Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! You wait for Championship matches on Raw and much like buses, two come along at once! The Women’s Intercontinental Championship will finally be defended on TV for the first time when the inaugural Champion Lyra Valkyria defends against Dakota Kai. Meanwhile, after back-and-forth where The Judgement Day’s women have gotten the upper hand, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will look to become the first-ever three-time Women’s Tag Team Champions. Will the reign of terror of Bianca Belair and Naomi come to an end? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘arrived earlier today’ videos featured Women’s Tag Team Champions BIANCA BELAIR and NAOMI, MAXXINE DUPRI (practising dance moves with Alpha Academy), Damage CTRL’s DAKOTA KAI and IYO SKY, and Women’s Intercontinental Champion LYRA VALKYRIA.
JACKIE REDMOND interviewed Women’s World Champion RHEA RIPLEY. Ripley admitted that she had one eye on Elimination Chamber but her focus was on next week, and Iyo Sky who she’s never beaten before. Ripley remarked that it’s been five years since her and Sky last faced off and she’d dominated since then, and vowed to add Sky to the list. In timely fashion, Iyo Sky appeared and promised to beat Ripley and go on to WrestleMania as Champion.
Once again, there were issues between The Judgement Day backstage and Liv Morgan had to play peacemaker.
CATHY KELLEY handled interview duties.
Maxxine Dupri and Otis accompanied Akira Tozawa as he got destroyed by World Champion Gunther.
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
Women’s Intercontinental Champion LYRA VALKYRIA defeated DAKOTA KAI to retain.
Valkyria got the better of a lock-up, tossing Kai Judo-style and controlling the arm for a unique stomp off a Wristlock clutch. Kai hit some boots from the canvas and moments later, Kai cascaded over Valkyria’s corner charge to get a Roll-up for a near fall. Kai tried for the Flying Mare but Valkyria tossed her to the mat. Valkyria tried for the Dropkick through the ropes and while Kai blocked the move, Valkyria stomped herself free and pulled Kai up to the apron with her. In a throwback to the IC tournament finals (missed by the announcers) Valkyria went for a Suplex off the apron but Kai blocked, sweeping the legs so Valkyria was planted onto the apron.
Kai hit a Con Hiro from the apron and nearly planted herself after she tripped on camera cables. Back in the ring, Valkyria blocked a charge with a counter boot, only to take a couple of Arm Drags then a Dropkick for a near fall. Later, Valkyria hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Valkyria locked on the Romero Special but oddly the hold was quickly broken (perhaps a wrong spot that Kai didn’t want to take?) without even a pin involved. Kai would hit a Release German Suplex but got blocked going up top. Valkyria was knocked back, stuck in a Tree of Woe but impressively countered with several boots to Kai before she pulled herself back up and hit a Delayed Superplex!
After an exchange of strikes, Kai ducked a Spinning Roundhouse Kick and nailed the Scorpion Kick, but Valkyria countered the Go-To-Kick and that led to an exchange of pin holds including a few bridges out of the Jackknife Pin by Valkyria. The last of which led to a wicked Powerbomb by Valkyria into a stacked pin for a near fall. A Leap of Faith from the middle rope by Valkyria ate a Superkick, setting up the Running Corner Kick and then the Kai-ropractor for a two count. Valkyria would dodge the rope-aided Stomp spot and moments later escaped from a Superplex attempt to sneak back into the ring and clutch Kai on her shoulders. Valkyria hit Nightwing and got the clean victory to retain.
After the match the two showed respect. However, IVY NILE attacked Kai from behind on the stage, tossing her into the barricade before Nile stormed the ring and hit Valkyria with a Release German Suplex before she pummeled Valkyria and then hit the Spin-out Uranagi. Nile posed with the IC title to send the segment.
BAYLEY was interviewed backstage about Elimination Chamber but Raw’s newest Superstar ROXANNE PEREZ interrupted, mocking Bayley about living in the past and boasting about recent accomplishments. Bayley mocked back, and referenced her Chamber match experience and big match wins. Bayley said that Perez would be a WrestleMania winner in the future, but it wouldn’t be this year.
Backstage Ivy Nile, along with the Creed Brothers, vowed that she’d beat up Lyra Valkyria every week until she became IC Champion.
Backstage NATALYA and Maxxine Dupri along with Otis checked over Akira Tozawa in the trainer’s room.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
The Judgement Day (LIV MORGAN & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ) defeated Women’s Tag Team Champions BIANCA BELAIR & NAOMI to become the NEW Tag Team Champions.
Morgan cut an in-ring promo before the match, bragging about how her and Rodriguez were the greatest Women’s Tag Team Champions. Despite being faces, Naomi and Belair attacked the challengers while the referee did the ceremonial raising of the tag belts. On the outside, the champs tossed Morgan into the barricade and then Rodriguez into the timekeeper’s area. The ref signalled for the bell and it made Belair and Morgan legal in the ring as Morgan took some Shoulder Thrusts before Naomi was tagged, and the duo hit a Double Team Side Russian Legsweep on Morgan. Followed by a Double Team Elbow Drop. Belair got a tag, leading to a Double Team Hiptoss then a combo of a Standing Moonsault by Belair and a Legdrop from Naomi to give Belair a near fall.
Morgan fought out of the Champ’s corner, and a Back Elbow to Naomi brought her in to distract the ref so he never saw Rodriguez trip up Belair when she ran the ropes. Morgan tagged out and Rodriguez hauled Belair out hard, tossing her into the barricade. Back in the ring Morgan took a tag and stomped away at Belair in the heels corner before Rodriguez tagged back in and hit a series of Back Elbows. Belair tried to rush and make a tag but Rodriguez cut her off and hit a Bodyslam. Morgan took a tag and sat up top as Rodriguez drove Belair’s head into her knees before Morgan hit a Facebuster off the ropes for a near fall.
After a choke on the ropes, Morgan went for the Three Amigos but Belair blocked the third to hit a Delayed Suplex. Rodriguez tried to block the tag, hoisting up Belair onto her shoulders but Belair escaped to the corner, did a backflip over Rodriguez’s charge and finally tagged out to Naomi. House on Fire mode saw Clotheslines then a Hook Kick by Naomi, a swinging Bulldog then a Bang Kick to Morgan to set up a Splits Legdrop to the back. A vault-in X-Factor got Naomi a near fall on Rodriguez. Naomi went for a Top Rope Crossbody but Rodriguez rolled through, only for Naomi to escape the Fallaway Slam to land on her feet and knock Morgan from the apron.
Naomi hit a Blockbuster from the heel corner, then tagged Belair who hit a rough landing 450 Splash to Rodriguez but she managed to kick out at two! A Big Boot by Rodriguez meant for Belair instead hit Naomi off the apron, and Belair tried to take advantage with a KOD but unseen by the ref Rodriguez raked the eyes. Morgan was tagged in for a double team of a Shatter Machine with a Morgan Codebreaker leap but Belair kicked out at two! Morgan tried for ObLIVion but Belair held the ropes and Naomi was able to tag in.
Dominik Mysterio rushed out and distracted the ref so Rodriguez could come in and pull Morgan out from a KOD. Rodriguez decked Belair with a Clothesline and hit a Tijana Bomb on Naomi. Morgan hit ObLIVion on Naomi but Belair broke up the pin. Rodriguez tried to take out Belair with a Big Boot but she rebounded with a Spear. Naomi hit a Spinning Chinbuster before she tagged out, and Belair’s Delayed Suplex attempt was countered into a Small Package for a near fall. Soon after Morgan got another two count off a Roll-up when Belair knocked Rodriguez off the apron. Belair hit the KOD but Rodriguez broke up the pin.
Naomi hit the see-saw Piledriver through the ropes to Rodriguez before Belair tagged out. The Champs hit a Double Team KOD but when Naomi went for the pin, Mysterio put Morgan’s foot on the ropes so the official had to stop the count. Belair went out after Mysterio, but ended up being slammed into the announce table by Rodriguez with a toss off a Powerslam position. Naomi hit a Plancha onto Rodriguez and managed to hold onto the ropes to block an ObLIVion attempt. Morgan countered a Full Nelson Bomb into a Samson Clutch for a near fall.
Naomi hit the Rear View and hit a Head Kick to Mysterio when he got on the apron, but the referee was distracted getting Mysterio out so didn’t see Rodriguez block Naomi’s Split-legged Moonsault attempt. Rodriguez slammed Naomi’s head into the top of the ring post and after Naomi tumbled down, Morgan covered her to steal the win and win the tag titles so become three-time Tag Champion alongside Rodriguez. The Judgement Day got a pyro celebration as the new Champs posed with their titles.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The reign of terror with Belair, Naomi and Jade Cargill before that has finally come to an end in a great match with a fine heel ending. Timely right before Elimination Chamber which might make the outcome obvious for who faces Ripley at Mania. That aside, it’s been long overdue to get the titles away from specifically Belair. The reign did nothing to elevate the tag division (especially not when WWE has since fired one-half of the champs who had dethroned Belair and Cargill last year) and with the tag champs having been so keen to also get singles gold too in the last few months of the reign, a change was needed. We’ll now see what team(s) are formed to go after the new champs and hopefully it’s not just a revert to a rematch. Is it finally time to properly bring up the Meta-Girls from NXT or more women from there to pose a threat? Meanwhile, Valkyria and Kai put on a solid match that was slightly off at times and wasn’t a patch on their IC tournament finals bout. I had wondered why Nile had been dropped from the title scene in favour of Kai but Nile got her heat right back with the post-match attack. Will that be the feud leading into WrestleMania or will we see more women in the mix for the IC title?
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days’ time for the post-Elimination Chamber edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!