Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
Now that WrestleMania season is over, the women’s division carries on strong with a shocking heel turn by the returning Becky Lynch last week when she attacked Lyra Valkyria, and the seeming arrival full-time of both Roxanne Perez and Giulia to Raw. What’s next for the Superstars of Raw as we head towards Backlash? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos featured RHEA RIPLEY, ROXANNE PEREZ, IVY NILE with American Made and NXT Women’s Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER.
Singles Match
RHEA RIPLEY defeated ROXANNE PEREZ by DQ
Perez was still being labelled as an NXT Superstar. Perez instantly rolled to avoid a lock up and bailed from the ring, and fled the ring again before she threw her ring jacket to blind Ripley to set up for a cheap shot Chop Block. Perez stomped at the leg but Ripley powered up. A slap from Perez left Ripley furious, but Perez took advantage of an angry charge to send Ripley into the corner with a Drop Toe Hold. Perez hit a corner Back Elbow, rolled out, but got hit with a counter Big Boot. Perez managed to escape from a Razor’s Edge and used her quickness to bring Ripley down to the mat off a Wheelbarror into a takedown before she stomped at the hurt leg.
A Basement Dropkick sent Ripley to the floor, but when Perez went for a Suicide Dive Ripley caught her mid-air to slam her into the crown barricade. Not long after, Ripley tried to haul Perez back into the ring but got tripped up as Perez yanked Ripley to the corner and slammed the leg into the ring post. Back inside, Perez tried for a Side Russian Legsweep off a Tilt-a-whirl but Ripley blocked and finally decked Perez with a Clothesline.
Perez tried for a Crossbody from the middle rope but again Ripley caught her and turned it into a Suplex. A Running Dropkick sent Perez to the floor, and Perez got roughed up with a shot to the barricade and a chop. Perez was sent in and hit Ripley with a Dropkick when she tried to get back in to set up for a Perez Suicide Dive. Perez worked over the leg with a twist on the turnbuckle and multiple shots. Perez hit a duo of Running European Uppercuts with a roll out between them to set up a Running Basement Dropkick in the corner.
Perez hit a Springboard Lionsault for a near fall, then locked on an Indian Deathlock before a Toehold until Ripley kicked free and hit her counter kick from the mat. Ripley hit a couple of Short-Arm Clotheslines then a ripcord kick before the Razor’s Edge and a Running Basement Dropkick for a near fall. GIULIA walked down to ringside and distracted Ripley, and that allowed Perez to try and steal one with a Small Package for a near fall. A cartwheel Knee Drop gave Perez another two count. Perez tried for Pop Rox but Ripley countered and hit a High Knee.
Ripley yanked up Giulia to the apron, but when Perez tried to take advantage, Ripley decked her with a Headbutt. Ripley went for Riptide but Giulia stormed the ring and hit a Chop Block to get the match thrown out.
Both Giulia and Perez hammered at Ripley with punches until IYO SKY ran out to make the save. Hitting both women with Shotei strikes then swinging Giulia’s leg into Perez. Giulia took the Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp spot but when Sky went for a Springboard, Giulia hit the ropes to knock Sky down. Perez and Giulia hammered away at Sky until Ripley got back in and made them scatter. Backing away as Ripley and Sky were furious in the ring.
LIV MORGAN and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ were in the Judgement Day clubhouse but it seemed clear that Finn Balor was being kept out of the loop of things by Morgan.
JACKIE REDMOND and CATHY KELLY handled interview duties.
BECKY LYNCH went to the ring for a promo. Lynch openly bragged that she took out Bayley before WrestleMania and ranted that she wasn’t the villain and said Bayley used to attack her all the time years ago. Lynch said that Lyra Valkyria was a friend of an enemy (Bayley), so now was an enemy and called Bayley a bitch and called Valkyria ‘compromised’ and a loser.
LYRA VALKYRIA interrupted and looked distraught and claimed the locker room warned her about Lynch but she didn’t believe and called it a ‘fairy tale dream’ to win the tag belts with Lynch. Valkyria went after Lynch but she bailed from the ring, so Valkyria called her scared and referenced the last match they had when she won the NXT Women’s Championship. It led to a challenge for the Women’s Intercontental Championship as Lynch said she’d make the title relevant while Valkyria said she’d make herself relevant, saying she was going to be both a better person and the better wrestler.
When Lynch ranted, Valkyria hit a Dropkick through the ropes and then hammered Lynch in the ring before Lynch fled through the crowd. However, when Valkyria posed on the ramp Lynch blindsided her with a cheap shot before she ran off.
Ivy Nile was with Chad Gable as him running his mouth led to being dropped on the spot by Penta.
Singles Match
NXT Women’s Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER defeated IVY NILE w/h Chad Gable
Nile got a double-leg takedown for a count of one, and after a rolling Front Facelock she got another single count. A Bridging Clutch pin got Vaquer a near fall. The two traded Shoulder Takedowns before Nile hit a Headscissors Takeover before Vaquer used one to turn into pinhold for a two count. Vaquer hit a Suplex and went for the Devil’s Kiss but Nile, much to the crowd’s anger, escaped and locked on a Surfboard-like hold. Only for Vaquer to escape and then deliver 11 shots of the Devil’s Kiss.
Nile drove Vaquer into the ring apron then the post. Nile sent Vaquer into corners with a whip then hit a Clothesline, followed by a Delayed Suplex for a near fall. Nile countered a whip and locked on a Heel Hook-like hold. Nile hit a Shinbreaker but Vaquer hit a Chinbuster then a counter DDT before a Samson Clutch got a nearfall. Vaquer landed another round of 10 Devil’s Kiss then a corner Meteora but Gable put Nile’s foot on the ropes.
Vaquer confronted Gable on the floor, and the distraction allowed Nile to hit a German Suplex on the outside! Back in the ring, Nile hit a running Kick then a Bridging German Suplex for a near fall. Moments later, Vaquer would catch Nile going up top and stunned her with Headbutts before she hit a Superplex. Vaquer tried for SVB but Nile hit her spin-out slam but only got a near fall. Nile would get set up in the corner for a rope-hung Dragon’s Screw, before Vaquer hit the SVB for the victory.
Morgan and Rodriguez along with Dominik Mysterio interrupted guest GM Nick Aldis and AJ Style as Morgan bragged that she was going to need time off to film a movie.
It was confirmed that at WWE Backlash Lyra Valkyria would defend the Women’s IC title against Becky Lynch.
Backstage Jackie Redmond interviewed Iyo Sky, and Sky said she returned a favour from being helped last week. Ripley interrupted and claimed she didn’t need help, but Sky flatly stated that it looked like she did. Ripley stated that they were even before she walked off.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
We had two fine matches on Raw with the women and a solid, if not shouty segment between Lynch and Valkyria which did its job. Hopefully, Perez and Giulia are full time call-ups but the fact both were repeatedly called NXT stars has me still worried. There isn’t a clear direction for this story but perhaps we’ll get at the very least a Four-Way clash if not just Ripley versus Sky. Vaquer I feel had a better showing this week compared to last, but things were a little clunky with Nile. The WWE clearly sees star potential with her but we’ll see if it’s too much, too soon for her to be around on Raw so much. Lastly, the announcement from Morgan about leaving to do a movie was odd. What’s the fate of the tag titles while she’s gone, or is it just storyline for The Judgement Day to allow him to seize back control while she’s ‘away’?
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!