Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! The Royal Rumble event is fast approaching and the all-important Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Will we get some more new entrants declaring for the match this week? And what’s next for the new Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria? Let’s get into it, and find out…
Even before Raw went on the air, it was announced through social media that Bayley has been officially traded to the Raw brand from Smackdown.
As RHEA RIPLEY was in middle of an ‘arrived earlier today’ video, Smackdown’s NIA JAX ambushed her. Slamming Ripley into a chainlink fence a round of times before she hit a Hip Attack before agents forced Jax away.
CATHY KELLEY interviewed BAYLEY who confirmed that she was back on Raw, and also declared for the Women’s Royal Rumble. However, Nia Jax interrupted (but the audio cut out for most of what she said) and claimed she’d win the Rumble. Bayley dared Jax to try the same attack on her that she did on Ripley, but Jax backed off.
IVY NILE was with American Made as Chad Gable got interviewed, before Nile vowed that the Women’s Intercontinental Championship had her name all over it.
For the second week in a row, NATALYA and MAXXINE DUPRI were seen talking backstage.
JACKIE REDMOND interviewed SCARLETT and Karrion Kross, as Kross singled out Sami Zayn.
Singles Match
NIA JAX defeated BAYLEY
NXT Superstar ROXANNE PEREZ, who got into a brawl with Bayley on NXT last week, was front row for the match, and her and Bayley mouthed off at each other as Bayley made her entrance. Bayley avoided a corner charge and hit some shot and a Back Elbow. Bayley went for mounted punches in the corner but Jax countered with the Powerbomb grip, and Bayley tried to snap off a Headscissors counter only to be held in place by Jax’s power. Bayley could manage to block a Samoan Drop attempt, kicking off the ropes to hit a Tornado DDT for barely a two count.
Jax hit a Pop-Up Headbutt for only a count of one. Jax choked Bayley on the ropes, hit a Headbutt, and choked Bayley with her boot in a corner. Jax would miss an Elbow Drop and soon after, Bayley hit a short Back Suplex to get a near fall. Jax hit the ST-No corner counter, but when she went for The Annihilator Bayley pushed her over the ropes to the apron before she kicked her down. Bayley hit a Suicide Dive through the middle and bottom ropes to take out Jax.
Bayley mouthed off at Perez at ringside, and blocked a cheap shot attempt from Perez just to deck her with a shot, and a single security guard hauled Perez from climbing over the barricade (Perez appeared to accidentally knock over a fan as she kicked her legs to struggle free) and got carried out of the arena. Jax took advantage to deck Bayley off the distraction, setting things up back in the ring to hit rapid corner elbows and then a corner Hip Attack to a seated Bayley. Bayley was roughed up a bit, with Bayley’s arm being targetted and a Bodyslam got Jax a near fall.
Jaw would hit a Rocker Dropper to the arm to get a near fall. Jaw went for a Legdrop, and while Bayley rolled away Jax’s leg was so extended that it ended up almost Dropkicking Bayley regardless. Bayley hit the Spinning Back Elbow to Jax’s back, then the Seated Clothesline followed by a jumping Elbow Drop for a near fall. Moments later, Jax avoided the Stunner through the ropes spot and yanked Bayley’s arm into the cables but she’d miss a Legdrop onto the apron to try and further hurt the bad arm. Bayley would hit a Sunset Flip along the apron to send Nia back-first into the ringpost!
Bayley hit a version of Nia’s Annihilator onto her for a near fall, followed by an Elbow Drop from the middle rope for another two count. Nia countered a Rose Plant attempt and hit a Shoulderbreaker for a near fall. Jax would hit a corner Splash and moments later drove Bayley shoulder-first into the ring post which set up a Hip Attack against the post. Bayley countered another Annihilator attempt when she swept the leg to bring Jax down to set up a Running Knee for a two count.
Bayley would counter a Super Samoan Drop with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a near fall, and the Top Rope Elbow Drop from Bayley got another two count. Bayley tried for a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex but her bad arm gave out and moments later Jax hit a Pop-up Samoan Drop to set up a Senton. The Annihilator followed to give Jax the win.
After the match Rhea Ripley stormed out and charged the ring to brawl with Jax. Security charged down to separate things but the two broke free. Jax would get the edge to slam Ripley into the announce table, but Ripley hit a Con Hilo off the table and then grabbed a mic, challenging Jax to face her at the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event special.
LIV MORGAN and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ along with The Judgement Day were in their clubhouse as Morgan joked about how the absent Finn Balor hadn’t brought the group any victories as of late. Dominik Mysterio told Morgan that he had ‘a plan’ for Morgan to get back her title but didn’t state what it was.
Despite being advertised as appearing, the new Women’s IC Champion LYRA VALKYRIA did not appear on the show live. Instead, she ‘appeared’ through a hype video that was a one-sided recap of her match against Dakota Kai to only show her hitting moves and winning. Valkyria claimed what was next was building a legacy as a fighting champion.
Tag Team Match
Damage CTRL (DAKOTA KAI & IYO SKY) defeated Pure Fusion Collective (SHAYNA BASZLER & ZOEY STARK) w/h SONYA DEVILLE
Baszler and Kai started off as Baszler controlled with kicks to the thigh before Kai used the corner to roll over Baszler and get a Roll-up but only for a count of one. Moments later, Kai hit a Flying Mare but Stark blind tagged in and hit a crazy Like A Sniper as Kai ran the ropes to wipe her out! After a Sleeper Hold, Baszler was tagged in as Stark whipped her in to hit a Corner Knee Strike. Holding Kai in a Backbreaker as Stark hit a Sliding Clothesline to give Baszler a near fall. Kai had her knee worked over as the match lost the crowd a bit and Stark after a tag in tried to stop a Damage CTRL tag but she took an Enzigiri before Kai tossed Baszler out and got the tag to Sky.
Sky hit Shoetis then a Dropkick to Stark, and did her flips to avoid both opponents before another Shotei decked Stark and she took out Baszler with a German Suplex. Stark countered a whip but Sky instead dived through the ropes to take out Baszler on the outside with a Suicide Dive. Sky hit a Missile Dropkick, kipped up and hit the Bullet Train Attack for a near fall. Sky went up for the Moonsault but Deville got on the apron to distract before Kai yanked her down, only to be decked by a Baszler Clothesline on the floor. That again distracted Sky who got pulled down by Stark to take a Superkick.
Stark hit a new move of a Pump-handle into an overhead throw for a near fall. Baszler was tagged in as Stark hit the Rolling DVD that set up a Sliding Knee from Baszler but Kai broke up the pin. Stark tossed Kai out but a Plancha attempt just ate the ringside floor before Kai hit a kick along the apron. Baszler hit a Knee Strike as Kai tried to get into the ring, and then locked on the Kirifuda Clutch on Sky. Sky vaulted through the ropes, and that hit a Hot Shot to Baszler as the hold was broken, which set up for Over the Moonsault as Sky got the win.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I know it’s Royal Rumble season but not having the Women’s IC Champion appearing live isn’t a good start for the new title, considering how much TV time the Women’s US belt gets on Smackdown. We’ll see if things improve after the Rumble. Bayley versus Jax was a fine match, and shows that if Jax doesn’t revert to no selling everything she can put on a solid bout, but then again you can always count on Bayley to bring out the best in opponents. Ripley versus Jax was a bout we’d seen last year at Elimination Chamber, and I’m not too mad that it’s been rushed onto the SNME special rather than the Rumble. The outcome will be obvious but at least it’s a title defence which is always good to see. Finally, it’s another week, another loss for PFC. How long is the WWE going to drag out this failed experiment?
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!