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
Tamina & Natalya vs Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax
This. Match. Was. Awful. And that is saying a lot considering the number of poor matches these teams have had recently. Tamina and Natalya took advantage of Reginald being blinded by pyro to retain their titles. Just simply awful!
Winner: Tamina & Natalya
Rating: 1/5
Asuka vs Charlotte Flair
This was a lovely match to give Asuka a sense of purpose on Raw again following being pinned twice by Rhea Ripley last week. Both women brought their A Game, bringing a much needed level of competition and sheer match quality to an episode of Raw that was severely lacking in quality. Asuka rolled through the Figure Four to steal the much needed victory.
Winner: Asuka
Rating: 3.5/5
AEW Dark: Elevation
Leyla Hirsch vs Natalia Markova
Squash City.
Winner: Leyla Hirsch
Rating: 2/5
Kilynn King vs The Bunny
Quite simply, this was a wretched match which The Bunny won, with neither woman looking great.
Winner: The Bunny
Rating: 1.5/5
Tay Conti vs Kiah Dream
Squash City 2: Electric Buggaloo.
Winner: Tay Conti
Rating: 2/5
WWE NXT
Toni Storm vs Zoey Stark
Toni Storm was in desperate need of a victory, which is exactly what she managed to acheive here. Both women worked hard to kick off the show with a hot match, displaying a level of competition that highlighted just how stacked NXT's women's division is. Both women had opportunities to secure the victory, but it was Storm that hit a variant of a Brainbuster for the pinfall victory. Overall, this was an enjoyable contest to watch.
Winner: Toni Storm
Rating: 3/5
Sarray vs Aliyah
An entertaining squash to remind fans that Sarray is still a thing. Aliyah, however, is not.
Winner: Sarray
Rating: 2/5
AEW Dark
Vertvixen & Jazmin Allure vs Big Swole & Red Velvet
This was a fairly entertaining match, with Big Swole and Red Velvet once again evidencing their power as a tag team.
Winner: Big Swole & Red Velvet
Rating: 2.5/5
Diamante vs Kris Statlander
Both women worked hard here, with Diamante having arguably her best match in quite a while. Whilst Kris Statlander was the victor following a Big Bang Theory, Diamante put in a hell of a shift. I was suitably impressed by both women.
Winner: Kris Statlander
Rating: 2.5/5
Reka Tehaka vs Nyla Rose
Squash City.
Winner: Nyla Rose
Rating: 2/5
AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite
Hikaru Shida vs Rebel
It was clear this match was simply a vehicle to get to a beatdown of Hikaru Shida by Britt Baker, which is exactly what happened. As a match, this was poor, but it was at least a solid angle.
Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 2/5
Serena Deeb vs Red Velvet
What a fantastic match this was! Red Velvet put in her best performance yet in AEW, whilst Serena Deeb returned as if she had not been away with an injury. I cannot explain just how fun and competitive this match was, with Deeb having to work hard to successfully retain her NWA Women's Championship. The Serenity Lock allowed Deeb to secure the submission victory, but both women can hold their heads high.
Winner: Serena Deeb
Rating: 4/5
Impact Wrestling
Kiera Hogan vs Tenille Dashwood
This match was mercifully short, allowing both women to make an impression without the match dragging on. Tenille Dashwood was able to secure the victory following a rollup, which gave her an opportunity to continue her burgeoning momentum. All in all, this was a fun little sprint.
Winner: Tenille Dashwood
Rating: 2.5/5
Jordynne Grace vs Rachael Ellering
This was a wonderful match, pitting tag team partners together in a mini storyline that writes itself. Both women worked hard, playing up the narrative that they want to show each other how much they respect their partner. Rachael Ellering stole the victory with a rollup, but both women embraced in a lovely display of respect and affection. This was one of the best women's matches in Impact for quite some time.
Winner: Rachael Ellering
Rating: 3/5
WWE NXT UK
Xia Brookside vs Amale
The very definition of mediocre. Which is a shame after last week's huge improvement.
Winner: Amale
Rating: 2/5
WWE Main Event
Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke vs Naomi & Lana
Not too dissimilar from their matches on Raw, this simply existed to get all four women a match on WWE television this week. Not pretty at all.
Winner: Naomi & Lana
Rating: 2/5
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Bianca Belair, Natalya, & Tamina vs Bayley, Nia Jax, & Shayna Baszler
A step above the usual women's tag team fare, this match was helped significantly by the efforts of Bianca Belair and Bayley, even though the finish of the match was highly uninspiring. I will note, however, that the match benefitted from a lack of Reginald. Yes, that is indeed a positive!
Winner: Bayley, Nia Jax, & Shayna Baszler
Rating: 2/5
MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Serena Deeb vs Red Velvet
One of the best women's matches in AEW Dynamite history, this was a huge return to form for Serena Deeb and Red Velvet.
WOMAN OF THE WEEK:
Serena Deeb
This woman can do no wrong, as she is so effortlessly talented in the ring.
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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