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.



Shayna Baszler vs Bayley

This was less of a match and more of a vehicle to move towards Bayley and Sasha Banks vs Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax at Payback.

The brief interaction we had left me wanting more, as it was clear these two could perform something special if given time.

Jax pulled Baszler off the ring apron to cause a DQ, however Bayley instructing Jax to attack Baszler post match resulted in them uniting to stand up against the Women's Tag Team Champions. Whilst not awful, this was a wasted match.

Winner: Shayna Baszler (via DQ)
Rating: 2/5


The Riott Squad & Bianca Belair vs The IIconics & Zelina Vega

This was a brief matchup to merge two ongoing rivalries into a single match.

Bianca Belair looked like a real star as she was head and shoulders above everyone else involved in the match. A KOD by Belair to Zelina Vega was enough for the pinfall victory.

This was better than it had any right to be, which was due to the fact Belair is one of the strongest female wrestlers on Raw.

Winner: The Riott Squad & Bianca Belair
Rating: 2/5


Asuka vs Sasha Banks

Asuka capitalised on her victory over Sasha Banks at SummerSlam to once again put The Boss away.

Despite the best efforts of Bayley, the lumberjack stipulation did not benefit Banks at all, especially when she was attacking the faces that were not scared of her. After Shayna Baszler prevented Bayley from getting involved, Asuka trapped Banks in an Asuka Lock, with The Boss left with no option but to tap out.

This was a solid fight, however it was a step below their great SummerSlam effort.

Winner: Asuka
Rating: 3/5



There were no women's matches this week on SmackDown.


Mia Yim vs Shotzi Blackheart

This match was set against the backdrop of Shotzi Blackheart vs The Robert Stone Brand.

Mia Yim put in a great effort against Blackheart, however she had no answer to the oppressive offense of Blackheart. A top rope Senton was enough to put Yim away for the pinfall victory.

This was brief but fun, however the pre match antics were an unfortunate distraction.

Winner: Shotzi Blackheart
Rating: 2.5/5


Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley vs Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez

After a memorable NXT TakeOver: XXX, Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley teamed up against Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. During the early part of NXT, it had been implied by Kai that the team of Shirai and Ripley made no sense as they didn't even like each other.

The contest itself was highly energetic and exciting. All four women looked strong, however this was a star making performance for Gonzalez, pinning Ripley following a devastating Powerbomb.

This was a great match which also furthered two intriguing feuds. I cannot rate Gonzalez highly enough as she finally proved she is more than just a Diesel type enforcer.

Winner: Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
Rating: 4/5



Big Swole vs Reba & Penelope Ford

This. Was. A. Car. Crash.

There was no redeeming feature to this match, which is a shame as Britt Baker and Big Swole have been organically working towards a strong match once the dentist returns from injury.

Swole took advantage of a mix up with a crutch to pin Penelope Ford for the victory. This was awful. Just awful.

Winner: Big Swole
Rating: 1/5



Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace

Deonna Purrazzo defended the Knockouts Championship against Jordynne Grace in an Ironman match, a stipulation which almost guaranteed a strong match.

Both wrestlers looked strong, with Grace taking the lead at 1-0. She hoped to ride this for the rest of the match, however Purrazzo managed to swiftly even the score before tapping out Grace with a Venus De Milo for a 2-1 victory with only 2 seconds remaining.

This was quite simply the best Impact Wrestling knockouts match for many years. Grace proved she is the diamond of the division, whilst Purrazzo highlighted just how good she can be outside of NXT. This was a fabulous contest.

Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Rating: 4/5



The Riott Squad vs The IIconics

This match was featured on the kickoff show, therefore expectations weren't high.

Amazingly, this was a great match. The Riott Squad looked crisp in their offense whilst The IIconics looked better together than they have done in recent singles matches. A Riott Kick from Ruby Riott on Billie Kay was enough for the pinfall victory.

This was a strong match, and hopefully The Riott Squad can capitalise on this over the next few weeks on Raw, perhaps even challenging for the Women's Tag Team Championship.

Winner: The Riott Squad
Rating: 3/5


Bayley & Sasha Banks vs Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

Despite the hasty nature of the booking for this match, this was quite simply a quality tag team match. Bayley and Sasha Banks were putting their Women's Tag Team Championship on the line against the odd pairing of Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax, whilst also battling with the internal problems within their own team.

Despite Bayley and Banks isolating Jax, Baszler was able to turn the tide of the match by locking Banks in a leg submission whilst simultaneously locking the Kirifuda Clutch on Bayley. This left Banks with no option but to tap as they relinquished thier belts.

This was an exciting match, and it remains intriguing to see when Bayley and Banks will implode. Baszler and Jax are an odd pairing, but it certainly makes for a strong and entertaining team.

Winner: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax
Rating: 4/5



This match was exciting from start to finish. It was simply the best Impact Wrestling knockouts match for many years.


Deonna Purrazzo confirmed just how dangerous she can be in Impact Wrestling. She has finally rid herself of the stench of failure from NXT.

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!