Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
Survivor Series is in the books and it saw Team Rhiyo secure the win when AJ Lee made Becky Lynch tap out with the Black Widow. Elsewhere, Stephanie Vaquer retained the Women’s World Championship over Hall of Famer Nikki Bella. Perhaps, however, the biggest news from the night was the surprise return of Liv Morgan after months off from injury as she helped Dominik Mysterio regain the men’s IC title. So what’s next for the Women’s Division as we enter the final month of the year and approach Royal Rumble season? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos included The Judgement Day as ROXANNE PEREZ and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ arrived with Finn Balor and JD McDonagh. However, LIV MORGAN and Dominik Mysterio arrived separately in a Low-Rider. Right away there was tension in the group as while Morgan hugged Rodriguez and McDonagh, she merely gave nods and stares to Balor and Perez but Mysterio dabbed up everyone.
IYO SKY and RHEA RIPLEY kicked off Raw, both women dressed to compete. Ripley welcomed everyone to Monday Night Rhiyo and bragged about the WarGames win, but the fight isn’t over. She called out The Kabuki Warriors and said they wanted revenge, and said they wanted to take the tag titles from them. Sky said that no one was ready for Rhiyo.
However, instead of the Warriors, CHARLOTTE FLAIR and ALEXA BLISS (not dressed to compete) came out instead. Bliss took exception to the title challenge and told them to take a step back. Flair said that she and her ‘best friend’ lost the titles and never got a rematch. Ripley mocked the duo for failing to beat the Warriors and they instead needed to step aside. Flair said she didn’t step aside for anyone and Bliss made the blunt challege for a match tonight between the two teams. Sky accepted for her team and the two had a stare-off to end the segment.
Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce was finishing a phone call that made the women’s tag match official for the Main Event. IVY NILE stormed up and demanded an IC title shot, stating that Dupri has never beaten her (I guess mixed tag matches doesn’t count). Pearce claimed that Durpi was away training but Nile would get the first shot, and Nile mocked that Dupri could train with whoever and the end result would still be the same.
In a different backstage segment, LYRA VALKYRIA was standing by as BAYLEY tried to convince Adam Pearce to add them into the tag title hunt. Pearce questioned if Bayley was in the right ‘head space’ to deal with the Warriors and wasn’t convinced by Valkyria saying that they ‘right now we’re good’. Merely saying he’d take their request ‘into consideration’. When he left, ASUKA and KAIRI SANE stormed up as Asuka blamed Bayley (who had turned down being on Asuka’s WarGames team) for the loss at Surivor Series. Bayley called the duo idiots and told them to look in the mirror, and Asuka mocked back saying that she was a Champion, Bayley was nothing and that old rival Charlotte Flair was in the Main Event and not her. The segment ended, of course, with Sane being spooked by Asuka’s yell of ‘KAIRI’ off camera while Bayley fumed about the insults.
The Judgement Day, sans Morgan for the start, went to the ring. After some bragging words, Mysterio brought out Liv Morgan for a solo entrance and despite online speculation after her return, she had Judgement Day graphics for her entrance video. Morgan mocked the fans and Cena for having never seen her coming. Morgan would remark that she missed seeing Mysterio’s face and being with the odds, but turned the mood frosty when she said she’d heard that while she’d been gone The Judgement Day had turned weak and lost some gold. Morgan declared that the group would be coming for everything that is theirs. Finishing the promo by doing a version of her ‘slap’ to Mysterio like at Survivor Series before jumping into his arms to smooch his nose.
A promo video with MAXXINE DUPRI showed intense training with NATALYA who seemed to be teasing with her ‘Lowkey Legend’ Nattie character that she’s been doing in the Indies and in AAA.
Backstage, JACKIE REDMOND would interview Women’s World Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER who said she showed that if you betrayed her, you got burned. Liv Morgan would interrupt, and eyed up the World title as she mocking congratulated Vaquer on her win before she left, getting a look from Vaquer that showed she understood the message loud and clear.
Women’s Tag Team Match
ALEXA BLISS & CHARLOTTE FLAIR versus IYO SKY & RHEA RIPLEY ended in a no-contest.
Bliss and Sky started off. Bliss got a quick knee strike then tagged out so Flair could swing Bliss to hit a Dropkick of sorts. Sky would flip out of a Back Suplex attempt but a Big Boot meant for Sky would instead knock Ripley off the apron. Sky would hit a Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp then applied a Headlock but would be taken down by a Flair Shoulder Check after misdirection. Flair did the Headscissors flips on the canvas then a kip-up before she muscled Flair into her corner for a tag. Bliss hit slaps, a Knee Strike but ran into a Drop Toe-Hold that set up a Basement Dropkick from Sky.
Sky pulled Bliss over for the tag out to Ripley who hit a Knee Strike to Bliss’ arm then a Forearm to the back a couple of times. Later, Ripley would lock on the Prism Trap and applied a grounded version but Bliss managed to struggle to the ropes. Bliss got locked in the Prism Trap again but this time Bliss rolled through and it made Ripley inadvertently collide into Flair to knock her down, similar to the Big Boot Ripley took earlier on. Sky was tagged in as Ripley hit a Release German to Bliss that set up a 619 to the back of Bliss, then a Sliding Kick by Ripley to give Sky a near fall.
Sky would miss a Bullet Train Attack but moments later hit a Flapjack to Bliss. Tags on both sides made Flair and Ripley legal and they avoided shots to start, trading waistlocks before they traded blows. Flair hit a round of Chops before Ripley ducked and hit a Headbutt, only to that the Backbreaker into a Complete Shot combo in a corner. Right after Ripley hit her Counter Kick from the mat. Sky got a tag as Ripley hit a Suplex to set up a Sky Buzzsaw Kick that sent Flair out. After a slight stumble, Sky hit a Moonsault off the ropes to the floor before she DID THE THING.
Flair countered a Springboard Moonsault into a Boston Crab, which Sky countered into a Samson Clutch for a two count. Flair would counter a Wheelbarrow into a rough German Suplex to get a near fall. Moments later, Flair would do her vault over the ropes spot at Team Rhiyo’s corner then the Boot through the ropes to Sky, knocking off Ripley from the apron since she was in range right next to her. Sky would roll through the vault through the ropes spot by Flair and hit a wild short-range Meteora.
Ripley got a tag and botched the first attempt of a lift up for a Razor’s Edge so had to do it all over before Sky hit a Missile Dropkick to give Ripley a near fall. Flair countered Riptide into a DDT, and tagged out to Bliss who would soon hit a DDT to get a two count. Bliss tried for Twisted Bliss but only ate knees before both women quickly tagged out. Sky got wiped out by a Flair Big Boot and Bliss made the tag as Flair ran the ropes to hit Natural Selection, setting up Bliss to hit the Sister Abigail DDT but Ripley broke up the pin.
Flair missed a Big Boot aimed at Ripley, who then sent her out with a Clothesline. Ripley dragged Sky over to her corner so she could then make a tag and after a round of counters, Ripley would escape the Sister Abigail position and landed a Headbutt, followed by Riptide. Sky was tagged to hit Over the Moonsault but Flair would barrel Ripley into the pin to break it up.
With everyone down, The Kabuki Warriors ran down and picked the bones to stomp away and get the match thrown out. Tossing Flair then Ripley into ring posts before Sky was taken out by kicks and Bliss took one. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria would run out and take out the Warriors as Sane took the Dropkick through the ropes. Liv Morgan appeared to sweep Valkyria’s leg as she stood on the announce desk while Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez hit the ring. Asuka taken out by a Perez Lou Thesz Press while Rodriguez decked Bayley with a Big Boot. Asuka took a Tijana Bomb and Bayley took PopRox.
The show ended as Rodriguez held up one tag title belt, and while Perez went to hand the other to Morgan, Morgan instead put it back to Perez and raised their arms to make a statement.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A great main event as only to be expected with a wild brawl finish. A lot of tag teams now are in the mix which the division has sorely needed. Will we see a mass contenders match or some form of a Tag Team Turmoil for the gold? Morgan being right back into the title mix for the singles gold isn’t that big of a surprise since Morgan is featured on the WrestleMania poster and ads now so we’ll see if that match happens soon or if it’s saved for next year and the Royal Rumble. Lastly, the tease of Natalya bring the Nattie/Lowkey Legend character to main TV might not turn out as the fans expect. It might just be a set up for the expected turn on Dupri and end up being a loss to put over Dupri, just as I’d expect the Nile eventual match to be used to give Dupri a boost now she’s Champion.
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!