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 The Kabuki Warriors

It initially seemed rather strange that Charlotte Flair would be facing The Kabuki Warriors in a handicap match, as she has been unable to beat the dominant team as of late. Nonetheless, this was an intriguing match that did not fail to live up to the hype.

Despite the clear disadvantage, Flair was able to keep the Kabuki Warriors at bay for over 15 minutes. Flair expertly worked over Asuka's knee, however the numbers game eventually proved too much for Flair, who succumbed to an Insane Elbow from Kairi Sane whilst Flair had the Figure Four locked in on Asuka.

The finish of the match was not only creative, but it also protected Flair. Some fans may feel The Kabuki Warriors should have beaten Flair quicker, however she is the pinnacle of the Raw women's division, and as such, it should take a herculean effort to defeat her. This was a highly entertaining match that never dragged for one moment.

Winner: The Kabuki Warriors
Rating: 3.5/5



Alexa Bliss vs Mandy Rose

This match marked Alexa Bliss' return to singles competition following her injury, but unfortunately, she competed against one of the worst performers in the SmackDown women's division. Mandy Rose struggles to hold her own in matches, and against Bliss, she was never likely to put on a good match.

Bliss and Rose had a fairly even match, with Rose giving Bliss some verbal abuse to fire Bliss up. The finish of the match had Sonya Deville attempt to cost Bliss the match, however Nikki Cross equalised the situation which allowed Bliss to follow up her DDT with Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory.

For a SmackDown women's match, it wasn't flat out awful. Bliss proved she has lost none of her wrestling skills or ring awareness, but Rose continues to show no real development or improvement in the ring. Hopefully this match will be followed up next week with a tag team match, which should allow for Rose's shortcomings to be hidden.

Winner: Alexa Bliss
Rating: 2/5


Lacey Evans vs Haley Jones

This was nothing more than a squash match to allow Lacey Evans to look strong as she transitions to a face role. Haley Jones hit Evans a few times, only for The Sassy Southern Belle to hit The Women's Right for the quick pinfall.

As a squash match, this was inoffensive and served it's purpose well, however the post match angle was perfect in rebuilding Evans' reputation. Sasha Banks came out to run Evans down, only to have Evans stand up to her. Unfortunately, Banks does not operate alone these days, and Evans ended up falling victim to a double team beatdown at the hands of Banks and Bayley. This was a great way to set Evans up as a face, and I look forward to seeing her take on both Banks and Bayley over the coming weeks.

Winner: Lacey Evans
Rating: 1/5



Toni Storm vs Killer Kelly

Toni Storm used this match to declare her return to NXT UK, and in such a dominant fashion that fans are used to, she destroyed Killer Kelly within 2 minutes. Kelly attempted to mount an offense, but Storm cut her off at every point. After toying around with Kelly, Storm hit a Superkick and followed it up with a Storm Zero for the pinfall victory.

This match was everything it needed to be, as Storm returns to NXT UK with instant credibility, and sets out her plan to defeat Kay Lee Ray for the NXT UK Women's Championship. This was highlighted by Ray's attack on Storm after the match, with Piper Niven making the save on Storm's behalf. Storm was not happy though, refusing the assistance of Niven. This makes the next few weeks of NXT UK unmissable viewing to find out where this angle goes.

Winner: Toni Storm
Rating: 2/5


Xia Li vs Shayna Baszler

This match followed last week's appearance by Shayna Basler in Xia Li's match against Vanessa Borne, with Li determined to prove she could beat Baszler. Unfortunately for Li, she never seemed capable of defeating Baszler here.

Baszler was in control for the majority of the match, with Li's offense seeming weak in comparison to Baszler's. The finish to the match had Li hit a Powerbomb on Baszler for a 2 count, only for Baszler to transition this into the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory.

Baszler looked strong here as she works towards her match with Rhea Ripley on December 18 for the NXT Women's Championship, but it came at the expense of Li's last remaining credibility. At this point, Li seems unlikely to succeed in NXT as she always seems to come up short when she faces the elite of the NXT women's division.

Winner: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 2/5



Nyla Rose vs Leva Bates

This was yet another squash match, however this felt necessary in order to build Nyla Rose as a genuine threat to AEW's women's division. Peter Avalon tried to inject himself into the match, only to be Chokeslammed alongside Leva Bates. Rose followed this up with a Beast Bomb for a dominant pinfall victory.

Rose continued to wreak havoc after the match, and even gave the referee a Powerbomb through a table. This led to Britt Baker reprising her reaction from NXT TakeOver: WarGames, which seemed entirely unwarranted. This match and the post angle both helped to re-establish Rose as a pure monster, which is a useful narrative for AEW to use over the next few months.

Winner: Nyla Rose
Rating: 2/5


Kris Statlander vs Hikaru Shida

These two wrestlers tagged together last week on AEW Dynamite, but they ended up the match as losers. This led to a matchup this week to prove who is the stronger wrestler.

Hikaru Shida is the more established wrestler within AEW, therefore she was the favourite going into this match. However, Kris Statlander wasn't ready to allow Shida's reputation to precede her, and gave Shida a competitive fight. This was highlighted in the finish, as Statlander countered a Knee Strike into a Michinoku Driver for a 2 count. This was followed up by a Big Boom which gave Statlander the shocking pinfall victory.

This match gives Statlander a significant amount of momentum, and hopefully she will be able to use this to make a name for herself within AEW. If she can follow this up with more victories, she will be able to stake her claim for a shot at the AEW Women's Championship. This was a great match which highlighted the strength of AEW's women's division.

Winner: Kris Statlander
Rating: 3/5



Taya Valkyrie vs ODB

ODB made her return to Impact Wrestling, and was immediately thrust into a match with the Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie. ODB entered the match with nothing to lose, and she put on a performance that showed she still has what it takes to be a star within the squared circle.

Valkyrie underestimated the threat ODB posed, whilst John E. Bravo and Jordynne Grace attempted to interfere in the match on behalf of Valkyrie and ODB respectively. This led to ODB rolling up a distracted Valkyrie for the pinfall victory.

As a match, it wasn't too impressive, however ODB looked strong as she rolled back the years. I do have to say that Valkyrie shouldn't have lost here, even if it was the result of a distraction. Impact Wrestling needs to seriously consider how they book their Knockouts Championship going forward, as Valkyrie doesn't seem to enhance the championship in the way a good champion should.

Winner: ODB
Rating: 2/5



The Allure vs Sumie Sakai & Jenny Rose

This was a no DQ match, which didn't seem to favour either team. The Allure were attacked during their entrance, eliminating the opportunity for The Allure to get the upper hand. Mandy Leon was isolated early on, however Angelina Love evened the odds shortly after.

The match was a fairly even affair, with Daryl the Cat making an appearance, as he assisted Sumie Sakai. Sakai attempted a Moonsault onto Love, only to land on a chair, which allowed Love to connect with a Botox Injection for the pinfall victory.

This was a decent offering from the Women of Honor. It was nice to see a women's match on ROH television, and the fact it was a no DQ match hugely helped. With more time and investment, a rematch between these teams could be even better.

Winner: The Allure
Rating: 2.5/5



Natalya vs Sarah Logan

Another week of Main Event, and another rehash of Natalya vs Sarah Logan. This is a rematch that no fan wanted, and it is a shame that WWE has no interest in Main Event as a whole.

The match was a slow, dull and painfully uninteresting contest. Natalya countered Logan's Double Knees attempt into a cradle to steal the victory. Natalya didn't gain anything from winning, whilst Logan once again looks weak for losing. Hopefully we won't see an immediate rematch, but I won't hold my breath.

Winner: Natalya
Rating: 1/5


This was quite simply a great match. It was well set out, didn't drop in quality once, and kept the fans on their feet for the finish. Charlotte Flair looked strong in defeat, whilst The Kabuki Warriors once again proved how strong they are. This was a match that allowed all performers to shine.


Not only did Shayna Baszler defeat Xia Li in a dominant fashion, she also took down her nemesis in Rhea Ripley. Baszler announced she would defend her NXT Women's Championship against Ripley on the December 18 episode of NXT, looking dominant as she announced this over Ripley's stricken body.

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!