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.



Liv Morgan vs Ruby Riott

This contest was a great way to build interest in the women’s elimination chamber match, with the addition of Sarah Logan as the referee an inspired choice. To have the former Riott Squad members interacting in such a manner was compelling, and the action did not disappoint.

The match itself was fairly short, with both Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott impressing. The finish to the match involved Logan, who delivered a fast pinfall in favour of Morgan due to Riott accidentally clashing with her.

Logan appeared to side with Morgan post match, however she delivered a brutal Knee Strike to her former ally to signal her intent for the elimination chamber match. The match quality was good, but this angle as a whole left me eager to see how their issues would be resolved at Elimination Chamber.

Winner: Liv Morgan
Rating: 2.5/5


Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler

Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler know each other well from their amazing NXT contests, which meant the expectation for this match was through the roof. Asuka was initially due to compete against Baszler, but a wrist injury prevented that.

The issue in this match was the lack of any real fire, which was a surprise considering the classics these 2 have had. Perhaps the constraints of Raw prevented them from succeeding, but the action felt flat and insipid. Baszler didn’t come across as the ass kicking monster she is, whilst the heel vs heel dynamic did not click properly. Baszler managed to counter the Insane Elbow into a Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory, which was an admittedly impressive finish.

Despite disappointing, this was better than the average Raw women’s match. Baszler still looked strong, albeit at the expense of some of her aura.

Winner: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 2.5/5



Naomi & Lacey Evans vs Bayley & Sasha Banks

This was a rematch of last week’s contest, with Bayley and Sasha Banks determined to gain revenge for their loss at the hands of Naomi and Lacey Evans.

The match was fairly even, however Bayley and Banks both displayed a higher level of ferocity to their arsenal, which allowed them to pick up the victory following Banks pinning Naomi with a cradle.

Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Championship seems perpetually attached to her waist, however the sub plots of SmackDown’s women’s division ensures we get entertaining matches such as this one. Naomi and Evans looked plucky, whilst Bayley and Banks regained the credibility they lost in last week’s defeat.

Winner: Bayley & Sasha Banks
Rating: 2.5/5


Carmella & Dana Brooke vs Fire & Desire

Simply put, this match was not entertaining, and only served to extend the love triangle storyline between Mandy Rose, Dolph Ziggler and Otis. Ziggler’s distraction allowed Rose to hit a V Trigger on Dana Brooke to secure the pinfall victory.

Fire & Desire exist in a vacuum where fans cannot get behind their work, but they remain over for some unknown reason. This match did nothing for anyone involved, and the sooner the love triangle storyline finishes, the better SmackDown will be.

Winner: Fire & Desire
Rating: 1.5/5



Isla Dawn vs Aoife Valkyrie

The high level of skill within NXT UK's women's division seems to have all but disappeared, which is a real concern as only Kay Lee Ray, Toni Storm and Piper Niven are considered credible wrestlers. Both Isla Dawn and Aoife Valkyrie have potential, but being works in progress means their matches aren't as entertaining as they could be.

This was a fairly even match, however Valkyrie seemed a step behind where she should be. She secured the pinfall victory by hitting a Top Rope Scissors Kick, but it wasn't secured in a convincing finish.

This match was ok, but it never threatened to be any better. Dawn and Valkyrie are sure fire bets for the future in NXT UK, but for now, they are definitely in need of more matches to convince fans they are worth getting behind.

Winner: Aoife Valkyrie
Rating: 2/5


Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai

The Dakota Kai vs Tegan Nox feud has been fabulous so far, and this week was no different. A steel cage match was the stipulation, which seemed poetic considering the cage Nox was caught in when Kai turned heel against her at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

Kai and Nox competed with absolute hatred for each other, but it was Kai who was able to come out on top. Not only was she performing at the top of her game, she also had the x-factor of Raquel Gonzalez at her disposal. This played into the finish of the match, as Gonzalez trapped Nox with the cage door, allowing Kai to simply escape and claim the victory.

This was an absolutely hellacious match which did the NXT brand justice, as it had been advertised heavily by WWE. Kai continues to show she is the real deal within NXT, whilst Nox’s credibility as a plucky face is enhanced each and every week. These 2 are great wrestlers in NXT, and I hope this feud continues into NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay.

Winner: Dakota Kai
Rating: 4/5


Shotzi Blackheart vs Chelsea Green

Chelsea Green is quite frankly a stain on NXT programming, as she doesn’t benefit the product in any way. Her character is awful, whilst her wrestling ability is even worse.

This week Green took on Shotzi Blackheart for a spot in the ladder match at NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay, but the match failed to ignite. Green hit an Unprettier for the pinfall victory, with fans failing to react with any positivity.

This was just a bad match, with Green making Blackheart look poor. Blackheart would have been a much better option in the ladder match, but Green being the flavour of the moment guaranteed her victory.

Winner: Chelsea Green
Rating: 1.5/5



Big Swole vs Leva Bates

Big. Swole. Squash.

Entertaining.

That says it all really, and this match was everything it needed to be. Swole looks strong as she regains her momentum, with Leva Bates putting over the future of AEW women’s division.

Winner: Big Swole
Rating: 2.5/5


Su Yung vs Havok

Havok continues to be relegated to stipulation matches, as these contests are usually able to mask her inefficient ring ability, which was the case with her match against Su Yung this week.

Yung looked strong as the no DQ stipulation was used well, with Yung claiming a dominant victory after essentially hanging Havok with a rope assisted Mandible Claw for the submission victory.

This was a good match, and it was fresh to see Havok excel in a hard hitting contest.

Winner: Sue Yung
Rating: 3/5


Tessa Blanchard vs Taya Valkyrie

Tessa Blanchard defended the Impact World Championship against Taya Valkyrie, which marked the first time in history that the championship was defended in a women’s match.

Blanchard was expected to dominate Valkyrie, however Valkyrie essentially tried to beat Blanchard using talent alone, which was refreshing to see. Valkyrie gave Blanchard quite a beating, however Blanchard used her overwhelming strength to hit a Buzzsaw DDT and secure the pinfall victory.

This was a quality main event match, with Valkyrie putting in her best performance for years. This historic contest was entertaining, and it allowed critics to see Blanchard as the phenomenal wrestler that she is. Well done to both wrestlers!

Winner: Tessa Blanchard
Rating: 3.5/5



Natalya vs Liv Morgan vs Sarah Logan vs Ruby Riott vs Asuka vs Shayna Baszler

The build to this match was fabulous, with each wrestler looking strong. Yes, Baszler seemed like the overwhelming favourite, but everyone else had such credibility that they could be believable as winners.

However, the reality was that Baszler came in and completely destroyed everyone. She was unstoppable as she powered her way towards victory, with her disposal of both Sarah Logan and Ruby Riott within 15 seconds highlighting how dangerous she is. Asuka attempted to turn the tide once she was Baszler's last opponent, but The Queen of Spades proved too much for The Empress of Tomorrow. A Kirifuda Choke was enough to submit Asuka, which means Baszler will compete at WrestleMania 36 against Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship.

As much as I am happy for Baszler winning, the rest of the competitors in the match felt like chumps, which flew in the face of the booking leading to the match. This is why despite Baszler looking strong, the match felt lacking in true drama.

Winner: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 3.5/5



This match was violent, passionate and most importantly, it was off the hook! Women’s stipulation matches tend to fall on their own sword as their storylines don’t tend to warrant such violence, but this match fully justified the use of a steel cage. Both Dakota Kai and Tegan Nox looked strong, and NXT benefitted from a classic match.


Dakota Kai has gone from strength to strength since turning heel, and her union with Raquel Gonzalez has propelled her to new heights. She is strong, wily and creative, which means she will be a sure bet for a shot at the NXT Women's Championship in 2020.

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!