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 Natalya vs Nia Jax

This match felt like a hot mess, primarily due to the fact Charlotte Flair is already NXT Women's Champion, whilst Natalya and Nia Jax are undeserving of a shot at the Raw Women's Championship. Alas, one of these wrestlers would win the match, and thankfully, the match wasn't as bad as I had anticipated.

The formulaic two in and one out style was employed here, which limited the impact Jax could have on the match. Flair shone brightly as she usually does, with Natalya and Jax often looking lost. The finish of the match had Jax hit a Samoan Drop on Natalya whilst Flair was outside of the ring to secure a pinfall victory.

It wasn't pretty, but Jax earned the number one contender spot to face off against Asuka at Backlash for the Raw Women's Championship. This match was ok, but it never flirted with being truly entertaining.

Winner: Nia Jax
Rating: 2/5



Lacey Evans vs Sonya Deville

This was another opportunity for Sonya Deville to prove how much she has improved, as Lacey Evans has made quite the jump in terms of in ring ability over the past 6 months.

Deville started the match strongly, with Evans also performing well in the early stages. The match quickly devolved into a fight on the outside, which unfortunately led to a double countout.

Despite the bad finish of the match, both Deville and Evans proceeded to slam each other into the announce table. This wasn’t a bad match, but it could have been so much better.

Winner: No Contest (Double Countout)
Rating: 2.5/5


Alexa Bliss vs Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks looked fired up for this match, whilst Alexa Bliss continued to look motivated as one half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions. Banks seemed keen to underline that despite being the best friend of the SmackDown Women’s Champion, she is still a major threat in her own right.

Nikki Cross and Bayley were both on commentary during this match, with their comments alone making this match highly watchable. Banks and Bliss both put on a great performance though, with Banks securing the victory through capitalising on miscommunication between Bliss and Cross.

This was an extremely entertaining match, with everyone involved putting on a great performance. Banks looked really strong, which means she is in a great position to turn against Bayley to challenge for the title, once WWE are prepared to pull the trigger.

Winner: Sasha Banks
Rating: 3.5/5



There were no new women's matches this week.


Shotzi Blackheart vs Raquel Gonzalez

Raquel Gonzalez has been an intimidating force in NXT, however she hasn’t received many opportunities to display her undoubted talent in matches. This week provided her with a contest against Shotzi Blackheart, and she didn’t disappoint.

Gonzalez was an imposing figure throughout, although Dakota Kai actually provided the best moment of the match as she commandeered Blackheart’s tank before being taken out by Tegan Nox. This brought out Candice LeRae to confront Nox for her appearance in Mia Yim’s video, which allowed Kai to assist Gonzalez and secure the pinfall victory.

This match was a lot of fun, despite the large amount of interference. Gonzalez looked strong, whilst Kai continues to outwit the rest of the women’s division.

Winner: Raquel Gonzalez
Rating: 2.5/5


Rhea Ripley & Io Shirai vs Charlotte Flair & Chelsea Green

Charlotte Flair unbelievably chose Chelsea Green as her partner for this match, and amazingly, it proved to be the right decision as The Queen came out victorious.

Rhea Ripley and Io Shirai may not have been 100% on the same page, but their united hatred of Flair allowed them to shine as they took apart Green. It appeared as though she would be the reason Flair lost, that was until The Queen managed to roll Shirai up for a quick pinfall victory.

This was a solid match, and even Green’s ineffective offense couldn’t negatively affect the quality of the in ring action. The triple threat match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House becomes an even more tantalising prospect, and I cannot wait to see who will come out on top.

Winner: Charlotte Flair & Chelsea Green
Rating: 3/5



Hikaru Shida vs Christi Jaynes

This was a showcase match for the newly crowned AEW Women’s Champion, and Hikaru Shida took full advantage of it to put the entire division on notice.

Christi Jaynes was a good opponent for Shida to shine against as she was willing to take as much offense as required to make Shida look even stronger. Jaynes was also willing to take the fight to Shida, but ultimately it was Shida who came out on top via a Knee Strike and a Falcon Arrow for the pinfall victory.

This was a very enjoyable 5 minutes, with both wrestlers looking strong. This was the perfect match to showcase both Shida and the AEW Women’s Championship.

Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 3/5



Kimber Lee vs Havok

Kimber Lee and Havok had the potential to put on a credible match here, however they were undone by poor storytelling.

The in ring action was better than I anticipated, with both wrestlers looking crisp in their manoeuvres. The climax of the match had Nevaeh interfere and attack Lee, drawing the DQ win at the expense of Havok.

This led to Havok and Nevaeh double teaming to throw Lee out of the ring, but this action could have easily been employed after the match had a natural end.

Winner: Kimber Lee (Via DQ)
Rating: 2/5



Bianca Belair vs Ruby Riott

Bianca Belair and Ruby Riott weren’t given as much time as their last Main Event outing, but they still produced a strong match.

Both Belair and Riott competed at a frenetic pace, with Belair continuing to look like a true star. Riott attempted to end the match from the top rope, only for Belair to slam her into the turnbuckle and secure the pinfall victory following a KOD.

This was a great match, and both wrestlers deserve much better than Main Event purgatory. Belair is a true star, whilst Riott could benefit from joining Seth Rollins’ stable. Seek this match out, as it truly demonstrates how good both wrestlers are.

Winner: Bianca Belair
Rating: 3/5


This was a highly entertaining match, which delivered on commentary as well as in the ring. All 4 wrestlers involved deserve plaudits for making the most of the opportunities afforded to them. Sasha Banks’ victory over Alexa Bliss also underlined just how dangerous she is.


Sasha Banks put on a great performance against Alexa Bliss, underlining just how strong she is. Banks has always remained a threat in the women’s division, but it is only now that she seems poised to become a major player. Hopefully she can turn her momentum into a platform to become SmackDown Women’s Champion.

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!