Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
Clash in Paris is over and it saw Becky Lynch retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship over Hall of Famer Nikki Bella. However, Lynch would be involved in bigger news when she directly helped her husband Seth Rollins retain the men’s World title later on with a Low Blow to CM Punk that led to victory. What’s next for the women of Raw, especially the still-vacant Women’s World Championship? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos included ASUKA and KAIRI SANE.
Backstage, IYO SKY would walk up to the Kabuki Warriors and apologise for last week, but Asuka laughed it off and said they were family, and that she and Sane would take care of The Judgment Day for her. Sky offered to help them, and while Sane was going to accept Asuka tellingly cut in and turned down the offer. Asuka was clearly condescending, putting down Rhea Ripley as the one who ‘needed help’ and cutting off Sky again when she tried to talk about Ripley. Claiming she had no time to talk because of the match and when Asuka left, Sane looked like she was gripping onto Sky like her life depended on it and claimed, but not convincingly, that everything was going to be OK.
Tag Team Match
The Kabuki Warriors (ASUKA & KAIRI SANE) defeated The Judgement Day (RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ & ROXANNE PEREZ)
Asuka and Perez started off, exchanging Headlocks before Perez tried for a Shoulder Knockdown but Asuka stayed on her feet. Perez hit a slap but fled the ring when Asuka threw a couple of kick attempts. Perez would tag out and Asuka tried for a Triangle Choke on Rodriguez, which was powered out into a Suplex attempt. That led to an Octopus Hold by Asuka and it was countered to a Powerslam attempt, also escaped. Sane tagged in as the Warriors ducked Clotheslines and peppered Rodriguez with kicks. Sane used the ropes to do a Headscissors choke, and then a Headscissors Takeover in the ring but the momentum sent Rodriguez into the heel corner so Perez tagged in.
Perez used a bridge up to get out of a pin, but her attempts at a slap and then a kick were blocked and led to a Dragon Screw by Sane. A Clutch pinhold got a near fall. Rope running led to Sane’s vault-back Headscissors and it sent Perez to her team’s corner as Rodriguez tagged in. Sane hit some open-hand slaps then an Elbow strike before she hit a Stundog Millionaire. Perez blind tagged herself in, and it would lead to her grabbing Sane’s hair at the ropes, hauling her into the Judgement Day’s corner to take a corner Splash from Rodriguez. Sane was pulled out and tossed into the barricade.
Sane was worked over during a commercial break and back from it, Sane took a corner European Uppercut from Perez and then a corner Splash from Rodriguez. Perez tagged back in but her attempt to do the Tilt-a-whirl Side Russian Legsweep got majorly botched trying to spin around Sane. She had to settle for a normal Russian Legsweep with Rodriguez’s Big Boot for the double team to get a near fall. Rodriguez was tagged but Sane beat the numbers with a counter boot to Perez and then avoiding a corner Splash from Rodriguez which allowed Sane to tag out and Perez tagged herself in.
Asuka hit a Missile Dropkick to Rodriguez then a Pop-Up Knee Strike to Perez, followed by a flurry of strikes and kicks. Asuka applied an Arm Bar onto Perez, leaving her open to take an Elbow Drop from Rodriguez, who dragged Perez over so she could tag herself in. Rodriguez hit her Rewind Clothesline which set up Perez hitting the Satomura Special to give Rodriguez a near fall. Perez tagged in as Rodriguez hit the Tully Suplex to set up the double-bounce Lionsault but Sane broke up the pin. Rodriguez went for a Tijana Bomb on Sane but Sane countered with a form of a Triangle Choke and with Asuka’s help, it dragged Rodriguez over the ropes and to the floor.
Perez tried to steal it with a Clutch pin but Asuka kicked out at two and applied the Asuka Lock, which Perez countered into a pinhold for a near fall. Asuka hit an Emperess Impact on the ropes to knock off Rodriguez, setting up a wild InSane Elbow by Sane to Rodriguez on the floor. Perez tried for PopRox but Asuka escape and things quickly got messy as Asuka seemingly went for Emperess Impact but didn’t seem to hit all of it but Perez sold it. The referee seemingly had to tell the women the finish even when Asuka went for a pin, and had to roughly haul Perez up from the cover and into the Asuka Lock for a tapout victory.
A promo video from General Manager Adam Pearce announced that a match at the WWE Wrestlepalooza PLE between Stephanie Vaquer and Iyo Sky would determine the new Women’s World Champion. It was also advertised that a contract signing between Vaquer and Sky would take place next week.
Backstage NIKKI BELLA congratulated Iyo Sky on being part of the World title match, and Sky hoped Bella got another title shot. Asuka rudely interrupted and shoved Bella away, much to his displeasure. Asuka yelled and reprimanded Sky for again trying to find a friend, but flipped an emotional switch to fake being nice saying the Warriors would be tag champs again and she’d help Sky to win. Sky said she didn’t need help, and again Asuka got mad and reminded Sky that she didn’t win on her own at SummerSlam. Sky was this time disturbed by the rant unlike before.
Backstage in Adam Pearce’s office, Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez stormed in, unhappy that Iyo Sky got a title match when Perez beat her a few weeks back. Pearce rightly pointed out that Perez lost tonight. LYRA VALKYRIA came in but Perez directed her venom to her, mocking her for looking for her ‘bestie Bayley. Valkyria was instantly defensive about that and Rodriguez mocked Valkyria, saying it was no wonder that Bayley doesn’t show up to Raw with the way Valkyria yells. Valkyria snapped back that if they paid more attention to their team than her, they’d still be tag champs.
After a yelling match, Pearce ordered The Judgement Day out. Pearce gave an update Bayley’s status and wasn’t thrilled when the only news was that he’d talked to her a little and Bayley would be ‘back soon’. Valkyria demanded a match against one of the Judgement Day members for next week and it was granted.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
RHEA RIPLEY would be interviewed about her current career status, but Asuka interrupted for a tense face-off, warning Ripley to stay away from Iyo Sky. Later, she’d briefly talk with CM Punk in the parking lot but left when Adam Pearce showed up.
When CM Punk tried to call out Seth Rollins to face him, BECKY LYNCH instead confronted her husband’s rival. Immediately showered with AJ Lee chants and Lynch tried to dismiss it by saying the fans always chanted for someone not in the company. During the long promo, that didn’t hold the fans, Lynch claimed that Punk affected her career because chants of his name that ruined her matches years ago. The fans weren’t held and yelled the vulgar ‘Shut up!’ chant as Lynch tried to shout them down and failed, ruining it herself by forcing in the Sports Illustrated line of hers. Matters not helped when Punk dismissed the whole promo by saying that all ‘sounded good’ and then put himself over. He also pointed out that during the European tour neither Lynch or her husband were there with their ‘plastic belts’. The segment would end with Lynch deliberately standing in front of Punk to block him from going after Rollins, before she tried to provoke him with several slaps. Verbally berating Punk all the way up the aisle when he left on his own. Afterwards, Punk mused about Smackdown this week being in his hometown how Chicago for another tease.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A lot of people believe that this will see after many years a return to the ring for AJ Lee. But this is the WWE who are masters of teases and the bait-and-switch. The fact we briefly saw Rhea Ripley talk with CM Punk and share laments about their current careers screams to me that we’ll see Ripley and Punk pair up for a Dream Team against Lynch and Rollins. Rather than Lee who could have made a comeback years ago if she wanted to but seems happy, and rightfully so, to leave the memories alone and enjoy her other projects outside of wrestling. The lengthy promo with Lynch and Punk was a major dud, not helped by when Lynch forced her Sports Illustrated line in to really ruin what was supposed to be an intense promo.
Elsewhere, we’re seeing the WWE lay it on thick with Asuka being a manipulative bully as she tries to control Iyo Sky. I fully expect Asuka to screw over Sky with the World title and then go right into a direct feud as has been teased here. The tag match was fine right until the end which seemed to be the fault more of the referee to demand the specific tapout finish rather than just going with a match flow.
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!