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.



Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke vs Natalya & Lana

There wasn't much substance to this match, with a confrontation during Miz TV setting it up. The action was admittedly dour and uninspiring, however this was to be expected considering the talent in the ring.

Dana Brooke secured the pinfall victory for her team following a Top Rope Senton, but the action prior to that was not interesting at all. Lana looked like a lost sheep, whilst Mandy Rose and Brooke did not look convincing. Natalya seemingly ended her partnership with Lana after the match, which leaves yet another women's tag team to the wayside. Overall, this was poor.

Winner: Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke
Rating: 1.5/5


Women's Battle Royal

Women's Battle Royal matches usually have a problem in creating a compelling finish, which was the case here. The action had been quite sterile throughout, and just as it seemed Natalya had won the match for herself, Lana stole the victory to set up a shot at Asuka's Raw Women's Championship. Nothing stood out about this match, whilst Lana winning was a baffling insult to the rest of the division.

Winner: Lana
Rating: 1/5



SmackDown featured no women's matches this week, although the contract signing between Bayley and Sasha Banks was highly entertaining.



Shotzi Blackheart vs Candice LeRae

This was easily the best match of the night on this week's episode of NXT. Shotzi Blackheart has been elevated by her feud with Candice LeRae, which manifested itself this week in the fact that she was close to victory. The winner of this match would receive a shot at Io Shirai at Halloween Havoc, therefore the stakes of the match impacted positively on the quality of wrestling on offer.

As noted, Blackheart was close to winning the match as she sent LeRae reeling from the ring, only for LeRae to be handed a foreign object by Indi Hartwell, with LeRae striking Blackheart with it unbeknownst to the referee to pick up the pinfall victory.

The finish of the match may not have been as decisive and clean as I would like, but it was a perfect storyline development that allowed Blackheart to look strong in defeat. This was a lot of fun, and I look forward to a rematch further down the line.

Winner: Candice LeRae
Rating: 3.5/5


Toni Storm vs Aliyah

This was Toni Storm's return to NXT, and it was everything that it needed to be. She dominated Aliyah, hitting a Storm Zero for the victory. This was a great way to show she is capable of making herself a force to be reckoned with in NXT's women's division.

Winner: Toni Storm
Rating: 2.5/5



Isla Dawn vs Piper Niven

It is clear that WWE doesn't know what to do with Piper Niven when she is not in a feud for the NXT UK Women's Championship, as she often treads water and bounces from pointless match to pointless match. This was the case this week, as she battled Isla Dawn in a poor match that didn't seem to benefit either woman.

After a match in which both women failed to shine, Niven hit a Piper Driver to secure the pinfall victory. Maybe she is less motivated than before, but Niven did not seem happy during her match. Here's hoping she can find the fire she needs in order to go on an absolute tear of NXT UK's women's division soon.

Winner: Piper Niven
Rating: 2.5/5



Hikaru Shida vs Big Swole

Hikaru Shida's AEW Women's Championship was on the line this week, with Big Swole proving to be a strong opponent. Shida has not received much opposition recently, therefore it was great to see someone compete with her who is on a similar level.

A few communication issues aside, this was a fairly decent match. Swole had opportunities to win, however the overwhelming strength of Shida prevailed as she hit a Running Knee for the pinfall victory. The match could have been smoother, but it wasn't a bad effort for the anniversary show. I do hope that Shida is able to regain her momentum soon, as it feels her performances have dipped slightly as of late.

Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 2.5/5



Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie vs Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan vs Havok & Nevaeh

This was a solid tag team match, with the Triple Threat stipulation working well. Impact Wrestling has been featuring better tag team matches from the Knockout's division, with this match once again succeeding. All three teams had opportunities to shine, but it was Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie who looked the strongest, with Rosemary securing the pinfall victory following a Double Underhook to Tasha Steelz. Overall, this was a fair and entertaining contest.

Winner: Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie
Rating: 2.5/5


Kimber Lee vs Kylie Rae

Kylie Rae has a well defined face character that is happy go lucky, therefore it was great to see her explore the darker side of her character this week. Rae competed with a higher level of aggression than we have seen in Impact Wrestling, which played into the finish as she made Kimber Lee submit to the Smile to the Finish.

Kimber Lee was a great opponent for Rae, but this match was all about establishing that Rae can tap into a higher level of aggression to make her a threat to Deonna Purrazzo. All in all, this was a solid little match.

Winner: Kylie Rae
Rating: 3/5



This was easily the best match of the week, with Candice LeRae establishing how much of a threat she is in NXT with the support of not only her husband, but Indi Hartwell. Shotzi Blackheart looked extremely strong in defeat, therefore this match was very successful.


Kylie Rae not only put on a great performance this week, but she did so with a level of aggression that has not been seen in her character before. She has set herself up well to take on Deonna Purrazzo, and I cannot wait to see their titanic encounter!

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!