Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! SummerSlam is just days away and will see the highly anticipated clash between Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship. Who will get the last laugh ahead of the title match? And what’s next for the tag division as Sonya Deville’s stable looks to leave a mark? Let’s get into it, and find out…
MAXXINE DUPRI and her men Otis and Tozawa were shown in an ‘arriving earlier today’ clip. Later in the show she’d accompany them for a loss against The Creed Brothers accompanied by Dupri’s old mentor Chad Gable. Dupri would get a slap in on Gable after the match, but fled when the Wyatt Sicks appeared to again torment Gable. Which this week included NIKKI CROSS/Sister Abigail delivering a Top Rope Lou Thesz Press that wiped out Gable before the rest of the Sicks took out the Creeds.
RHEA RIPLEY was at The Judgement Day’s clubhouse with her boys as it seemed Liv Morgan had ‘trashed’ the place. She kept her men somewhat in line to make matches for the men later on.
JACKIE REDMOND interviewed ZELINA VEGA who claimed that the odds being against her last week reminded her of who she was. Right on time, SHAYNA BASZLER, SONYA DEVILLE and ZOEY STARK appeared as Stark claimed it took three women to beat her last week. The inevitable beatdown of Vega happened including a version of the Arm Stomp against a door to leave Vega down and hurt. Moments later KATANA CHANCE, KAYDEN CARTER and LYRA VALKYRIA checked over Vega in a trainer’s area.
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
SCARLETT accompanied The Final Testament as Karrion Kross defeated Xavier Woods. At one point Scarlett choked Woods on the ropes while the ref was distracted.
LIV MORGAN had a full-on psycho video, ranting about Dominik Mysterio and burning pictures and T-shirts of him.
Rhea Ripley would respond to Morgan and mocked her for having a revenge tour fantasy and vowed to end it at SummerSlam.
Six-Woman Tag Team Match
KATANA CHANCE, KAYDEN CARTER & LYRA VALKYRIA Vs SHAYNA BASZLER, SONYA DEVILLE & ZOEY STARK
Deville and Valkyria started off but things were a little rough and the opening bit ended with a clearly rough pull by Deville into the heel’s corner. Quick tags between Baszler and Stark set things up for the Like A Sniper to get Stark a two count. Valkyria managed to focus on an arm of Stark and it led to quick tags between the faces to make Carter legal as Stark took a corner Splash from Carter then a Poetry in Motion Meteora from Chance.
Stark was sent to the floor and tried to sweep Carter’s leg but a cartwheel evasion led to a kick by Carter and then the Dropkick through the ropes by Valkyria. After a commercial break, Deville used another rough-looking shove to push Valkyria into the heel’s corner before Baszler took a tag to hit some stomps and then tag back out to Deville. Valkyria escaped from the corner and leaped across the ring but was way short of making a tag. After kicking away Deville with her legs, Valkyria got a tag to Carter and Baszler got one from Deville.
Carter avoided strikes and went House on Fire with a series of Forearm shots, before moments later she used a Wheelbarrow into a Samson Clutch to set up a low Kick. A Springboard Legdrop from the bottom rope got Carter a near fall. Baszler moved to avoid a running move so Carter hit the ropes, and Stark got a tag for an attempt at Alley Ooop but Carter countered with a Headscissors to Stark. Baszler was sent out by Carter who then took a Superkick from Stark, but it sent Carter back so Chance could tag in.
A quick tag made Valkyria legal while Chance was sent up by Carter for an elevated Codebreaker, and Valkyria had to deadlift Stark for a Doctor Bomb. Baszler broke up the pin with a kick to the back and Deville hit a Running Knee to put Stark into a pin but Carter broke that up with a Low Kick. The faces removed the heels from the ring and Valkyria was pulled over for a tag by Carter. Just to tag in Chance and go for The Afterparty but Deville pulled Carter out of the ring. Chance would get a nearfall from a Samson Clutch, but then ate a Low Knee Strike from Stark. Z-360 followed to get the heels the win.
After the match, DAMAGE CTRL of DAKOTA KAI, IYO SKY and KAIRI SANE in all black stormed to the ring and easily sent Deville’s group packing. Sky hit a Moonsault from the top rope to wipe them out on the floor before Damage CTRL gloated in the ring.
Later on, backstage Cathy Kelley interviewed them as Sky and Sane spoke in their native tongue. Dakota Kai said that Deville’s group had only ‘run things’ because they’d been away and it was time to reestablish order around here. Kai challenged Deville to a singles match and questioned how long their group would last when she cut the head off the snake. It should be noted however that in the background as Kai spoke, there was one of the Wyatt Sicks symbols which may not bode well for Kai who, along with Damage CTRL, once betrayed ‘family’ of Bayley in the past.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
There was a disappointing lack of hype for the Morgan and Ripley match this week, especially after the big segment last week where Mysterio made his choice. The two short videos felt like a cop-out. We can only hope they get the time to deliver a match at SummerSlam. Elsewhere Deville’s group got heat with a backstage beatdown of Vega and then a strong win. Only to be sent packing by the return of Damage CTRL. All while the tag champs didn’t actually appear, and by the end of this week the tag titles might actually go back to Belair and Cargill following a defense on Smackdown. A lot of names and getting some TV time but it’s still a mess with no clear direction. Will Damage CTRL be heels or faces going forward? Hopefully there’s answers after SummerSlam because right now it’s messy and if it’s just putting people in matches with no payoffs then it doesn’t do anyone any favours.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days’ time for the post-SummerSlam edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!