Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! Last week saw a quick turn around for the Women’s Money in the Bank Contract as just a day after winning it, Nikki A.S.H. cashed in on a weakened Charlotte Flair to become the new Raw Women’s Champion. So just a week removed from the shocking cash-in will the WWE surprise us with a new challenger for the new champ, or revert to type and once again shove Flair into the title picture? And what’s next for Eva Maria and her new rival Alexa Bliss? Let’s get into it, and find out…
NIKKI A.S.H. the new Raw Women’s Champion kicked off the show, giving an expected glowing promo as she laid it on thick with her heroic character. It eventually brought out CHARLOTTE FLAIR who gave the pretty much expected bland, complaining promo. Demanding a rematch for SummerSlam and vowing to get her title back, and getting cheap heat by insulting the fans. That in turn brought out RHEA RIPLEY who also demanded her fair shot at the gold after last week’s match, and calling out Flair for getting herself DQ’d to try and steal the gold. ASH took exception to the challengers, and her remarks as she put over her own attire again got a noticable smattering of boos from some fans. WWE officials SONYA DEVILLE and Adam Pearce came out, and made a Triple Threat Match for SummerSlam for the three women for the title. Flair took the chance to cheap shot Ripley and send her out of the ring, but trying to get ASH just led to a Dropkick that sent Flair to the floor.
Championship Contendership (non-title) Match
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions NATALYA & TAMINA defeated DOUDROP & EVA MARIE
Before the match Marie bragged to her rookie about how when they won tonight, they’d both be closer to the tag straps but warned Doudrop to not screw up. Marie started off against Natalya, but only to do a hair whip then a pie-face before cowardly fleeing to the ropes. Tagging right out to Doudrop. Doudrop easily out powered Natalya, and even showed her up with her impressive athletic ability with rolls then a lucha-style cradle pin, but Natalya countered it to a Crucifix for a one count. Natalya appeared to injure her foot legit off of the pin spot as she was hobbling so quickly tagged out to Tamina.
The camera kept the focus off from the champ’s corner as it seemed that Natalya was checked over by the ringside doctor, as Tamina controlled Doudrop with a headlock. An attempt at a Samoan Drop was ill advised as it allowed Doudrop to kick her down, then hit the Running Low Crossbody. Marie demanded and got the tag in and tried to steal the win, but only got a near fall. Marie was then distracted when a Lilly-Lution video aired on the tron, with Lilly the Doll being photoshopped over Marie’s return hype videos, complete with creepy autotuned voice. Outraged, Marie yelled for the doll to come out and then turned around to eat a Superkick from Tamina to give the champs the win. Tamina then hurried to help Natalya along with a trainer to the back as she hopped with a clearly hurt leg.
SARAH SCHREIBER handled interview duties.
There was a brief backstage segment were Rhea Ripley told Nikki ASH to give Flair Hell in her match tonight.
Non-Title Women’s Match
CHARLOTTE FLAIR defeated Raw Women’s Champion NIKKI A.S.H.
Flair started off with a Clothesline, then hit chops to ASH in the corner. Flair went after her heroine mask while choking ASH on the ropes, then tossing ASH out of the ring to bad mouth then stomp away on her when ASH returned to the ring. Flair no sold ASH’s strikes then shoved her down for more choking. The crowd woke up a bit when ASH fired off some rocking strikes, but there was a weird spot in the corner where ASH did a Back Elbow counter but Flair just no sold it and shoved ASH out from the corner. After more strikes and stomps, ASH countered a Suplex to a Small Package for a near fall, then got another off a Roll-Up. A Tilt-a-whirl Headscissors by ASH sent Flair to the floor, followed up by a Dropkick through the ropes to deck Flair.
Flair came back by tossing ASH over the announce table as the show went to commercial. Back from it Flair was pulling ASH against the ring post, then soon after hitting the overhead Exploder for a nearfall. Flair missed a Baseball Slide to ASH on the apron, and ASH followed up with a Crossbody off the apron onto Flair on the floor. Flair tried for the Queen’s Boot to ASH on the apron, but ASH avoided it and jammed the leg down on the top rope. Setting up to vault through for a lucha cradle for a one count. ASH got a Running Crossbody then a Neckbreaker Drop, but a Sunset Flip was blocked. Moments later ASH hit a Running Bulldog for a near fall.
Flair came back with repeated chops then set up ASH on top but got kicked away. ASH hitting a Tornado DDT and in shades of last week went up to for the Top Rope Crossbody. This time Flair rolled through the move and got the pin.
After the match ASH challenged Flair to a rematch for next week. Flair accepted, but then cheap shotted ASH and hit the Queen’s Boot twice to ASH to stand tall as the show went off the air.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Nothing like giving a new champion momentum by having her lose for no reason to the woman the WWE keeps shoving down our throats. The WWE tried to lay it on thick with ASH’s inspirational character but it seems to be turning away some of the fans, particularly the ‘hardcore’ male ones. A loss like this doesn’t help, but perhaps next week for the rematch they’ll either give the win back or have something else thast gives ASH some heat back. Meanwhile, a tough break for the tag champs off an unexpected injury for Natalya. We can only hope it’s just a sprain and nothing serious. I actually got a kick out of the Lilly-Lution video, which was perfect to mess with Marie’s arrogant character. This should be a fun, if not silly, feud between Marie and Bliss.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!