Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
There’s only a couple weeks left in the year before we head into 2026 and Royal Rumble season. Before that, the issues between tag teams on Raw continues with singles clashes. Who will emerge on top and stake further claim for a shot at the Kabuki Warriors? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos included LIV MORGAN, RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ and ROXANNE PEREZ as part of The Judgement Day.
Backstage RHEA RIPLEY told IYO SKY to stay backstage due to her still being hurt from last week’s attack, something Sky reluctantly agreed to.
Singles Match
RHEA RIPLEY Vs Women’s Tag Team Champion ASUKA w/h KAIRI SANE
Ripley blasted out of the gate with a Running Dropkick then strikes in a corner. Ripley would pummel Asuka some more after some hairpull tosses, but Asuka would escape from a Riptide attempt and bailed to the floor. Ripley went after her for a couple of tosses into the crowd barricade. After Ripley sent Asuka back in, Sane provided a distraction by mouthing off and that allowed Asuka to hit an Empress Impact to knock Ripley from the apron followed by a barricade toss.
After a commercial break, Asuka stayed in control with strikes in a corner. A Pop-Up Knee Strike got Asuka a near fall. Asuka hit a barrage of Kawada Kicks before Ripley tried to fight back with strikes but Asuka ducked a Clothesline and countered with a Backslide for a two count. Soon after, Asuka would distract the ref, grabbing him to allow Sane to trip up Ripley when she ran the ropes, setting up for an Asuka Basement Dropkick. Asuka peppered with kicks to the chest but Ripley would capture one to block. Leading to her House on Fire rally of Short-Arm Clotheslines, a Ripcord Bang Kick then Kingdom Falls to set up a Basement Dropkick. Another Dropkick got a two count.
Asuka countered Riptide with a Small package for a near fall. Asuka got a flurry of strikes but would run into Ripley’s counter kick off the canvas. After another advert break, the women exchanged blows but Ripley would block a Head Kick and take Asuka down to apply the Prism Lock. A hold countered into an Asuka Ankle Lock that was turned into the Leg-Trap German Suplex, leading to the Sliding Kick for a near fall. Asuka tried for the Asuka Lock but Ripley countered with a toss. Moments later, Ripley escaped from a Superplex attempt, slipping down to the mat and trapping Asuka for a Cheeky Nandos Kick before pulling Asuka out and dumping her with a Front Electric Chair drop for a two count.
Asuka countered Razor’s Edge with a Sunset Flip for a near fall. Ripley managed to counter an Empress Impact on the ropes, pulling Asuka out to the apron with her but Asuka switched the grip and planted Ripley with a German Suplex on the apron! A flying nothing from Asuka was cut off mid-air with a Ripley Superkick, leading to a Sliding Kick. Ripley hit a Con Hiro off the apron to Asuka and sent her back in, but when Ripley tried going up top Sana cut her off to leave her hung on the top rope when Asuka distracted the ref.
Iyo Sky, clutching her back, stormed out and managed to take Sane out briefly with a Shotei strike but when Sky tried to plead with the ref about things, Sane swept the leg and it sent Sky’s bad back crashing into the apron. As Ripley checked on her friend, Asuka pounced with a Roll-up and hooked the tights to steal the win.
Backstage, as MAXXINE DUPRI headed to the ring IVY NILE was briefly seen in the background staring with fury at the woman who beat her last week.
BECKY LYNCH went to the ring for the first time since WarGames. She ranted about her conspiracy theories, complaining about still being the real IC Champion. She lost the fans for a bit and only got them back briefly when she took cheap shots at the crowd and the city. Thankfully Maxxine Dupri interrupted and went to the ring. Dupri flattered Lynch briefly but boasted about her title win to infuriate Lynch, pointing out she beat Lynch three times. Dupri said Lynch could get a title match any time, any place and said she was the crowd’s IC Champion now. Dupri dared Lynch to take it on the chin like The Man and called out Lynch for being someone whose best years were behind her.
Lynch took a cheap shot with a punch, pummeling Dupri in the back a few times before posing with the IC title. When Lynch went back on the attack, this time Dupri picked the leg and applied the Ankle Lock. Grounding the hold and forcing Lynch to tap out before she broke the hold and Lynch fled the ring as Dupri held the high ground with her title to end the segment.
Backstage STEPHANIE VAQUER confronted General Manager Adam Pearce and said she wanted both rivals Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez. Pearce made a Triple Threat Match for the Women’s World Title for next week.
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
NIKKI BELLA would interrupt the show with a different look than last seen. Standing on the announce table to cut a promo , going hard in her Legend and Hall of Fame status. Cheap shots at the local sports team for boos before she vowed to destroy Vaquer’s reign next week.
Singles Match
BAYLEY w/h LYRA VALKYRIA defeated ROXANNE PEREZ w/h LIV MORGAN
Perez avoided the first lock-up with a roll so she could pose on the ropes, and got the edge with the second with a hairpull. Perez shoved Bayley in the chest three times, and got planted with a Bayley-to-Belly for her trouble for a near fall, forcing Perez to bail from the ring. Cat and mouse was played as Perez rushed back into the ring when Bayley slid out, and the two tried to do a spot where Bayley caught a Suicide Dive attempt to hold Perez on her shoulders but the momentum was too much and they tumbled down. Bayley hauled Perez up anyway to do the spot as Perez escaped and hit a Chop Block on the floor.
Perez would hit a Dropkick to the knee when Bayley tried to climb in, and focused on the leg with stomps and a dropdown shot. Bayley managed to hit a counter Flapjack to send Perez into a corner but her attempt at the ropes-aided Stunner was countered as Perez took her down and swung the bad leg into the ring post a couple of times. After a commerical break, Perez continued to attack the leg before she hit a Running European Uppercut in a corner then a Side Russian Legsweep for a near fall. Later, Bayley mounted a comeback, selling the leg as she hit Clotheslines then a Thesz Press with punches.
Raquel Rodriguez would appear at ringside but Bayley managed to hit a less than perfect Victoria-style spin-out Slam for a near fall. Valkyria pulled Rodriguez off the apron and took her out with a boot to the face, only to be tossed over the announce table by Morgan. Perez pounced on the distraction as she hit La Mistica before the Satomura Special for a near fall. Bayley hit the Sunset Flip Bomb spot to send Perez into a corner for a near fall. Perez would distract the ref to allow Morgan to trip up Bayley when she ran the ropes. Morgan then distracted the offical as Perez pulled off a middle turnbuckle pad so she could ram Bayley’s head into it. However, when Perez went for the pin now Rodriguez got on the apron to seemingly complain about being attacked by Valkyria. That meant the ref never saw the pin and Morgan, mad at her ally, pulled Rodriguez off the apron!
A three-way shouting match happened between The Judgement Day members beforer Valkyria hit a Crossbody off the announce table to take out Morgan and Rodriguez. Bayley hit a Back Suplex to Perez and Valkyria ‘fired up’ Bayley with a slap to the face to unlock Role Model mode. Bayley hit a Running Knee, wild strikes in a corner, an elevated Double Knee Drop then a Top Rope Elbow Drop for the victory. The heels fumed in the ring while the faces celebrated in the aisle.
In the clubhouse of The Judgement Day, the shouting match continued between the women as Rodriguez claimed she was only trying to help. Complaining that they never helped her last week, but Morgan pointed out that Rodriguez told them not to help. Rodriguez fumed that she had a title match to prepare for and stormed off, leaving the others far from happy.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Two good matches on Raw, as only to be expected from the level of talent in the ring. Asuka gets a classic heel win that protects Ripley and keeps the story going. While Bayley gets a much needed win, a bit protected, and the issues between The Judgement Day continue to grow between the women. The promo between Dupri and Lynch was just about a pass of a segment as Lynch lost the crowd at the start but Dupri’s fire and the beatdown got it back on track. Nikki Bella’s new look and going all in with the Legend status worked, but her workrate is the biggest issue. We’ll see if being in a Triple Threat helps lighten the load or not.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days’ time for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! On behalf of everyone here at the RevELLEution, we wish you a Merry Christmas if you celebrate and a happy holidays!