Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! Last week saw the challenge made and accepted to see Rhea Ripley get her hands on Liv Morgan at SummerSlam with the Women’s World Championship on the line. What new twists if any will we get this week alongside the love ‘triangle’ with Dominik Mysterio. Elsewhere, Sonya Deville’s new stable stamped their mark with powerful victories. Will that continue this week? Let’s get into it, and find out…
JACKIE REDMOND and CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
RHEA RIPLEY backstage in The Judgement Day’s clubhouse gave a peptalk before she dismissed Dominik Mysterio’s concerns about Jey Uso’s online advances. Pointing out that Mysterio’s online activity with Liv Morgan. However there seemed to be split opinion in the group as Finn Balor encouraged Mysterio to pick a fight with Jey Uso, but Ripley strongly advised against it.
There was a backstage skit where MAXXINE DUPRI was a part of Akira Tozawa’s birthday celebration along with Otis and Xavier Woods.
Singles Match
SONYA DEVILLE w/h SHAYNA BASZLER & ZOEY STARK Vs LYRA VALKYRIA w/h KATANA CHANCE & KAYDEN CARTER
A long lock-up led to Knee Strikes by Deville then a hairpull slam. Valkyria came back with a charge to a corner, followed by Shoulder Thrusts then stomps. Deville tried for a kick but it was caught, but reversed an Irish Whip only for Valkyria to vault out and flip before she hit a Legsweep to set up a Basement Dropkick for a count of one. Deville bailed to the floor, and when Valkyria went for her Dropkick through the ropes her crew pulled her to safety so Valkyria landed on the floor. Then tossed into the barricade before the show went to a commercial.
Back to live action and Valkyria hit a Superplex from the middle rope. Deville came back with strikes, finished with a kick to the chest to level Valkyria. Only for Valkyria to avoid a Sliding Kick, kip up and hit an Enzigiri. Valkyria followed up with more strikes as a Spin Kick took Deville down. A modified Exploder with a bridge got Valkyria a near fall. Both women escaped one another’s finisher attempts before Valkyria went for the Sit-out Doctor Bombo but had to call an audible to yell at Deville to let go of her waist so she could hit the move.
Valkyria went up top, but as Baszler distracted the ref Stark shoved Valkyria off the ropes to the mat. Carter and Chance hauled Baszler down to toss her into the barricade before they tried to take out Stark. Deville knocked Chance off the apron, for a spot that seemingly was meant for Baszler to hit a Knee Strike but the timing was off. Before Stark levelled Carter with a Superkick.
Valkyria hit her Dropkick through the ropes to deck Bazsler and bump into Stark in the process. Only for Deville to haul Valkyria from the ropes to hit Deville’s Advocate to steal the win.
NIKKI CROSS was part of the Wyatt Sicks VHS video but there were more questions than answers since she didn’t say anything in the footage.
LIV MORGAN tried her advances on Dominik Mysterio backstage but he turned her down again.
SCARLETT accompanied The Final Testament as they defeated Xavier Woods, Otis and Tozawa accompanied by Maxxine Dupri. Things got worse when Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers confronted Gable’s old Academy. Insults levelled by Gable before he tried to make an offer to return to the Academy. It led to the Creeds and Gable jumping the men as Durpi watched in horror from ringside. All before The Wyatt Sicks, including Abigail/Nikki Cross appeared as Uncle Howdy laid out Gable with a Sister Abigail.
Rhea Ripley would rant at The Judgement Day for picking fights against her orders. Before she became more furious when she heard about Morgan’s antics and dragged Mysterio off so they could head to the ring.
That led to Ripley and Mysterio going to the ring as Ripley used Mysterio as bait to get Morgan out here. But keeping her distance Morgan stayed far away in the crowd. Claiming that unlike Ripley she had some self control, before she taunted and said she had feelings for Dominik. Ripley had heard enough and tried to leave the ring to go after her but Mysterio pulled her back. Finally, Mysterio snapped and ranted both in English and Spanish that he hated Morgan and that she’d ruined his life. A speech that left Mogran distraught and crying as she left while Ripley was elated to lick Mysterio’s cheek and plant a smooch on him.
Singles Match
ZELINA VEGA defeated ZOEY STARK w/h SHAYNA BASZLER & SONYA DEVILLE
Before the match Cathy Kelley interviewed Vega on the entranceway, and Vega had her arm all taped up. Trying to sound bold about proving people wrong but clearly sold the arm as being hurt. Early on Vega tried for a Headscissors but Stark held her on the shoulders, only to be shoved into a corner when Vega escaped. Stark went after the arm with a wringer and slam, but missed a Double Knee drop to the arm which set her up to take a low kick.
Stark shoved Vega into the ropes and then hit some grounded punches. Things got a little sluggish with clubbing blows by Stark before she’d go after the arm only for Vega to strike back and it lost the crowd a bit. Vega managed to avoid a charge to a corner and hit a Meteora to Stark’s back. Eventually, Stark caught Vega up top and yanked her bad arm down over the top rope.
After a commercial break, Vega countered a Suplex into a Small Package for a near fall. Stark would hit Like A Sniper for a two count. Vega fought out of a Top Wristlock rest hold with an Arm Drag. A round of kicks by Vega led to an Enzigiri and then a Tilt-a-whirl DDT. A Moonsault by Vega got a near fall. Stark escaped a Code Red attempt and nailed a Superkick for a two count. A Wheelbarrow counter sent Stark into the ropes in position for a 619 but instantly Deville distracted the referee. So Stark could trip up Vega.
The referee figured out what had happened but Kayden Carter, Katana Chance and Lyra Valkyria rushed down to take out their rivals. Vega opportunistically used the point of the elbow of her arm brace to stun Stark with two shots, and then hit a Code Red for an upset win.
Cathy Kelly interviewed the Women’s Tag Team Champions ALBA FYRE and ISLA DAWN. Bragging about how they’d address Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill on Smackdown but when they said that they ran the division, of course Deville’s crew interrupted. Baszler tried to talk tough but Dawn pointed out Stark just lost, and Deville also tried to be threatening but it just didn’t work out as Dawn giggled the threat off.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
From a strong booking last week to mixed this week, Deville’s stable looked like chumps after not being able to use the numbers to their advantage and then having it turned against them. It didn’t help that the match was only solid and even sloppy at the early stage The promo against Fyre and Dawn didn’t help as the tag champs laughed off the threats. And yes, there was supposed to be a match between the tag champs against Carter and Chance but that was cancelled with no explanation. It’s getting messy in the tag division and things won’t be helped if Belair and Cargill just get handed a title shot over the rest of the division. The match between Deville and Valyria was a nice one though and worked with the cheap win ending.
Elsewhere more long distance stuff between Morgan and Ripley. Will the announcement of loyalty by Mysterio be legit or just a swerve before a turn at SummerSlam remains to be seen.
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!