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.



Nia Jax vs Shayna Baszler

Nia Jax was presented on the same level as Shayna Baszler. Fail.

This match was just an excuse to create an angle out of nothing. Fail.

Overall verdict? Fail!

Winner: No Contest
Rating: 1/5


Asuka vs Sasha Banks

This was so much worse than it needed to be. Despite having all of the time in the world to create yet another classic, WWE decided to ruin the ending of this match by having Asuka cost herself the Raw Women's Championship to save Kairi Sane from a beating.

That wasn't the most egregious part of the match. Sasha Banks was made to look like a fool, winning the title whilst still being flat out in the ring. Despite a match which was 95% awesome, this was an insulting hot piece of garbage.

Winner: Sasha Banks
Rating: 1/5 for the finish, 3.5/5 for the match quality



Naomi vs Lacey Evans

It is hard to complain when WWE actively listen to fans, but when it feels forced it comes off as poor.

This match derailed the surging momentum of Lacey Evans, with Naomi winning with a sneaky Backslide pinfall.

With more time they could have put on a better showcase of the talent in SmackDown's women's division, but unfortunately this was not to be. Average at best, insulting at worst.

Winner: Naomi
Rating: 2/5


Bayley vs Nikki Cross

This was a solid match which deserved to be the main event of the show. Nikki Cross wrestled with a clear purpose, which made her look incredibly strong. Bayley continued to be as obnoxious as ever, with Sasha Banks working as her partner in crime.

Despite Alexa Bliss standing in Cross' corner, Bayley was able to use Banks to cut off her momentum when necessary. The finish to the match had Bayley pull a Rose Plant out of nowhere to secure a pinfall victory and retain her SmackDown Women's Championship.

This was a quality match, with both women looking strong. The post match shenanigans of Cross pushing away Bliss were intriguing, however it is unclear how Bliss' involvement with The Fiend will affect things going forward.

Winner: Bayley
Rating: 3.5/5



There were no new women's matches this week.


Io Shirai & Tegan Nox vs Dakota Kai & Candice LeRae

This match was kicked off before the bell rang, with Dakota Kai coming out to reprise her attack on Io Shirai. This brought out Tegan Nox and Candice LeRae to cap a frenetic start to the contest.

Both teams were evenly matched, however Kai subtly left the ring as her team was losing, allowing LeRae to fall to a Shiniest Wizard and Moonsault combination.

This was a fun match, with all four women looking strong. Kai came across as extremely cold blooded, whilst Shirai and Nox looked damn near unbeatable.

Winner: Io Shirai & Tegan Nox
Rating: 3/5


Shotzi Blackheart vs Mercedes Martinez

This was a squash. No more, no less. Mercedes Martinez destroyed Shotzi Blackheart with ease, hitting a modified Air Raid Slam for a swift pinfall victory after not giving up an inch.

This was a good way to make Martinez look dangerous, but it is a shame it came at the cost of Blackheart's credibility.

Winner: Mercedes Martinez
Rating: 2.5/5



Hikaru Shida vs Diamante

Hikaru Shida is by far the standout performer in AEW's women's division, but even she was unable to save this match.

Diamante is not the cleanest of performers, and this showed with a number of rough looking moves and botches. Thankfully for fans, Shida was able to win with a stiff Running Knee to secure a pinfall victory.

This could have been so much better had Diamante not checked into Botch City.

Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 1.5/5



Deonna Purrazzo vs Kimber Lee

The Knockouts Championship was not on the line here, which meant there was a very real possibility that Kimber Lee could pull off an upset.

Deonna Purrazzo performed well in this match, coming across as a strong wrestler. Her submission moves were good, whilst Lee seemingly worked hard to match the output of the champion.

One Fujiwara Armbar later and Purrazzo secured a submission victory. Jordynne Grace came out to gatecrash the party, taking Purrazzo out despite her injured arm. It was great to see Grace take back some of her credibility as we build towards a strong rematch.

Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Rating: 2.5/5



Shayna Baszler vs Ruby Riott

This was a sloppy match at times, with both women seemingly wrestling with the annoyance of being on Main Event to start with.

Ruby Riott put up a good fight against Shayna Baszler, however The Queen of Spades should not be going nearly nine minutes with a wrestler who has only just rediscovered her wining touch.

Baszler won by submission after locking in a Kirifuda Clutch, but she looked far from dominant here. This was just disappointing.

Winner: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 2.5/5


Bayley vs Nikki Cross was a quality match to main event this week's episode of SmackDown. Cross looked destined to win the SmackDown Women's Championship, only to fall to Bayley's undoubted greatness. This match is definitely one to watch in full.


Bayley continues to work at the top of her game. She retained her SmackDown Women's Championship on merit, which means she continues to build her legacy as one of the greatest champions of all time.

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!