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, Lana & Naomi vs Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler & Rhea Ripley
For what it's worth, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of competition within this match. Despite Asuka and Rhea Ripley carrying the contest in terms of high level performance, the remaining four women worked hard to carry their parts of the match. Shayna Baszler actually looked like her old self, whilst Naomi also had flashes of dominance. Ultimately, it was a Leg Drop from Nia Jax on Lana that secured the pinfall victory, but this was truly all about Ripley looking strong.
Winner: Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler & Rhea Ripley
Rating: 3/5
Charlotte Flair vs Mandy Rose
Serving as punishment for Mandy Rose by a disgruntled Sonya Deville, Charlotte Flair ensured her return was marked with a win as she easily defeated Rose with a Natural Selection, despite the suggestion that she would fall to yet another refereeing error. Not great, but also not bad.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: 2/5
AEW Dark: Elevation
Amber Nova & Diamante vs Leyla Hirsch & Ryo Mizunami
Once again, Leyla Hirsch and Ryo Mizunami teamed up to put in a solid performance. Diamante cannot tag with Ivelisse anymore as she is no longer under contract with AEW, therefore Amber Nova is admittedly a slight upgrade as a partner. Unfortunately for Diamante, consistency was not present for her and Nova, leading to Hirsch and Mizunami wrapping up the victory. All in all, this was an extremely entertaining and solid matchup.
Winner: Leyla Hirsch & Ryo Mizunami
Rating: 2.5/5
Tesha Price vs Kris Statlander
A much needed squash victory for Kris Statlander.
Winner: Kris Statlander
Rating: 2/5
Big Swole & Red Velvet vs Nyla Rose & Madi Wrenkowski
This was slightly disappointing, with the momentum of the match feeling rather non-existant. Never really getting out of first gear, this was not a great encounter to show off the burgeoning partnership between Big Swole and Red Velvet.
Winner: Big Swole & Red Velvet
Rating: 1.5/5
WWE NXT
Dakota Kai vs Mercedes Martinez
Honestly, I was upset to see Dakota Kai lose this encounter, even though it was via disqualification. Mercedes Martinez does not feel like the right name for Raquel Gonzalez to go up against in the first defence of her newly won NXT Women's Championship. However, the match itself was rather fun, with both women working hard to create an entertaining and intriguing narrative.
Winner: Mercedes Martinez (via DQ)
Rating: 3/5
Toni Storm vs Zayda Ramier
Yes, Toni Storm can afford a loss or two as she fights to overcome Zoey Stark, but this was a mistake. Zayda Ramier isn't bad, but Storm is too good to be losing to her. This match never really got going, which a real shame.
Winner: Zayda Ramier
Rating: 2/5
AEW Dark
Leyla Hirsch vs Renee Michelle
A fun and acceptable squash for Leyla Hirsch.
Winner: Leyla Hirsch
Rating: 2.5/5
Diamante vs Raychell Rose
Whilst not a full on squash, Diamante did enjoy the spoils in this contest.
Winner: Diamante
Rating: 2/5
Penelope Ford vs Ashley D’Amboise
Ashley D'Amboise looked great for the brief time she was in the ring, however, Penelope Ford was never likely to lose. Nor should she have lost.
Winner: Penelope Ford
Rating: 2/5
Kilynn King vs Dani Jordyn
Dani Jordan may have lost this match, but she can genuinely look to her performance as a positive. She worked hard, underlining the clear potential she has.
Winner: Kilynn King
Rating: 2/5
AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite
Penelope Ford vs Kris Statlander
This was a decent match to continue the narrative of a successful return from injury for Kris Statlander, however, it felt more like a contest that would be better suited to AEW Dark. That's not to say that both women didn't work hard, but there was a clear lack of tangible quality here.
Winner: Kris Statlander
Rating: 2/5
Impact Wrestling
Kimber Lee vs Taylor Wilde
Taylor Wilde returned to Impact this week, looking as if she had never lost a step in her time out. A Modified Indian Deathlock was enough for her to secure the win, but the post match shenanigans including Susan and Tenille Dashwood were also entertaining. Overall, this was not a bad segment.
Winner: Taylor Wilde
Rating: 2.5/5
WWE NXT UK
Meiko Satomura vs Aoife Valkyrie
I cannot explain how strong this match was, with both women working hard to put on the single greatest women's match on NXT UK. Meiko Satomura and Aoife Valkyrie worked a hard hitting match with numerous twists and turns, that was until Satomura was able to hit a Scorpio Rising and put Valkyrie away. This was certainly a strong match to highlight that NXT UK's women's division can put on solid matches. The next step is taking the NXT UK Women's Championship away from Kay Lee Ray.
Winner: Meiko Satomura
Rating: 4/5
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Natalya & Tamina vs Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
How many times will we get a variation of this matchup? It is absolutely rotten as an athletic contest, with this week's version once again coming across as an pure train wreck. Tamina managed to secure the win for her team following a Superfly Splash, but it was the biggest load of dross that you will watch this week. Avoid at all costs.
Winner: Natalya & Tamina
Rating: 1/5
MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Meiko Satomura vs Aoife Valkyrie
Simply the best women's match in the history of the weekly NXT UK show. A must see if you like the British style of wrestling.
WOMAN OF THE WEEK:
Sonya Deville
Sonya Deville cemented her heel turn as she brought back Charlotte Flair from suspension. The real question now is whether or not this association will continue, but I do look forward to seeing what Deville can acheive as a heel.
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!
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