Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
WrestleMania is in the history books and it saw Iyo Sky retain the Women’s World Championship as she pinned Bianca Belair in the Triple Threat Match that also involved Rhea Ripley. Meanwhile, Becky Lynch made her surprise return to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships with Lyra Valkyria from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Now it’s time for the always highly anticipated Raw After Mania. Will we see new contenders step up? Surprises and debuts? New twists and turns? Let’s get into it, and find out…
The show’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured new Women’s Tag Team Champions BECKY LYNCH and Women’s IC Champion LYRA VALKYRIA, The Judgement Day with LIV MORGAN and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ. It was advertised that the new tag champs would defend the titles in a straight WrestleMania rematch against Morgan and Rodriguez.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
The Judgement Day (LIV MORGAN & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ) defeated Women’s Tag Team Champions BECKY LYNCH & Women’s Intercontinental LYRA VALKYRIA to become the NEW tag team champions.
Morgan and Rodriguez cut a nothing promo in the ring before the match with Rodriguez speaking in Spanish. NXT’s GIGI DOLIN and TATUM PAXLEY, who have a title shot on NXT this week, watched from the front row. Morgan jumped started the match to cheap shot Lynch, stomping away at her in a corner before she hit the Back Elbow, roll out and Corner High Knee combo. A Basement Dropkick got Morgan a near fall. Lynch would get the edge from a strike exchange with her trio of blows finished with a Bang Kick. Valkyria would get a blind tag and soon after her and Lynch hit a Double-team Hip Toss.
Valkyria hit a Running Cross Body then moments later stomps in the corner, followed by a round of strikes finished with an Enzigiri. Rodriguez tried to interfere but Valkyria used her to springboard off the ropes to hit a Crossbody on Morgan, before a Spinning Wheel Kick took out Rodriguez. Valkyria hit her Dropkick through the ropes to Morgan as Lynch hit a Baseball Slide to Rodriguez at the same time. Valkyria got a near fall in the ring but soon after hit the ropes when she charged but Morgan dodged.
Rodriguez was tagged and she roughed up Valkyria with stomps, a Choke Toss into the heels corner then more stomps. Morgan was tagged and sat on the top rope so Rodriguez could slam Valkyria’s face into her knees, before Morgan jumped off for the Facebuster to get a near fall. Rodriguez got a tag as Morgan whipped Valkyria in to take a Big Boot, but it only got a two count. Valkyria managed to escape a Chinlock with a Stunner, only to get decked by a Clothesline from Rodriguez. Valkyria was trapped in an over-the-shoulder Backbreaker for a long while, before Valkyria flipped free and got a break with a Jumping Enzigiri.
There were tags on both sides and Lynch went House on Fire with Clotheslines, a Jumping Heel Kick and a corner Forearm shot. Lynch dodged a charge frim Rodriguez who squashed Morgan in the corner, before Lynch hit her Spingboard Kick first to Rodriguez then to Morgan. The Bex-Ploder got a near fall on Morgan. Morgan managed to counter a Man-Handle Slam attempt as the two exchanged pin attempts before a kick-out sent Lynch into Rodriguez on the apron to knock her down with a Forearm. Morgan hit a Codebreaker but Lynch captured her to block the ObLIVion attempt, turning it into a Man-Handle Slam but Rodriguez broke up the pin.
Rodriguez wisely dragged Morgan to the heels corner to tag herself in, but got caught by a Chinbuster from Lynch. Rodriguez would hit a counter boot, but Lynch blocked her going for the Vader Bomb Elbow and it resulted in Rodriguez being set up on top. Valkyria tagged in and the champs went for a Double-team Superplex but Morgan rushed in and hit a version of a Sunset Flip Bomb to Lynch. Valkyria tried for a Frankenscreamer but Rodriguez’s strength blocked it, hitting a Super Powerbomb instead but it only for a near fall!
Valkyria countered a Choke Toss with a Dropkick, but couldn’t lift up Rodriguez for Nightwing so instead hit leap version off the ropes of a Tornado DDT. Valkyria hit Nightwing but too close to the ropes, so it allowed Morgan to but Rodriguez’s foot on the ropes. Lynch tackled Morgan on the outside with a Thesz Press, but ended up being sent into the ring post. Valkyria hit the Dropkick through the ropes to Morgan but soon after took a Big Boot from Rodriguez for a two count. Rodriguez tagged out and went to toss Morgan onto Valkyria with the Powerbomb spot, but Valkyria brought the knees up to counter.
Rodriguez was tossed out, and Valkyria held the ropes to block ObLIVion before she hit an Enzigiri to Morgan. Valkyria tried for Nightwing but Rodriguez yanked her down and it led to Rodriguez being knocked off the apron to crash into Lynch on the floor. Morgan pounced on the distraction and spiked Valkyria with ObLIVion to win the match and become the NEW Women’s Tag Team Champions for the forth time together in a fantastic match.
Post-match, Lynch faked a hug before she decked Valkyria with a Clothesline. Bad mouthing Valkyria before she hammered away with strikes and dropped Valkyria with two straight Man-Handle Slams, followed by a thrid and despite the heel actions, the rebel Mania-season crown still cheered for Lynch.
IVY NILE accompanied American Made as Chad Gable ranted about El Grande Americano.
MAXXINE DUPRI led out Alpha Academy as she cut a promo, daring The New Day to put their tag titles on the line and calling New Day scared. The match between the two never got started when the returning Rusev interrupted and attacked Alpha Academy.
The Judgement Day with Morgan and Rodriguez celebrated in the clubhouse until Finn Balor showed up in a sour mood but claimed he was OK with Mysterio having beaten him at Mania.
Women’s World Champion IYO SKY went to the ring, dressed to compete. The WWE showed a replay of the closing moments of the Women’s Triple Threat from Mania. Sky rightly bragged about her win, saying she was the best now because she beat the best. NXT Women’s Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER interrupted and showed respect to Sky but said she wanted to fight the best, and accepted the challenge. General Manager Adam Pearce came out and stole the heat, only confirming what the women had just said to make the match official.
Non-Title Match
WWE Women’s World Champion IYO SKY Vs NXT Women’s Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER ended in a no-contest.
The women traded technical holds with wristlocks and mat work and counters. Vaquer went for a Headscissors but Sky flipped out to her feet. Later, Sky got her flips in, then a Dropkick to send Vaquer out to hit the Suicide Dive. Sky tried to send Vaquer back in but got hit with a counter kick, and soon after Vaquer hit a Crossbody off the timekeeper’s barricade. Back in the ring, Vaquer roughed up Sky with shots into the turnbuckle then Facewash boots. Moments later, Vaquer countered a Sunset Flip with boot scrapes to the top of the head, followed by a Legdrop for a near fall.
After a couple rest holds, Vaquer hit some strikes before both women collided with Crossbodies at the same time. Vaquer hit a Suplex but was caught going up top. It led to a Super Arm Drag by Sky. Sky hit Shoteis then a Dropkick, followed by a Missile Dropkick with flips. The Bullet Train Attack hit for a near fall. Sky went for the Moonsault but had to land on her feet and moments later, Vaquer caught her on the ropes for a Dragon Screw. Vaquer hit a corner Meteora for a two count.
Sky fliped out of Vaquer’s SVD finisher attempt, and soon after hit her Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp spot. Vaquer hit a Chinbuster, a Superkick then a Back Suplex before, much to the crowd’s delight, she hit The Devil’s Kiss for a full ten times. Vaquer got a near fall from a counter pin off a Headscissors fakeout. Sky hit the Double Underhook Backbreaker for a two count. The two traded blows on the ropes, and then exchanged German Suplexes. Sky caught Vaquer up top and nailed a Spanish Fly!
Another NXT Superstar in ROXANNE PEREZ rushed in and decked Sky to get the match tossed out before Vaquer’s former friend GIULIA nailed Vaquer with a Big Boot. Perez and Giulia hammered into the Champs before RHEA RIPLEY (sporting a mean black eye) rushed to the ring and took out Perez with a Headbutt. Ripley and Giulia had a staredown but Giulia backed away. Ripley picked up the Women’s World title but handed it back to Sky who just glared in response.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
SCARLETT and Karrion Kross confronted AJ Styles backstage.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I would be a lot more excited for the NXT stars appearing if I had any faith that any were a proper call-up. We’ve seen Perez bounced between WWE and NXT rosters without any clear sign of where her home will be. Her being there along with Giulia more seemed like an attempt to promote NXT in Vegas to finish off Mania ‘week’ than anything else. Matters weren’t helped by the fact that Vaquer and Sky didn’t fully click in their bout. What should have been a dream match instead became a dissapointment with misstiming and clunky spots. It was a big missed chance.
Elsewhere, in shades of the feud between Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch, Valkyria got turned on by Lynch after the tag title loss one night after Lynch got a Mania Moment yet again with the title win. There’s been rumours about ‘creative’ being the reason why Lynch didn’t return sooner but is it just going to be Lynch now with the IC title when she’s a main event player? The IC title should be a chance for mid card and future top tier stars to shine, not just a belt to keep people away from the top gold. We’ll need to wait and see what unfolds with this story. The match itself was great though but we’ll see what’s next with the Tag titles.
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!