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
Nikki Cross & Asuka vs Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley
Whilst the match itself was poor, the dynamic between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley was intriguing to watch. Nikki Cross once again looked good, but Asuka once again came across as an afterthought.
Winner: Nikki Cross & Asuka
Rating: 2/5
AEW Dark: Elevation
Rache Chanel vs Jade Cargill
Squash City.
Winner: Jade Cargill
Rating: 2/5
Queen Aminata vs Kris Statlander
Overall, this was a sloppy contest, with Kris Statlander losing some of her momentum in the ring that she has earned over the previous few weeks. Queen Aminata wasn't actually great herself, which resulted in a disjointed and disappointing match. A Big Bang Theory was enough for Statlander to win, but it left a sour taste in the mouth.
Winner: Kris Statlander
Rating: 1.5/5
Diamante vs Hikaru Shida
A worthy main event to the show, Hikaru Shida showed there is life to her character in AEW after losing her AEW Women's Championship. Diamante put in her best AEW performance yet, but she ultimately fell to a Katana. Both women should be very happy with their work in this match.
Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 3/5
WWE NXT
Mercedes Martinez vs Jobber
Squash City.
Winner: Mercedes Martinez
Rating: 2/5
Dakota Kai vs Ember Moon
Despite Dakota Kai being at the top of her game, she was unable to elevate Ember Moon to her high level of performance. It was clear this match would feature some level of shenanigans in order to further set up Moon vs Raquel Gonzalez at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Gonzalez ended up causing the disqualification by attacking Moon, but it was her opponent who ended up with the last laugh. This match was not bad, but it could have been so much better.
Winner: Ember Moon (via DQ)
Rating: 2.5/5
AEW Dark
Abadon vs Willow Nightingale
Squash City.
Winner: Abadon
Rating: 2/5
Tay Conti vs Natalia Markova
Squash City.
Winner: Tay Conti
Rating: 2.5/5
Nyla Rose vs Missa Kate
Squash City.
Winner: Nyla Rose
Rating: 2/5
Thunder Rosa vs Megan Bayne
Squash City.
Winner:
Rating: 2/5
Big Swole & Kilynn King vs Sea Stars
Squash City.
Winner: Big Swole & Kilynn King
Rating: 2.5/5
AEW Friday Night Dynamite
Nyla Rose vs Leyla Hirsch
Honestly, I didn't expect much from this encounter, but Nyla Rose genuinely suprised me here. Not only did she bring the fight to Leyla Hirsch, but she looked compelling in her offense. A Top Rope Beast Bomb was enough to secure the pinfall victory, however, Hirsch looked great in defeat. Hopefully, she can turn this into a regular gig on Dynamite rather than be relegated to Dark or Elevation.
Winner: Nyla Rose
Rating: 3/5
Impact Wrestling
Rosemary vs Havok
If Havok won this match, she would be added to the Knockout's Championship match at Against All Odds. Unfortunately for her, she was unable to capitalise on this opportunity. A succession of Spears secured the pinfall victory for Rosemary, before immediately leading to a match between Kimber Lee and Tasha Steelz. For a brief match, this wasn't half bad.
Winner: Rosemary
Rating: 2.5/5
Kimber Lee vs Tasha Steelz
Like the previous match, this didn't receive too much time, therefore it fell rather flat. Tasha Steelz hit a Suplex out of nowhere for the pinfall victory, but it didn't come across well.
Winner: Tasha Steelz
Rating: 2/5
WWE NXT UK
Kay Lee Ray vs Meiko Satomura
The smug smile that has adorned Kay Lee Ray's face for far too long was finally dropped this week in a beauty of a match. Meiko Satomura had previously come up short in her pursuit of the NXT UK Women's Championship, but she was not to be denied this time. The focus was rightly on the wrestling, with both women showing why they can be trusted to put on a stellar match. A Scorpio Rising Kick fittingly put Ray down, with the streamers being thrown a symbolic reference to how seismic this victory was for the women's landscape in NXT UK.
Winner: Meiko Satomura
Rating: 5/5
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Carmella vs Liv Morgan
Liv Morgan once again displayed the skillset she needs to be a success on SmackDown, whilst Carmella continued to exude beauty and arrogance in equal measures. An Oblivion from Morgan was enough to secure the pinfall victory, but both women can walk away from this match with their heads held high.
Winner: Liv Morgan
Rating: 3/5
Impact Wrestling: Against All Odds 2021
Tenille Dashwood vs Jordynne Grace
Overall, this was not a bad match, but it left me wanting more. Both women worked well, but it felt like Tenille Dashwood's win came off as lucky and undeserved.
Winner: Tenille Dashwood
Rating: 3/5
Fire 'N' Flava vs Susan & Kimber Lee
A fun Knockout's tag team match, Fire 'N' Flava managed to retain their titles with no real effort.
Winner: Fire 'N' Flava
Rating: 2.5/5
Deonna Purrazzo vs Rosemary
Deonna Purrazzo showed quite a bit of fire and desire here, targeting Rosemary's well documented injuries. Rosemary fought valiantly, but a Piledriver allowed Purrazzo to retain.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Rating: 3/5
WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021
Xia Li vs Mercedes Martinez
I was hoping this would be more interesting than it was, as both women are capable of putting on a strong match under the right circumstances. This, however, was not that match, with Xia Li winning with a Spinning Kick following a period of uninspired offense.
Winner: Xia Li
Rating: 2.5/5
Raquel Gonzalez vs Ember Moon
Raquel Gonzalez continues to show clear improvement in the ring. As the current NXT Women's Champion, she is going from strength to strength, adding more feathers to her bow for how she approaches a match. Although Ember Moon tried hard, she couldn't come close to beating Gonzalez, who hit her patented Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Fun, but not at all dramatic.
Winner: Raquel Gonzalez
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Kay Lee Ray vs Meiko Satomura
Honestly the best women's match in NXT UK history.
WOMAN OF THE WEEK:
Meiko Satomura
I am impressed with how well Meiko Satomura has assimilated into NXT UK, and this week marks her crowning glory so far in the promotion.
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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