Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
Last week saw plans for the Women’s Division thrown in the air after Liv Morgan, one half of the Tag Team Champions, suffered a freak injury in a match against Kairi Sane. According to reports, this has scrapped plans for Evolution with Nikki Bella and a planned title match with Iyo Sky at Night of Champions. Attention will turn now to the upcoming PLE this week and the Queen of the Ring Tournament with the last Semi-Final to decide who will face Asuka. Who will emerge on top? And what’s the fate of the Tag Team titles now that Morgan is on the shelf? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured ROXANNE PEREZ, JADE CARGILL, Women’s IC Champ BECKY LYNCH and BAYLEY.
In the clubhouse of The Judgement Day, RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ had both Women’s tag titles on her shoulders. Balor took full advantage of Morgan being absent to give pep talks to the crew, and fired up Rodriguez about her issues with Rhea Ripley and how Ripley ‘walked all over her’ last week.
Backstage, LYRA VALKYRIA apologised to Bayley for her words last week but Bayley didn’t buy it, mocking the fact that she needed permission from Valkyria to get title shots. Although the two sort of made up, there was clear tension between the two.
Singles Match – Queen of the Ring Tournament Semi-Final Match
JADE CARGILL defeated ROXANNE PEREZ
Perez did stalling tactics early, bailing from the ring instantly and avoiding lock-ups before she slapped Cargill and ran off for a chase around the ring to pounce with a Headlock when Cargill got back in. Cargill soon got her hands on Perez and tried for a Choke toss, countered by Perez into a Sunset Flip but Cargill blocked that to haul Perez back up for a toss. Perez ducked a corner charge and hit another slap, leading to another chase around ringside, and once back in Perez ran the ropes only for Cargill to send her up for a plant to the mat. Followed by a receipt of a slap.
Perez used a Hotshot on the ropes, but going for her Tilt-a-whirl spot Cargill countered into a Backbreaker. Perez got tossed across the ring before Cargill did some push-ups to taunt. Perez tried to lure Cargill into the ringsteps on the floor but Cargill blocked. Cargill hoisted Perez on her shoulders and carried her up the steps, taking too long as Perez escaped and shoved Cargill into the post. That left Cargill’s leg stuck between the steps and the post (a planned spot) so Perez took advantage with a kick to the steps. Perez stomped the now hurt leg then did the same in the ring to target the limb with shots.
Perez focused on the leg with a pull on the ropes then a Chinlock resthold into a hairpull Slam, then more shots to the leg and another resthold of a Leglock. Cargill hit a Clothesline but Perez would hit a couple of her Running European Uppercuts to her in a corner. She tried for a third but Cargill hoisted her up (rather no selling the leg) for a Back Suplex attempt that Perez flipped out of and nailed a Chop Block. Perez hit a European Uppercut to Cargill’s back on the ropes, then hit her double-bounce Springboard Lionsault for a nearfall. Perez countered a Slam into a Back Sleeper, but Cargill backed Perez into a corner to break.
Perez went for a top rope Crossbody but Cargill caught it and hit a Fallaway Slam before she stupidly kipped up and hurt that bad leg in the process. Regardless, she went House on Fire on Perez with Clotheslines, a Big Boot then a Spinebuster. A Chokeslam got Cargill a nearfall. Cargill hit a Superkick and tried for Jaded but Perez countered into a Clutch pinhold for a two count. Cargill missed a Pump kick that allowed Perez to hit a Superkick. Perez hit La Mistica before she hit the Satomura Special for a near fall.
Perez hit a Bang Kick and tried for Pop Rox but was pushed off. Cargill hit a Powerbomb and seemingly wanted to lift Perez up for another but instead released the grip, and just pull Perez up normally to hit Jaded for the win to advance to the Finals of Queen of the Ring.
After the match ASUKA confronted Cargill on the stage.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties. That included trying to interview Becky Lynch but she stormed off complaining that Bayley and Valkyria were conspiring against her.
SCARLETT was with Karrion Kross as he antagonised Sami Zayn once again.
Once again MAXXINE DUPRI and NATALYA were together backstage for a segment with Sheamus and Akira Tozawa. The women praised Sheamus before Rusev showed up.
Singles Match – Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
Women’s Intercontinental Champion BECKY LYNCH defeated BAYLEY by DQ.
Bayley got the better of a collar-and-elbow but got a cheap shot slap out of the corner. Bayley fired up Forearms in the corner then the same in the opposite corner. Bayley hit a Clothesline that set up the Spinning Back Elbow to Lynch’s back, but Lynch countered the Sliding Clotheslines into a Dis-arm-her attempt only for Bayley to counter that for a Rose Plant attempt that Lynch tripped the leg of. Bayley would try for the Rope-aided Stunner, was shoved away but still hit the move when Lynch tried to come back in. On the outside, Bayley jumped off the ringsteps for an Elbow Drop across Lynch’s back.
Back in the ring, Bayley went for an Elbow Drop off the middle rope and Lynch countered that for another Dis-Arm-Her attempt but Bayley escaped. Later, Lynch would yank Bayley’s arm across the ropes to catch a break then slammed the arm into the announce desk a few times. Back inside, Lynch hit the corner Forearm then tried for Bex-Ploder but Bayley blocked and got a two count off a Roll-up before Lynch hit a Clothesline for a near fall. Later, Bayley blocked a Suplex to get a near fall off a Small Package before Lynch took her down with a Dropkick for a two count then locked on a Hammerlock resthold into a hairpull Slam.
The women traded blows, Clotheslines then collided with Crossbodies each. Bayley went House on Fire with Clotheslines, a Back Suplex then a Running Knee Strike. A Victoria-style spin out Side Slam got a near fall. Bayley tried for Bayley-to-Belly but Lynch escaped and a run of counters led to Lynch hitting an arm-trap Back Suplex. Despite that, Bayley hit the Bayley-to-Belly for a near fall. Lynch avoided a corner charge and tried for her Spingboard Kick but Bayley grabbed the leg, and used a Back Suplex toss to send Lynch into the corner. That set up a Sunset Flip Bomb into the corner for a near fall.
Lynch hit a Superplex and went for an Arm Bar and Bayley managed to counter into a pinhold, followed by another for near falls. Bayley applied a Half Crab but Lynch got to the ropes. After an exchange of strikes, Bayley avoided a Man-Handle Slam and hit one of her own to Lynch! Lynch wisely bailed from the ring after the move and on the floor, Lynch tossed Bayley over the announce table and buried Bayley under the commentator’s chairs and steel ones to try and steal a count-out win. Lyra Valkyria showed up to pull the chairs off, but Lynch struck her from behind. Trying to goad Valkyria into hitting her to get a DQ but Valkyria relented. When Bayley pulled her off the apron, Lynch took advantage to shove Bayley down before a Baseball Slide hit Valkyria.
Bayley roughed up Lynch at the announce table then around ringside. Back inside, Bayley went for the top rope Elbow Drop but an enraged Valkyria stormed the ring and hit blows to Lynch to get the match thrown out by DQ. Lynch would take Valkyria’s Dropkick through the ropes before Bayley and Valkyria got into a yelling match while Lynch gloated at ringside.
Raquel Rodriguez was in the ring for a promo. Saying she wasn’t going to let Ripley get away for screwing her over last week. RHEA RIPLEY answered the challenge and stormed down for a brawl. Rodriguez took Ripley down first but Ripley answered with one of her own. Rodiguez tossed Ripley over the barricade and brought out a table, but Ripley leaped off the announce table to take out her rival before she sent her into the ring steps. Ripley set up the table in the ring and went for Riptide but Roxanne Perez attacked with a Back Sleeper. Perez got sent into the corner but Rodriguez planted Ripley through the table with a Tijana Bomb as Rodriguez and Perez (who gloated about the apparent acceptance from Rodriguez) stood tall over Ripley.
CATHY KELLEY interviewed Asuka backstage but IYO SKY interrupted. Saying that if Asuka won they’d finally face off like they talked about before. Rather coldly, Asuka stated that they weren’t in Damage CTRL anymore and she’d see Sky at SummerSlam, to which Sky said she’d be ready.
Rhea Ripley stormed into General Manager Adam Pearce’s office and demanded a match against Rodriguez at Night of Champions, and Pearce made it a Street Fight Match.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
They kept quiet about the fate of the tag titles this week. One would assume that Perez will be allowed to take over and team with Rodriguez as champions, similar to the swap that was done last year with Naomi, Cargill and Bianca Belair. Whether that leads to anything that involves Nikki Bella or the Evolution event is still unknown. Meanwhile, we get a Street Fight between Ripley and Rodriguez. One would assume that this match perhaps replaces the planned Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan match that had been teased last week before Morgan’s injury. Rushed as it might be onto the card, it could be fun even if there’s a chance of shenanigans if Perez can interfere. Lastly, Bayley and Lynch predictably ended with no clear winner thanks to Valkyria. This will no doubt lead to a Triple Threat Match at Evolution to end or just confound the storyline further.
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!