Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! The Royal Rumble is in the history books and it saw the returning Charlotte Flair win the women’s match to get a title match at WrestleMania. Will Flair announce which title that she’ll challenge for tonight? And who will punch their ticket for the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match when two former champs in Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan collide? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘arrived earlier today’ videos featured LIV MORGAN and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ with The Judgement Day, as well as IYO SKY and CHARLOTTE FLAIR.
JACKIE REDMOND and CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
In the Judgement Day locker room, Finn Balor ranted about the state of events and Morgan had to play peacemaker.
Charlotte Flair went to the ring for a promo. However, a clear section of the fans roundly boo’d her during the speech even as Flair talked about how she’d come back from injury to win the Women’s Royal Rumble. Flair tried to play off the reaction saying she missed the fans and would compete whether the fans loved or hated her but it didn’t work to sway them and she seemed rattled by the crowd reaction.
Eventually, RHEA RIPLEY interrupted to save the segment. Flair said that she was trying to have a moment with the fans, but Ripley said that this was her show. Ripley claimed she respected Flair but reminded her that the last time they battled at Mania, she beat Flair. To which Flair countered that when the fought the first time, Flair won. Ripley dismissed it, saying she was just a kid then. Flair said she had plenty of time to make her decision and said she’d go to NXT to see Women’s Champion Giulia and them to Smackdown to see Tiffany Stratton and she’d see if either woman ‘inspired’ her to make a choice. Despite trying to be a face here, Flair as always heeled it up and called Ripley a kid for ‘jumping the gun’.
Ripley countered by saying that just proved Flair’s lack of respect, and Ripley threatened that she’d beat the respect into Flair if she picked her. That ended the segment as Ripley left the ring without Flair having made a decision yet.
Backstage Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky had a face off, as Sky remarked that maybe she’d face Ripley at Mania. As Sky walked off, Liv Morgan launched a sneak attack on her opponent tonight before Ripley chased her off. Only for Raquel Rodriguez to then jump Ripley with another sneak attack. Later on, as Sky walked backstage to head to the ring Pure Fusion Collective of SHAYNA BASZLER, SONYA DEVILLE and ZOEY STARK watched her pass but for once didn’t take the chance to attack.
MAXXINE DUPRI and Alpha Academy were interviewed, only to be interrupted by A-Town Down Under.
A hype video announced that next week Bayley and Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria would face off in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match next week. Both BAYLEY and LYRA VALKYRIA were front row to watch the night’s Qualifying Match.
Singles Match – Qualifying Match for the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match
LIV MORGAN w/h RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ defeated IYO SKY by DQ
Right from the bell, Morgan tried to flee the ring but Sky went out after her and dragged her to the floor to toss her into the barricade. Back in the ring Sky controlled with strike, a Flapjack then a Low Dropkick. Morgan would hit a counter Double Stomp to the chest as Sky rushed in for a near fall. Morgan hit her corner combo with the Back Elbow, rollout, Knee Strike and then rolled Sky out for a Basement Dropkick to get a two count. There was a brief bit of misstiming as the two ran into one another’s strikes, before Sky did her flips to set up a Dropkick then a kip up.
Morgan would toss out Sky but she slid back in and caught Morgan coming from the ropes with a Forearm Strike, and then another after some misdirection running to set up a Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Morgan yanked Sky off the ropes to do the back of the head hits the turnbuckle spot to give Morgan a near fall. Morgan choked Sky on the ropes and Rodriguez almost got caught by the referee when she thought about hitting a cheap shot. Morgan taunted the crowd too much and almost paid for it when Sky scooped her off the ropes for a Roll-up and a near fall. Morgan hit a Codebreaker and got a two count. Moments later a Clothesline got Morgan a near fall.
Morgan hit the Three Amigos but missed with a Glimmering Warlock that allowed Sky to hit a Knee Strike. Sky rallied with Shotei strikes, a Dropkick and then a jolt of the arm on the ropes to set up the Missile Dropkick and flips. The wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp got a near fall for Sky. The Bullet Train Attack only hit the corner as Morgan landed a Backstabber but going for ObLIVion Sky dodged and took Morgan down with a Crossface. Morgan escaped but got hit with a Buzzsaw kick, but when Sky went up for the Moonsault Rodriguez distracted her so Morgan could knock her down. Morgan tried for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb to the floor, but Sky stomped to save herself.
Morgan managed to haul Sky down from a Moonsault off the ropes, only to take a Release German Suplex on the floor! Sky then got the Springboard Moonsault off the middle rope to the floor. Back in the ring, a leaping nothing was countered by Morgan with a Codebreaker for a near fall. Moments later, Sky caught Morgan sat up top with a kick to set up for a Frankenscreamer, which in turn set up for the Bullet Train Attack. Yet again Rodriguez distracted Sky, and that allowed Morgan to counter Over the Moonsault with knees up, but Morgan soon after had another ObLIVion attempt countered with a Release German Suplex.
Rhea Ripley ran down and attacked Rodriguez with strikes, a Headbutt and stomps. When Liv Morgan reached through the ropes to grab Ripley’s hair, Ripley socked her with a punch and with the shot in full view of the ref, he made the correct call and instantly called for the bell. Awarding the match to Morgan off a DQ. Morgan and Rodriguez would flee with glee and Sky was left distraught, ranting at Ripley before she left the ring as Ripley seemed rattled by that.
Backstage IVY NILE and American Made confronted the War Raiders, before Chad Gable issued orders that he wanted to see the other members with gold.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A great match between Morgan and Sky, with an ending that works fine to give the heel a cheap win. We will need to wait and see who else qualifies for the Chamber match and of course which Champion Flair picks to face. Speaking of which, Flair’s promo was a massive dud which failed to get her over as anything close to likeable as a face, with matters not helped by her remaining in her usual heel ways, especially towards Ripley. Whatever reaction the WWE hoped for it hasn’t worked and it likely won’t improve any time soon. Lastly, the Women’s IC Champion has still yet to defend her title and is getting put in another match that isn’t about her title. It’s a terrible look for a title that has no clear direction. Valkyria and Nile could put on a great match for the gold but at this rate the fans won’t have a reason to care about it if the title continues to be mistreated like this.
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!