Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
Money in the Bank has come and gone and it saw Smackdown’s Naomi emerge as the upset winner of the Women’s briefcase. Meanwhile, Becky Lynch scored a cheap victory to claim the Women’s Intercontinental Championship but Lyra Valkyria attacked her post-match to show their issues are far from done. This week, as we head towards Night of Champions, we kick of the Queen of the Ring tournament that will not only crown a Queen, but a Championship contender for SummerSlam. Who will advance in the high-stakes tournament? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured new Women’s IC Champion BECKY LYNCH and WWE Hall of Famer NIKKI BELLA.
The brackets for the Queen of the Ring tournament were announced for the first round/quarter finals Fatal Four Way Matches:
Rhea Ripley Vs Kairi Sane Vs Liv Morgan Vs Roxanne Perez (this Raw’s match).
Jade Cargill Vs Michin Vs Piper Niven Vs Nia Jax
Charlotte Flair Vs Alexa Bliss Vs Chelsea Green Vs Candice LeRae
Asuka (making her return to WWE) Vs Stephanie Vaquer Vs Raquel Rodriguez Vs Ivy Nile
Backstage as LIV MORGAN got ready for her match, ROXANNE PEREZ came up to her but Morgan didn’t want to hear her ideas, vowing to win, advance and eventually beat Iyo Sky for ‘her’ World title. Perez tried buttering up Morgan to continue the Judgement Day storyline, saying they should work together. Morgan shut that down and told her to stay out of her way, and sarcastically took a handshake.
Fatal Four Way Match – Queen of the Ring First Round Match
ROXANNE PEREZ defeated KAIRI SANE, Women’s Tag Team Champion LIV MORGAN & RHEA RIPLEY
Sane went after Perez to start things off, and that meant Morgan had to try and run away from old rival Ripley but as Ripley pulled her back in, Perez jumped on her with a Back Sleeper. Morgan tried for a Back Elbow to Ripley after she backed Perez into a corner, but Ripley caught her by the waist, only to be hit with a Spinning Back Elbow off the ropes by Perez. Sane hit a Flying Forearm to Perez after jumping off of Ripley’s back but was hit by a Dropkick from Morgan. Sane would use her vault-back counter on Morgan but first grabbed Perez so she could flip over both women at the same time. That set up a Basement Dropkick with a foot each for Morgan and Perez.
Ripley countered Sane’s vault-back with an elevated kick. A Basement Dropkick got a near fall. Ripley tried for some sort of double-pump handle into a Suplex, but Sane escaped and while Ripley ducked a Cutlass, she got caught with a Running Blockbuster for a two count. Sane tried for a Wheelbarrow but got tossed off with a form of Kingdom Falls. Perez rushed in, just to be tossed over the ropes to the floor. Morgan hit a Back Elbow to Ripley in a corner, and avoided a charge from Sane who struck Ripley with a Forearm before Morgan hit the Corner Knee Strike to Sane. Ripley pounced with her Legscissors Choke at the corner to Morgan, but it was broken up by Perez who got knocked down for her troubles.
Morgan tried for a Codebreaker on Ripley but was shoved away, and when Ripley tried for Riptide Perez hit a Chop Block to again save Morgan. Perez did her spin around to go for the Side Russian Legsweep but when Ripley blocked, Morgan came in to hit a Codebreaker that bounced Ripley back for the Legsweep. Sane tried for a Crossbody on the heels but was caught and a Double-Team Military Press tossed Sane over the ropes for a Plancha onto Ripley. The heels roughed up the faces at ringside and tossed Ripley into the barricade and did the same to Sane. They worked over Ripley with chops each against the barricade before in the ring, Perez clubbed away wildly at Ripley.
Perez whipped Morgan in for the Corner Back Elbow before Morgan returned the favour so Perez hit the Corner European Uppercut to Ripley. Morgan hit a Basement Dropkick. When Sane came back, Perez cut her off and tossed her into Ripley for a Spear. Perez was tossed out and Sane hit chops on Morgan then a Running Forearm to set up the Walking the Plank Sliding D to the corner. Perez broke up the pin and would try for Pop Rox out of a corner but Ripley nailed a Running Dropkick to her. Morgan hit an Enzigiri to Ripley then a Springboard Codebreaker but Sane broke up the pin.
Sane hit a Waterwheel Slam to Perez but was cut off going up top by Morgan. The heels tried for a Double-Team Superplex but Ripley came in and Powerbombed both women at the same time. That left Ripley open to take the Flying Forearm off the top by Sane for a near fall. Ripley and Sane exchanged blows, and Sane got the edge when she avoided a head kick to slide through and trip up Ripley for an Axe Kick. Followed by a Wheelbarrow into a Stunner but the heels broke up the pin. Morgan stomped away at Ripley before Perez hit a Low Superkick. A Perez Superkick to Sane set up a Backstabber by Morgan. Ripley took out both heels with a Clothesline each, a Dropkick to Perez then a Half-and-Half Suplex to Morgan. Perez took the strikes combo then the Fallaway Slam. Sane was rocked by a Big Boot by Ripley who then hit a Headbutt to Perez.
Ripley blocked an ObLIVion attempt and hit Riptide on Morgan, but RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ pulled Ripley out of the ring from the pin attempt (taking advantage of the No DQ rules of the match). The two traded blows on the outside before Sane wiped them both out with an InSane Elbow to the floor. Sane then hit the InSane Elbow to Morgan but when she went for the pin, Perez pounced with a flip clutch pinhold and stole the victory.
Nikki Bella was greeted backstage by NATALYA and MAXXINE DUPRI, before Bella met up with IYO SKY and the two buttered each other up.
Becky Lynch went to the ring for a promo. Lynch mocked the fans for not giving her a ‘You Deserve It’ chant and complained that she should be out here celebrating and ranted that Valkyria ruined everything. Whining that her shoulder was ‘dislocated’ when her arm got raised ‘aggressively’ and demanded that her rival come out and apologise for what she did. LYRA VALKYRIA did come out but looked furious.
However, BAYLEY made her return and attacked Lynch from behind. Lynch tried to flee but backed into Valkyria to tossed her back in, and it forced Lynch to flee as she escaped from a Rose Plant. Valkyria seemed stunned by the return as if she didn’t know Bayley would be back.
In the Judgement Day clubhouse, Dominik Mysterio wasn’t overly happy that Perez won (while Finn Balor grinned like an idiot) and when Morgan and Rodriguez appeared, Morgan coldly stated that no one should be celebrating before she stormed off.
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
Asuka got a hype video ahead of her return next week.
Nikki Bella went to the ring for a promo. Bella talked about the Evolution Premium Live Event next month, and talked about how she main evented the first one years ago. Liv Morgan interrupted and stormed out, yelling that she should be talked about if they’re talking about the best in the division. Ranting about her accomplishments and said that she would have beaten Bella if she was around in her time, and claimed Bella was jealous of her. She got personal by saying she had everything Bella didn’t, including a man. Bella mocked Morgan for losing earlier, and called out the fact Dominik Mysterio was either hers or Perez’s man.
Morgan lured Bella back in, calling her a reality show Diva and hit a sneak attack of ObLIVion to Bella when she came back in.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Perez winning the First Round match (which was a really great one) continues The Judgement Day storyline but we’ll see if WWE pulls the trigger on her of if she’ll lose in the next round. Meanwhile, Bayley made her long-awaited return and is right in the hunt for the Women’s IC title. Will that push Valkyria to the sidelines for turn into a Triple Threat rivalry? Lastly, the interaction between Nikki Bella and Liv Morgan could turn into a Tag Team title match at Evolution. But will it be the Bella Twins challenging or Nikki Bella with another legend or Hall of Fame partner?
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!