Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
The Queen of the Ring Tournament continues now that the First Round Matches have concluded. On Smackdown, Charlotte Flair will face Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan but this week on Raw, Iyo Sky takes on Raquel Rodriguez in a Semi-Final Match. Who will advance to Night of Champions? And what will happen when Roxanne Perez attempts to soften up Flair on behalf of Morgan in a singles match? Let’s get into it, and find out…
Queen of the Ring Tournament Semi-Final Match
IYO SKY defeated RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ
Rodriguez came out alone. Sky, despite being a face, jump-started the match with a rather cheap shot of a Dropkick to Rodriguez’s back as she took off her sunglasses in a corner. Sky hit wild punches then some mounted ones, getting shoved over the ropes to the apron which allowed her to hit a Lucha Kick, then a second followed by a Shoulder Thrust through the ropes. Sky hit a Shoulder Check but didn’t knock her opponent down, so she hit strikes and went for a running charge, only to be caught and shoved off before Rodriguez hit a Running Crossbody to deck Sky.
Rodriguez dropped Sky onto the corner of the Timekeeper’s barricade with a Snake Eyes and taunted the crowd, before sending Sky back in. Sky locked on a Front Choke, which was eventually countered with a Suplex. Moments later, Sky avoided a charge and sent Rodriguez through the ropes. Trying for a Suicide Dive but Rodriguez caught it, and sent Sky into the ring post with a Lawn Dart before the show went to a ‘commercial break’. At some point during the prior moves, Rodriguez got a busted nose from the action.
Sky was sent into the barricade, then a Snake Eyes slam into the apron before yanking Sky off, which sent Sky into the barricade. Back inside, Rodriguez got a two count and would lock on a grounded Surfboard stretch for a rest hold. Sky got a rope break, only to be dragged out as Rodriguez hit a Hat Trick of Elbow Drops and got a near fall. Sky fought back with body shots, only to be flattened by a Shoulder Knockdown as Rodriguez scored another two count before the show went back to ‘live action’.
Sky blocked a Tijana Bomb attempt by grabbing the ropes, before rolling forward with a Samson Clutch for a near fall. Sky hit a Spinning Backfist, shades of her departed friend Kairi Sane, then a Shotei and a Head Kick that staggered Rodriguez, leaving her open for the Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp spot. Sky landed the Bullet Train Attack and soon after hit a Missile Dropkick, kipped up and flipped then DID THE THING! Rodriguez pulled herself to the apron to avoid a second Bullet Train, and used a double-handed Choke to haul Sky up onto the ropes. Sky punched her way free, and hit a Dropkick as Rodriguez tried climbing through the ropes. Sky tried for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb off of Rodriguez being on the apron, but Rodriguez stomped her way free.
Sky escaped off the shoulders of Rodriguez, sending her into the announce table then shoving her again, before slamming Rodriguez’s head four times into the desk. Sky went for a Double Stomp off the barricade, only hitting the table when Rodriguez moved and she then swept the leg, sending Sky face-first into the desk. Back inside, Rodriguez missed the Vader Bomb Elbow and tried pulling Sky up on the apron, but Sky yanked the arm and it drove Rodriguez’s head into the top of the ring post.
Sky hit a variation of the Sunset Flip Powerbomb, walking out and planting Rodriguez in position for the Over the Moonsault as Sky got the clean win to advance to the Finals of Queen of the Ring.
Backstage ROXANNE PEREZ and LIV MORGAN were walking, lamenting about Rodriguez’ elimination but heaping praise over one another about upcoming matches. When Perez left, Morgan walked into the bizarre lab of Danhausen, being greeted as ‘Olivia’. Morgan attempted to charm Danhausen, revealing she was wearing one of his merch T-shirts and wanting her man Dirty Dom’s opponent Oba Femi to be ‘cursed’. Danhausen wanted lots of ‘human moneys’ and to be put into Morgan’s music video and a song about himself, at which point Morgan gave up on the plot and stormed off, leaving Danhausen to tinker away.
ALEXA BLISS and CHARLOTTE FLAIR were interviewed, with Flair sucking up to the fans with a Woooo and calling herself and Bliss the Twisted Queens. Flair was asked if she thought she was walking into a Judgement Day trap tonight, and incorrectly said she just saw Morgan try to get her and Bliss ‘cursed’. Flair said there was nothing the Judgement Day could do that would surprise her, but said she was gonna come and kick some ass ‘if she was called out online’ (referring to a mocking post on X by Perez). Flair said she had the advantage of Bliss in her corner, and Bliss put over her friend as being forever a Queen, and everyone would bow down. Making Byron Saxton do heart hands with them to finish the segment.
Backstage in the General Manager’s office, Adam Pearce spoke with LYRA VALKYRIA about Smackdown GM Nick Aldis ‘confirming’ something which made Valkyria very happy but it wasn’t clear what she was giddy about, saying she was going to tell Bayley before giving a chest bump before she left the segment.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
MAXXINE DUPRI was once again seen talking to Austin Theory, a conversation broken up when Chad Gable passed for an awkward look before Gable walked on.
Alexa Bliss has an NXT history video, putting over her ‘evolution’ from pixie days to the early Goddess era.
Singles Match
CHARLOTTE FLAIR w/h ALEXA BLISS defeated ROXANNE PEREZ w/h LIV MORGAN
Flair shoved Perez away off the opening lock-up, allowing Perez to do her roll into a slap, luring Flair in avoid a swing and then hit wild strikes. Flair blocked a kick, and then hit a Knee Strike to the head. Out on the floor, Flair hit Chops to Perez against the barricade, but Perez ducked one that hit the ring post. Instantly homing in on the arm, swinging it into the post then pulling the limb against an exposed turnbuckle connector then stomping Flair’s hand.
The show went to a ‘commercial break’ as Perez hit the Satomura Special for a near fall. Perez applied a arm rest hold into a Top Wristlock, but Flair musculed up to carry Perez on her back, backing her into a corner before Perez yanked the hair. Perez would be sent to the apron, but used it to yank the bad arm onto the top rope with a Hot Shot. Perez hit a Leg Sweep with her leg and right after hit the Tilt-a-whirl into the Side Russian Legsweep for a two count. Perez hit a gut kick, took a slap, and then hit her wild flurry of strikes before hitting a dropdown to target the bad arm, getting a near fall.Flair would hit a big kick in a corner, but couldn’t muscle Perez up with her bad arm for a Slam. Perez locked in a Back Sleeper but Flair hit the fall back to escape.
Back to ‘live action’, Perez locked on an Arm Bar, which led to the Triangle Choke into the classic Powerbomb counter to give Flair a near fall. Flair hit a chop with the bad arm and instantly favoured it, giving Perez time to kick the arm and then hit a less-than-perfect version of La Mistica for a two count. Perez hit an arm puller, and Flair would position herself up to stomp her way free, getting a Jackknife pin for a near fall. Perez hit a round of chops in a corner, leaving Flair furious and right after Flair did her vault over the ropes then the boot through the cables. Flair went up top, and seemingly Morgan tried to distract by driving Bliss into the ring post on the outside. Flair would land on her feet and hit a Fallaway Slam to Perez before kipping up.
Flair hit chops with the good arm, and soon after hit the walk-over Clothesline then a glancing blow of a Big Boot for a near fall. Morgan provided a distraction as Flair went up, allowing Perez to yank Flair down before hitting the Double-bounce Lionsault for a two count. Perez ran into a Big Boot and Flair went for the Figure Eight, but when Morgan distracted the ref Perez poked Flair in the eye. A messy sequence followed as Perez applied a Small Package while Bliss got back up, yanking Morgan to make her hit the apron and with the ref still distracted by Morgan, Bliss had to run around the ring, slide in, rush to reverse the Small Package so Flair had the pin and slide back out. Perez still managed to kick out at two.
Perez tried for PopRox, but Flair countered, locking in Figure Eight and getting the tapout victory. The show quickly moved on after showing Morgan fuming on the outside.
It was announced that (possibly what Valkyria was excited about earlier on) the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships would be defended on Raw from London next week as Brie Bella and Paige but the gold on the line against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Two fine matches on Raw even with the expected outcomes. Sky advancing was obvious both with the finals needing at least one face in the mix and the ongoing internal drama of The Judgement Day. The outcome between Morgan and Flair on Smackdown is the less clear one, but perhaps Flair having a hurt arm will be an out for a protected loss. We’ll wait and see. Flair and Perez put on a good show, even if the match had scrappy moments and the messy Small Package spot. There was no sign of Sol Ruca on the show, and with Morgan in the QOTR still it looks like the only women’s match at Night of Champions will be the QOTR Finals. That would be a missed chance, but we’ll see if the WWE is brave enough to put in another title match on the card in the few days left before the PLE.
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!
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