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.



Charlotte Flair vs Asuka

Asuka has been revitalised as a heel, often utilising green mist as part of her scheme to win matches as easily as possible. To her credit, this strategy has yet to fail, but this week she faced Charlotte Flair, a competitor she has already defeated using green mist.

This match was given a lot of time, with both Asuka and Flair using the time wisely to put on a fantastic match. Both wrestlers had an opportunity to control the match, however Asuka was able to once again use Kairi Sane as a distraction and hit the green mist, following this up with a Cradle for the pinfall victory.

Asuka looked dominant as she once again defeated Flair, which not only makes her look strong, but it also reinforces how strong the Women’s Tag Team Champions are. This was a great Raw match that actually surpassed the level of some of their previous encounters.

Winner: Asuka
Rating: 3.5/5



Nikki Cross vs Sonya Deville

This match lasted just over a minute, which was probably a minute too long. Nikki Cross is a talented wrestler, but unfortunately for her, Sonya Deville is not a credible opponent for her to be facing.

Cross thankfully ended the match quickly with a Cradle, which prompted both Deville and Mandy Rose to attack her. This brought out a returning Alexa Bliss, who managed to take out Fire and Desire with ease.

In terms of match quality, there was very little to enjoy. However, this match was a conduit for Bliss’ return, and it will be interesting to see how her relationship develops with Cross over the next few weeks.

Winner: Nikki Cross
Rating: 1/5



Piper Niven vs Jinny

The quality of this match was a far cry from what is expected from the NXT UK women’s division. Piper Niven is a talented wrestler, but even she struggled to get a good match out of Jinny.

In what felt like a severely disjointed and uninteresting match, Niven was able to control the contest and keep Jinny at bay. This resulted in Niven hitting the Michinoku Driver for the pinfall victory.

Niven is capable of better, whilst Jinny unfortunately is not. Jinny’s continued tenure on NXT UK seriously needs to be considered, as she is bringing down the overall quality of the product.

Winner: Piper Niven
Rating: 1/5


Candice LeRae vs Dakota Kai

This was the first follow up to Dakota Kai’s betrayal at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, with Candice LeRae ready and raring to go to gain some form of revenge for Kai’s devious actions.

The contest was fairly even, with Kai looking strong in her new heel role, whilst LeRae was once again able to play the valiant face she has become so talented at playing. After a great back and forth match, Kai used Tegan Nox’s knee brace that she parades as a trophy on LeRae to cause the DQ finish.

This match underlined how much Kai has changed, arguably for the better. This contest also allowed both wrestlers to shine, which ensures fans will continue to tune in and watch Kai’s journey to becoming one of the most hated heels in NXT.

Winner: Candice LeRae (via DQ)
Rating: 3/5


Xia Li vs Vanessa Borne

This was less of a match, and more of an excuse to film the next angle between Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley. As soon as the match started, Baszler headed to the ring with Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, whilst Xia Li decimated Vanessa Borne in the ring. Li hit a Head Kick, which allowed her to gain the pinfall victory.

As Baszler and her minions descended upon Li, Ripley entered to scare them off. This led to a verbal battle between Ripley and Baszler, with Ripley declaring she would be going after Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship. Baszler avoided getting into a direct confrontation with Ripley, which presented her as weak in comparison to Ripley.

It is a shame the match was considered to be expendable for the post match angle, but the quality of that segment more than made up for it.

Winner: Xia Li
Rating: 1/5



Bea Priestley & Emi Sakura vs Hikaru Shida & Kris Statlander

Women’s matches on AEW Dynamite have been solid, if unspectacular so far. This match, however, fell into the solid and interesting category as everyone had an opportunity to shine.

In a fairly even contest, everyone had an opportunity to put their own stamp on the match. Emi Sakura looked dominant, Bea Priestley looked better than she has done in a while, and the team of Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander looked crisp in their offense. It took a Cradle pinfall from Sakura on Statlander to separate the teams.

This match was a fine example of what the AEW women’s division is capable of when motivated, with all 4 wrestlers looking strong in their respective performances.

Winner: Bea Priestley & Emi Sakura
Rating: 3/5



Madison Rayne vs Alisha Edwards

Madison Rayne competed here as Jazzy Fitbody, whilst Alicia Edwards competed as Agnes Beerheart. This was part of the Impact Throwback Throwdown week, which was actually rather entertaining.

The match only lasted 3 minutes, however they crammed a lot of moves into this time. Rayne was able to demonstrate her Jazzercise skills, before hitting a Splash off the second rope for the victory.

This was harmless fun, and the unique characters they portrayed added to the interest in the match.

Winner: Madison Rayne
Rating: 2/5



Natalya vs Sarah Logan

Main Event hasn’t featured much in terms of women’s wrestling recently, however that was all to change this week as Natalya took on Sarah Logan.

This match wasn’t interesting in the slightest, with both wrestlers trying to put on a good match to no avail. Natalya managed to lock on the Sharpshooter for the submission victory, but this followed a period of uninspiring combat.

As is the case with a Main Event match, this was poor. It wasn’t interesting, had no heat to it and remains largely inconsequential. Natalya still remains an option for WWE, however she is not as good as she is made out to be. Commentary continue to hype her as a legendary figure, but she is closer to a figure of mediocrity these days.

Winner: Natalya
Rating: 2/5


The Kabuki Warriors vs Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs Nicky Cross & Alexa Bliss vs Sasha Banks & Bayley

Starrcade is unfortunately not the majestic event it once was. As NWA’s crown jewel, the event was revolutionary. However late WCW tarnished it’s legacy, and WWE continues to do just that as they put on a glorified house show under the Starrcade title.

It was interesting to note that this match featured Alexa Bliss’ in ring return from injury, and she put on a credible performance. The match overall was slow and disjointed at first, but it built to a decent crescendo, with The Kabuki Warriors isolating Nikki Cross. Asuka locked in the Asuka Lock, with Cross submitting almost immediately.

This was a serviceable match, however it did not deserve to be highlighted as a match on the WWE Network, never mind highlighted under the Starrcade banner.

Winner: The Kabuki Warriors
Rating: 3/5



Asuka and Charlotte Flair have had some great matches previously, and this match was no different. It was exciting, and reminded fans of just how good Asuka is.


Asuka once again showed why she is considered by some fans to be the best women's wrestler in the world. Not only did she defeat Charlotte Flair in a great match, she also successfully defended the Women's Tag Team Championship at Starrcade. Asuka has successfully rehabilitated her character, and it will be compelling viewing to see if she can use this momentum to capture the Raw 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!