Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! Last week Becky Lynch fended off the challenge of Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship. However she soon suffered a shocking sneak attack by former NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler with Baszler taking a bite out of Lynch. A new development yesterday however was the announcement that Lynch’s WrestleMania challenger will be decided in an Elimination Chamber match. Baszler will have to go through Asuka, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott and Natalya in order to get Lynch at Mania. Does that mean the result of the Chamber match is certain? And what fallout will there be of Charlotte Flair’s acceptance to face NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. What new twists on the Road to WrestleMania will we get? Let’s get into it, and find out…
CHARLOTTE FLAIR went to ring for a promo. She showed a recap of her attacking Rhea Ripley after her NXT Women’s Championship match and her announcing she’ll face Ripley at WrestleMania. She ignored NXT chants, and eluded to “her class” being the ones who built the foundations of NXT. Flair claimed that Ripley and “women like her” were entitled and haven’t earned anything. “Pride comes before the fall” Flair said, and vowed to humble Ripley at WrestleMania.
BECKY LYNCH went to the ring with a big paper bag and a new jacket that that had championship title plates of women she’s defeated in the past on her arm. Lynch said she came to America for fame and fortune, she didn’t know what to do with ‘fame’ but had an idea about the other part. Sprinkling money onto the canvas out of the bag. Lynch said it was paying her fine early for what she was going to do to Shayna Baszler, calling it a “down payment on violence”. Lynch referenced animals in the wild, saying beasts go for the neck to weaken a prey before ending them. She refered to her past opponents saying she had beaten them because she had to. “I’m coming after you because I want to.”
SHAYNA BASZLER appeared but on the video screen, bragging that because the Elimination Chamber was “in a cage” the match was made for a Cage Fighter for her. She claimed she didn’t ‘plan’ on biting Lynch last week “But imagine the things I do have planned” and finished with a vulgar line. Lynch threateningly stated she’d be watching the Chamber match closely.
Backstage CHARLY CARUSO interviewed LANA and ZELINA VEGA (oh and their men I guess) as Lana claimed the two hottest couples teaming up against their enemies made perfect sense. Vega however was very quick (perhaps too quick?) to correct and stated her and Garza were strictly business partners. They’d be ringside for the match as their men picked up the victory over the rival men.
Women’s Singles Match
Women’s Tag Team Champion KAIRI SANE w/h ASUKA defeated NATALYA
The Warriors had mics and ranted in their native tongue and in English, mocking the fact Asuka gave Natalya a black eye a couple weeks back before Asuka vowed to win at the Chamber and go to WrestleMania. Sane got control early with a double chop in the corner, but taunted Natalya soon after and got cheers for it. Before Natalya made her pay with a slap and a Delayed Suplex. Sane escaped from getting the Sharpshooter locked onto her, and caught Natalya with a Spinning Backfist to get a two count from a cocky cover.
Natalya fought out of a Chinlock but was shut down with a hairpull slam for a two count. Natalya was locked in a Backpack Japanese Stranglehold but countered with the dropdown for a backpack. Sane paid for making her exaggerated marching, and charged into the Discus Clothesline for a two count. A low Dropkick almost led to a Sharpshooter but Asuka got on the apron to distract. That led to Natalya getting dumped to the floor, and was Sane distracted the ref Asuka hit a Buzzsaw Kick that floored Natalya. Giving Sane a cheap countout victory much to the delight of the Warriors.
LIV MORGAN was interviewed about Ruby Riott’s attack two weeks ago. “She tossed Sarah and I’s trust aside, for nothing”. Morgan said that months ago it could have broken her, but not any more. Morgan vowed to eliminate Riott from the Chamber match and move on to WrestleMania.
FINAL THOUGHTS: While Flair’s promo was clearly egotistical, ironically complaining about people being entitled, it was still rather weak without a strong finish. Thankfully they can use Raw and NXT to build the match. By contrast, the Lynch-Baszler stuff (aside from an uncalled for, cheap swear word line by Baszler) was nicely done to hype their basically at this point set in stone WrestleMania match. Sure, the result of the Chamber is just a formality at this point but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the journey a little.
Two matches and two cases of Natalya losing because of the numbers games to the Tag Team Champions… Is the WWE just going to revert to what they did last year and bring back Beth Phoenix to reunite the Divas of Doom? They already have duos at the ready like Bliss-Cross, Fire and Desire and The Iiconics so it’d be a slap in the face to bring back a Legend when there are so many active roster members to use.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by next time and we’ll have all the coverage with the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!