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.
WWE Monday Night Raw
Asuka & Charlotte Flair vs Peyton Royce & Lacey Evans
In keeping with the theme of Raw Legends Night, this match featured the distraction of Ric Flair supporting his daughter, Charlotte Flair.
True to his nature, Flair was distracted by Lacey Evans’ flirting, which led to Evans and Peyton Royce stealing a pinfall victory. Flair angrily reprimanded her father, which was admittedly a more interesting and entertaining development than the match itself.
Winner: Peyton Royce & Lacey Evans
Rating: 2/5
Dana Brooke vs Shayna Baszler
This was originally scheduled to be Shayna Baszler vs Mandy Rose, however Dana Brooke replaced her tag team partner to cause a sizeable upset. Baszler locked in a Kirifuda Clutch, only for Brooke to turn it into a pinfall. Although too short to be entertaining, it was admittedly impactful.
Winner: Dana Brooke
Rating: 2/5
Impact Wrestling
Jordynne Grace & Jazz vs Havok & Nevaeh
This was one of the better matches of the Knockout’s Tag Team Championship tournament, with Jazz and Jordynne Grace putting in a sterling effort. Havok and Nevaeh are capable, if not unspectacular, and once again they looked competent in victory. Havok secured the win with a Tombstone, capping a fine match.
Winner: Havok & Nevaeh
Rating: 2.5/5
AEW Dark
Nyla Rose vs Alex Gracia
A one minute squash in favour of Nyla Rose. Simply fantastic as a spectacle.
Winner: Nyla Rose
Rating: 2/5
Ivelisse & Diamante vs Kilynn King & Tesha Price
This was a perfectly serviceable tag team match that would not seem out of place on Dynamite. Kilynn King stood out in particular, but it was Ivelisse and Diamante who came out on top via submission. A fairly entertaining four minutes of wrestling.
Winner: Ivelisse & Diamante
Rating: 2.5/5
Vipress vs Shanna
This was a mediocre offering from Dark, with neither Vipress or Shanna standing out. Shanna won with a Double Underhook, but it was a very paint by numbers contest.
Winner: Shanna
Rating: 1.5/5
Ashley Vox vs Thunder Rosa
At nearly seven minutes long, this was quite the offering from Dark. Thunder Rosa underlined her immense talent by bringing the best out of Ashley Vox on her AEW debut, easily winning a very entertaining contest.
Winner: Thunder Rosa
Rating: 3/5
AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite
Hikaru Shida vs Abadon
This was a great match, with Abadon taking the fight to Hikaru Shida. Admittedly, there were a few moments of the match that didn’t come off well, but overall, it was entertaining and exciting. Shida won with a Shining Wizard to retain the AEW Women's Championship, but Abadon lost absolutely none of her credibility in defeat.
Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 3/5
WWE NXT
Xia Li vs Kartina Cortez
Xia Li surprised me this week on NXT, looking significantly improved from the last time she competed on the show. She absolutely destroyed Kartina Cortez in under a minute and a half, signalling her intent for the next few weeks. This was more entertaining than any Xia Li match I have reviewed over the past two years.
Winner: Xia Li
Rating: 2.5/5
Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Gonzalez
Rhea Ripley and Raquel Gonzalez put on quite the show this week in their Last Woman Standing match. Dakota Kai provided an extremely funny cameo as she was shoved inside a locker, however the star of the match was the violence displayed by both women.
Ripley and Gonzalez held nothing back, but it was Gonzalez who slammed Ripley through the stage to secure the victory. Quite simply, this was a stunningly violent match that I could not get enough of.
Winner: Raquel Gonzalez
Rating: 4/5
WWE NXT UK
Jinny vs Piper Niven
Jinny and Piper Niven competed for the right to challenge Kay Lee Ray for the NXT UK Women’s Championship. This meant that Jinny was the overwhelming favourite due to her recent interactions with both Ray and Niven.
The match itself was ok, but both women are capable of so much more. Joseph Connors interfered to allow Jinny to capitalise and secure the victory, which was a real shame as Jinny would have benefited from a clean victory. Whilst not flat out bad, this could have been so much better.
Winner: Jinny
Rating: 2/5
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
There were no women's macthes this week on SmackDown, but Carmella did give a captivating promo.
Impact Wrestling: Genesis 2021
Jazz vs Jordynne Grace
This was a solid match to highlight the improved quality of Impact Wrestling’s Knockout’s division. The contest was physical and hard hitting, with both women looking extremely strong and energetic.
This was evident as they traded pinfalls for the finish, only to have Jordynne Grace secure the decisive pinfall. Grace deserved the victory, but Jazz should be commended for her role in a solid and entertaining encounter.
Winner: Jordynne Grace
Rating: 3/5
MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Gonzalez
These women wrestled like they hated each other, which led to a crazy and entertaining match. Well done women!
WOMAN OF THE WEEK:
Raquel Gonzalez
Once again, Raquel Gonzalelz displayed enough skill and talent to show she is a genuine threat to NXT's women's division.
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!
Subscribe to Smark Out Moment on YouTube, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
0 comments: