Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! WrestleMania is only a couple of weeks away and there’s still uncertainty around the Women’s matches from the Raw brand. This week we’ll see a match that should be on the biggest show of the year but instead if on Raw as Lyra Valkyria defends the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Bayley. This comes ahead of a Women’s Tag Team Gauntlet Match on SmackDown this week where Bayley and Valkyria will be one of the teams. Who will emerge as Champion? And will this be the week the Triple Threat Match for the Women’s World Championship is finally confirmed? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured LIV MORGAN and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ along with the rest of The Judgement Day.
Raw General Manager Adam Pearce called out Women’s World Champion IYO SKY to the ring, BIANCA BELAIR (who noticeably got boos when her name was announced) and RHEA RIPLEY (who was incorrectly called by Pearce as being part of The Judgement Day). Pearce buried the trio, claiming that he was wrong to think all three could act professionally last week (it was his decision to make Belair the referee in the first place) but officially announced at long last that it would be a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania between the three. Pearce had a new contract for the three to sign.
Belair complained about how she’d earned her way to Mania, and again got smatterings of boos as she spoke, while Ripley forced her way into the match. The crowd chanted over Belair’s speech for Ripley as Belair talked about winning the Chamber Match after ‘her two close friends’ tore each other apart (Jade Cargill and Naomi). Belair said she’d go through Ripley to become chant, another moment of disrespect towards Sky. Belair signedthe contract and Ripley went to respond but Belair cut her off to more boos and shoved the contract at her, yelling at her to sign which Ripley did before she tossed the contract back.
Once again, Ripley pie-faced Sky to shove her back as Ripley and Belair mouthed off. A furious Sky then went to the apron and hit a Springboard Dropkick that sent Ripley into Belair to knock them both down before Sky kipped up and signed the contract to make the match official. Sky taunted and celebrated with her title as she went up the aisle while her rivals were still down on the mat.
In the clubhouse of The Judgement Day, Liv Morgan bragged about adding Dominik Mysterio to the WrestleMania Fatal Four-Way men’s Intercontinental Championship Match. Morgan claimed that it gave the group the better chance to bring the title home to the stable, and all that mattered was someone won the gold and not who did. Something that ticked off Balor who mocked Mysterio over past Mania losses.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
Women’s Intercontinental Champion LYRA VALKYRIA defeated BAYLEY to retain.
The match started with grapple and mat work, leading to Valkyria controlling the arm until some rope work led to Bayley stopping herself at the cables and sneaking in a Roll-up after Valkyria kipped up for a two count. More technical goodness followed with counter work, and it saw Valkyria roll through to avoid a La Magistral Cradle before Bayley countered one by the Champ with a pinhold for a near fall. Bayley blocked a boot to the cut and hit a High Knee that rocked Valkyria, but Bayley slipped a bit and couldn’t keep the grip for a Sunset Flip Bomb into the corner so Valkyria countered into a pin of her own for a near fall.
Valkyria got the better of a strike exchange and hit a trio of kicks, finished with a Legsweep that set up a Basement Dropkick. A Northern Lights Suplex got a two count. Valkyria locked on a Pendulum submission hold but broke it to go for a clutch pin for a near fall. Valkyria went for a Spin Kick but only got the ropes when Bayley ducked, only for Valkyria to dodge a charge as she sent Bayley to the outside to nail the Dropkick through the ropes. Back inside, Valkyria hit a Top Rope Crossbody for a near fall.
Valkyria roughed up Bayley on the outside and whipped the challenger into the barricade before she sent her back into the ring. When Valkyria went up top again, this time Bayley swept the leg for the back of the head into the pads spot. Bayley pounced with an Elbow Drop to Valkyria’s back from the middle rope for a near fall. Moments later, Bayley hit a sort of Crossbody to a kneeling Valkyria’s back for another two count. Bayley locked on a Half Crab but Valkyria kicked her way free before there was another strike exchange but that led to Bayley hitting the Stunner through the ropes.
Bayley busted out the Baseball Slide at the ring post spot, but her attempt at a Suicide Dive next just hit the ringside floor when Valkyria slid back inside. When Valkyria went for the Dropkick through the ropes again, Bayley caught her and then hit a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex on the outside. Both women barely beat the 10-count to get back in. Valkyria escaped off the shoulders and shoved her challenger to the ropes, hitting a Jumping Enzigiri on the rebound before she hit the Sit-out Doctor Bomb for a near fall (the announcers wrongly called it a Nightwing and claimed she ‘didn’t get all of it’ to cover the kick out).
After escaping Nightwing attempts, a Running Knee got Bayley a near fall. Later, Bayley hit the Sunset Flip Bomb into a corner but Valkyria held onto a leg to stop Bayley from going up top. That led to Valkyria hitting a Tornado DDT, rolled through into a Release Fisherwoman’s Suplex but the break between the move and cover allowed Bayley to kick out. Bayley countered a Missile Dropkick into a Boston Crab and dragged Valkyria to the middle of the ring. However, Bayley broke the hold and tried to hit a Rose Plant but Valkyria countered into a Jackknife Pin and got the upset win clean from it.
After the match, Bayley looked frustrated and brushed off a handshake, just to get back in and hug Valkyria before she raised the Champion’s arm.
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties, including a backstage segment where IVY NILE and American Made interrupted a comedian’s guest appearance before MAXXINE DUPRI and Alpha Academy showed up.
JACKIE REDMOND interviewed AJ Styles before Karrion Kross with SCARLETT interrupted.
Ivy Nile accompanied The Creed Brothers as they teamed with ‘El Grande Americano’ to face The LWO.
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were interviewed about the Tag Title Contendership Match on Smackdown. Rodriguez said whoever won would be embarrassed at Mania. Morgan mocked all the teams as being great but not as great as them.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A fine match between Bayley and Valkyria, with the only surprise being the clean finish since last week indicated that Morgan and Rodriguez would interfere to get the match thrown out. All signs still point to Bayley and Valkyria winning the Gauntlet Match this week which is shame to reduce the Women’s IC title to not even being defended at Mania. The title still needs a big PLE moment and title defense, which it has never had since being introduced, and Mania would have been perfect for it. At least a Women’s Tag Title Match at Mania is far better than no match at all, but it could have been handled far better. With so many multi-Superstar matches on the card, would it have hurt to add a Tag Team Turmoil or similar to Mania to get all the teams on the show? Elsewhere, the long, drawn-out story around the Women’s World Title finally reaches the worse kept secret with Triple Threat now official. Let’s now see the women deliver on the grand stage to make up for the mess that’s been going on these past few weeks.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days’ time for the final stop before WrestleMania with the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!