Morgan for not helping) and helped fend off Damage CTRL to leave her and Lynch standing tall in the ring.
Queen of the Ring Tournament First Round Match
LYRA VALKYRIA defeated DAKOTA KAI
Neither Becky Lynch nor Damage CTRL were at ringside. Valkyria held control with a toss from a lock-up, a Headlock Takeover and a Hiptoss before the show went into in-picture to play a movie trailer. Back to live action, and Valkyria hit a jumping Head Kick then a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Kai would counter a Delayed Fisherwoman’s Suplex into a Small Package for a near fall. Valkyria went to the middle rope but Kai swept the leg to make the back of Valkyria’s head hit the top turnbuckle. Kai set up Valkyria on the apron and hit a Pump Kick to the head.
After a commercial break, Valkyria peppered Kai with palm strikes then a round of kicks finished with a Spin Kick. Then a Dropkick through the ropes to hit Kai on the outside. Back in the ring Valkyria hit a Top Rope Crossbody then the Delayed Fisherwoman’s Suplex for a near fall. Kai would escaped from off Valkyria’s shoulders and used a hair pull to slam her down. Before Valkyria was set up through the ropes to hit a rope-aided Stomp to the back to drive Valkyria’s head into the canvas for a near fall.
Valkyria avoided Kai’s running corner Kick and rolled her up for a two count, and bumped into the ref off the kickout. Valkyria hit two corner Running Forearm shots but when she went for a third, Kai ran out and nailing the Running Boot in the opposite corner for a near fall. Valkyria avoided Go-To-Kick but Kai ducked the Spin Kick that followed and hit her Scorpion Kick. Valkyria then hit her Nightwing finisher (Samoan Driver) for the victory to advance to the next round.
Lyra Valkyria will face Zoey Stark in the Quarter Finals and that match was set for next week. As was the second Quarter Final that will pit Iyo Sky against the winner of a match between Shayna Baszler and Zelina Vega that will take place at a Live Event this week.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
We were treated to three great women’s matches with a nice amount of time. Nile versus Stark was hurt simply by the crowd not being fully into it but it was a nice bout, and Valkyria delivered for her main roster debut with a great bout. The same was true for Natalya and Sky so I’ve got no complaints for any of the bouts. I could complain that one first round match, Baszler against Vega, has been relegated to a live event but there’s a men’s tournament match that has suffered the same fate so it is what it is. Meanwhile, the Lynch interview became a dud and lost the crowd until Morgan came out. Her tweener character verged on Heel again when she smartly abandoned Lynch to be left alone. We’ll wait and see if more comes from this side of Morgan’s character, especially in the aftermath of the title match at King and Queen of the Ring.
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!