Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
We’re still on the road to Night of Champions and the Queen of the Ring Tournament is well underway. Roxanne Perez and Smackdown’s Alexa Bliss have advanced so far, with another first-round match to take place this week on Raw. Who will advance and get a step closer to a SummerSlam title match? And what’s next for Becky Lynch after the surprise return by Bayley? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured BAYLEY and STEPHANIE VAQUER.
LIV MORGAN and Dominik Mysterio went to the ring to kick off Raw with a promo. Morgan complained about not being respected and gloated about attacking Nikki Bella last week. Name dropping Iyo Sky for claiming that Bella paved the way for the women and claiming that Morgan that made herself, and demanding respect and a World title rematch.
IYO SKY eventually interrupted and got into the ring, telling Morgan to shut up and all she does is show disrespect and dared her to fight right now. Morgan rambled about having beaten Sky more than anyone else, but Sky told her to earn it and claimed Morgan wouldn’t steal the title like she stole Mysterio. When Morgan demanded the title just be handed to her, Sky easily tricked Morgan, tossing her the title and then hitting a Dropkick, followed by a Buzzsaw Kick. Then one for Mysterio for good measure when he checked on Morgan to send the heels packing.
Fatal Four Way Match – Queen of the Ring Tournament First Round Match
ASUKA defeated IVY NILE, Women’s Tag Team Champion RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ and STEPHANIE VAQUER
Before the match, backstage Morgan ordered Rodriguez to win. Asuka had her original Empress of Tomorrow theme music back and new variations of her Oni mask and warpaint. Nile and Vaquer went at it and Rodriguez went after Asuka to start. Asuka would be whipped and took Nile down with a Shoulder Knockdown, before she and Vaquer chopped Rodriguez down and hit duelling low Superkicks. Asuka and Vaquer briefly exchanged mat work before the heels got involved. Nile tried to sneak a Roll-up on Rodriguez but she easily blocked, and moments later tossed Asuka with a Powerbomb onto the other women.
Vaquer would get a near fall on Nile from a tilt-a-whirl into a pinhold, then hit a Snap Suplex. Vaquer hit Eat Defeat on Rodriguez then a Superkick to Asuka, before she hit a corner Meteora to Rodriguez and a rope-aided Dragon Screw to Asuka. Nile was hit with a Back Suplex and Vaquer only hit three blows of Devil’s Kiss before Rodriguez broke it up. Only for Vaquer to take Rodriguez down and try for Devil’s Kiss but Rodriguez powered up to hoist Vaquer Electric Chair style. It led to Vaquer taking Rodriguez over the ropes with a Headscissors but held the grip, hitting Devil’s Kiss the full ten times on the apron.
Vaquer hit a Springboard Crossbody to Rodriguez but Asuka pounced and tried for the Asuka Lock but Rodriguez backed her into a corner. Nile hit her Running Corner Kick then went after Asuka who ended up hitting a Hip Attack on the ropes that knocked Rodriguez from the apron to the floor. Nile got a near fall from a Small Package then another from a Bridging German Suplex. A variation of the Tower of Doom spot led to Rodriguez carrying out both Nile and Vaquer up on her shoulders, and Asuka hit a Missile Dropkick for a form of Doomsday Device that left all the women down!
Asuka peppered Vaquer and Nile with kicks then hit slaps to Rodriguez, followed by kicks then a Codebreaker. Nile took the Pop-up Knee Strike but Vaquer broke up the pin. Asuka fired up and took blows from Vaquer and a round of Headbutts before the women traded running shots at the ropes. Later, Vaquer hit a Double Underhook Facebuster variation onto her own knees but Nile pulled Vaquer off the pin. Nile hit her Spin-Out Uranagi finisher but Vaquer stomped her head to break the cover. Vaquer hit a Chinbuster then a Superkick to Nile, but got hit with a Big Boot then the Tijana Bomb.
However, RHEA RIPLEY appeared and pulled Rodriguez out of the ring to get revenge for last week. Hitting Riptide on the floor before she sent Rodriguez back in. Asuka took advantage with a Running Hip Attack that she now calls Empress Impact to get the victory and advance in the Queen of the Ring.
CATHY KELLEY interviewed Asuka after the match, who said the fire didn’t die and still burned, vowing to be Queen of the Ring and that no-one was ready for Asuka. Asuka will face Alexa Bliss this week on Smackdown in the Semi Finals of Queen of the Ring.
The issues between The Judgement Day members continued as Liv Morgan stormed off when Rodriguez said she wasn’t cleared to do anything else tonight. Balor pounced on that, buttering up Rodriguez and saying she was doing a good job before he suggested a plan for ROXANNE PEREZ about Morgan. Something that Rodriguez didn’t seem to approve of.
MAXXINE DUPRI and NATALYA were backstage for a segment with Akira Tozawa and Sheamus.
Bayley went to the ring for a promo. Putting over herself and how she doesn’t take things for granted before she said she was robbed of a WrestleMania match by Becky Lynch. Taking a shot at Lynch saying she doesn’t work only for WrestleMania moments but for every night in the WWE. Bayley said being taken out only made her better and stronger, and vowed to take down Lynch and take everything she had.
She called out BECKY LYNCH who appeared clad in a rival sports team gear to get cheap heat. Lynch claimed Bayley merely accepted being second best and she didn’t, and Lynch ranted that she stopped fighting for the people. They lost the fans a bit going back and forth about crowd reactions before Bayley got them back saying Lynch had her head stuck up her ass. Eventually Lynch granted Bayley a match but for next week, and slapped Bayley but she took the blow and decked Lynch to send her out of the ring.
Backstage, guest GM Nick Aldis confirmed the Lynch versus Bayley match for next week but made it for the Women’s IC title. LYRA VALKYRIA confronted Bayley with a passive-aggressive tone, and bluntly said she’d do what’s best for her if Bayley won the title.
Singles Match
KAIRI SANE defeated Women’s Tag Team Champion LIV MORGAN by referee stoppage
Sane avoided a kick, and took Morgan down but instantly Morgan clutched her shoulder which appeared to dislocate from the basic spot and rolled out of the ring. The match came to an instant halt as a ringside doctor checked over her. The referee would rule that Morgan couldn’t compete and awarded the match to Sane with clips being shown of the spot and then Morgan being escorted to the back.
Next week on Raw will see a Semi Final Match of the Queen of the Ring between Roxanne Perez and Jade Cargill.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Whatever plans the WWE had between Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan might be out the window if Morgan’s injury is serious. It’s never a good time to get injured especially after Morgan just took time off to film a movie. We’ll wait and see what’s next for her, the tag titles and Sky’s next opponent. The Fatal Four-Way was a fine match. Asuka winning on her return was a surprise, if not just for how much Vaquer has been pushed since her debut but we’ll see who advances to the Finals of the tournament over the next week. Ripley got payback for last week but now that Morgan is injured, will plans for her be changed if she isn’t in a fued with Morgan all over again?
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!