Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
While a share of attention about the Women’s Division is on the Women’s Crown Jewel Match, there’s action aplenty across Raw. Bayley’s split-personality issues have led to a strained alliance with Lyra Valkyria as they both try to deal with The Judgement Day. Elsewhere, Maxxine Dupri has found herself in a fight against Women’s IC Champ Becky Lynch. Has Durpi bitten off more than she can chew against Lynch who looks to make an example out of her? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured LYRA VALKYRIA and IYO SKY.
Backstage, ASUKA yelled at GM Adam Pearce about making a match tonight between Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky. Pearce said that Rhea Ripley was away doing press in Australia ahead of Crown Jewel, but would make the match if Sky agreed to it. When he left, KAIRI SANE herself showed up and questioned what was going on. Asuka told Sane she’d be facing Sky tonight and that left Sane clearly distraught as she pulled back Asuka to talk. Asuka yelled at Sane for the disobedience and slapped her hard, unloading more verbal abuse to keep Sane in her place to make her agree to the match. Ending the segment with another off-screen Kairi yell as Sane was going through the trauma.
Non-Title Singles Match
MAXXINE DUPRI defeated Women’s Intercontinental Champion BECKY LYNCH by Count-out
Dupri didn’t even get a ‘televised’ entrance (it happened during an ‘ad break’ on the Netflix feed). Dupri appeared to have the edge of a lock-up as she didn’t budge, until a Lynch hairpull forced Dupri back, only for her to swap them around at the last moment to leave Lynch backed into a corner. Lynch tried to bully Dupri with shoves to the chest, only to take some back from an outraged Dupri. Dupri got an Arm Drag and kept hold of the arm for a hold, and Lynch fought up and used a hairpull Slam. Lynch played with her food a bit, easily controlling mat work then using a long Front Facelock then a Headlock.
Lynch took Dupri down with a Shoulder Knockdown, then pie-faced her and Dupri responded with a miss-timed punch while Lynch went for another shove, so Lynch had to sell it anyway. Lynch soon decked Durpi with a Clothesline then stomped away at Durpi in a corner. Dupri looked a little lost after she avoided a corner charge by Lynch, and soon after hit a Lou Thesz Press with punches. Dupri threw a wild Dropkick that hit Lynch in the stomach rather than the head and even the commentators said that it ‘missed the target but hit a target’.
Durpi hit a nice Con Hiro off the apron to Lynch on the floor, but right after got tossed into the crowd barricade. Lynch delivered a Bex-Ploder into the barricade. After a commercial break, the women exchanged strikes that Lynch got the better of with a European Uppercut then a Bang Kick. Durpi went House on Fire with a Pump Knee Strike then Velvet Sky-style Clotheslines. A Running Knee Strike then a Corner Splash, followed by a Release Fisherwoman’s Suplex. Lynch managed to block a Roundhouse Kick, but Dupri countered that with a roll through into an Ankle Lock. Which in turn was escaped when Lynch rolled through and sent Dupri into a corner.
Lynch hit a Knee Strike into a corner and then some corner punches. Dupri hit a Sit-out Powerbomb for a near fall. Moments later, Lynch hit a Superplex for a near fall but went right away for an Arm Bar. Durpi had the counter with the pin hold and off the kick out, she locked on the Ankle Lock again. Only for Lynch to counter with a Samson Clutch for a two count. Durpi escaped a Man-Handle Slam and hit a Release German Suplex, then a Roundhouse Kick for a very close near fall. Dupri went up top for a Cross Body but Lynch rolled through and tried to steal the win with a handful of tights, but Dupri still kicked out. Dupri returned the favour with a roll-up and feet on the ropes to try and steal right back but Lynch managed to kick out.
Lynch took advantage of Durpi hesitating and booted her in the head before tossing her out of the ring. Roughing up Dupri around ringside with slams into the announce table, apron then crowd barricade before she got back into the ring just to mouth off at the referee. Dupri took shots into the ring steps and the ‘hydration station’ as Lynch broke the count again so she could get away with beating up Dupri. However, when Lynch got on the announce table to taunt the fans, Dupri hauled herself back in the ring and at that point, the referee (Jessika Carr) quickened her count for the final 3 of the 10 and then called for the bell. The announcers did point out about the quick count but Dupri celebrated on the stage while Lynch looked distraught about the outcome.
Singles Match
ROXANNE PEREZ w/h RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ defeated LYRA VALKYRIA w/h BAYLEY
Just before the match, backstage, Bayley went up to Valkyria in her super happy ‘Hugger’ mode and asked to be ringside for her match. Valkyria hesitated about accepting the offer but reluctantly accepted. Perez didn’t get a ‘televised’ entrance.
The two traded Headlock Takeovers and counters. Valkyria took a slap, and then went furious with clubbing blows and some more in a corner. Perez hit a cheap shot boot and a hairpull slam soon after. Perez was tripped up by Valkyria and it led to a Front Facelock, spun into a sort of Twist of Fate-style slam before Valkyria controlled an arm for a while. Valkyria would counter a whip with a cartwheel, then used a Legsweep to set up a Basement Dropkick for a near fall. Perez would lure in Valkyria for a charge that ate double knees as a counter, and set up for a Knee Strike off the ropes.
Perez targeted Valkyria’s arm, draping it over a turnbuckle connector to hit a Stomp. After a commercial break, Perez escaped a Nightwing attempt and went after Valkyria’s arm. Valkyria blocked a kick and turned it into a Leg-trap Release German Suplex. Valkyria went House on Fire with Clotheslines, her flurry of strikes then a Northern Lights Suplex, floated over into a Fisherwoman’s Suplex for a near fall. Valkyria tried for Nightwing but Perez held onto the ropes and then countered with a Samson Clutch that in turn was rolled back for one by Valkyria for near falls.
Valkyria hit a Roundhouse Kick, but when she climbed a corner Rodriguez got on the apron to distract. Bayley got involved and held Valkyria by the arm so when Perez tried for a Russian Legsweep off the corner, she only fell back. In position for a Valkyria Moonsault off the middle ropes for a near fall. Rodriguez decked Bayley on the floor with a Big Boot, and then took Valkyria’s Dropkick through the ropes. Perez pounced with a Suicide Dive, turned into a Tornado DDT. Back in the ring, Perez hit a PopRox after running the ropes to get the victory.
After the match, Bayley had snapped into Role Model mode and forced Valkyria up to her feet, yelling about going after them and pulling Valkyria along with her.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
Later in the show, Bayley and Valkyria would attack Perez and Rodriguez backstage and got the better of the fight before security and officials broke things up.
Iyo Sky had a promo video about events with Kairi Sane and Asuka, talking about not wanting to believe the truth about Asuka but seeing it now.
Singles Match
KAIRI SANE w/h ASUKA defeated IYO SKY
Before the referee could ring the bell, Sky rushed and hit a Suicide Dive on Asuka and hit her with punches before Sane pulled her off. Inside, the bell then sounded and after avoiding a Shotei, Sane hit a short Tackle and hit punches to Sky. The two would trade counters, leading to Sky flipping out to counter the Sane vault-back Headscissors spot. Duelling Dropkick attempts led to a stalemate before Asuka yelled for the attack. Sky would soon do more flips and hit a Dropkick, leading to a Moonsault off the ropes to Sane on the floor.
After a commercial break, Sane was in control with clubbing shots. Sane locked on the Figure Four Headscissors choke on the ropes, then a Flying Forearm from the top for a near fall. A replay was shown of a vicious Waterwheel Slam that drove Sky into the ring apron during the break. Back to live action, and Sane locked on a Boston Crab (the staple hold for rookies in training in Japan) but leaned too far back as Sky managed to roll through and hit a Double Stomp to the gut. Sky hit Shotei strikes then a Flapjack, and soon after a Missile Dropkick followed by the flips before she DID THE THING. She tried for the Bullet Train Attack but Sane avoided the shot but Sky hit a Bridging German Suplex for a near fall.
Sky tried for a Double Underhook move but Sane landed on her feet and hit a snap Sliding D strike for a two count. Sane hit a Waterwheel Slam but when she went for the InSane Elbow, Sky brought the feet up to counter. The Bullet Train Attack landed but when Sky went up top, Asuka got on the apron to distract. Sky managed to duck a shot and hit Asuka with a kick but it left Sky open to be clubbed from behind. Sane locked on a Bridging Clutch pin and the referee didn’t see Asuka reach in and grab both of Sane’s arms for illegal leverage to steal the win.
After the match, Asuka decked Sky from behind and held Sky up for Sane to, with a little reluctance, hit a Cutlass. The Kabuki Warriors then hit their Double-Team of the InSane Elbow-Reverse DDT combo on Sky before Asuka proudly clutched a near sobbing Sane to end the segment.
Backstage Becky Lynch vented to her husband Seth Rollins about the fast referee count and loss. Ranting that she wasn’t going to Perth for the PLE until there were ‘better referees’ around.
It was announced that next week on Raw, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria would team up to face Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez of The Judgement Day.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Three matches in one night? We’ve been spoiled. Two great ones with Sane/Sky and Perez/Valkyria and while Lynch/Dupri was chunky at the start, it got far better going through it and perhaps the best showing from Dupri in months. A lot better than the dire match she had against Lynch earlier this year. The count-out win leaves the door open for a rematch, perhaps a title shot too, for Dupri but we’ll see if this mini-story gets dropped when AJ Lee shows up again. With the Sane/Sky match, they sold the story nicely of the numbers game and we’ll see if the story continues after Crown Jewel.
The story between Bayley, Valkyria and The Judgement Day rolls on and we’ll see the tag clash next week. Will that see the issues continue or will Bayley snap on Valkyria thanks to the split personality? Lastly, we didn’t see any real hype about the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship clash as I feared would be the case. They might do something on Smackdown before Crown Jewel but the clash between champions will do neither of them any favours and hurt the loser the most.
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!