It’s time for a new challenger…
I combine Raw’s two big women’s fights into one because they were the best fights on the show and they’re part of the same story.
Raw needs a number one contender for Bianca Belair’s title. They have scheduled two Triple Threat Matches where the respective winners will go head-to-head next week. The first game? Rhea Ripley vs Bayley vs Asuka. Rhea dominated early because that’s Rhea’s story now. Yes, Bianca has the championship but Rhea is currently dominating the women’s division due to her powerful presence. It’s Mommy’s world and we all live in it.
But that dominance didn’t last long because Asuka and Bayley are Asuka and Bayley. But Asuka was an afterthought overall, because before the bell rang, Becky Lynch got into a mic duel with Bayley, with Becky essentially saying the role model is nothing without her homegirls by her side.
Becky exited the ring as Rhea entered and they shared what felt like a five minute look down. So right there they were teasing Becky vs. Bayley or Becky vs. Rhea. Like I said, Asuka as an afterthought makes sense. The empress even fell victim to the dreaded “heel double team”, which only lasted so long because heels have to have heels.
The match flow made it clear that Asuka and Bayley couldn’t solve the Rhea problem. In fact, Rhea only lost the match because she got overzealous and finished herself off. Rhea attempted a cannonball off the steel steps but Bayley was a step ahead of her and moved. Bayley was actually the smarter wrestler throughout the match. And that’s why she prevailed after completely knocking Asuka out of the picture with a Roseplant with Rhea.
Rhea took her frustration out on a beaten Asuka, which hopefully means we’ll get that feud next, though it probably means a few more Ls for Asuka.
The main event included Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Based on everything previously leaked, Becky wins, right?
Not really. For a few weeks, but especially last week, WWE told us that Alexa wasn’t entirely happy. Even before that match, the commentary noted that her singles career isn’t exactly thriving at the moment. That meant either The Man or Ms. Bliss seemed destined for the W, with Nikki as cannon fodder.
Nikki immediately followed Alexa, continuing her very long history and recent chapter at Survivor Series. But when Becky and Alexa threw Nikki out of the ring, she apparently just smiled and laughed on the commentary table while Lynch and Bliss wrestled. I know it’s her character and all, but it’s an odd note for a high stakes match when one of your wrestlers willingly sits out because she’s “crazy”.
Eventually all three women came into play and the match found a flow I liked. Becky and Nikki would chat in their one-on-one moments because neither woman was giving in and Becky was talking a lot of trash, begging Nikki to get up and fight her. It sucks when the same person who puts you down tells you to get up and fight.
The next big moment of the game came in the ending sequence. Becky hits Cross with the manhandle slam on the ring apron, but Damage CTRL interferes! Bayley doesn’t want anything from Becky and with the championship so close, she’s not taking any chances. Bayley believes her chances improve when she faces Nikki or Alexa, so she made sure that happened. While Dakota Kai & IYO SKY powerbombed Becky around the commentary table, Alexa Twisted Bliss met an already dazed Nikki.
So next week it’s Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and my money’s on Alexa. Aside from something going on with Alexa and her look at Bianca providing a path for a heel turn, I don’t see Becky behaving and letting the past rest.
extracurricular
Forced Steel
off top Anything related to Bloodline crosses the line. For those unfamiliar with a thing called “newspapers,” “above the fold” refers to things on the first page above the part of the paper that will be folded in half. From a digital point of view, everything that goes beyond the “extracurriculars” area. Anyway, I always assume that’s where it goes because bloodline-related issues usually trump everything else when it comes to what I like about my wrestling.
So I’m shocked that the tag team title match is happening here and not somewhere else. Solo Sikoa knocked out Elias before the match, so Kevin Owens filled his place as he and Matthew Riddle fought the Usos.
meh
And I’m shocked about it, meh! The match felt disappointing. Maybe because I knew Jimmy & Jey wouldn’t lose, but also because they were never in any danger either. A good title match carries risks; Either the championship is changing hands through high stakes, or looks like it is. Riddle & KO never made me think for a second that they had those belts. Riddle eventually took the 1D, the Bloodline beat up Riddle after the bell and KO chased Sami Zayn, Jimmy and Jey into downtown DC traffic. That left Riddle with Solo, who attacked him in a way only Solo knows. This included Solo wrapping a chair around Riddle’s neck and running into it at full speed from the other side of the ring.
Riddle got the job done on the stretcher so who knows if he’ll be gone for a while or just a few weeks but it’ll clearly be him and Solo when Bro gets back. And that’s a bet.
Side note, but when Sami says “bet” like me, the Usos, and every one of my friends says “bet”, it makes me smile and laugh.
More Seth. More Bobbi
I don’t have anything smart for this one because it was Bobby and Seth in the ring talking trash to each other once again. Seth got under Bobby’s skin by implying that All Mighty is afraid of Brock Lesnar. A fight broke out, officers and security intervened, then Bobby accidentally impaled a WWE official. It’s Bobby and Seth in a number one match for Theory’s title next week, but Adam Pearce checked on Bobby as the former champion left the arena. Pearce understands that accidents happen, but it’s better not to happen again. That’s a threat. Bobby said cool but just make sure no one gets in his way again. It’s definitely a threat.
Something tells me Bobby will lose this match next week.
Last Dance?
Ali took on Austin Theory and challenged him for the US Championship. Austin not only accepted, but after that match said he never wanted to hear the word “opportunity” out of Ali’s mouth again. And you know what? I agree. Not just for Ali, but for every single wrestler in WWE. But I digress.
The match began with Theory showing his brutality, slamming Ali into the ring post and then slamming his head into the barricade. Austin is getting more violent every week and I like this addition to his character. Eventually Ali found his footing and it became a conventional wrestling match. Also a solid but unfortunately interrupted by Dolph Ziggler. Dolph attacked Theory, giving the champion a DQ win and also hurting Ali’s chances of winning a championship. An enraged Ali confronted Ziggler and while the two were arguing, Theory punched out, knocking Ali out of the ring and pinning Ziggler with an A-town down. Ali once again plays the sacrificial lamb. I can do without that, but I like it when Ziggler shows up for continuity.
Casino royale
Remember Duke Hudson’s poker gimmick? A bunch of cats in NXT remembers. Anyway, I mention it because it seems JBL snagged Duke’s poker tournaments and brought them to Raw. The OC, Baron Corbin, Shelton Benjamin, Alpha Academy, Dominik, Dexter Lumis, Johnny Gargano, Tamina, Dana Brooke and Tozawa competed in JBL’s tournament. Tozawa and Dom came into play first, then the OC called Baron Corbin a cheater, leading to a big fight that effectively ended the tournament. Alpha Academy had Corbin’s back, resulting in a match between those three and The OC
And the OC prevailed in another solid but uneventful match. I love everyone involved except for Corbin, but there’s nothing worth mentioning here. It felt like a wild card match as WWE figures out what to do with everyone involved. Still, I’m shocked that WWE put Dom and The OC in the same spot and didn’t do anything with the pairing. With all the bad blood between The Judgment Day and the California Boys, that doesn’t make any sense.
Speaking of cathedral…
Dominik defeated Tozawa. It was okay, but Tozawa is basically a punchline at this point, while Dom just enjoys watching Dom wrestle meaningful fights. While The Judgment Day reigned over Tozawa after the match, the Street Profits came to his aid. Which they only did because they’re good guys who clearly want beef with JD. I still feel like there are unanswered questions between Judgment Day and The OC, but I think WWE feels different.
Another week and another solid Raw. The show rarely stands out these days, but it’s… appropriate. However, the show sparked some new feuds and even reassembled some members of an NXT band when Candice LaRae found her backstage interview interrupted by her husband and his psychotic son-in-law, who had just won a bunch of poker money. If there’s one thing that this episode and previous episodes show, it’s that Triple H believes in storytelling, so hopefully we’ll get a fix for that and the other stories that started here.
grade B-
That’s my grade and I’m sticking with it. It’s your turn.