Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
SummerSlam is on the horizon and we have big matches confirmed for the two-night event. The Women’s World Championship will be contested in a Triple Threat Match when Naomi defends against the women she stole the gold from in Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley. Meanwhile, Lyra Valkyria will continue her rivalry with Becky Lynch when the two clash over the Women’s Intercontinental title and the Women’s Tag Team gold will see Roxanna Perez and Raquel Rodriguez defend against Smackdown’s Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. Before all of that, the WWE has bizarrely put two women at odds with each other, and opponents last week, in Bayley and Valkyria into a sudden tag title opportunity tonight. Who will leave with the gold and what twists will we see on the road to SummerSlam? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured Women’s IC Champ BECKY LYNCH and The Judgement Day including ROXANNE PEREZ and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ.
Backstage STEPHANIE VAQUER was interviewed about her issues with Chelsea Green but NAOMI interrupted, dismissing her as a newbie and warning that she’ll face Vaquer at Clash in Paris when she retained at SummerSlam. She manipulated things about a previous match with Iyo Sky before she just laughed and walked off, leaving Vaquer fuming.
In a different backstage segment, a furious LYRA VALKYRIA confronted BAYLEY about why she asked for a tag title shot. Bayley just claimed she wanted the match she was denied at WrestleMania and even ignored being reminded about losing last week, saying she’d see her ‘partner’ out there. Leaving Valkyria as flabbergasted as most fans were by this tag title match announcement.
IVY NILE accompanied The Creed Brothers as they took part in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match, but the LWO won over The New Day.
In a locker room, IYO SKY praised ASUKA and KAIRI SANE, saying they would be the next Women’s Tag Team Champions to which Sane said Sky would become Women’s World Champion. Sky was left a little concerned however when Asuka wished her good luck against her ‘friend’ Rhea Ripley. When they left, Stephanie Vaquer appeared and a little back-and-forth led to a challenge for a match tonight which was accepted.
Becky Lynch went to the ring for a promo. Complaining that she was here tonight and not at a movie premiere and bragged about her Evolution victory. She mocked Valkyria for complaining about being robbed and tried to call her greedy for hogging title shots. Claming it was different for her being a double champion compared to Valkyria. Valkyria would go to the ring and Lynch wanted a stipulation where if Valkyria lost, she couldn’t challenge for the title again. Valkyria accepted but wanted a No DQ, no count out, must be a winner match and Lynch reluctantly accepted. Lynch claimed this match was the most important in the title’s history and wanted a handshake. She tried for a cheap shot but Valkyria saw it coming and hit Lynch with her own Man-Handle Slam. Bayley would make her entrance to lead to the tag title bout.
Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
WWE Women’s Tag Team ChampionsThe Judgement Day (RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ & ROXANNE PEREZ) w/h Dominik Mysterio defeated BAYLEY & LYRA VALKYRIA to retain
Bayley and Perez started as Bayley tackled and lifted Perez into a corner, hitting punches then a Snapmare out of it to set up the Back Elbow to the back then the Sliding Clothesline for a near fall. Rodriguez took a tag and easily overpowered Bayley a couple of times before Bayley ducked a swing and hit a mocking smack to the back of Rodriguez’s head just to tag out (even if Valkyria oversold the issues and recoiled from the tag attempt the first time like she was being swung at). Valkyria applied a Headlock but was shoved away, and a few Shoulder Check spots didn’t knock Rodriguez down. Valkyria would escape from the shoulders and land on her feet from a Front Suplex toss as the momentum allowed Bayley to blind tag in. The miscommunication between the faces led to Rodriguez hitting a Double Suplex to counter the Double-Team attempt.
Rodriguez hit Snake Eyes on Bayley then tagged in Perez who was then tossed Fallaway Slam-style onto Bayley to get a near fall. Rodriguez was tagged back but this time Bayley tossed Perez out and then tagged out to Valkyria who hit a round of strikes to Rodriguez. Valkyria was distracted by Bayley cheering her on, and the pause allowed Rodriguez to counter a Wheelbarrow and dump Valkyria onto the ropes. That in turn let Perez hit a Hot Shot onto an arm before a Rodriguez Clothesline decked Valkyria.
Perez was tagged in as Rodriguez hit a rope-bounce Suplex that set up Perez’s Double-Springboard Lionsault for a near fall. Rodriguez was tagged but her Vader Bomb Elbow only hit the canvas. Perex tried to cut off the tag but was kicked away as Bayley became legal and went House on Fire with Clothesline then a Back Suplex. Bayley set up Perez in a corner for a Knee Drop then hit the Sunset Flip Bomb to send Perez into that corner for a two count. Bayley hit Shoulder Thrusts in a different corner but paid for tapping into her old Hugger side with a taunt as the break allowed Perez to avoid a corner Elbow, and she then distracted the ref so Rodriguez could run the apron and deck Bayley with a Clothesline.
Rodriguez again delivered a Slingshot Suplex but this time Bayley countered the Perez Lionsault with her knees. Bayley hit a Knee Strike for a near fall. Valkyria hit the top rope Legdrop across Perez but got a near fall as Rodriguez and Bayley brawled at ringside. Valkyria would escape from a Superplex and plant Perez with a Sit-out Powerbomb before she tagged in Bayley to hit the Top Rope Elbow Drop but Rodriguez broke up the cover. Bayley would aid to allow Valkyria to hit a Crossbody off the ropes on Rodriguez. Dominik Mysterio would get on the apron to briefly distract but Perez only got a near fall from a Roll-up before Bayley hit another Knee shot. On the floor, a Big Boot by Rodriguez meant for Valkyria instead decked Mysterio and she’d be laid out by Valyria’s Dropkick through the ropes.
Mysterio would run away when rival AJ Styles pretended to be medical staff and meanwhile, Becky Lynch would attack Valkyria, hauling her off the apron and sending her into the steps while the official was distracted. Bayley and Perez exchanged pin holds and near falls before Perez flipped out of a Back Suplex attempt which allowed Rodriguez to blind tag in. Bayley didn’t see it and hit Perez with Bayley-to-Belly and that left her open to be scooped up for a Tijana Bomb as Rodriguez got the win to retain the Tag Team titles.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
SCARLETT accompanied Karrion Kross as he faced rival Sami Zayn. At one point Scarlett hit a cheap shot kick to Zayn’s injured ribs as Kross distracted the referee. Scarlett would hand Kross a steel pipe and then distract the ref so Kross could use the weapon to steal the victory.
Singles Match
IYO SKY Vs STEPHANIE VAQUER ended in a no-contest
Mat work and arm holds were exchanged before they traded Headlocks and Headscissors counters and did the same with Surfboards and Japanese Strangleholds. Later, Sky would block a Wheelbarrow but Vaquer still rolled through for a Samson Clutch for a near fall. Sky would get a count of one from a La Magistral before an O’Connor Roll got Vaquer a near fall. The women exchanged blows before Vaquer hit a Back Suplex but Sky countered Devil’s Kiss with a form of Samson Clutch for a near fall. After a Roll-up by Vaquer for a two count, Sky did her flips and hit a Dropkick to set up a Suicide Dive.
Sky had to land on her feet after Vaquer avoided a Moonsault off the ropes to the floor, but Vaquer hit a Superkick and then a Plancha off the top rope. Later, back in the ring, a flying nothing by Sky allowed Vaquer to hit a Dropkick then a Double Underhook Facebreaker across her knees for a near fall. Sky would counter a Forearm shot into a Crossface but Vaquer got to the ropes. Sky used a 619 to lock on Headscissors to drive Vaquer’s head into the apron. Setting up the Sprinboard Moonsault to the floor before Sky sent Vaquer back in and hit a Missile Dropkick before she kipped up.
Sky hit the Wheelbarrow into the Double Stomp spot but the Bullet Train Attack just hit the corner. Vaquer hit a Release German Suplex, only to take one from Sky right after. Sky tried for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb to the floor but Vaquer countered with a Knee Drop across the throat. Vaquer used a Headscissors to pull Sky up to the apron and delivered Devil’s Kiss first on the apron and then rolled under the ropes to hit some more in the middle of the ring. Vaquer hit a Dragon Screw at a corner to set up a Running Meteora, but Sky blocked the SVB to then hit a Double Underhook Backbreaker for a near fall.
Sky hit strikes, then a Buzzsaw Kick before she hit the Bullet Train Attack. She went up for Over the Moonsault but Vaquer swept the legs and then hit the Guerrero Special Reverse Superplex! The Secret HERvice of ALBA FYRE and PIPER NIVEN then stormed to the ring but got knocked off the apron by Vaquer. The distraction allowed CHELSEA GREEN to deck Vaquer from behind and that caused the referee to throw the match out. Green tossed Sky out as the HERvice roughed up Vaquer but Sky hit a Missile Dropkick to Green before a Shotei took out Fyre. Dropkicks by Vaquer and Sky sent Piper out.
Naomi attacked Sky from behind and that caused her to collide into Vaquer, sending her out to be beaten up by the HERvice. RHEA RIPLEY stormed out and took out the HERvice before she hit the ring and planted Naomi with Kingdom Falls. Green took kicks from Vaquer then Sky, and then a Riptide from Ripley. There was a three-way face-off between the faces as a combination of the trio could potentially face off at Clash in Paris.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Sky and Vaquer put on a far better match this week compared the disappointing bout at Raw After Mania. It’s a nice story to have a contender waiting in the wings while the Triple Threat happens and it’s a nice dynamic that won’t wear out its welcome with SummerSlam not that far away. It gave a nice little bit of build for the Triple Threat Match too. Meanwhile, while the Bayley and Valkyria team up was a bit too random considering their issues, the tag match was solid enough and worked along with the promo to give more hype to Lynch and Valkyria. The No DQ and count out stipulation will give a little bit of freshness to a match we’ve seen a few times already on PLEs and should put the storyline to bed too.
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!