Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! We are heading towards the Royal Rumble and the all-important Road to WrestleMania. We have few women declared for the Women’s match but will that change this week? And who will emerge as the winner of the Women’s Tag Team title clash this week? Let’s get into it, and find out…
JACKIE REDMOND interviewed BECKY LYNCH, who implied that because Nia Jax’s punch didn’t injure her that it meant either Jax got weaker or Lynch was stronger. Lynch hinted that the issues weren’t over between her and Jax.
NIA JAX was interviewed in the ring. Jax bragged that it wasn’t a shock to her to beat Lynch last week, and declared that she’d win the Royal Rumble. But after she name-dropped RHEA RIPLEY as someone who couldn’t stop her the Women’s World Champion herself came out. Ripley was showered with cheers (likely helped by Jax being there) and Ripley mocked Jax for talking a lot. Ripley reminded Jax that at last year’s Rumble Ripley eliminated her. Ripley warned Jax about walking around like she owned the division without stepping up to her first and told her to keep Rhea’s name out of her mouth.
Jax claimed Ripley was scared to face her, and Jax claimed she’d pick Ripley to face once she won the Rumble. But Jax was the one who backed away and walked away to end the segment.
Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
Women’s Tag Team Champions KATANA CHANCE & KAYDEN CARTER defeated CHELSEA GREEN & PIPER NIVEN to retain
A packed locker room backstage with women’s tag teams of CANDICE LERAE and INDI HARTWELL, IVY NILE and MAXXINE DUPRI, NATALYA and TEGAN NOX, and SHAYNA BASZELER and ZOEY STARK were all watching the match. Green and Carter started the match, but a brief distraction by Niven allowed Green to hit a Front Dropkick to send Carter out of the ring. Carter avoided a Baseball Slide and managed to lure Green in to chase her around then back into the ring, but a step quicker to use the ropes for Springboard Dropkick that caught Green when she slid back in.
Carter set Green on the ropes then tagged out, so Chance could vault in with a Sasha Banks-like Double Knee Drop to Green across the ropes for a near fall. Carter got a tag and got a two count from a Roll-up, before Green ducked one low kick just to be caught by a second. Niven ran in but ate a Drop Toe Hold to send her into the ropes. Chance got a tag and the champs went for The After Party but Niven pulled Carter out so Chance had to roll though and land on her feet, leading to a Complete Shot toss into the corner.
Green finally tagged to Niven who quickly hit the Cannonball to get a near fall. No in-picture ads this week, just a regular commercial break and back from it, Niven missed a Cannonball to Chance in the heel’s corner. Green tagged in and tried to prevent the champions’ tag but Carter ducked being knocked down and then Chance shoved Green back when her foot was grabbed. Carter got the tag, hitting Green and Niven with strikes so that Niven was knocked from the apron before a couple of low kicks to Green got a near fall. A Facewash kick on the ropes set things up for a Springboard Legdrop by Carter for another two count.
Green was set up on the top rope at the Champions’ corner, and Chance used the ropes to jump from and nail Niven with a Dropkick of sorts to cut her off. Chance got the tag and Green was then elevated onto Carter’s shoulders as she sat on the middle rope for a higher than normal Frankenscreamer, but Green still kicked out at two. Carter was tagged, but when Carter flipped Chance over for the Moonsault Green got the knees up. Green would hit the Rough Ryder on Carter but the referee was briefly distracted by getting Chance out of the ring to give Carter the extra time to kick out.
Niven got a blind tag, leading to Green hitting the Codebreaker and holding Carter in place for a Niven Senton. Chance broke up the pin. Niven tried for the Viper Driver but Carter escaped to hit a Superkick, but soon after ran into the ST-No counter in the heels’ corner. Green tagged herself in and pushed Niven up for the Vader Bombo. In a great spot, Niven didn’t see however that Chance pulled Carter to safety and in the process, Carter tripped up Green. So that Niven, without looking first, delivered the Vader Bomb to her own tag team partner.
Chance hit a top rope MX on Niven to take her out, before Carter tagged her and The Cake Stand (more sending legs down into Green than a proper Moonsault) got the champs the victory.
Backstage Rhea Ripley had to keep the rest of The Judgement Day in line thanks to all the new enemies they group had, but when questioned about Nia Jax Ripley claimed she’d deal with her.
Maxxine Durpri and Akira Tozawa accompanied Otis as he lost to Ivar accompanied by VALHALLA.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
There was no mass attack of in-picture adverts this week which was a good thing, but perhaps as a balance we only had one match. It was a fine match however with the right team winning so that Double KC can get a well deserved reign, alongside new teams stepping up to challenge. Meanwhile, there was brief and very little true hype for the Women’s Royal Rumble. They might be going the route of limited confirmed entries so that it’s a night of surprises both in terms or who is in the match and actual surprises from NXT and legends of the past involved. Putting Nia Jax in a strong position as a favourite worries me considering her work rate. Her versus Rhea Ripley might be considered a ‘dream amtch’ by some but it would likely become a nightmare. We only need to look at the mess that was Ripley against Raquel Rodriguez to show that power versus power doesn’t always work out.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop in seven days’ time for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!