Welcome everyone to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! While the Fastlane event is in the distance, we have the small matter of a Women’s World Championship Match! A rematch between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez with Dominik Mysterio banned from ringside. Will Ripley get another dominating victory or can Rodriguez score a big upset? Let’s get into it, and find out…
RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ was seen training backstage as NATALYA apparently gave some advice. She would later in the show be briefly interviewed. Admitting Ripley had power and said opponents lost to the fear before the battle even started, but she wasn’t like the rest. Vowing to give Ripley a taste of her own medicine tonight.
JACKIE REDMOND attempted to interview SHAYNA BASZLER as Baszler admitted that last week Zoey Stark surprised her by not passing out instantly to the Clutch. CHELSEA GREEN butted in, flattering Baszler and saying that she needed a new (again!) tag partner to be champions with. Baszler finding it amusing when Green claimed they were ‘peers’. That led to Baszler telling Green to meet her in the ring and she’d show how large the gap was between them.
After being so-called ‘not medically cleared’ PIPER NIVEN was behind Green, as Green had to quickly suck up to her ‘partner’ as Niven snatched ‘her’ title from Green and simply said she was cleared as she stormed off.
MAXXINE DUPRI was seen backstage with her Alpha Academy boys and Tommaso Ciampa as a segment set up a Six-Man Tag Team Match against Imperium. She would accompany Alpha Academy later in the show for that match.
Singles Match
SHAYNA BASZLER defeated Women’s Tag Team Champion CHELSEA GREEN w/h PIPER NIVEN
Piper stood at the apron as the bell rang, but Green failed to take advantage of the distraction as Baszler manipulated the wrist and then hit a Back Suplex. Baszler hit the Arm Stomp, and mouthed off at Niven as Green kept trying to scramble to Niven and get out of the ring. Baszler did a nice spot of using a Tiger Driver and turning it into an Armbar but Niven pulled Green out of the ring. Baszler and Niven got into one another’s faces on the outside with Baszler giving a slight shove before she got back in.
Baszler blocked a Superkick attempt, but Green countered the Clutch with a Samson Clutch for a two count. Green tried for I’m Prettier but Baszler countered and hit ‘Exterminatus’ (a version of Ronda Rousey’s Piper’s Pit move) for the win.
After the match Niven and Baszler traded clubbing shots. ZOEY STARK ran down and hit a Superkick to drop Niven before Baszler hit a Low Knee Strike to Green. Niven wisely backed off and left the ring against a new tag team.
NXT Women’s Champion TIFFANY STRATTON and BECKY LYNCH had a backstage contract signing. Stratton claimed she’d been nothing but respectful. Lynch then levelled a bunch of burying insults which didn’t do either of them any favours. Matters not helped with Adam Pearce’s reactions and snide comments further hurting Stratton. The segment ended after more insults and the contract being signed before Stratton posed with the title and walked off much to Lynch’s fury.
World Women’s Championship Match
World Women’s Champion RHEA RIPLEY defeated RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ to retain.
Right off the bat Rodriguez struck with the Rewind Clothesline. Going for the Powerbomb but Ripley countered with a Sunset Flip, only for that to be countered with a haul up then another Rodriguez Clothesline. Rodriguez carried Ripley for a corner charge then a couple of Shoulder Thrusts. Moments later a
Right off the bat Rodriguez struck with the Rewind Clothesline. Going for the Powerbomb but Ripley countered with a Sunset Flip, only for that to be countered with a haul up then another Rodriguez Clothesline. Rodriguez carried Ripley for a corner charge then a couple of Shoulder Thrusts. Moments later a Rodriguez Powerslam got a near fall and then soon after locked on a Bearhug. Rodriguez charged Ripley to a corner but this time Ripley kept a Bodyscissors applied so she could hit a short-range Headbutt. Allowing Ripley to go up top and hit a Missile Dropkick that sent Rodriguez under the ropes.
On the outside Ripley used the Steel Steps to hit a Con Hilo to Rodriguez. Back in the ring a Running Low Knee Strike got Ripley a two count. Ripley controlled with strikes then a Dropkick. The action went to the floor when Ripley was sent over the top, and Rodriguez hit a Big Boot to send Ripley into the barricade. After a commercial break Ripley was working over Rodriguez’s leg with a version of an Indian Death Lock. Eventually Rodriguez escaped by reaching over and hitting Mat Slams.
Ripley avoided a corner charge and used an Electric Chair position to send Rodriguez into the corner for a form of Snake Eyes. Ripley applied the ‘Dirty Dom’ special of the Legscissors choke at the corner. Doing it a second time Rodriguez powered up and put Ripley in the Electric Chair to then send Ripley face first into the turnbuckle. The women traded Running Forearms before both women went down as they hit Running Big Boots at the same time.
Ripley hit a Hook Kick then a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Moments later Ripley tried for Riptide but Rodriguez blocked. Using a High Knee Strike then hoisting Ripley up to hit Snake Eyes followed by a Back Body Drop. Another Running Big Boot got Rodriguez a two count. Rodriguez went for a Vader Bomb but Ripley got her boots up to counter. Ripley borrowing Dirty Dom’s Frog Splash but it only got a near fall much to her outrage. A Baseball Slide sent Rodriguez to the floor, but when Ripley tried for a Con Hilo off the apron Rodriguez captured Ripley in her arms to swing her into the announce table. Hitting a version of the One-Armed Powerbomb onto the apron.
Suddenly at ringside (Oh God no!) NIA JAX made her return to WWE, hitting Rodriguez with a Samoan Drop on the floor as the ref was checking on Ripley. Rodriguez struggled back into the ring to get caught with a kick, and the Riptide followed as Ripley got a tainted ring.
After the match Jax attacked Ripley with a Headbutt then a Legdrop to Ripley across the ropes. Jax hit a quite unsafe looking Banzai Drop before peppering Ripley over the face with smacks.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Jax was sloppy, a poor worker and took countless liberties with opponents during her last run, and hasn’t competed in any known matches since she got fired. Of all the free agents in the world, let alone all the talent down in NXT, this is what you go with? I have no faith this run will be anything of worth and with Jax’s known ego, it could be a disaster for Ripley who has been on a fantastic roll as Champion. I’m lowering my expectations so much I’m hanging out with the Devil underground. Meanwhile, the Stratton and Lynch segment did neither of them any favours and in fact hurt Stratton more than anything. While we got more hints that Baszler and Stark will form a badass team to go against Niven and Green for the tag belts sometime down the line.
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!