Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
We are still on the road to the Royal Rumble after a major kick-off to the New Year with new Champions crowned. Rhiyo capturing the Tag Team titles and Becky Lynch stealing the Women’s IC title. With a run of European shows and then a Saturday Night’s Main Event show to come, what’s next for the Women of Raw? Let’s get into it, and find out…
During this week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos IVY NILE along with The Creed Brothers were glaring at Los Americanos when they passed by.
New Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY and RHEA RIPLEY went to the ring to properly kick-off Raw. Ripley bragged about putting The Kabuki Warriors in their place and the title win. Sky chipped in about how they’d beat some respect into their rivals before Ripley said anyone was welcome to challenge. Immediately, LIV MORGAN and ROXANNE PEREZ came out to interrupt as Morgan faked praise for the new champs and claimed the tag titles still belonged to her as she never lost them.
BAYLEY and LYRA VALKYRIA would then come out, as Bayley allowed the crowd to do the ‘Hey Bayley’ singing chant before she mocked the fact that Perez lost the tag titles in the first place, and lost to Bayley a few weeks back. After Sky had ranted at both teams in her native tongue, their potential challengers had a shouting match but during that, ASUKA and KAIRI SANE appeared and pulled the new Champs out of the ring. That lead to a three-way brawl between the challenger teams, with the Warriors getting the better of it at the start after Asuka took out Bayley with a Head Kick and Sane decked Morgan. The Champs would get back in as Sky hit a Shotei on Perez then Ripley hit a Fallaway Slam on Sane. A Double Dropkick by Sane took out Valkyria and Asuka and the Champs posed with their titles to end the segment with the others down on the outside.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
In a backstage segment, Liv Morgan would verbally berate Finn Balor for not being focused on the ring. Getting him fired up to later on challenge CM Punk during the show.
Triple Threat Tag Team Match – Number One Contendership for the Women’s Tag Team Championship
The Judgement Day (LIV MORGAN & ROXANNE PEREZ) defeated The Kabuki Warriors (ASUKA & KAIRI SANE) & BAYLEY & LYRA VALKYRIA
They announced that the winners of this match would get their tag title shot at the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event special later in the month. Bayley, Asuka and Morgan started off so the match was under proper three-way rules with all three teams legal in the match. After stalling so the fans could further sing for Bayley, each woman ducked a shot to the other before they all got a quick one count on one another. Bayley caught Asuka with a boot then a high Knee Strike to Morgan before hitting a Running Shoulder Thrust to a corner but missed the follow-up Back Elbow when Morgan moved.
Morgan hit a corner Knee Strike to Bayley, only to be caught by an Asuka Back Elbow who then hit a two-for-one special of a Bulldog to Morgan while she hit a Clothesline to Bayley, getting a two count on Morgan. All three teams got tags, as Perez and Sane briefly teamed up to boot Valkyria then whip her off, only for Perez to slam Sane by the hair. Leading to her and Valkyria exchanging one count Roll-ups. A wheelbarrow spot by Sane sent Valkyria into a boot by Perez before Perez attempted to hit a form of PopRox out of a corner on Sane, but was shoved off into a Legsweep by Valkyria, who then hit a Dropkick to Sane.
Valkyria held Sane up for Nightwing, swinging her around so her feet decked Perez before Sane managed to messily escape the hold. Sane soon did her vault-back Headscissors spot with the addition of a headgrip to send over Perez at the same time. Sane hit the corner Walk the Plank for a near fall, broken up when Valkyria scooped her for a one count off a Roll-up. Valkyria sucked a Cutlass and hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Right after, Valkyria hit her Dropkick through the ropes spot to take out Perez but was distracted since Asuka had pulled Sane out of the way, allowing Morgan to boot Valkyria off the apron. A brawl on the floor allowed Sane to climb up and hit a form of InSane elbow onto all her opponents before she celebrated by grabbing the camera (rather forgetting she’s a Heel as she tends to do after a big spot).
Bayley, being sent in even though Valkyria was legal, avoided a Walk the Plank in the corner before Sane tagged out to Asuka, roughing up Bayley briefly before Sane was tagged to hit their strike combo for a near fall. Bayley got a two count with a Small Package. Perez returned to deck Sane and then hit her windmill strikes on Bayley to get a near fall. Morgan got a tag, stomping to Bayley and rather taking liberties with Sane with an arching mat slam when she tried to break it up. Perez was tagged in, just to be dropped by Asuka who stood on her face and held the ropes.
Bayley hit her Stunner through the ropes to Asuka but was caught with a Codebreaker coming in, and off the rebound on the ropes hit a Running Knee Strike to Asuka. Sane and Valkyria took tags with Perez still legal as Valkyria hit a Crossbody to Perez and decked Sane with a Forearm before she hit her strike flurry on Morgan when she came in. Sane took a Spinning Heel Kick before Valkyria did a cartwheel into an Enzigiri to Perez for a near fall. Valkyria, after a charge then Shoulder Thrusts in a corner, set up Sane on the ropes. Bayley came in and blocked Asuka, hitting a Back Suplex. The Tower of Doom spot came with Bayley and Valkyria hitting the Double-Team Superplex on Sane while Morgan and Perez dumped Bayley and Valkyria with the Double-Team Powerbombs.
Asuka hit Release German Suplexes to Morgan then Perez, and although Valkyria held the ropes to block one, it led to a counter when Bayley came up from behind as Asuka hit the Suplex to Bayley who, in turn, accidentally hit her partner with one off the lift-up. The Warriors hit the InSane Elbow-Reverse DDT finish on Valkyria but Sane went for the pin and the referee said she wasn’t legal so refused to make a count (it appeared though she was legal). Everyone got their spots in as Morgan hit a Backstabber on Bayley, Asuka landed the Pop-Up Knee to Morgan, Perez hit a rough Headscissors Driver to Asuka, and Sane nailed a Cutlass to Perez. Sane tried for a Crossbody off the ropes to Valkyria but was caught, held in the grip so Bayley could tag in for some old-school Double-Team action of a Backbreaker by Valkyria to hold for a Elbow Drop off the ropes by Bayley but Asuka broke up the pin.
Valkyria took out Asuka with a Dropkick, then a Plancha to Asuka on the outside. Perez hit PopRox on Bayley but Sane broke up the pin. Moments later, Morgan made a blind tag without Sane seeing it so when Sane sent Perez out of the ring, she turned around on the ropes and got nailed with ObLIVion as Morgan got the pin for The Judgement Day. Securing a Tag Team Championship shot for herself and Perez against Rhiyo at SNME.
BECKY LYNCH had a promo video of mostly nothing, doing her usual conspiracy theory act, which you can read off her social media posts. Vowing to retain her title next week in Ireland.
MAXXINE DUPRI and Alpha Academy were interviewed. Dupri encouraged her ‘Babes’ to follow her lead and step us as a tag team. Dupri called last week a setback and yelled as she vowed to break Lynch’s ankle.
RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ was interviewed on the entranceway. Rodriguez lamented about how she used to be the good girl who just smiled and waited for her turn, before she complained about being ‘robbed’ of title chances. She started ranting about wanting a title match and told everyone to feel sorry for Vaquer once she was done.
Stupidly, STEPHANIE VAQUER, still injured with her walking boot on, came out but officials and trainers stopped any fight before Rodriguez left. Only to rush back and deck Vaquer once again with a cheap shot, then slamming the bad leg into the concrete before using the World Championship as a weapon, slamming it like a whip into the leg. Rodriguez smugly walked away while Vaquer had to be carried by trainers to the back.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
We’re only weeks away from the Royal Rumble and there has been absolutely no hype about the event or the matches, let alone any confirmed entrants. That might be partly due to the events being held in Saudi Arabia but even so, it’s one of the Big Five PLE events and is being treated like nothing. The SNME special in between already is getting more attention and that’s a very bad sign for the women’s match on the show and the event in general.
The Triple Threat Tag Team Match, botch aside from the uncounted pin, was a fun match. Perez and Morgan winning was the expected outcome for a heel team to win and face the babyfaces later on, along with the history between Morgan and Ripley. It should be a fun one. Getting yet another match between Dupri and Lynch might end up being a ‘too many cooks’ moment. We’ve had this match five times at least in the past 12 months. Will really one more of the very same contest do either of them any good? Lastly, we got another attack spot between Rodriguez and Vaquer. The rumours are that Vaquer is legit injured but this doesn’t help either of them. If Vaquer can’t go, then it might be time to see if someone else can step up and be champion unless they’re going to just ignore it all and wait until the Rumble or after it.
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!