Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! Crown Jewel on the horizon with a clash of Champions between Liv Morgan and Nia Jax. This week however will see a defense of the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Reigning champs Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defend against Damage CTRL’s Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane. Who will emerge on top after this title clash? Let’s get into it, and find out…
Women’s Tag Team Champion BIANCA BELAIR and JADE CARGILL got the ‘arrived earlier today’ video treatment. As did their title challengers IYO SKY and KAIRI SANE.
RHEA RIPLEY kicked off Raw with an in-ring promo. Ripley called out her rivals Morgan and Rodriguez and said her issues with them wouldn’t end until she got the title back. Instead, as she’d been ordered to this past Friday, Miss Money in the Bank in Smackdown’s TIFFANY STRATTON came out. Stratton said she was here to deliver a message from Nia Jax, and that was for Ripley to stay out of Jax’s business or else Ripley would have a problem. Ripley of course dismissed the threat and told Stratton that if she couldn’t get Morgan or Rodriguez she’d just beat up Stratton instead.
The two had a yelling match and that allowed LIV MORGAN and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ to jump the two from behind. Rodriguez took out Stratton with a rather messy Kingdom Falls attempt, and then hit Ripley with a Big Boot to wipe her out. Morgan slammed the MITB briefcase across Stratton’s back for good measure before Morgan posed and gloated.
Backstage Ripley stormed up to GM Adam Pearce and demanded to face Morgan and Rodriguez. Pearce agreed but said it would only be a tag match. Que Stratton appearing to complain about what happened to her and with great reluctance, Ripley agreed to team with Stratton. Even if, because she hadn’t been clued in, Stratton was left bamboozled by it all.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
Women’s Tag Team Champions BIANCA BELAIR & JADE CARGILL defeated Damage CTRL (IYO SKY & KAIRI SANE) to retain.
NXT’s JAKARA JACKSON and LASH LEGEND of Meta-Four were shown front row at ringside, fresh off of their main-roster (but sadly extremely short and cut off) debut this past Smackdown.
Cargill and Sky started off with a big shove down from a lock-up by Cargrill. Sky did a flip evasion, hit a Dropkick but off the momentum Cargill bulldozed Sky. Belair took a tag and the champs hit their Double Team Hip Toss into a lift-up drop for a near fall. Belair hit some rough Shoulder Thrusts in a corner and didn’t even let Sky get her arm out of the way for them. Sky would escape a carry into a Sunset Flip attempt but Belair hauled her up for a Suplex, only for Sky to counter. Sane got a blind tag and some misdirection from the challengers led to Sky using a leg trip slide before Sane hit an Axe Kick.
A Snapmare by Sane set up Double Dropkicks by the Sky Pirates. Sane knocked Cargill off the apron, but Cargill avoided a Baseball Slide from Sky and decked her on the floor. Sane hit a Crossbody from the top rope to wipe out Cargill. After a commercial break, Sky had Belair trapped in a Crossface but Belair escaped with a pinhold counter for two. Sky hit a trio of Shotei strikes and then hit her Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp spot. Sky went for the Double Underhook but Belair powered out for a Back Body Drop attempt. Sky flipped onto her feet but Belair was able to run the ropes and hit a huge Spear to Sky.
Tags on both sides, and Sane avoided a Big Boot from Cargill to hit the Cutlass. Sane hit a trio of open-hand Chops before she turned a Tilt-a-whirl into a Back Sleeper. Cargill escaped with the Snapmare toss, and moments later caught Sane’s Crossbody attempt to turn it into a spin-out Backbreaker. Cargill hit a Powerbomb but Sky broke up the pin attempt. Belair disposed of Sky and then got out to take a tag, but a double team backfired as Cargill tossed Belair down with a Dominator but Sane rolled out of the way so Belair hit the canvas. The Low Bridge trick by Sane sent Cargill to the floor before Sky tagged in to hit a Springboard Missile Dropkick.
Sky tossed up Sane for an impressive Pop-up InSane Elbow but only got a two count (it seemed Sky was unsure about whether to pin or go for the next spot before the cover). Sky went for Over the Moonsault but Cargill pulled Belair to the floor to avoid the move. Sane tried for a Flying Headscissors off the apron but Cargill’s strength blocked it and both she and Belair tossed Sane into the barricade. Right by where Jackson and Legend were standing so the four women got into a shouting match. Sky hit a Spingboard Moonsault from the middle rope to the floor to wipe out the champs.
Sky sent Belair back in but made the mistake to mouth off at Jackson and Legend. Unseen by the ref, Jackson hauled Sky by the hair so Legend could hit a cheap shot Forearm that staggered Sky back to the apron. Belair didn’t see it either so just hauled Sky up and over the ropes with a Suplex that turned into the KOD to retain the titles. Belair and Cargill seemed to be clueless about the hollow victory, while Sane yelled down at the NXT Superstars who gloated about what they’d done.
Backstage Liv Morgan introduced Raquel Rodriguez to the rest of The Judgement Day, and that left Carlito flabbergasted.
IVY NILE and American Made had a hype video.
MAXXINE DUPRI accompanied Alpha Academy as they lost to the War Raiders.
Rhea Ripley and Damien Priest were seen backstage as they discussed current events.
SCARLETT accompanied The Final Testament as their distraction led to The Miz losing to R-Truth, before Karrion Kross continued to be a corruptive influence with The Miz when he laid out his former friend.
Tag Team Match
Women’s World Champion LIV MORGAN & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ Vs RHEA RIPLEY & TIFFANY STRATTON ended in a no contest.
Ripley and Morgan started off as Morgan hit a slap, but Ripley countered the next attempt and captured both arms to hit a Headbutt. Kingdom Falls followed then a Basement Dropkick. Morgan avoided a corner charge but was blocked the first time from making a tag, just to escape a Slam attempt and quickly tag out. Ripley and Rodriguez circled but took too long as Stratton tagged herself in much to Ripley’s fury.
Stratton did some flips and then a Matrix evasion to a Clothesline before she avoided a charge and sent Rodriguez through the ropes. The odd partnership between Stratton and Ripley led to a yelling match on the floor and that allowed Rodriguez to tag Morgan in. Shades of their Tag Title days as Rodriguez used a Powerbomb toss to send Morgan over the ropes to barrel into Stratton and Ripley on the outside.
After a commercial break, Morgan presumably finished off the Three Amigos onto Stratton with the Dirty Dom theatrics she did after a Suplex. A Glimmering Warlock got Morgan a near fall. Stratton took some stomps in the heels’ corner then a choke from Morgan before she tagged out. Rodriguez whipped Morgan to hit her Jumping Back Elbow with the roll-out, just to then whip Rodriguez in to hit a Splash. Rodriguez hit a Deadlift Suplex for a near fall. Stratton was roughed up with strikes then a Backbreaker into a submission over the knee.
A botch happened as Stratton lept for a tag and Ripley had to pull herself back to not be tagged when Rodriguez didn’t haul Stratton back in time. Stratton then kicked Rodriguez back so Morgan could tag herself in before Ripley got that tag and came in House on Fire with Clotheslines then a round of strikes finished with a Clothesline. Rodriguez took a Dropkick to knock her off the apron but Morgan hit a Chinbuster to stun Ripley. Morgan tried for the Springboard Codebreaker but Ripley countered with a rough toss down. Followed by a Low Knee Strike before Ripley hit Riptide clean but Rodriguez broke up the pin attempt.
Ripley forced in Stratton with a tag so she could brawl with Rodriguez on the floor. Stratton went for her Prettiest Moonsault Ever but Morgan rolled out of the way. Charging out, WWE Women’s Champion NIA JAX decked both Ripley and Rodriguez from behind to get the match thrown out. Rodriguez was sent into the ring post and moments after Ripley tried to slam Jax in the ring, but Morgan hit a Chop Block so Jax squashed Ripley. Morgan forgot about the future Crown Jewel clash and just pummeled Ripley, so it left her open to take a Headbutt from Jax. A Samoan Drop then a Leg Drop followed and The Annihalator.
Jax motioned to order Stratton to get the MITB briefcase to attempt to cash in. Dominik Mysterio however ran out to pull Morgan to safety before the cash in could happen and Rodriguez joined to carry Morgan to safety as Raw went off the air.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Two fine tag team matches on the show. It was a surprise that Damage CTRL took a protected loss with how much the WWE promotes The Big Two of Belair and Cargill. I can’t complain when it means more involvement with Jackson and Legend who could breathe some much needed life into a stale tag division after the failure that’s been the PFC storyline. Elsewhere the WWE is trying hard to make us care about the clash of Women’s Champions but heel versus heel matches rarely work out and this one will be no different. Especially when Morgan is still deep in the never-ending feud with Ripley that overshadows everything else. Crown Jewel can’t come soon enough so we can get past all of this and move on.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by next week for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!