Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
After a shocking week that saw multiple releases, the WWE rolls on as we head towards the Backlash event. Last week, Stephanie Vaquer stepped up to rival Liv Morgan, showing their issues are far from done. This week, Becky Lynch is advertised to appear, along with a tag team match between The Judgement Day against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. Who will make a statement as we head towards the first Premium Live Event of the new WWE calendar year? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured BAYLEY and LYRA VALKYRIA, and Women’s IC Champion BECKY LYNCH.
Backstage, STEPHANIE VAQUER was walking backstage but was suddenly sneak attacked by RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ, tossed into an equipment case. LIV MORGAN watched on as Rodriguez held Vaquer and ROXANNE PEREZ drove another wheeled case right into Vaquer. The Judgement Day left the scene with Vaquer rolling in pain on the ground before agents checked on her. Later in the show, the announcers claimed that Vaquer suffered a shoulder sprain and could be out of action for ‘quite a bit’ of time.
MARYSE was a part of replayed video from last week where Danhausen invaded her and The Miz’s family home. Ending with Maryse being the unintended victim of tossed cocoa power meant for Danhausen.
Becky Lynch went to the ring for a promo. Lynch bragged about ‘making history’ at ‘Mania, claiming she’d gotten rid of AJ Lee for good. She lost the crowd a bit, trying to remain a Heel by bragging about private tour buses and five-star hotels but relating it to showing her daughter what a real Champion looks like. She didn’t even get a big amount of heat for insulting the town they were in. Lynch announced an open challenge for the title, again in rather un-Heel like fashion.
She didn’t seem pleased when IYO SKY took up the offer and headed to the ring. Lynch tried to back away, claiming Sky wasn’t on her level and mocking Sky for being in Rhea Ripley’s shadow, and saying she’s been holding Ripley back. Sky had heard enough, striking Lynch and sending her out of the ring. Yet again, GM Adam Pearce came out to steal the heat, ordering Lynch to defend the IC title. Thankfully, Lynch got some heat back with a sneak attack, decking Sky from behind.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion BECKY LYNCH defeated IYO SKY
After the first cheap shot, during a ‘commercial break’, Lynch continued the attack and sent Sky out of the ring. Sky fought back a bit with Forearms, but Lynch blocked a shot to the apron and delivered one of her own before roughing Sky up around ringside with chops and apron shots. Sky would drive Lynch’s head into the announce table, then sent Lynch inside to get the match officially underway. Hitting a Front Dropkick before getting a two count. Lynch got back control, hitting stomps and choking Sky in a corner before hitting a Suplex but took her time before going for a pin so only got two. Lynch mouthed off at the ref and it allowed Sky to get a Roll-Up for a near fall, before Lynch hit a Dropkick and got a two count.
Back to ‘live action’ and Sky was in control, hitting a Basement Dropkick. The announcers referenced last week’s match, saying that Sky had knocked off The Kabuki Warriors and that Asuka was still bitter about it (but the now-released Kairi Sane wasn’t mentioned). Sky tried to vault back from out of a corner but Lyncy countered with a kick to the gut, followed by a Clothesline for a two count. Lynch mocked Sky’s taunt before hitting a Running Forearm to a corner, then the Bex-Ploder. A Baseball Slide set up the Forearm off the apron, and back in the ring Lynch hit a Legdrop from the middle rope for a near fall.
Lynch went for a strike combo, but Sky blocked the Bang Kick and turned it into a Release German Suplex. Sky went House on Fire with Shotei strikes, a Flapjack and moments later a Missile Dropkick followed by the flip-ups and DOING THE THING! The Bullet Train Attack got a near fall. Lynch yanked Sky down when she went up top, hitting a Final Cut for a two count. Sky countered a Man-Handle Slam into her Wheelbarrow-Double Stomp spot and went for a Suicide Dive, only for Lynch to cut her off at the ropes with a Forearm Shot. Lynch tried to pull Sky through the ropes but Sky countered with a kick, and then hit a Sunset Flip through the ropes, delayed and turned to plant Lynch with a Powerbomb on the floor.
The show went to technically the second commercial break of the match, as Sky got a near fall in the ring off the previous Powerbomb. Lynch hit a Double Underhook into an Armbar but Sky countered with a roll over, escaping to apply a Crossface but Lynch would soon counter that into the Dis-Arm-Her. Sky countered, going for another Crossface but Lynch rolled through, but ended up caught with a V-Trigger Knee Strike to give Sky a near fall. Sky missed Running Knees in a corner, but blocked Lynch trying for her Springboard Kick and sent Lynch over the ropes to the floor. Lynch yanked Sky from the apron to prevent a Springboard move, but Sky would block being sent into the barricade and tossed Lynch instead into it. Sky would hit a Crossbody from off the barricade
Back again to live action, Lynch hit a middle rope Superplex floated over into a DDT but only got a near fall. Sky countered a Man-Handle Slam into a Crucifix-Sunset Flip pin hold for a two count. Lynch ducked a Superkick but got nailed with the second before Sky hit the Double-Underhook Backbreaker for a near fall. Lynch prevented a Moonsault, but would end up being hit with a Tornado DDT. Lynch blocked Over the Moonsault by bringing up her feet, and hit the Man-Handle Slam but Sky still kicked out at two! Lynch went up top but was shoved off, tumbling to the floor before Sky hit a Asai Moonsault off the middle rope to the floor.
Lynch was sent back in, but as the referee checked on Lynch ASUKA appeared and hauled Sky from the ropes as she thought about a Springboard move. The attack allowed Lynch to pounce, hitting a Man-Handle Slam to steal the win and retain the title.
After the match, Asuka continued the attack with a Buzzsaw Kick, then the Asuka Lock that left Sky knocked out. The fans did do a brief ‘We Want Kairi’ chant but the show soon moved on.
Later in the show, Iyo Sky versus Asuka for the Backlash PLE was made official.
Asuka would have a promo video, claiming Sky was the problem and was her biggest failure. A reference to Kairi Sane’s release, stating that ‘they were both alone’ because Asuka didn’t want ‘another’ Iyo Sky. Vowing to teach one final lesson at Backlash.
Backstage in the Clubhouse of The Judgement Day, the women bragged about the attack on Vaquer earlier before Morgan asked to speak with Perez alone. Rodriguez left and Morgan pressed Perez about her status in the group, passive-aggressive about former member Finn Balor bringing her in. Trying to manipulate Perez, going heavy about being family and saying she’d be in her corner tonight. However, Perez seemed to not be fully on board once Morgan left to give Perez a minute to focus, looking a little conflicted. Finn Balor appeared, trying to talk sense and saying Perez couldn’t trust Morgan or The Judgement Day. Perez countered that she maybe couldn’t trust Balor, and warned him to get out before he got her. His leaving statement of hoping that she knew what she was doing left her further conflicted.
Tag Team Match
The Judgement Day (RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ & ROXANNE PEREZ) w/h LIV MORGAN defeated BAYLEY & LYRA VALKYRIA
Bayley and Rodriguez started off. Bayley got a Wristlock but was easily backed to a corner, taking a Knee Strike before Bayley got a counter boot in the opposite turnbuckle and applied a Headlock. Bayley would use the ropes to run up for the Headlock Takeover, but Rodriguez muscled up and used a Back Suplex to escape. The show was being held in Perez’s hometown and despite being heels, The Judgement Day played up to the fan reaction as Perez got the tag, stomping away at Bayley but got carried and charged to the actual faces’ corner as Valkyria got a tag. The fans booing every offence committed against Perez as there was an exchange of Headlocks before Perez did her cartwheel into a taunt before slapping Valkyriam which got Perez tacked for Headlock punches.
Valkyria flipped out of a Tilt-a-whirl by Perez and gave a slap back. Bayley got a tag and the faces looked for a Double Team as Bayley went to the middle rope after Valkyria hit a Backbreaker, but Perez fought out of the grip, kneeing Valkyria away and hitting a European Uppercut to drop Bayley. Valkyria was able to hit a Spinning Heel Kick, setting up an Elbow Drop from the middle rope by Bayley for a near fall. Perez rolled to the floor, and Valkyria went for her Dropkick through the ropes but The Judgement Day moved. Allowing Rodriguez to deck Valkyria with a Clothesline on the outside. Bayley went out after Perez, sending her back in but unseen by the referee, Rodriguez grabbed Bayley and used a Lawn Dart to send Bayley into the ring post.
The show went to a commercial break as Perez hit her wild strikes to Bayley then drove her head-first into opposite neutral corners for a near fall. Perez countered a whip with a short-range Pele-like kick for a two count. Rodriguez took a tag, choking Bayley on the ropes then hitting corner Splashes in opposite corners. A Short-arm Clothesline led to an Elbow Drop for a near fall, then another Elbow Drop leading to a rest hold Cobra Clutch. Moments later, Rodriguez went for the Vader Bomb but just vaulted back to her feet, and Bayley avoided a charge that sent Rodriguez into the ring post.
The show returned to ‘live action’ as Perez and Valkyria both got tags. Valkyria hit a Crossbody on Perez and cut off Rodriguez with an Enzigiri. Perez took a couple of Clotheslines before Rodriguez was hit with a Dropkick from the middle rope. Valkyria kipped up, hitting a Northern Lights Suplex floated over into a Fisherwoman’s Buster for a near fall. Bayley got a tag but Perez avoided a Double Team, escaping off the shoulders and shoving Bayley into the Faces’ corner to knock Valkyria off balance. Rodriguez made a blind tag before the Heels did their combo of Perez’s Tilt-a-Whirl into the Side Russian Legsweep, aided by Rodriguez’s Big Boot. Valkyria dived off the ropes to break up the pin.
Perez was tagged in and knocked Valkyria off the apron, before going for PopRox but Bayley held onto the ropes at the Faces’ corner before hitting a form of Waterwheel Slam to sent Perez into the turnbuckle. Bayley hit Bayley to Belly but Rodriguez broke up the pin. A wild Crossbody by Valkyria sent herself and Rodriguez tumbling through the lower ropes to the floor. Morgan got on the apron to distract and Bayley grabbed her by the hair, so Morgan was able to drop down and it meant Bayley was yanked against the ropes but the ref couldn’t call a DQ since it wasn’t a clear attack. It allowed Perez to hit a Shining Wizard before hitting PopRox for a tainted victory.
SOL RUCA got a hype video, before it was announced she would officially sign with Raw next week.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Two good matches on Raw. Lynch and Sky, as only expected, put on a fine match with a protected finish. It’s no surprise the WWE is just continuing the Sky-Asuka storyline without Sane but at least gave brief references about her and with the short time before Backlash, they can wrap up the story and move them both on. The same goes for Lynch who will need a proper challenger now and that might come in the form of Sol Ruca or perhaps someone else but we’ll see. The tag match was fine, if not hijacked by the very vocal pro Perez crowd but the heel finish worked great. We’ll see what comes from the interaction between Perez and Balor and from that attack on Vaquer. If Vaquer is legit injured then they might pull the trigger to turn Perez and have her be the next challenger to Morgan. If it’s a work, then they’re just putting a pause until the PLE after Backlash to run Morgan and Vaquer again.
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!
Leave a Reply