Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! After the events of Extreme Rules, Asuka and Sasha Banks will face off to decide who the true Raw Women’s Champion is. However, the match will see a winner and Champion crowned no matter how the match ends – including if there’s outside interference. Will Asuka be able to fend off the Golden Role Models? Or will we see Banks2Belts for real? Let’s get into it, and find out…
NIA JAX came to the ring for an unwanted return and claimed she wants the Raw Women’s Championship and whined about being screwed out of title shots. She bragged about putting Charlotte Flair on the shelf, but soon SHAYNA BASZLER came out and stepped right up to Jax, telling her no one gives a damn what she wants. Jax then tossed Baszler about a bit before they brawled a bit before referees seperated the fight. Later, Jax would be seen confronting the referee who ‘screwed’ her in the Asuka match.
ZELINA VEGA accompanied her clients for a Number One Contendership Triple Threat Tag Team Match. Her clients picking up the win then cheap shotting the tag champs after the bout.
Women’s Singles Match
NIA JAX versus SHAYNA BASZLER ended in a Double Count Out
They started off brawling before Jax messily sent Baszler over the ropes to the floor. Jax ate a Roundhouse Kick but (surprise, surprise) no sold it and continued brawling, sending Baszler into the crowd barrier a couple times. The referee counted the women out and the women kept grappling and brawling, and when some security came out they got tossed about. In the ring Baszler choked out one guard before Jax shoved an ‘agent’ into Baszler to knock her out of the ring. Referees backing Baszler up as Jax ran her mouth.
Backstage RUBY RIOTT and BIANCA BELAIR were seen talking to WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry.
CHARLY CARUSO handled interview duties.
Raw Women’s Championship Match – Title Can Change Hands on Pinfall, Submission, DQ, Count Out or Outside Interference
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion SASHA BANKS (w/h WWE Smackdown & Women’s Tag Team Champion BAYLEY) defeated Raw Women’s Champion ASUKA (w/h KAIRI SANE) via Count Out
Before the match Banks called Stephanie McMahon the biggest bully because McMahon was jealous of her and Bayley running ‘the whole company’. Bayley claimed they fought against injustice, trying to justify her stealing the ref’s shirt and making the count at Extreme Rules. But before the match could start Sane chased Bayley to the back. Asuka, technically still the champ, wasn’t announced as such before the match but neither was Banks.
The women traded Dropkicks before Asuka got a Hip Attack to the corner following with a Snapmare then a Kick to the back. A Shining Wizard moments later got a near fall. Asuka went for Armbar variations but got to the ropes. Asuka missed a corner Hop Attack and that allowed Banks to grab a leg and hit a Dragon Screw into the middle rope. Moments later hitting a Backstabber with Asuka caught in the ropes for a two count. Banks applying a Single Leg Crab with the leg that had been hit to the ropes, but then just slamming the knee into the mat.
Banks tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero ‘smoking gun’ , sliding the tag belt into the ring to distract the ref and then tossing the Raw title to Asuka, faking like she had been hit but the ref saw Banks throwing the belt. Asuka hit a Head Kick to Banks and back from commercial Banks took back control with a Low Dropkick then a Leg DDT to the hurt limb of Asuka. After taking shots to the leg, later Asuka came back with the Pop-Up Knee Strike. Asuka missed a Hip Attack on the ropes and Banks used a slide down to trip Asuka from the cables. More shots to the leg as Banks drove the knee into the apron.
A Meteora to a seated Asuka got a two count, and Banks applied the Single Leg Crab again but Asuka rolled out to kick free. Asuka managed to hit a Back Elbow to counter a charge before Asuka got a Heel Hook then an Ankle Lock, but Banks rolled through to send Asuka into the corner. Banks hit a Charging Meteora to Asuka in the corner but a Leap of Faith just ate a Codebreaker counter. They traded strikes then Asuka pushed Banks off a pin to vault up the corner but Asuka kicked the leg to send Banks crashing down.
Asuka nailed her Leg Clutch German Suplex, then a Hip Attack to a kneeling Banks for a near fall. Banks had been set up on the top rope, but shoved Asuka down before hitting a Frog Splash for a two count. Applying the Banks Statement right after. Kicking off the ropes, Banks rolled through to try and trap Asuka in the middle of the ring but Asuka slipped out to try for the Asuka Lock. Only for Banks to toss Asuka to the floor. A Baseball Slide from Banks missed, but on the floor Banks hooked Asuka up and drove her hurt knee into the announce table. Banks tried to take the cheap win but Asuka barely broke the count.
Asuka tried for a roll up but Banks countered into the Banks Statement again. Asuka escaped into an Ankle Lock and when Banks tried the roll through escape Asuka was ready for it, vaulting to the middle ropes for her Missile Dropkick. The videoscreen started to show Bayley pummeling Kairi Sane backstage, sending Sane into a ladder then a metal roller door. Asuka was conflicket as she hit a German Suplex then looked for the Asuka Lock as Bayley kept hammering on Sane with shots to the back of the head to the metal door. Eventually Asuka couldn’t take it as she limped to the back, and the referee counted Asuka out to hand the lifeless Banks the Raw Women’s Championship. The Golden Role Models celebrating with all the gold in the ring.
Charly Caruso tried to give an update on Sane but The Golden Role Models interrupted to brag. A somber Asuka came out of the trainer’s room and just yelled in her native tongue.
Final Thoughts:
Well, the WWE swerved us by not having the expected Asuka versus Baszler match at Summerslam and seemingly not Banks against Bayley either. I can’t say in all honesty that Jax versus Baszler is a match that excites me and from the brawl with Jax no selling that only cements that. The WWE will need to work hard to fix this and make it match worth getting into because right now it’s heel against heel and that rarely works out.
Banks and Asuka, once again, delivered a great contest and it was actually refeshing for the stipulations levelled against the heel to work out in their favour (and the digs at McMahon being a bully were a great, it not bold, touch). Banks gets the cheap heel win, and Sane gets written out. It all worked perfectly, and sets up an angry Asuka looking for revenge possibly at Summerslam. A complete thumbs up from me!
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!