Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! The Money in the Bank event is just days away but there are still spots available in the match (unless the WWE is swerving us again) so who else will qualify for the all-important Ladder Match? And will we see some last-minute hype between Bianca Belair and new challenger Carmella? Let’s get into it, and find out…
BIANCA BELAIR and CARMELLA had an in-ring face-to-face. Belair was interviewed first on her own, having to state twice about wanting to say something to Carmella face-to-face and then complaining about Carmella cheap shotting her last week. Belair lost the crowd a bit with a weird promo that both put over Carmella and mocked her. Carmella finally came out and bragged about being smart, putting over her own past title wins and Money in the Bank wins. Carmella left, but tried a cheap shot Superkick but Belair blocked it and decked Carmella to end the segment.
SARAH SCHREIBER interviewed ALEXA BLISS and LIV MORGAN. Bliss said she was ‘friendly’ with Morgan but didn’t have any friends. Taking a verbal cheap shot of saying that Morgan would be champ ‘one day’ but not at MITB. Morgan was blunt in saying they weren’t friends because Bliss was in her way, and she’d knock Bliss down on her way to winning MITB. The segment ending with Bliss giving Morgan a mocking boop on the nose with one of Lilly’s arms, before Morgan gave one back with a finger to the dool’s nose.
Women’s Singles Match
LIV MORGAN defeated ALEXA BLISS
ASUKA was doing guest commentary for the match, and appeared to be ignoring what the commentators were asking to quickly speak in her native tongue while in the ring Morgan and Bliss traded Side Headlocks. The women were showing counter work before Morgan managed to get a Jumping Back Elbow to Bliss in a corner, but going for a second Bliss brought her feet up to shove Morgan back. Bliss would hit the first part of Insult to Injury, but the Standing Moonsault part just drove her knees into the mat. An attempt at a Clothesline from both sides left both women dropped. Asuka seemed conflicted about who to root for on commentary as Bliss managed to side-step Morgan’s Double Jump Dropkick attempt.
A Low Dropkick getting Bliss a nearfall. Askua revealed her strategy for MITB but of course in Japanese. Morgan armdragged out of a Chinlock, soon locking on a Sleeper only for Bliss to escape and hit a Jawbreaker. Morgan hit her Step-up Enzigiri but Bliss avoided the attempt at ObLIVion, pulling Morgan off the ropes into a rough Backbreaker. Bliss went for the Goddess DDT, but pausing to point at the Briefcase above the ring allowed Morgan to roll through with a pin-hold and get the upset win, much to Asuka’s shock.
Six-Woman Elimination Match to Qualify for Money in the Bank
BECKY LYNCH defeated DOUDROP, NIKKI A.S.H., SHAYNA BASZLER, TAMINA & XIA LI
Only Lynch got a televised entrance. The match began and all the women went after Becky, stomping her down before Tamina pulled Li off to work her over while Ash rolled up Baszler for a two count. Li got the better of Tamina with a Springboard Kick in the corner, while Doudrop and Ash hit Baszler with their tag team double team of the Sidelam and Reverse DDT combo. Baszler kicked out a two, while Tamina nailed Li with a Superkick. That left Tamina and Doudrop to face off, until Ash decked Tamina with a cheap shot. Tamina managed to counter the numbers game, tossing Ash out of the ring leaving the powerhouses to trade blows and then Headbutts before Tamina was sent out.
Lynch caught Doudrop with a kick from the apron, and then hit a Molly-Go-Round of all things for a near fall as Doudrop powered out. Li came back in and got a two count off a Cradle before working over Lynch with strikes. Ash rolled Li up for a near fall, but got a Mid Kick for her trouble. This gave Lynch enough of an opening to hit a Man-Handle Slam on Li and score a pin to eliminate Li.
Ash quickly took Lynch down with a Crossbody and hit some strikes, getting a near fall off an Elbow Drop. Baszler hauled Ash out so she could rush in and try to hit the Arm Stomp on Lynch, only for Lynch to roll her up for a two count. Doudrop came in and showed off her size and power, backing up Lynch and Baszler to a corner when they both tried to German Suplex Doudrop/one another. Tossing off Baszler from a Sleeper attempt then hitting a Cannonball to Baszler. A corner Splash to Lynch missed, allowing Tamina to hit one of her own to Doudrop’s back. Moments later, Lynch would hit a Missile Dropkick to Tamina and when Ash tried rolling her up, Lynch countered into the Dis-Arm-Her to force Ash to tap and eliminate her from the match.
After a commercial break, Lynch escaped Baszler’s attempt at the Clutch to send her to the floor and moments later hitting a Bex-Ploder Suplex to send Baszler into the barricade. Lynch tired to do the same to Tamina but Doudrop charged in to crush them all into the barricade. However when Doudrop sent Baszler into the ring, it was Baszler who managed to hit her Low Knee Strike to Doudrop when she came back in, scoring a two count from it. A Tower of Doom spot seeing Doudrop hitting Baszler and Lynch with the Powerbomb as they hit the Superplex on Tamina. Baszler applied the Clutch on Doudrop, only to eat a Superkick from Tamina. When Baszler took Tamina down with a Leglock, it left her open for Doudrop to hit her Running Low Crossbody and score a three count to take Baszler out of the match.
Lynch tried for a Man-Handle Slam on Doudrop but couldn’t lift her up. Having to settle to shove Tamina and Doudrop into one another before avoiding a Superkick and trying for another Man-Handle on Tamina. Tamina would block it and hit a Samoan Drop on Lynch. The Superfly Splash hit only canvas as Lynch rolled away, but only to take a Bodyslam then a Senton on the ringside floor from Doudrop. Doudrop then quickly came in, and hit a Elbow Drop out of the corner from a Vader Bomb position (Tamina was in positon more to take a Banzai Drop so Doudrop wisely switched moves, and impressively so) to score a three count on Tamina.
Doudrop tried for a Vader Bomb on Lynch in the ring but missedas Lynch dodged, but Lynch couldn’t power up Doudrop for a Man-Handle. Moments later Lynch was able to hit a Super Man-Handle Slam off the ropes and pin Doudrop to punch her ticket for MITB at last.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Usually these multi-women matches are clusters with rapid eliminations and an ultimate hot mess. However this one was really fun and I’d everyone got a moment to shine aside from Li and her early elimination, but then again she got to compete on Raw in a main event so that’s something at least. Lynch winning was pretty obvious and expected, allowing her to continue to face off with Asuka as well as adding more star power to the Women’s Money in the Bank match. Elsewhere a surprising win for Morgan over Bliss, which actually handed Bliss her first loss since her return to the WWE. Will something more come from this rivalry/friendship the two have after MITB? Lastly, another bland promo from Belair and a lame bit of hype overall for the title match. I know the change of the match was short notice but even so, it just feels like this match, and Belair’s title reign as a whole, is once again like her Smackdown title reign win feeling unimportant. It’s not a good sign when you have a Suyperstar who can cash in on your title at any time now looming over you.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days’ time for the post-Money in the Bank edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!