Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! SummerSlam is only days away and before the major title matches across the card, we’re getting some loaded multi-Superstar Tag Team Matches before the PLE. Who will emerge on top in the last battles before the big show? And will there be any final twists and turns? Let’s get into it, and find out…
Six-Person Mixed Tag Team Match
The Kabuki Warriors (ASUKA & KAIRI SANE) & AJ Styles Vs The Judgement Day (Women’s Tag Team Champions ROXANNE PEREZ & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ, & Dominik Mysterio)
Mysterio faked like he was going to start against Styles (rivals over Mysterio’s IC title) but he tagged out to Rodriguez to make the women legal so Asuka came in. Asuka applied a Headlock and got hoisted up a few times, before Asuka hit a Dropkick to Rodriguez’s knee and then knocked Perez off the apron, trying to hit Mysterio too but her jumped down. Rodriguez couldn’t take advantage of the distraction as Asuka hit a round of strikes, followed by Kawada Kicks. Sane was tagged and although Rodriguez used her power to block a whip, she ended up taking a Bang Kick from Asuka, an Axe Kick from Sane and then duelling Basement Dropkicks from both Warriors to give Sane a count of one.
Sane tried for a Crossbody off the top but Rodriguez caught her, holding her on the shoulder to tag in Perez before she hit Snake Eyes, and then tossed Perez onto Sane with the Fallaway Slam spot as Perez got a near fall. Perez would slam Sane’s face into the mat a few times before Sane used some misdirection to hit her vault-back Headscirrors before a wild attempt at the Headhunter. Sane hit chops to Perez in a corner then a Dropkick, but going for Walk the Plank Mysterio pulled Perez out of the way so Sane hit the corner. Rodriguez, as the referee was distracted by Asuka and Styles complaining, decked Sane with a Big Boot on the floor before sending Sane into the ring.
Rodriguez was tagged in as Perez held Sane to take a kick, and soon after Sane was squashed with a Corner Splash by Rodriguez. Perez was tagged in for the now familiar Double-Teams of Perez whipped in for a Back Elbow, a Corner Splash by Rodriguez and then the Double-Team of the Russian Legsweep by Perez boosted by a Rodriguez Big Boot. It gave Perez a near fall before she sent Sane to the floor and roughed her up and bit, just to send her back in and choking Sane on the ropes. Rodriguez was tagged in for a rest hold of a Cobra Clutch that Sane escaped from with a Chinbuster. She tried to tag out but took a Clothesline. Perez was tagged as Rodriguez hit the Rope-bounce Suplex that set up Perez’s double-Springboard Lionsault but Asuka broke up the pin.
Sane would hit the Interceptor but Rodriguez hauled Asuka off the apron and Mysterio knocked Styles off the apron. Sane hit Stundog Millionaire on Perez who was sent back to her corner so Rodriguez could tag in. Sane escaped from a Powerslam position, and then from a corner so Rodriguez hit the ring post and Sane finally tagged out to Styles, making the men legal in the match.
As the men went at it, Perez would block an attempt at the Pheomenal Forearm by standing in front of Mysterio, but Styles still ducked a cheap shot attempt by Mysterio and then leap frogged over Perez’s wild charge so she went to the floor. Allowing Asuka to hit a kick along the apron to Perez and then a kick to Rodriguez too. In a cool spot, Sane ran the ropes so Styles could toss her up into the air to land an InSane Elbow onto Rodriguez on the floor!
Right after, Styles pinned Mysterio after a Phenomenal Forearm to win for his team.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties. That included interviewing NAOMI who mocked both SummerSlam opponents and called them, like the rest of the roster, fake and phoney. She said she didn’t care if she faced the past, present or so-called future and said tonight would be a ‘cautionary tale’.
LYRA VALKYRIA went to the ring for a promo. Acting rather oddly as she called her oversized blue trainers ‘Becky Stompers’ after an awkward little dance. She messed up the promo right away, saying it would be two weeks, and then correcting herself to say that in one week she’d be standing here as IC Champion. Valkyria said Lynch would have to beat her into the ground to keep the title, and wanted to play Lynch at her own game with the No DQ stipulation and knew what she was capable of, but Lynch didn’t know what she could do.
BECKY LYNCH‘s music played but Valkyria was ready for the planned sneak attack, hitting her Dropkick through the ropes to deck Lynch at ringside who had a Kendo Stick. Valkyria then hammered Lynch repeatedly with the weapon around the ring, and inside Lynch had to flee from a Nightwing attempt so Valkyria stood strong in the ring as Lynch yelled from the aisle.
SCARLETT would again stand by her man Karrion Kross as they played mind games with rival Sami Zayn.
A down-in-the-dumps BAYLEY was interviewed and lamented about recent losses and missing SummerSlam. Admitting that she’s at a loss for words and simple walked off saddened.
Eight-Woman Tag Team Match
IYO SKY, Hall of Famer NIKKI BELLA, RHEA RIPLEY & STEPHANIE VAQUER defeated Women’s World Champion NAOMI, CHELSEA GREEN & The Secret HERvice (ALBA FYRE & PIPER NIVEN)
Naomi and Ripley would start off as Naomi slid on her knees to avoid a Big Boot and caught Ripley in the gut with a Mule Kick. After Naomi hit some clubbing blows, Ripley would hit a couple of Short-Arm Clotheslines, a Ripcord Bang Kick and then Kingdom Falls. Green was tagged in and didn’t want any part of Ripley, but Bella took a tag and tackled Green to hit some punches. A Facebreaker over the knee followed before Green was tossed into her HERvice to knock them from the apron as Bella got a Roll-up for a near fall. A Spinebuster forced Green to flee the ring and Bella chased after her but when Green got back in, she tagged in Fyre. The numbers game caught up as Frye hit a Superkick and a tag by Niven set up an Elbow Drop off the ropes to Bella for a two count.
Naomi was tagged and stomped away at Bella in the heel’s corner then a Dropkick for a near fall. Naomi would hit an Enzigiri before tagging in Niven top hit a Corner Splash. Fyre took a tag to stomp away at Bella and distracted the ref so Green could hit cheap shots, before Green was tagged in to hit some stomps before she tossed Bella over by the hair. Naomi got a tag as a Snapmare by Green set up a PK. Naomi would hit her Bulldog into the corner spot then the slide into a slap. Bella hit her Kick off the ropes and finally tagged out to Sky as Fyre got the tag on the other side.
House on Fire mode with Shotei strokes then a Drokick by Sky, then the Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp. A distraction at the ropes by Naomi allowed Fyre to deck Sky from behind before Green was tagged but Sky avoided a Double-Team with her flips before she hit a Dropkick to Fyre. It still left Sky open to take an Enzigiri from Green who got a near fall. Niven was tagged and hit stomps then a Corner Splash before Naomi got tagged and hit a Jumping Forearm to the corner. Sky tried to fight out from the corner but the numbers were too much, and Naomi would hit her rope-aided Piledriver spot. A stomp with both arms held led to a Legdrop to get a nearfall.
Quick tags between the heels led to a Codebreaker by Green who held Sky in place for a Senton by Niven, then the Swanton by Fyre but both Bella and Vaquer broke up the pin even before a count of one. Green and Niven would take them out. The numbers worked again as even after Ripley hit a headkick to Naomi, Niven would hit a Black Hole Slam to Ripley before Green tossed Ripley out, right for Naomi to send her into the ring steps. Still legal in the ring, Sky got a Roll-up on Fyre for a two count but ate a Superkick but not long after took a Flapjack from Sky.
Vaquer got a tag as did Green who got hit with a Springboard Crossbody then a slap. Fyre took a Superkick and Niven was hit with Eat Defeat. Naomi tried to attack from behind but the Bulldog to the corner was countered to send her into the turnbuckle before she took some Headbutts. With all the heels down in corners, Vaquer hit corner Meteoras to Green and the HERvice but when Naomi jumped up, Vaquer grabbed the legs and hit a Dragon Screw instead. Green took a Back Suplex and was hit with Devil’s Kiss but Fyre broke up the pin. Bella hit a Bella Buster to Fyre and Naomi, acting like she’d seen enough, tried to leave but Sky cut her off and sent her in, leading to a Springboard Dropkick. Bella joined in to do Sky’s signature IT’S ME taunt but they both got decked by Niven who mocked them.
Ripley would hit a Headbutt on Niven and then plant her with Riptide. Green slapped Ripley and got backed up, right into Vaquer who hit the SVB to win the match for her team.
In The Judgement Day clubhouse Balor tried to set up Mysterio and Perez with each other but Rodriguez made sure to stick around and remind Mysterio about Liv Morgan.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Two fine matches on Raw with harmless bouts each. Getting all the women in one match for the storylines about the Women’s World title was no bad thing and this one worked fine. A little hype is better than none. Meanwhile, the six-person tag was more for the men’s IC title feud and there was barely any hype about the women’s tag match which doesn’t even involve The Kabuki Warriors. So that isn’t a good sign. Lastly, Valkyria’s promo with mispeaking and pauses was a dud. Thankfully saved by the quick brawl that followed but the whole thing felt rushed. Hopefully they can deliver at SummerSlam and end this feud nicely.
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!