Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of WOMEN'S WRESTLING WEEKLY—a rundown of the events which have transpired in the world of women's professional wrestling over the past several days not just with the Superstars on WWE programming, but with Impact Wrestling's Knockouts, Lucha Underground's luchadoras, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.



Bayley & Sasha's Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Segment

The good: Dr. Shelby is back! Creepy little bugger.

The bad: Bayley and Sasha were sent to...friendship counseling?

The ugly: This segment exists at all.

Ember Moon vs. Liv Morgan

Morgan showed some spunk, stunning Moon with a mean elbow late into the match, but come on, we all knew how this was going to end. Moon ascended the ropes and planted Morgan down handily with an Eclipse to pick up a victory.

This was essentially a meaningless match, as it was bookended by friendship counseling, but it's good to see that WWE still wants to give Moon screentime and keep her wrestling on TV. She's too much fun to languish away on the sidelines, after all.

Winner: Ember Moon
Rating: 2/5

Nia Jax vs. Mickie James

Jax dominated early into the match, basically playing with Mickie James like she was a toy, until Alexa Bliss broke up a pin. Bliss continued to interfere as James worked her newfound advantage until being run off by Natalya, and then Jax came back a-swinging, blasting James with a Samoan Drop for the three count.

I know that this distantly connects, somehow, to Bliss' feud with Ronda Rousey, but still, it felt very repetitive. No fault of the ladies, of course, but still. This feels like filler, and filler just isn't very engaging to watch, regardless of talent.

Winner: Nia Jax
Rating: 2/5



Asuka vs. James Ellsworth

James "men are superior" Ellsworth. Oh, honey, is there anything more true to life than a below-average man thinking he can stand toe-to-toe with a spectacular woman just because he says so?

The match, of course, ended via double countout after Ellsworth tried running away mid-match because Asuka was quite literally destroying him. Because God forbid we have an actual ending to a match!

If anyone needs me, I'll be pouting somewhere.

Winner: No contest
Rating: 2/5



Su Yung & Some Zombie vs. Allie & Madison Rayne

Don't ask me who the zombie is, because I don't know.

Despite some good team work early in the match, Allie found herself in peril under the cruel treatment of Su Yung and her compatriot. Rayne brought some hope back with a hot tag, and Allie fought off an attempted interference from Tessa Blanchard so that Rayne could pin the bridesmaid zombie for the victory.

Out of context, this feud must be incredibly confusing. But boy, do I love it.

Winners: Allie & Madison Rayne
Rating: 2.5/5

Rebel vs. Katarina

Full disclosure: this match was so unimpactful (pun intended) on me that I forgot to include it the first time I posted this article. My bad, you guys, it's been a wild week.

This match was pretty slow, and it's clear that neither woman is quite at the level where one can carry the other. Katarina won with a backbreaker. I've never been a big fan of Rebel, as many of you who have read this column for the past several months know, so maybe that plays into it. But this match never quite...caught on for me.

Maybe next time.

Winners: Katarina
Rating: 1/5



There's some Game of Thrones-level weirdness going on. In a "backstage" segment, Catrina kisses Ray Fenix's cold, dead lips, and is suddenly wearing a red dress. She finds Melissa Santos, looking at old photos, and says that Fenix sacrificed himself for the woman he truly loved: her. Somehow, his death has given Catrina new life. She gives her amulet to Melissa and leaves.

Taya Valkyrie & Johnny Mundo vs. Kobra Moon & Daga

Kobra Moon is out of her damn mind. And I say that in the best way. Throughout this match, she hissed and slithered around, hitting beautiful headscissors and gaining momentum in the match until PJ Black walloped her in the back of the head while the referee was distracted, allowing Valkyrie to curb stomp her for the pinfall.

Winners: Taya Valkyrie & Johnny Mundo
Rating: 3/5



Dakota Kai vs. Santana Garrett

Team Kick is victorious yet again! Following a technically focused start to the match, Kai got some steam and got her series of kicks in, reminiscent to a monk in Dungeons & Dragons, for the pinfall victory. Looks like out lovable little angel is gaining some momentum and is inching closer to a No. 1 contendership!

Later on, Shayna Baszler cut a promo basically burying everyone else on the roster, calling herself unbeatable. And I mean, she's not wrong...

But can she cut the best promo of all time while reclining by a pool? I think not.

Winner: Dakota Kai
Rating: 2.5/5



This section includes recaps of matches from around the world in various lesser-known independent promotions throughout the week.

Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment

Match: Marti Belle vs. Kiera Hogan and Savannah Evans
Winner: Marti Belle

RISE

Match: Mercedes Martinez vs. Tessa Blanchard (Phoenix of RISE 30-Minute Iron Man Championship match)
Winner: Tessa Blanchard


We're back to my time-honored tradition of watching LU matches and going, "Wow, it's almost unfair to compare anything to this!" With their stellar storytelling and sublime character work, the women of LU easily captured this distinct honor. I mean, this match had slithering! Come on.


She didn't wrestle, but her brief segment on this week's Lucha Underground haunted me for days after watching. I'm still thinking about it, if we're being honest. And that counts for something, right?

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!