Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! The Crown Jewel event continues to approach with a clash of champions between Liv Morgan and Nia Jax. What’s next for these two, and for the other title issues that surround them especially when it comes to Rhea Ripley and Morgan’s rivalry? And what’s in store for the tag team division after Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson continue to make statements against other teams? Let’s get into it, and find out…
LILIAN GARCIA returned to WWE to perform ring announcer duties, following the sudden resignation of that role by Samantha Irvin over the past 24 hours.
IVY NILE was part of an ‘arrived earlier today’ video with American Made, and they had a brief face-off with old rivals MAXXINE DUPRI and her Alpha Academy boys.
JACKIE REDMOND interviewed Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and KAIRI SANE. Sky dismissed the upcoming match against Legend and Jackson on NXT this week and vowed that they’d become tag team champions. LIV MORGAN with RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ interrupted as Morgan rudely hijacked it to rant about Nia Jax and said she’d come women’s Crown Jewel Champion. Sane then ranted at her in her native tongue before Morgan cut her off, reminding everyone that she and Rodriguez used to be tag champs. It led to Sky yelling about how they could fight tonight but Damage CTRL were far less sure when Rodriguez stared them all down.
SCARLETT accompanied The Final Testament as AOP lost to The New Day after R-Truth’s distraction. Scarlet would cheerlead as The Miz beat down Truth. Before The Wyatt Sicks appeared and NIKKI CROSS took out Scarlet with a Top Rope Lou Thesz Press before the men brawled.
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
Raquel Rodriguez had a promo video. Referencing how it was Ripley who not only took out Morgan but cost herself and Morgan the tag team titles many months ago.
Tag Team Match
Women’s World Champion LIV MORGAN & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ Vs Damage CTRL (IYO SKY & KAIRI SANE) ended in a no-contest.
Once again JAKARA JACKSON and LASH LEGEND were front row ringside for the match ahead of the match against Damage CTRL on NXT this week. Sky and Morgan started off, and Sky hit a tackle and punches to kick things off before Morgan quickly scurried to tag out. Sky hit Elbows to Rodriguez but was shoved off, and tried for a Hurricanrana but Rodriguez easily blocked with her power. Sky punched out to escape a Powerbomb and applied a Back Sleeper, just to be Snapmared off. Rodriguez went for a Suplex but Sky flipped out, and Sane got a blind tag so misdirection with Damage CTRL allowed Sky to do her sliding leg trip to set up a Sane Axe Kick. Before the Sky Pirates hit Double Dropkicks.
Sane was tossed up at the corner and awkwardly landed on the buckle connectors but managed to recover and moments later taunted Rodriguez to lure her in for Sane’s vault-back Headscissors Takeover. Sky was tagged in and Damage CTRL tried for a Double Team Suplex but Rodriguez blocked and hoisted both opponents up on her shoulders. Only for them to slip down and both tried for a Double Team Sunset Flip of sorts but Rodriguez blocked that, just to miss Double Elbows when the Sky Pirtates rolled away. Sane hit a Sliding D that sent Rodriguez into a Crucifix Pin by Sky for a two count.
Moments later Rodriguez took control when she decked Sky with a big Forearm strike and then hit her Rewind Clothesline on the now legal Sane. Morgan gloated and posed with the Crown Jewel title on the outside. After a commercial break, Rodriguez and Sane were still legal as Sane got trapped in a Backbreaker variation over Rodriguez’s back. After that, Sane would hit a Cutlass before she ducked a Big Boot and tagged out while Morgan got a tag off of Rodriguez. House on Fire mode as Sky hit Shoteis then a Dropkick. On the apron, Sky cut off Rodriguez with a Dragon Screw onto the middle rope to set up a Double Stomp off the ropes to Rodriguez still on the apron.
Sky hit the Springboard Missile Dropkick to Morgan then flipped up before she hit the corner Meteora (the Bullet Train Attack name seems to have been dropped) for a near fall. Damage CTRL did the Pop-up InSane Elbow but Rodriguez broke up the pin. Sane tried for a Spear on Rodriguez but she caught the move and spun Sane around Big Swing style but with a front choke. Rodriguez wildly charged but only hit the ring post before she tumbled to the floor. Morgan hit her Jumping Back Elbow to Sky then rolled out to hit a High Corner Knee. A Leap of Faith by Morgan just ate a Shotei.
Sky hit a Missile Dropkick from the apron to Morgan on the floor but when she saw Jackson and Legend at the barricade she hauled Jackson over to the floor. Legend decked Sky with a Forearm and this week the ref saw it and threw the match out on an apparent no-contest. Sane hit a Flying Forearm off the apron to Legend. The brawl went to the ring as Legend hoisted up Sky to swing her legs around and hit Sane’s head when Jackson shoved Sane in. Jackson hit her Sugar Rush finish to Sane before Jackson hit the Lash Extension finisher to Sky.
Before Morgan and Rodriguez could face off with Jackson and Legend RHEA RIPLEY made her entrance as the NXT duo wisely left the ring. Ripley stormed the ring and hit her Headbutt to Rodriguez who absorbed the shot, but a Low Bridge soon sent Rodriguez out to the floor. Morgan tried to escape but was pulled back into the ring. Morgan managed to hit a Codebreaker but soon ate a Low Knee from Ripley who then locked on the Prysm Trap but broke it so she could Dropkick Rodriguez off the apron. Morgan tried to hit the Homewrecker but Ripley blocked, and when she tried to hit Riptide Dominik Mysterio appeared and pulled Morgan over the ropes to safety. Only for Mysterio to get locked in a Prysm Trap before Morgan and Rodriguez pulled him out to escape it.
ZELINA VEGA accompanied the LWO as they defeated American Made, accompanied by Ivy Nile. At one point, Vega hit a Tilt-a-whirl Headscissors to Nile on the floor after Chad Gable had caused a distraction.
Backstage in the Judgement Day clubhouse, tensions rose as Rodriguez questioned what role Carlito had in the group.
In a brief backstage bit, Adam Pearce told Damage CTRL he would speak to the other GMs about Jackson and Legend’s attacks. Things got quite racist after they left and Carlito appeared and made a remark that he’d ‘have to learn Chinese’ despite both women being Japanese. YIKES.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A good tag match that ended with solid storyline work. Jackson and Legend could be a much-needed spark for the tag division if this is a full time call-up but we’ll see what happens after NXT and once Crown Jewel has passed. Another week and more of Rhea Ripley bulldozing and treating the numbers game as if it was nothing. It’s a formula that’s getting tired to be quite honest and if this fued is going to drag on further they need something else to make it interesting otherwise it will wear out its welcome.
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!