Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! The Elimination Chamber event is just days away and this week’s Raw will see a Last Chance Qualifying Match to decide the final entrant into the Women’s Chamber Match. The match will have the losing participants from previous Qualifying Matches over the past couple of weeks, but with the added inclusion of Chelsea Green will there be other surprises involved? And who will have the last advantage between Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax ahead of their title clash? Let’s get into it, and find out…
Last Chance Battle Royal to Qualify for the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match
RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ defeated ALBA FYRE, B-FAB, CANDICE LERAE, CHELSEA GREEN, ELEKTRA LOPEZ, INDI HARTWELL, ISLA DAWN, IVY NILE, KATANA CHANCE, KAYDEN CARTER, MAXXINE DUPRI, MICHIN, NATALYA, SHAYNA BASZLER, TEGAN NOX, VALHALLA, XIA LI, ZELINA VEGA & ZOEY STARK.
Baszler, Stark and the returning from injury Rodriguez got televised entrances. After a commercial break several participants were already in the ring as Vega, Green and Natalya got entrances. When the match started, of course, several women went after one another but in particular Vega charged and took down her Smackdown rival Lopez with a Lou Thesz Press. Natalya attempted to use a Press Slam to eliminate Chance but she used the ropes to save herself.
Durpi was on the top rope and got pushed over to the apron by Green, who was then taken to the apron herself with a Legscissors counter. Dupri hit a Pump Kick to Green, but Valhalla shoved Durpi to eliminate her. Valhalla would try for a Crossbody off the ropes to Rodriguez who easily caught her and then dumped her over the top for an elimination. Xia Li peppered Rodriguez with strikes but when she tried for a version of her corner chop in the middle of the ring, Rodriguez countered with a Powerbomb grip to send Li over the top to the apron. Li avoided being hit by Green but a Rodriguez Clothesline would send her to the floor for another elimination.
Dawn distracted Rodriguez to allow Fyre to hit a Superkick, as The Unholy Union acted as a team to work over Rodriguez as Dawn sent Rodriguez into a Tornado DDT by Fyre. Only for Rodriguez to defy the numbers anyway, and while Dawn managed to save Frye from being sent over Dawn ended up tossed to the apron before a Big Boot sent her down.
After a commercial break, the action continued (Kayden Carter was either never in the match or eliminated during commercial but it was never mentioned) before Natalya and Nox did a throwback spot to the Royal Rumble where this time Nox tried to double cross Natalya, only for Natalya to toss Nox out and eliminate her unlike what happened at the Rumble. B-Fab hit some shots to Stark before she hit a Hook Kick to Baszler, but got decked with a Stark Superkick. Both Baszler and Stark then tossed B-Fab out. Green would use a Front Suplex to put Vega on the apron and got kicked away but Lopez took advantage with a Pump Kick to knock her rival down and eliminate her. She in turn took too long taunting and that allowed Michin to toss her over the ropes to eliminate her, leading to a brawl on the floor between Vega and Lopez.
On the apron (both women seemingly had gone over the ropes to be there but the cameras didn’t show it) Green shoved LeRae into the ring post to end her down and out of the match. Hartwell hit her strike combo through the ropes, almost eliminating Green but she held onto the bottom rope with her boots. Hartwell would send Baszler over the ropes but got dumped there by Stark. Hartwell, stupidly, went for a Springboard move and Baszler yanked the leg to eliminate her. Chance would try to use a Headscissors counter to Stark at a corner but got vaulted to crash on her front on the apron. A Running Knee Strike from Baszler then eliminated her.
Fyre tried for another Tornado DDT on Rodriguez but she just powered her with a pure toss over the ropes down to the floor. Rodriguez would go for a Powerbomb to send Natalya over the ropes but a Headscissors counter brought both women to the apron. Nile would take advantage and knock Natalya off the apron for an elimination. Nile tried to cut off Baszler and Stark but the tag team got her eliminated after a Kirifuda Clutch by Baszler, a low Knee Strike by Stark and then a whip into a Back Body Drop-like toss to dump Nile out.
Baszler, Michin, Rodriguez and Stark were the ‘final four’ (Green was still legal). Michin hit a German Suplex on Stark and tried to toss her out by Baszler grabbed her from behind to set her up for a Springboard Missile Dropkick by Stark. Before a Double Team Clothesline sent Michin over the ropes to eliminate her. Rodriguez would defy the odds, using her Clotheslines to deck the opponents before she countered a Low Knee Strike by Baszler to dump her over the ropes to eliminate her. Baszler would save Stark from being eliminated once but a Big Book sent Stark flying with a Crossbody to wipe out Baszler too.
Green, who had been hiding on the outside, tried to sneak up from behind to eliminate Rodriguez but she easily countered and tossed out Green to win the match. Securing the final Elimination Chamber spot.
There was a split screen, sit-down interview with Women’s World Champion RHEA RIPLEY and title challenger NIA JAX. Ripley was very un-Ripley-like with her remarks about her past pre-WWE and coming to the States. Jax was blunt and said she’d make Ripley going crying to her Mommy. Ripley finally got back to business and said Jax would crumble when the homeland fans chanted her name and stormed off set to end the uneventful segment.
JACKIE REDMOND was part of a video to recap R-Truth’s story with The Judgement Day.
BECKY LYNCH went to the ring for a promo. Lynch admitted she didn’t have too many new accomplishments left to get in her career but said she had a chance at Elimination Chamber. She again dismissed the idea of facing Nia Jax, saying that she would face Ripley at Mania after ‘dancing around’ for a year. She claimed she was the best she’s ever been and was the top challenger hiding in plain sight. But Lynch lost the crowd a bit with her lengthy promo.
Eventually, LIV MORGAN finally interrupted Lynch’s speech. Morgan mocked Lynch for explaining why she needed this to prove she’s the best. Morgan said she needed this for her revenge and redemption but also lost the crowd with a long recap of her history with Rhea Ripley. Raquel Rodriguez would come out and point out that they’re too focused on Ripley when Nia Jax could be champion, and stated she was the only woman strong enough to take on either of them.
NAOMI had her turn to interrupt and said she didn’t come back just to ‘come back’ and made a reference to her TNA run by saying she made a name for herself in and out of the ring. TIFFANY STRATTON then came out and got tremendous heat. She mocked Naomi for leaving and said she only cared about being the Centre of the Universe. She said no one cared about the past and that was all she saw in her opponents. BIANCA BELAIR was last but not least for a usual bragging promo and said she was the only Chamber winner in the match and would continue her undefeated streak at WrestleMania.
Stratton would mock the fact that Belair ‘peaked last year’ before she decked Morgan with a cheap shot to finally kick off the expected brawl. They paired off and brawled to the floor while Lynch and Belair went at it in one corner and Rodriguez and Naomi in another.
Nia Jax suddenly appeared and squashed Lynch and Belair in one corner and then Rodriguez in another corner. Naomi took a Samoan Drop before Jax went to the floor and delivered a rather unsafe looking one to Morgan against the ringpost. Stratton got tossed towards the ringsteps. Jax would continue the squashing with a knock down to Belair, a Legdrop to Rodriguez, a Headbutt to Lynch and a Hip Attack to Naomi. Legdrops were delivered to Morgan then Lynch.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Rodriguez coming back as an unannounced surprise return to go right into the Chamber over other women who had been in qualifiers before is quite a choice. The WWE has tried before to push her but her awful match against Rhea Ripley last year put a damper on that. Perhaps the WWE has plans for her but it would be a major upset if she emerged the winner of the Chamber match. The Battle Royal itself was fine enough and told a good story of Baszler and Stark being a team that almost worked.
Whatever the WWE hoped to achieve with the Chamber in-ring promo it failed because all that talk just led to Nia Jax burying everyone and it helped no one. A total waste of time. The same could be said for the backstage interview which only barely worked as hype.
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!