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
Rhea Ripley & Nikki A.S.H. vs Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax
All things considered, this wasn't a terrible match. Nikki A.S.H. once again took the victory in a match that she never really looked comfortable in, whilst the tension that was evident between Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax was at least intriguing to see. Rhea Ripley didn't exactly need the win, but it was positive to see that she still remains a huge part of Raw's women's division.
Winner: Rhea Ripley & Nikki A.S.H.
Rating: 2/5
AEW Dark: Elevation
Tay Conti vs Promise Braxton
Squash City!
Winner: Tay Conti
Rating: 2/5
WWE NXT
Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter vs Gigi Dolan & Jacy Jayne
Whilst not an out and out squash match, the result was never really in doubt here, with Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter once again displaying superb teamwork to win.
Winner: Kacy Catanzaro & Kayden Carter
Rating: 2/5
Valentina Feroz vs Kay Lee Ray
Squash City!
Winner: Kay Lee Ray
Rating: 2/5
AEW Dark
Thunder Rosa vs Heather Reckless
Squash City!
Winner: Thunder Rosa
Rating: 2/5
AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite
Jamie Hayter vs Red Velvet
This was a sloppy mess, which was a real shame. Jamie Hayter's return on AEW Rampage had created some slight excitement, but this match was not the manner in which she would have liked to underline her credentials. Red Velvet is inconsistent and spotty, fully displaying her ineffective side here. Whilst not a fun contest, it did at least prove that Hayter is somewhat of a threat within AEW's women's division.
Winner: Jamie Hayter
Rating: 1.5/5
Impact Wrestling
Taylor Wilde vs The Influence
As a 3 on 1 Handicap match, this was rather by the numbers. Neither exciting nor boring, it sort of just existed.
Winner: The Influence
Rating: 2.5/5
WWE NXT UK
Aoife Valkyrie vs Jinny
A No Disqualification match is something I always look forward to, and this match was no different. Despite the spotty nature of the quality of NXT UK's women's matches, this exceeded all expectations. Jinny's character has been nailed on perfectly, whilst also underlining just how talented she is in the ring. Aoife Valkyrie has had a challenging 2021, but I feel she is finally starting to make a name for herself. Both women worked well to create a hard hitting match, but it was Valkyrie who deservedly took home the victory.
Winner: Aoife Valkyrie
Rating: 3/5
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Bianca Belair vs Liv Morgan vs Zelina Vega vs Carmella
Despitre the wonky elimination rules, this was a decent match. Bianca Belair looked as strong as ever (if you'll excuse the shitshow that was SummerSlam) whilst Liv Morgan looked a hell of a lot better than Carmella and Zelina Vega. Yes, Carmella and Vega serve somewhat of a purpose on SmackDown, their involvement in this match was lacklustre and mediocre at best.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Rating: 3/5
AEW Rampage
Tay Conti vs The Bunny
Tay Conti has been on a strong run in 2021, but in The Bunny, she faced an opponent who was happy to use tricks and deceit to win. Yes, the win for The Bunny was tainted as it was not clean, but hitting Conti with a weapon behind the back of the referee, whilst also seemingly teaming up with Penelope Ford was a superb development for her character. As an overall segment, I really enjoyed this.
Winner: The Bunny
Rating: 2.5/5
MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Aoife Valkyrie vs Jinny
A hard hitting No Disqualification match on free television is always appreciated, and both women worked hard to make their contest stand out from the rest.
WOMAN OF THE WEEK:
Liv Morgan
I am so impressed with Liv Morgan's desire to improve weekly, proving that she does indeed deserve to hang with the best of the best in WWE's women's division. Despite losing, she worked hard this week to look like a million dollars!
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK:
Becky Lynch's SmackDown Return
Becky Lynch's SmackDown return was underwhelming, as I feel she should have leaned into her heelish side with more intent.
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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