WWE Monday Night Raw
Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks
After a brief chain wrestling exchange Lynch tosses Banks around the ring with multiple arm drags. Sasha goes for a quick pin, but Lynch matrix bridges out of it. Banks grabs and arm bar, walks the turnbuckle and flips Lynch over in another arm drag. Sasha misses a splash in the corner. Lynch dragon screw leg whips Sasha and locks in a knee bar.
Sasha gets to the ropes. Lynch locks on a modified Deathlock. Naomi distracts the referee as Tamina gets in the ring and drags Sasha to the ropes. Sasha whips Lynch into the ropes, but Lynch baseballs slides Naomi and Tamina. Sasha tries to attack Lynch while her back is turned, but Lynch tosses Sasha to the outside. Lynch mounts the top rope and dives off, taking out all three members of Team B.A.D.
Lynch attempts to suplex Banks off the top rope, but Banks arm-dt’s here across the top rope. Banks destroys Lynch with her double knee drop off the top. Banks locks on a modified surfboard stretch. Lynch tries to fight out of it, but Banks slams her down to the mat. Banks attempts a neck breaker, but Lynch reverses it into a clothesline. Banks traps Lynch on the middle rope. Banks tries to splash Lynch, but Lynch moves out of the way. Banks flies through the middle rope and takes out Naomi and Tamina. Banks gets back in the ring and hits a backstabber into a straightjacket hold.
Lynch flips Banks to get out of the hold. Lynch butterfly suplexes Banks into the corner for a two count. Tamina distracts the ref as Naomi gets on the apron. Naomi kicks Lynch in the head. Banks hits the backstabber and locks in the Banks statement. Lynch rolls through into the dis-arm-her, but Banks reverses that into a roll up with a hand full of tights for the win.
Winner: Sasha Banks
Match Rating: 2.5/5
WWE SmackDown
Alicia Fox & Brie Bella vs Tamina Snuka & Naomi
Brie and Tamina start off the match. Tamina knocks Brie down to the mat. Tamina with a clubbing blow to Brie’s back. Brie with kicks to Tamina’s leg. Brie tags in Fox. Tamina with a headbutt to Fox. Fox with a sunset flip to Tamina for a two count. Fox connects on two dropkicks. Fox with a boot to the chest of Tamina. Tamina with a superkick to Fox for a two count. Tamina bodyslams Fox for a two count. Fox with right hands to the ribs of Tamina. Tamina headbutts Fox. Tamina tags in Naomi. Fox tags in Brie. Brie with a missile dropkick to Naomi. Brie connects with the Daniel Bryan Kicks to the chest of Naomi. Brie with a running knee that sends Tamina to the outside. Naomi goes for a Rear View, but Brie ducks out of the way. Naomi goes for a running bulldog, but Brie sends Naomi face first to the turnbuckle. Brie connects with the Bella Buster to pickup the victory.
Winner: Brie Bella and Alicia Fox
Match Rating: 2.25/5
The first Debriefs of 2016 and hopefully this is the start of a great year for women's wrestling. We've seen glimpses of what could be a Renaissance in the sport, with NXT putting out great matches on a regular basis, Lucha Underground creating women's wrestling stars in Ivelisse and Sexy Star and constantly putting them in great positions to succeed and thrive as much as their male counterparts.
But even with all the great things that occurred in the past 12 months, it is also fair to point out that 2015 was a bit underwhelming. The "Divas Revolution" storyline that WWE had for most of the second half of the year held a lot of promise and many, including myself, thought it would catapult the Divas Division into heights unseen within the company thanks to the debuts of Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks. This angle did not do much to push the right women as there was no clear sense of direction and too many women on a television screen for people to figure out what was happening in the ring.
What do I expect in women's wrestling in 2016? Well, for the most part, more of what we've seen in the latter half of 2015. I expect the NXT women to still be putting out great matches while still developing newer talent such as Asuka, Nia Jax, and Dana Brooke. I also expect Lucha Underground to still give a spotlight for the aforementioned women in the company a chance to shine, maybe even introducing a women's title or at least create a storyline that could lead to one for season 3.
As for WWE, I expect Charlotte to continue her title reign and carry over to WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium in Texas and defend it against either Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, or even against both in a Triple Threat match. That match would be big and a chance for the Divas Division to truly stand out. I think we're going to see a lot more of the NXT women appear on Raw as the year progresses and we see the creative team figure out a way to create compelling storylines for fans to get behind with.
If you want a name to watch out for in 2016, my pick is Alexa Bliss. She is a very gifted wrestler who has mainly served a managerial role for Blake and Murphy ever since they won the NXT Tag Team titles several months ago. I think she will get a push once Bailey is called up to Raw and once she does, she is going to produce great matches. If you need any proof, watch her match against Sasha Banks on the March 18, 2015 episode of NXT on the WWE Network.
Here's to a great year in women's wrestling and Debriefs. Happy New Year everybody.
So there you have it, the breakdown for the week in women's wrestling. What were some of your favorite and least favorite moments from these women? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
MATCH OF THE WEEK: ,
Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks (WWE Monday Night Raw)
WOMAN OF THE WEEK: Sasha Banks
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