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, ROH's Women of Honor, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.



R-Truth and Carmella vs Drake & Renee Maverick

This match just did not work, and was not a true reflection of the women involved. Carmella and Renee Maverick were essentially a backdrop to the 24/7 Championship, with their only real contribution to the match a brief brawl. Carmella deserves better than the purgatory she is placed in as R-Truth's sidekick.

Winner: R-Truth and Carmella
Rating: 0.5/5


Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss

This match was a great example of why both wrestlers are currently lauded above their peers. Becky Lynch continues to be one of the most consistent wrestlers on the main roster, and Alexa Bliss not only displayed her underrated wrestling skills, but she gave one of the best selling jobs I have seen in years. Fans all over were adamant that she had genuinely injured her ankle following the xploder, and this is something that most wrestlers in WWE could learn from. The art of selling well is a difficult art to master, and Bliss has definitely mastered it.

Winner: Becky Lynch
Rating: 3/5


Becky Lynch vs Nikki Cross

This match directly followed the Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss match, and as per usual it was a case of Nikki Cross standing up to protect Bliss' honour. From a storyline perspective, this was perfect as the Bliss and Cross storyline has been one of the best aspects of WWE programming in the last few months. However, in terms of match quality, the match didn't last long enough to get out of second gear. Nikki was in control for the majority of the match before she hit the manhandle slam for the pinfall.

Not only was this a serviceable match, it also elevated Nikki as she was able to hang with the Raw Women's Champion. Nikki continues to come up short, however by wrestling established stars, she is able to demonstrate that she has the necessary skills in order to be a success within the women's division.

Winner: Becky Lynch
Rating: 2/5



Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs Bayley & Ember Moon

This match had the potential to be better than it was, which is shame considering the wrestlers involved. Early on in the match it was Bayley and Ember Moon that took control by isolating Alexa Bliss, that is until Nikki Cross was able to get involved and work over Bayley. Cross and Bliss would double team Bayley until she was able to tag in Moon, and despite cleaning up the ring and hitting her eclipse on Cross, she was taken out by Bliss and pinned following twisted bliss.

The real problem with this match is the fact Moon took the pinfall, losing most of her credibility less than 2 weeks before SummerSlam. If Bliss and Cross couldn't lose, the best option would have been to have a DQ or count out finish. This finish only makes Moon look weak, and this casts huge doubts over her chances at SummerSlam.

Winner: Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross
Rating: 2/5



Madison Rayne vs Aoka Muhara

Aoka Muhara started the match off strong by taking control before Madison Rayne tried to ground the action, hitting a series of knee strikes and a sliding clothesline. Muhara hit a jawbreaker and a clothesline, however the finish of the match came when Rayne was able to hit cross rayne for the pinfall after countering a slam by Muhara. Unfortunately this match felt clunky and disjointed, which is a shame as they had enough time to create a fun little match. Rayne now puts herself into contention for the Impact Knockouts Championship.

Winner: Madison Rayne
Rating: 1/5

Taya Valkyrie vs Havok

This match was for the Impact Knockouts Championship, and John E. Bravo was ringside for Tara Valkyrie. Havok starts the match strong by pummelling Valkyrie in the corner with a sequence of strikes, before tossing her across the ring and following this up with a running knee strike. Bravo gets involved by grabbing Havok's leg which allows Valkyrie to target the knee, keeping Havok grounded and locking in an ankle lock. Havok responds with back breaker and and a leg drop, but Bravo pulls Valkyrie towards the ramp. Havok chokeslams Bravo, however an eye rake by Valkyrie allows her to lose via countout and retain the championship.

This wasn't a bad match, however the finish was extremely flat and came off poorly. The interference of Bravo made sense, but it detracted from the match and played directly into the finish. I would love to see a rematch with a real finish.

Winner: Havok via countout
Rating: 2/5


Karissa Rivera vs Sumie Sakai

This was Karissa Rivera's debut match on television for ROH, however it was a debut that did not come off well. Sumie Sakai attempted to ground the match early on and worked Rivera's arm with an arm bar, with Rivera eventually escaping. Following a standoff, Sakai started to dominate the match with clubbing strikes, kicks and an abdominal stretch, only for Rivera to counter and hit kicks of her own. The finish of the match came when Rivera countered Sakai, hitting the bulldog sit down pin for the win

The problem with this match is the fact Rivera was dominated far more than she needed to be, in a match that was meant to highlight her talent to a wider audience. The match was very disjointed, and unfortunately wasn't interesting enough to draw me into it. However, both women are capable of better, and I expect them to both come back stronger.

Winner: Karissa Rivera
Rating: 1.5/5


Rhea Ripley vs Dani Luna

This match was a sheer squash, and an enjoyable one at that. Rhea Ripley came out of the gates quickly to immediately take out Dani Luna with a big boot. Ripley pummelled on Luna with strikes and kicks, before slapping her around. Ripley was quick to end the match with riptide, and in less than 2 minutes she demonstrated how much of a threat she is to Toni Storm. This match was an entertaining squash, and sometimes in wrestling that is all you need to build someone up as a monster.

Winner: Rhea Ripley
Rating: 1/5



Shayna Baszler called out Mia Yim to hype their match at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, and she started off by calling Yim a street rat. Yim arrived to say that Baszler is scared, and will bring a fight to Baszler that she cannot train for. Baszler retorted by saying Yim isn't special and how everyone will see she is nothing but street trash. This segment came off well and increased anticipation for their upcoming match.



Lacey Evans vs Dana Brooke

Dana Brooke is seemingly a resident of Main Event, and in this match she was able to work well with Lacey Evans. Evans took control of the match early on and didn't relent for the majority of the match, displaying more moves than she has previously such as the cobra clutch. Brooke was able to regain ground by hitting Evans with strikes, clotheslines and a dropkick, before attempting a cartwheel splash. Evans was able to avoid the backspring elbow and immediately hit Brooke with the women's right for the pinfall. This match was a perfectly serviceable addition to main event, although I suspect both women were capable of a better match. Hopefully we will see a rematch soon that can be more 50-50, and display both women's strengths.

Winner: Lacey Evans
Rating: 2/5


This match was a great display of why both women are revered by fans. If these 2 were given an extended match, they could really produce something magical.


The manner in which Rhea Ripley destroyed Dani Luna was impressive. Not only was it entertaining, but it puts Ripley back in contention to face Toni Storm for the NXT UK Women's Championship.

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!