Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
SummerSlam has come and gone, and it saw Liv Morgan not only finally defend the Women’s World Championship for once, but retain over the Queen of the Ring winner Iyo Sky. With that feud in the books, and with Stephanie Vaquer back on the road, having appeared during ‘Slam signing events, what’s next for Morgan and the World title? And will anyone step up to face the new IC Champ Raquel Rodriguez? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured The Judgement Day with LIV MORGAN, RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ and ROXANNE PEREZ, with a match advertised tonight between Sol Ruca and Perez.
LYRA VALKYRIA was interviewed by Byron Saxton. Valkyria ranted that she created the Women’s IC title and would find her way back to it, before mocking Ruca for losing the belt, saying she knew Ruca would crash and burn. Valkyria threatened the new champ, bragging about taking out Bayley and telling Rodriguez to think about what she’d do to ‘someone she didn’t like’.
The women of The Judgement Day went to the ring, and Raquel Rodriguez had the IC title modified with what looked like fake barbed wire wrapped around the belt. Morgan did her ‘All Time’ line and bragged about beating Iyo Sky at SummerSlam, and gloated about there being no challengers. Morgan put over Rodriguez and Perez before Ruca made her entrance just as the show went to a ‘commercial break’.
Singles Match
SOL RUCA defeated ROXANNE PEREZ w/h LIV MORGAN & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ by DQ
Ruca decked Perez with a cheap shot before the bell, and when the bell actually rang Perez bailed from the ring. Stalling for a long time before Ruca chased Perez around the ring, even going past the Judgement Day on the outside twice during it, and back inside Perez got the cheap shot stomp when Ruca slid in. Perez hammered with wild strikes then applied a Headlock, grounding it when Ruca tried to escape and even running the ropes to turn it into a Takeover to prevent another escape. On the outside, Liv Morgan used Corey Grave’s headset to called Perez ‘super duper talented’ but called Perez ‘her’ Prodigy. Back inside, Ruca finally shoved Perez off and took her down with a Shoulder Check. Ruca used misdirection, going for a Running Knee but Perez avoided it, only to take a Senton for a near fall.
The show returned to ‘live action’. Ruca controlled with a Wristlock before Perez rolled to the ropes, and with the break Perez bailed to the floor. A brief chase this time, as Ruca pulled Perez back out to the floor but Perez blocked a punch and hit Ruca with one of her own, and would kick Ruca away trying to pull her out of the ring again. Back inside, Perez ducked under two swings from Ruca and tried for her Tilt-a-whirl, but Ruca blocked, forcing Perez to slip down the back for a European Clutch, only getting two when Ruca rolled through for a near fall pin. The two traded flip evasions before Perez hit a slap then used a hair-pull shove.
Perez hit stomps then a corner choke followed by more stomps. Ruca blocked a stomp, got up and tripped the other leg to hit some mount punches. Ruca hit a trio of short-range whips into a corner, but missed a corner charge. Ruca would catch Perez going for a Back Elbow in a corner, turning it into a spin-out Kingdom Falls. Ruca hit a slap, then a Dropkick to get a two count. Ruca locked on the Romero Special but Perez managed to escape. Ruca would trip the leg, flipping over Perez to hit a low Thrust Kick. Perez went to the floor, but Ruca went to the apron to run up the corner, barely catching Perez with a Moonsault off the post. Back inside, Ruca went for the Cascading DDT out of a corner but Perez (barely) swatted the arms, sending Ruca tumbling down and selling the arm, which Perez instantly targeted with a drop-down shot. The show went to another ‘commercial break’.
Perez focused on the arm with a Divorce Court for a near fall, then bending the arm over the bottom rope to hit a stomp to the hand. Outside, Perez used a Hammerlock to send the bad shoulder into the ringpost before sending Ruca back inside for a stomp then a near fall cover. Perez applied a kneeling Arm Bar rest hold, and when Ruca got out of it Perez did an overly complicated amount of switch ups just to hit a Suplex for a two count, locking on the rest hold again as the show went back to ‘live action’.
The women traded strikes, with Ruca winning and getting a trio of shots, finished with a European Uppercut. House on Fire time with two Spinning Back Elbows from Ruca, then a corner Back Elbow followed by a trio of Forearm Strikes then a Release German Suplex. Ruca kipped up and hit a Running Knee Strike for a near fall. Perez would counter being on Ruca’s shoulders with a Hurricanrana, getting a two count before Ruca countered to a pin of her own for a near fall. More counters followed as Ruca blocked a Bang Kick, then Perez did a handstand to counter a Ruca X-Factor. Perez went for a low Enzigiri but Ruca fell back too soon, so the move missed completely. Perez tried for PopRox but Ruca flipped her out and hit the X-Factor.
Rodriguez tried to distract and got knocked off the apron. When Ruca went for a Sol Snatcher, Morgan yanked the leg to knock Ruca down and the referee saw it, calling off the match for a DQ win for Ruca.
Rodriguez decked Ruca with a Big Boot, and Perez hit PopRox on Ruca before Rodriguez planted Ruca with a Tijana Bomb.
BECKY LYNCH made her return to WWE since her IC title loss to Ruca, going to the ring just as The Judgement Day celebrated over Ruca and the group stayed there while Ruca vanished from the scene. Lynch got a mic, and dismissed Rodriguez, saying she’d ‘done her job’ by making the IC title famous, and said she was after the World title, calling Morgan ‘sweet cheeks’. Mocking Morgan by saying she wanted to make sure it wasn’t another 100 days before she defended the title and called Morgan a glorified valet, and fighting not flirting. Acting babyface now as she changed her line from ‘Sports Illustrated said it’ to just ‘everybody’s saying it’.
Morgan taunted Lynch about not being at home being a Mother, and called Lynch jealous of her and that Lynch’s time was over. Morgan didn’t take any challenge and fled the ring with her group. Lynch tried provoking with more insults, saying that Morgan wasn’t even the greatest Champion ‘who has slept with Dominik Mysterio’.
Things went from bad to worse for Morgan when STEPHANIE VAQUER made her return from injury, leaving Morgan looking like she’d seen a ghost. Vaquer cut off Rodriguez at the entranceway with a Superkick and sent Perez into the video wall before chasing down Morgan. In the ring, as Lynch watched from the turnbuckle, Vaquer got in some mount punches and cut off the other Judgement Day members at the ropes before planting Morgan with a Spinebuster takedown. Morgan retreated with her group, and in the ring there was a tense staredown between Lynch and Vaquer, mouthing off about their intentions towards Morgan as the segment ended.
MAXXINE DUPRI accompanied Austin Theory and Bron Breakker as Breakker defeated Joe Hendry. After the match, Akira Tozawa went after Theory, sending him packing as Dupri held her man back, pulling him away from a fight.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
During a backstage segment between Bron Breakker and Paul Heyman, Lyra Valkyria could be seen talking with General Manager Adam Pearce.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A great match between Ruca and Perez, and the DQ finish very much leaves the door open for Ruca going after the IC title again (but we’ll see if and how Valkyria slots into this all). Lynch coming back after vanishing for a while was a surprise, but even bigger was her apparent face turn. Many people will be rolling their eyes at the fact that Lynch, far from the first time, is coming back and going right into a title storyline. Especially when she’s come back just as a worst-kept secret of Vaquer’s return at the same time, and it’s one Hell of a coincidence that Lynch’s return happens at that same night. The most important thing is that Morgan has two challengers right away, so the odds of a title defence happening soon again are massive. We just need to wait and see if it will be in a Triple Threat or if Lynch and Vaquer get to settle things with a contendership match.
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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