Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! WrestleMania continues to creep ever closer and this week a Contract Signing for the Women’s World Championship Match between Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair. What will go down and will Rhea Ripley interject herself into proceedings? And who will emerge on top between Dakota Kai and Ivy Nile as the Women’s Intercontinental Championship division looks still uncertain heading into ‘Mania? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured BIANCA BELAIR and Damage CTRL of Women’s World Champion IYO SKY and DAKOTA KAI.
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
In different backstage segments, Iyo Sky hyped up Dakota Kai before Kai headed off for her match, while IVY NILE got rallied by The Creed Brothers before the LWO interrupted.
Backstage in The Judgement Day’s clubhouse LIV MORGAN was lamenting to RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ about how she wished Dominik Mysterio had given himself the men’s IC title match instead of Finn Balor, but changed her tune when Balor arrived.
Singles Match
DAKOTA KAI defeated IVY NILE w/h The Creed Brothers
Before the bell, Nile’s boss in Chad Gable ran out to be with the rest of American Made at ringside and Nile looked visibly confused by this. Distracted enough that Kai took advantage and leveled Nile with strikes. Kai went for the Flying Mare but got shoved off and soon took a Clothesline. Moments later a Release German Suplex got Nile a near fall. Kai countered a Suplex attempt into a Small Package to get a two count, and then hit a strike combo of a Rolling Elbow, a Clothesline and a Dropkick.
Kai hit the Facewash boot, and while Nile pulled her head away when Kai set things up for the Rope-aided Stomp Nile still took a Lucha Kick that sent her off the apron. Kai went for a dive but Gable got on the apron to distract, and it allowed Nile to slide back in and hit the Spin-out Uranagi for a near fall (even if the announcers acted like they’d never seen the move before and wrongly called it a DDT).
Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee of the LWO ran out and attacked The Creed Brothers before they chased Gable out through the crowd. That all distracted Nile who took Kai’s Running Boot in a corner. The GTK (which more hit Nile’s arm) followed to give Kai the victory.
Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair had an in-ring contract signing hosted by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce. Sky vowed she wouldn’t be disrespected, and Beliar claimed she gave Sky a free pass last week for the slap but Sky would find out exactly who she was. The contract was signed and seemingly things would end without a fight.
Of course, RHEA RIPLEY interrupted after all of that and took verbal shots at Belair and Sky. When Ripley and Belair mouthed off, Belair pie-faced Sky just like last week and that allowed Ripley to hit a Headbutt to Belair that left her laid out on the signing table. Ripley then delivered a Powerbomb to Sky that drove her into Belair but the table didn’t break. Ripley then picked up the WrestleMania match contract and signed it as well, before she stormed off with it much to the fury of Pearce who chased after her.
Backstage, Pearce demanded the return of the contract as Ripley yelled about wanting to be put into the World title match. That would lead to a brief brawl with Sky and Belair which she again got the better off to leave both rivals laid out.
SCARLETT would be seen with Karrion Kross as he played more mind games with AJ Styles.
It was announced that Lyra Valkyria would defend the Women’s IC title against Raquel Rodriguez next week. A WWE-dot-com video after Raw would show Valkyria confronting Bayley and vowing that Bayley would get a title match after she’d dealt with Rodriguez in Valkyria’s quest to avenge the loss from weeks ago.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
It was the expected interruption and stolen contract signing that the WWE has done before. That and the brawl will no doubt lead to the official Triple Threat Match announcement soon enough. Elsewhere, Nile’s push seems to be over with yet another loss to Kai but it was a short match that did neither any favours with the men’s storyline hijacking things. That combined with the Women’s IC Champ not being seen on TV and the Tag Champions only in a backstage skit isn’t a good sign for the rest of the Women’s Division outside of the World title picture. It’s a big old mess and it needs to get sorted quick with time running out ahead of WrestleMania.
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!