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 Ruby Riott

Charlotte Flair vs Ruby Riott should always be an interesting match, but unfortunately the negative manner in which Riott has been booked on Raw ensured there was no heat towards this match at all.

Riott attempted to look on par with Flair, but this was not to be the case. Flair dominated this contest from start to finish, securing a submission victory by trapping Riott in a Figure Eight.

This contest was very underwhelming, despite the best efforts of both competitors. When Riott is no believable threat to the NXT Women’s Champion, fans have no reason to invest themselves in the match.

Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: 2/5


Natalya vs Shayna Baszler

Last week’s effort between Shayna Baszler and Natalya was disappointing, and this week’s offering turned out to be no better. The problem stems from the fact Baszler is meant to be a destructive force, but Natalya is making this element of Baszler’s character look redundant.

Baszler did control the majority of the match, but the victory should have been secured in a more explosive manner. Baszler was able to escape the clutches of Natalya to lock in a Sleeper Hold for the submission victory.

Raw seemed to be the night of underwhelming women’s matches. This wasn’t flat out bad, but it did nothing to improve on last week’s effort.

Winner: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 2/5


Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs The IIconics

The IIconics had earned an opportunity at the Women’s Tag Team Championship through their victory over Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, but despite their previous success, they didn’t look likely to re-capture the titles here.

Miscommunication was the name of the game here, as Bliss and Cross were on a better wavelength than The IIconics were. After a period of ineffective offense from The IIconics, Peyton Royce proceeded to repeatedly slam Bliss into the turnbuckle, which resulted in a DQ finish.

The match was poor, however the finish was not without it’s merit. The IIconics should not split up as a result of Billie Kay’s unexpected slap on Royce after the match, but they should develop a mean streak that results in better matches.

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



Charlotte Flair vs Bayley

Charlotte Flair is determined to rule all 3 brands, but Bayley acted as the protector for the blue brand by standing up to The Queen this week in what was a very interesting match.

Flair and Bayley both had periods of control during the match, with Flair acting in a cocky manner, hinting at her downfall. Flair focused on hitting Bayley with a series of Flair Chops before rolling Bayley up, only for the SmackDown Women's Champion to successfully counter the pinfall attempt into one of her own, holding the ropes for leverage.

It was great to see Bayley win as Flair should not be the all conquering monster she is often booked to be. Bayley increased her own reputation with a sneaky win, which ensured the match ended on an interesting note. This was a good attempt at a match from 2 of WWE's more talented wrestlers.

Winner: Bayley
Rating: 3/5



There were no new women's matches this week.


Mia Yim vs Santana Garrett

There isn’t much to say about this match, as it was a squash match designed to make the the post match angle look good. Mia Yim ended the match quickly with a Protect Ya Neck, securing a pinfall victory.

This brought out Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae, with LeRae intending on taking out Yim. This brought out Keith Lee to even the numbers, which made for an effective angle.

Winner: Mia Yim
Rating: 2/5


Rhea Ripley vs Io Shirai

This was an amazing match to end this week’s episode of NXT, with Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai putting on a solid performance. Charlotte Flair also made a cameo appearance to set up a triple threat match between the wrestlers for NXT TakeOver: In Your House.

Both Ripley and Shirai had periods of dominance in the ring, with Shirai arguably looking stronger. Shirai was well on the way to victory before she was attacked by Flair, leading to a DQ finish.

Whilst the finish was underwhelming, it did protect both wrestlers from a disappointing loss. The angle between all 3 wrestlers has been suitably booked so far, which means the match comes across better as a result.

Winner: Io Shirai (via DQ)
Rating: 3/5



Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker & Nyla Rose

It was a real shame to see Britt Baker succumb to injury as a result of this match, as this meant she would no longer be able to take on Kris Statlander at Double or Nothing.

Prior to the injury, this was a serviceable match. Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander impressed, whilst Nyla Rose and Baker both came across as menacing and wily. As Baker was being tended to by the medical team, Rose hit a strong Beast Bomb on Shida for the pinfall victory.

This was a fun match, but the miscommunication left a lot to be desired. I was also at odds to explain why Shida took the pinfall, as this made her look weak prior to her AEW Women’s Championship match.

Winner: Britt Baker & Nyla Rose
Rating: 2.5/5



There were no Knockout's matches this week.


Kris Statlander vs Penelope Ford

Penelope Ford acted as the replacement for Britt Baker, but the result was never in doubt as Kris Statlander is in another league compared to Ford.

This was a fairly even contest, with Statlander putting in yet another impressive performance. Ford was able to utilise her Diving Hurricanrana to assume control of the match, only for Statlander to follow up a Blue Thunder Bomb with an intense Big Bang Theory for the pinfall victory.

This was a great match, with both wrestlers coming away with improved reputations. Baker’s absence was a shame, but Ford more than stood up to the plate.

Winner: Kris Statlander
Rating: 2.5/5

Nyla Rose vs Hikaru Shida

This was for the AEW Women’s Championship and served as the culmination to Hikaru Shida’s quest to win the title. Shida has been the best women’s wrestler in AEW, but Nyla Rose was not to be defeated easily.

The No DQ format allowed Shida to display a more visceral side to her character. Rose thrives in such environments, and she didn’t disappoint as she tried to literally destroy Shida. It seemed that Rose would continue to reign supreme, however Shida was able to hit a very stiff looking Running Knee to secure a pinfall victory and win the AEW Women’s Championship.

This was a quality match, with Shida showing a different side to her character. AEW finally has a top tier women’s star, and once Britt Baker is back from her injury she is sure to be a dangerous challenger for the title.

Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 3.5/5


This was a hard hitting match which showed how much talent is in AEW’s women’s division. Neither wrestler was overawed by the match stipulation, which helped to create a fun and exciting match.


Hikaru Shida has been a shining light in AEW, therefore it is so heart warming to see her win the AEW Women’s Championship. Well done!

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!