Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! Extreme Rules is fast approaching, and we’ve finally gotten the challenge laid down between Raw Women’s Championship title rivals Bianca Belair and Bayley. They will clash at the Premium Live Event, but will there be new twists and turns before then? Especially with the new Women’s Tag Team Champions having potential challengers on both brands of WWE. Let’s get into it, and find out…
Raw kicked off with Raw Women’s Champion BIANCA BELAIR and her “accessories” ASUKA and ALEXA BLISS, going to the ring before we got a replay of the Damage CTRL beatdown of Belair. Belair claimed she wanted to challenge Bayley for tonight, but complained about the numbers games. The Canadian crowd showering Belair with boos as Belair said she was going to have Asuka and Bliss at the title match to counter Bayley’s crew.
That brought out DAMAGE CTRL as Bayley mocked Belair for being hand-picked and coached to be a Champion, while Bayley had to train herself. Belair came back with a weak insult mocking the fact that Bayley had been out injured for months. Bayley yelled at the crowd to keep them against her, and pointed out again that she beat Belair at Clash of the Castle. Implying that everything Belair has done as only happened because Bayley was away. The crowd still wasn’t behind Belair as she pointed out the ancient history including the Hell in a Cell match Belair won over Bayley.
Bayley one-uped her rival, saying that she felt like winning the title in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules! Before awkwardly things transitioned into Belair challenging Sky to a match.
Non-Title Singles Match
Raw Women’s Champion BIANCA BELAIR w/h ALEXA BLISS & ASUKA defeated Women’s Tag Team Champion IYO SKY w/h BAYLEY & DAKOTA KAI
Belair started with a rather a cheap shot of a Single Leg Dropkick. The show went right to commercial and when it came back to live action, the crowd was doing the UK ‘Hey Bayley!’ singing chant. Belair was controlling as she pulled Sky through the ropes back into the ring with a Waistlock. Turning it into an amateur slam before turning the grip into a Short-Arm shoulder knockdown. Belair tossed Sky a couple of times by the head before hitting Shoulder Thrusts in the corner. Sky couldn’t get a hit in as Belair countered a Headscissors, using strength to turn it into a Backbreaker for a near-fall.
Belair paid for showboat with an attempt at the 10-count punches but Sky escaped, yanking the leg to bring Belair down and stunning Belair with a Shotei Palm Strike. Allowing Sky to tee off with stomps and Shoulder Thrusts, leading to the Vault-back Meteora but Belair barely sold it, kicking out at one. Sky went for an Octopus Hold but Belair blocked, so Sky turned it into a Sunset Flip for a near fall. Belair came back with a shoulder knockdown that Sky sold like she’d been bulldozed. Leading to Belair hitting nine of the 10-count punches but this time kicking Sky away when she tried to pull her down. Doing the corner taunt and flip before just decking Sky with a Forearm to get a near fall.
Sky blocked a KOD attempt, and eventually managed to pulled Belair with her as Sky vaulted through the ropes to the floor, leaving Belair hung up on the bottom rope. Open to take a Drive-By kick that sent Belair’s head into the ring post. After another commercial break Belair hit Sky with a Side Slam as Asuka and Bliss tried, and failed, to get the crowd to rally behind Belair. Belair hit a misdirection knockdown before hitting her House on Fire rally, kipping up after the Dropkick. Belair hitting a Suplex then rolling through into a Delayed version for a two count. Sky blocked a Glam Slam, getting to the ropes and managing to switch positions, leading to Sky pinning Bianca’s braid to the canvas with her boot but Belair pulled the braid out to trip Sky up.
Sky rolled away from the Handspring Moonsault attempt as Belair landed on her feet. Sky’s Springboard Lionsault left her landing on her feet as Belair stepped back, before a Belair Bodyslam finally allowed her to the that Handspring Moonsault for a near fall. Moments later Sky tried for a Crossbody off the top rope but Belair rolled through, clutching Sky and hitting a Fallaway Slam but still could only get two. Belair would go up top, but Sky cut her off trying for a Frankenscreamer but Belair’s power blocked it. Sky sent to her feet and managing to leap up to take Belair down with a Super Armdrag.
Sky hit a Running Meteora to Belair in the corner, but took a little too much time going up top as Belair cut her off. Then shoving Sky from up top down to the floor, but Sky was caught safely by the rest of Damage CTRL. Belair decided to hit a Plancha to take out Bayley and Kai, and right after got peppered with a trio of Shotei from Sky. Back in the ring Belair hit the KOD on Sky and pinned her clean.
RHEA RIPLEY continued to torment the rivals of The Judgement Day. Using a distraction by her toy Dominik in order to attack Rey Mysterio from behind to send him into the ring post, leading to Rey losing his match against Seth Rollins.
Women’s Singles Match
CANDICE LeRAE defeated NIKKI A.S.H.
LeRae was described as ‘one of the most decorated’ Superstars (she is a former NXT Women’s Tag team Champion, certainly) and acknowledged as being the wife of Johnny Gargano. LeRae caught a leg and used to sweep Ash down to the mat, hitting a Low Running Dropkick. Trying for a Baseball Slide, Ash tapped into the Cross-era book of tricks with hauling up the ring skirting to trap LeRae and slam away with Forearms. Ash almost paid for posing for too long, getting scooped from behind with a Roll-up for barely a count of one before Lerae came back with strikes. A charge with a Back Elbow to the corner led to a Snapmare then a Low Sidekick by LeRae, followed by a version of a Backstabber.
LeRae went up top but Ash caught her, but again paid for bad mouthing as LeRae hit a Super Swinging Neckbreaker to defeat Ash for a victorious debut on Raw! After the match Ash was in shambles, looking like she was sobbing as she’d taken off her mask in frustration.
Backstage, a segment with Candice LeRae passing by Belair and her accessories saw her confronted by Damage CTRL, leading to a challenge of a match between LeRae and Dakota Kai for next week.
Rhea Ripley would be in the corner of Damien Priest along with the rest of The Judgement Day as he faced Matt Riddle. Providing a distraction during the match but Riddle got the win with a Cradle pin. Getting a beatdown from Judgement Day afterwards before rival Edge appeared, making Ripley pull Dominik out of the ring to safety.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A bad promo exchange (Belair continues to bore on the mic) leading to a great match, but does Belair really need a win at the expense of the new Women’s Tag Team Champions? The loss hurting Iyo far more than it benefits Belair. The idea of a ladder Match is very interesting, and if I’m right this will be the first time a women’s Championship will be defended in WWE in a straight-up Ladder Match (there was a TLC for the tag titles in the past). The No DQ stipulation of course will lead to interference so we’ll see if it pays off or backfires for Damage CTRL. Elsewhere, Candice LeRae’s surprise return to sports entertainment and debut on Raw is a pleasant one, but makes sense with the ‘package deal’ of her and her husband Gargano. LeRae looked solid in the short match but throwing her in against Kai will be a big test to see if it was a good call to bring her back.
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!