Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
As we approach Survivor Series and the gimmick of the Women’s WarGames match, we have a title-match filled Raw with both the singles Women’s World Championship and the Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line. Who will leave as title-holders? And will we get build and matches made for the one of the biggest PLEs of the year? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured ASUKA and KAIRI SANE, Women’s World Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER and Hall of Famer NIKKI BELLA.
Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce pressed MAXXINE DUPRI on if she was ready for her Women’s IC title match but yet again she said she wasn’t and spun a line about how being ready wasn’t just a feeling. Yet immediately said she wanted Lynch so the match was made for next week. After Pearce left, BECKY LYNCH decked Dupri with ease with a cheap shot and mocked Dupri for not standing a chance.
Women’s World Championship Match
Women’s World Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER w/h NIKKI BELLA defeated RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ w/h ROXANNE PEREZ to retain
Rodriguez used her power early with a big Waistlock slam, and would back herself and Vaquer up into a corner when Vaquer tried for a Waistlock, setting up the Diesel Back Elbows. Rodriguez used a couple of Short-Arm Shoulder Checks, but soon after Vaquer did her spin-out into a 120% Roll-up for a near fall. Vaquer barely managed to snap off a Headscissors on the much taller opponent to set up a Basement Dropkick. Vaquer tried for Devil’s Kiss but Rodriguez’s power blocked, musculing the Champ up for an Electric Chair Front Drop into a corner. Vaquer was levelled with a Running Clothesline for a near fall.
After a commercial break, Vaquer fought out of a Gory Special hold and used a Sunset Flip to send Rodriguez tumbling through the ropes to the floor. Rodriguez stormed back in and right into a Chinbuster, and while she managed to block a Bang Kick, her Clothesline and a Big Boot attempts were avoided. Vaquer hit the round of strikes and soon after hit a Crossbody off the top rope. Vaquer hit a Corner Meteora to get a two count. She tried for SVB OG but Rodriguez blocked with her power and would do the same for both an attempted Sunset Flip pin and then to stop a Tornado DDT attempt, turning that into a Suplex.
A Running Big Boot got Rodriguez a near fall. Rodriguez tried for the Tijana Bomb but Vaquer a little messily escaped and sent Rodriguez into a corner. Vaquer went for another Corner Meteora but this time Rodriguez’s power blocked, eventually muscling up the Champ for a Kneeling Powerbomb but only got a near fall. Rodriguez went for a Corner Clothesline but Vaquer countered with a Minoru Suzuki Arm Bar over the top rope. Perez got involved to grab Vaquer’s leg to distract, and was quickly sent into the barricade by Bella. Vaquer tried for a Springboard Crossbody and was caught by Rodriguez who hit a Fallaway Slam. Rodriguez missed with the Vader Bomb Elbow and Vaquer hit Devil’s Kiss.
A Low Superkick set up the Corkscrew Moonsault for the clean victory as Vaquer retained.
After the match, Perez decked Vaquer but was attacked by Bella and Vaquer hit a Superkick to send Perez out. However, Bella would pick up the Women’s title belt and decked Vaquer with it (and nearly tripped over Vaquer doing it) before she posed with the gold much to the anger of the crowd.
Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
The Kabuki Warriors (ASUKA & KAIRI SANE) defeated Women’s Tag Team Champions ALEXA BLISS & CHARLOTTE FLAIR to become the NEW Tag Team Champions
The match started hot as Flair and Bliss tackled Asuka and Sane respectively for Thesz Presses and punches. Bliss hit strikes on Sane finished with a Basement Dropkick. Flair got a blind tag as Bliss hit a Somersault Senton but Sane managed to tag out to Asuka after the move. Asuka dodged a Big Boot and Flair avoided a Headkick before she got a Shoulder Knockdown. Flair did the corner vault, the boot through the ropes then the vault through for the Roll-up to get a near fall. Flair took a Back Elbow but immediately answered with a Pump Boot to the face. An Empress Impact on the ropes missed but Sane used it to tag herself in while Asuka got a boot to the head. Flair would take the Flying Forearm from Sane for a two count.
Sane tried for the vault-back Headscissors but was tossed over and then booted off the apron by Flair. Bliss was tagged in and tried for a Baseball Slide but both Warriors avoided it, before an Asuka distraction let Sane hit a Flying Forearm off the apron. After a commercial break, Bliss countered a Double-Team Suplex attempt with double DDTs. Flair was tagged and hit a top rope Crossbody to both Warriors before she hit chops to both. Asuka took the walk-over Clothesline then hit Fallaway Slams to both challengers. After a kip-up, hit a Moonsault to both opponents but Asuka kicked out.
Flair and Asuka exchanged blows before Asuka got the better of it to hit a combo. She tried for an Empress Impact but Flair blocked and turned it into a German Suplex. Sane was cut off by a Bliss punch, and the champs went for the dualling Natural Selection/Blockbuster combo but while Bliss hit her part, Asuka countered Flair into the Asuka Lock. Flair managed to roll back for a counter pin to get two, before she and Asuka exchanged kicks to the head. Flair went for a tag but Sane pulled Bliuss from the apron. Asuka hit a Pop-Up Knee trike then an Arm Bar into a Triangle Choke. Flair escaped into a Boston Crab but Asuka countered into a pin for a near fall.
Asuka hit a Buzzsaw Kick, but took too long mouthing off and ran into a Big Boot. Flair locked on the Figure Eight and Sane attempted to break it up with an InSane Elbow, only for Sane to cut her off mid flight to catch her then drop her with the Sister Abigail DDT. Out of nowhere, LASH LEGEND and NIA JAX appeared and reached into the ring to yank Flair out from the hold. Bliss tried to confront the two but Sane attacked from behind and sent Bliss over the announce desk. Flair was distracted and tried going after Sane, just to take a Chop Block from Asuka.
Sane was tagged and the Warriors hit the Reverse DDT-InSane Elbow combo for the tainted victory to become the NEW Tag Team Champions.
After the match, Bliss was easily beaten down by Legend and Jax. Soon joined by the Warriors as all four heels beat down the former champions. IYO SKY ran down and used a Low Bridge to get Legend out, a kick inside to stun Jax then a Springboard Dropkick to take out the Warriors. Jax took three Shotei shots but trying for a Wheelbarrow move, she was shoved off and decked by a Legend Forearm. Next out was RHEA RIPLEY with a Trish Stratus facemask to clean house with a Forearm for Jax, a Clothesline to Sane, a headbutt for Asuka and a Superkick to Legend to send her out. Jax took kicks from Bliss, Sky then a boot from Flair to send her out.
Ripley tossed Sane over the ropes into the other heels with a Razor’s Edge before Ripley yelled “WARGAMES” to close the segment as the faces held the ring.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A fine tag team main event with a heel finish to protect the losing side. It’s perhaps a slight surprise to change the tag titles but it was merely a ‘give the top women a title reign’ run anyway. The switch gives a bit of hype and story for what’s usually a throwaway WarGames anyway, so it’s not that bad. There’s rumours that the Women’s match will still be five against five with Becky Lynch on the heel side and AJ Lee on the face side. I guess we’ll see next week if there’s any development on that side of things when Lynch faces Dupri and if they follow up on that ‘Dupri call’ story or not. The Women’s World title match was solid but a little messy in parts, due in part to the size and style difference but overall it was fine. The Nikki Bella turn has been predictable for months and the WWE loves to turn legends heel after a return run if they plan on dropping them, which might be the case here. Bella will have to step her game up against Vaquer in a singles match or else her losing streak will not only get worse, but might lead to being off screens for a long time once again.
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!