Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
WrestleMania is now in the history books and it saw new Champions crowned. Liv Morgan became the new Women’s World Champion, beating Stephanie Vaquer after help from The Judgement Day. A shocking return saw former Divas Champion (and AEW Womens’ Champion) Paige return, teaming with Brie Bella to become the new Women’s Tag Team Champions. Becky Lynch used an exposed turnbuckle shot to steal the Women’s IC title from AJ Lee. Finally, Rhea Ripley defeated Jade Cargill after Iyo Sky helped even the odds against Cargill’s ‘baddies’. So what’s next for the Women’s Division? The always highly anticipated Raw After Mania usually brings the hope of surprises, returns and debuts so will it be the same this year? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured The Judgement Day with Women’s World Champion LIV MORGAN, ROXANNE PEREZ and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ. Also new WWE Women’s Champion RHEA RIPLEY with IYO SKY, as it was advertised the two would face The Kabuki Warriors on the show.
ASUKA and KAIRI SANE had a video with translations, with Asuka blasting Iyo Sky for choosing Ripley again over her ‘family. Mocking the fact that Ripley was a Champion now and Sky had nothing to show for it.
Tag Team Match
IYO SKY & WWE Women’s Champion RHEA RIPLEY defeated The Kabuki Warriors (ASUKA & KAIRI SANE)
Sky and Sane started things off, with a long lock-up that rolled across the mat before Sky backed Sane to the ropes, getting shoved away from the break. After an exchange of Wristlocks, Sane used a hair pull to steal the advantage with a Mat Slam. Sky countered a toss by the hair by flipping to her feet, and after a series of counters between the two Sane used misdirection to first stomp on Sky’s foot then hit her vault-back Headscissors counter. Sane hit a Basement Dropkick but going for a tag got caught with a Roll-up for a near fall.
Sane went for the Waterwheel Slam, but Sky countered and hit the Double Underhook Backbreaker. Ripley got the tag and used Sky as a weapon, slamming her into Sane for a Splash off a Wheelbarrow position for a two count. Sane slapped Ripley, and promptly got planted with Kingdom Falls that set up the Sliding Kick. Sane finally tagged in Asuka as the two traded strikes, ducking one another’s final blow in their combos and Asuka seemed to win with a Sliding Kick, only to be caught by Ripley’s counter Kick off the mat, giving Ripley a near fall.
Asuka prevented a tag by kicking away Sky’s arm, and right after distracted the ref to allow Sane to try and cheap shot Ripley, but Sane ended up knocked down from the apron. It was a delay enough that left Ripley open to take a Head Kick from Asuka. Sane got a tag and hit the standing style InSane Elbow to Ripley on the floor! The match continued during a ‘commercial break’ as Ripley got her head slammed into an announce desk and took a chop before she kicked out at one inside the ring. Asuka got a tag, doing the Double Team of putting her foot through the ropes so Sane could drive Ripley’s head into the boot before Asuka toyed with Ripley, repeatedly pie-facing her before hitting a round of Kawada Kicks.
Sane got a tag, applying the Figure Four Headscissors over the ropes and tagging Asuka back in who applied a rest hold of an arm lock. Ripley was shoved onto the ropes, and a referee distraction allowed Sane to hit a cheap shot Axe Kick to Ripley. Back to ‘live action’, Sane was legal as the Warriors hit their strike combo Double Team to give Sane a near fall. They went for the Double Team finish but Ripley shoved Asuka away, and ducked the Flying Forearm attempt from Sane before catching her with a Running Mid Kick. Tags on both sides led to Sky hitting a Back Elbow then two Shotei strikes on Asuka, before blocking Sane’s attempt to get involved, swinging Sane’s foot into Asuka. Sky did her flips and caught both opponents with a Double Dropkick before kipping up and DOING THE THING.
Sky hit the Bullet Train Attack to Asuka in one corner, Sane in the opposite one and Asuka again before nailing a Buzzsaw Kick to Asuka for a near fall. Ripley was tagged, hitting Razor’s Edge on Asuka before Sky hit a Missile Dropkick to give Ripley technically a near fall, as Sane was late on breaking up the pin. Asuka would escape a Riptide attempt, and Sane got a blind tag that allowed her to land a Headhunter after Asuka landed a Codebreaker. A Double Team of a Northern Sliding D by Sane and a PK by Asuka had the pin broken up by Sky.
Asuka hit a Buzzsaw Kick to Sky, but was caught by the Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp. Sane clubbed away and whipped Sky, but she hit a Suicide Dive onto Asuka and for the second week in row nearly hurt herself with the wild landing on the floor. Sane took a Headbutt, got planted with Riptide and Sky after being tagged in hit Over the Moonsault to pin Sane and win it. Asuka would rant at Sane as she was still KO’d after the match, grabbing Sane’s face while Ripley and Sky celebrated in the ring.
As The Judgement Day were walking backstage, once again MAXXINE DUPRI was seen talking to The Vision’s Austin Theory in the far background.
The new Women’s Tag Team Champions BRIE BELLA and the returning PAIGE along with NIKKI BELLA were ringside to flaunt their titles briefly.
The Judgement Day, headed by Liv Morgan, went to the ring for a promo. Morgan bragged about being the greatest champ of all time before sucking up to the rest of The Judgement Day for their help. She mockingly thanked Stephanie Vaquer for reminding her that she was the best in the ring.
Eventually, NXT’s SOL RUCA interrupted things and went to ring, even against the numbers. Ruca claimed Morgan was an inspiration, saying ‘Congrats, dude’. Morgan of course objected, saying Ruca had some nerve to interrupt before telling her she was no Liv Morgan, and ordered her to get out of her ring. Ruca said she wouldn’t back down from a fight but before things could get going, GM Adam Pearce (far from the first time) stole the heat by coming out. Sending a referee down to the ring to make a match between Ruca and Morgan right now.
Non-Title Singles Match
Women’s World Champion LIV MORGAN w/h RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ & ROXANNE PEREZ defeated SOL RUCA
Ruca ducked a Clothesline and kipped up, getting a leg trip, flipping over and hitting a Basement Dropkick. Morgan went for her strike hat trick, but Ruca ducked the Enzigiri and it led to an exchange of Samson Clutches for one counts. Ruca countered a Headscissors Takedown with a cartwheel flip, hitting a Dropkick and kipping up again. Ruca got a corner Back Elbow then a Snapmare, but going for a Standing Moonsault Morgan brought up the knees. Moments later, Ruca tried to springboard in but Morgan launched herself at the ropes to make Ruca tumble back in.
Morgan hit stomps and clubbing blows, then hit her corner Back Elbow, rollout and High Knee combo. Followed up with a Basement Dropkick for a near fall. Ruca managed to block ObLIVion with a counter Back Elbow then a boot, before things slowed down a bit with a Morgan boot to the gut then a grounded Front Choke for a rest hold. Soon after, Ruca used misdirection and hit a high angle X-Factor but Morgan rolled to the floor. Leaving herself in position for a Moonsault off the corner by Ruca to take out Morgan as the show went to ‘commerical break’.
Back in the ring, Morgan avoided a Springboard flying nothing from Ruca who then got distracted by Rodriguez, leaving her open to take a Backstabber from Morgan for a near fall. Morgan applied a choke on the ropes then a Dropkick to the back with Morgan on the cables for a two count. Ruca took stomps in a corner, blocked the last boot and fired off some strikes and chops but got shut down before Morgan applied the Trish Stratus corner Sleeper choke. Morgan hit a Leaping Facebuster for a near fall then locked in a Chinlock resthold.
Back to ‘live action’, Morgan went for Three Amigos but Ruca countered the last one into a Suplex of her own. The women traded shots and Ruca got the better of it, hitting a series of open-hand Chops, ducking a blow from Morgan and hitting a European Uppercut, followed by a Running Back Elbow. A second hit, then a shove to a corner to hit a Snap German Suplex that set up a Missile Dropkick from the middle rope before Ruca kipped up. A Running Knee Strike got Ruca a near fall.
A flying nothing by Ruca was countered into a Codebreaker to give Morgan a near fall. A great sequence followed as Ruca countered ObLIVion by flipping to her feet, nailing a Superkick and planting Morgan with the Sol Snatcher, but Morgan rolled out of the ring to avoid being pinned. Ruca hit a Sasuke Special that wiped out Perez and Rodriguez on the floor. However, after she sent Morgan back into the ring and the referee was busy checking on her, Ruca’s rival in NXT ZARIA appeared ringside and drove Ruca into the ring post. Then planting Ruca with a Spinebuster on the floor and gloating as she backed up the aisle.
Perhaps a reference to the Last Woman Standing Match coming on NXT this week, Ruca managed to beat the ten count, getting back in at nine but stood up right into ObLIVion as Morgan got the tainted win.
As Morgan and her girls celebrated in the aisle, STEPHANIE VAQUER made her entrance for a stare-down with her rival as Morgan held up her tits, showing the issues between the two were far from over.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
Backstage Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley had another ‘break up’ with Ripley telling Sky to handle her business on Raw while she becomes the champion Smackdown needs. As Ripley walked away, Liv Morgan was sitting on an equipment case, mocking saying that she’ll see her former rival around, to which Ripley said she was looking forward to it.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Not exactly the massively filled with suprises and debuts edition of Raw that I’d hoped for. Part of that no doubt had to come from Paige’s return happening at ‘Mania itself rather than on Raw, covering for Nikki Bella’s injury (since the Twins were scheduled to win the tag titles). Regardless, Sol Ruca showed she’s more than main roster ready with a great match against Morgan but we’ll see if she sticks around following NXT this week. I don’t hate running back Morgan and Vaquer, hopefully with a match that gets some more time than we saw at ‘Mania, and it will fit in fine for the short time between now and the Backlash PLE. Lynch was advertised as appearing next week so we’ll see her next feud, and hopefully the next future Women’s IC Champion, then as well. Lastly, seeing Rhiyo breaking up ‘again’ would mean a lot more if there wasn’t the chance that they’ll just team up again next month or something like what’s already happened. That might change if we finally get the Asuka versus Sky match at long last, but that’s another wait and see.
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!
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