Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
Clash in Italy is in the history books, and it saw Sol Ruca complete a sudden rise since being called up as she captured the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, defeating Becky Lynch clean with a Sol Snatcher. Elsewhere, Rhea Ripley retained the WWE Women’s title over Jade Cargill, thanks in part to some assistance from Charlotte Flair to help even the odds (getting Flair a backstage beatdown from Cargill and her baddies). Now, attention turns to the cross-brand Queen of the Ring Tournament that will grant the winner a Championship opportunity at SummerSlam, with finals being held at Night of Champions. Who will advance to the next round and be a step closer to a major title match? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos included the new Women’s IC Champion SOL RUCA.
As Sol Ruca walked backstage, heading to the ring, yet again MAXXINE DUPRI was seen talking to Austin Theory of The Vision. Later in the show, Dupri (with Alpha Academy with her) vented to GM Adam Pearce about being left out of the Queen of the Ring Tournament. Being told that Dupri was top of the list as a replacement if a Superstare currently in the tourny wasn’t able to compete, something that didn’t sit too well with her. After that, Otis questioned Dupri’s actions and pointed out that Austin Theory was still bad news. Dupri was clearly acting heel, dismissing her boys’ opinion and telling them to trust her, and they weren’t buying it when she stormed off.
LASH LEGEND would be interviewed, putting herself over that her opponents tonight couldn’t measure up to her and vowed to become a World Champion at SummerSlam.
CATHY KELLEY hosted an in-ring interview with Sol Ruca. Ruca did her entire entrance and got the expected ‘You Deserve It’ chants that anyone gets. Ruca gushed that this was a dream come true and thanked the fans for believing in her. Ruca bragged about beating Lynch and dropped a line about ‘It’s not just me saying it’ to mock Lynch’s catchphrase. She vowed to be a fighting Champion, and the segment ended with her raising her newly won title and getting a pyro celebration without anyone coming out to interrupt or challenge.
Fatal Four-Way Match – Queen of the Ring First Round Match
IYO SKY defeated GIULIA, LASH LEGEND & ROXANNE PEREZ
Giulia, who is half-Italian, got a great reaction from the fans in Italy. The competitors tried going after Legend first, who fought off Sky with a Knee Strike and Giulia with a Forearm but Perez rolled to avoid a Big Boot. Perez escaped a Chokeslam from Legend, and lured her in to hit a corner when Perez avoided a charge. Legend continued to fight off the odds, tossing out Sky and hitting a counter Back Elbow to Perez. Giulia went for a Running Crossbody and was caught as Legend paraded her around, but took too long as Sky hit a Springboard Missile Dropkick into Giulia to also send Legend down. Perez decked Sky from behind when she went to DO THE THING after the kip-up.
Perez would hit a kick-style Sole Food to send Sky out of the ring, and there was an awkward spot where Perez and Giulia charged but missed one another with unplanned misdirection before Legend hit a Pump Kick to Perez. Giulia locked in a Front Choke to Legend, but was charged to a corner and left sat up top. Legend would block Sky’s attempt at a Hurricanrana, muscling Sky up in a Flapjack grip and using more of that strength to also hold up Perez at the same time. Giulia would take advantage with a Missile Dropkick to take out all her opponents, before yanking up Sky for a Back Suplex before the show went to a ‘commercial break’.
Perez hit a slap to Giulia and got one back in return, leading to an exchange of Forearm strikes then open-hand chops. Yet again, the two had miscommunication about what was next, messing up an Irish Whip spot and the counters until Giulia used a Snapmare to ground Perez and apply a Figure Four Headscissors. Sky would lock on a Headscissors of her own to Giulia, before Legend turned all the other women over with a Boston Crab applied on Perez. Sky released her hold to attack Legend and break the hold, but Sky got decked with a Legend forearm before a Splash got Legend a nearfall. Legend did her head bouncing off the top and middle ropes spot as the show went back to ‘live action’.
Giulia and Perez pulled Legend out of the ring and sent her into the ring steps. Perez whipped Giulia to hit a Dropkick to Legend, then faked wanting to form an alliance in the match with Giulia, only to pull her back from entering the ring and slam her head into the announce table. Perez got a nearfall on Sky then drove her into a corner to hit her Running European Uppercut, but a leaping nothing was wiped out midair by a Sky Dropkick. Sky did her combo of misdirection, flips, the Leg Trip and a Basement Dropkick. Moments later, Sky hit a Missile Dropkick to Perez and Giulia before kipping up and DOING THE THING! Sky hit a Bullet Train Attack to Perez and Giulia stacked up in a corner.
Legend pounced from behind, swinging Sky around with a Sleeper Hold but Sky countered a Choke Bomb with the Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp spot. Giulia tossed Sky out and hit her Arrivederci Running Knee but Perez broke up the pin. Perez would do her tilt-a-whirl to get Giulia in place for the Russian Legsweep but also caught Sky coming in with a boot, hitting her with a DDT as she hit the Legsweep on Giulia at the same time. Perez hit the Satomura Special on Sky for a near fall, and would try for PopRox out of a corner but Sky countered, sending Perez into the corner. Sky went up for the Moonsault, but Giulia cut her off and Perez in turn would strike Giulia when she tried for a Double Underhook Superplex. As Perez and Gulia were both on the ropes, Legend grabbed them both for a Double Powerbomb off the cables.
Legend hit the Lash Extension on both Perez and Giulia, but going for a pin Sky broke it up with a Double Stomp off the top. Sky then hit Over the Moonsault on Giulia to win and advance to the Semi-Finals. She will face the winner of the Four-Way Match between Bayley, Raquel Rodriguez, Jacy Jayne and Kiana James.
Backstage Cathy Kelley attempted to interview BAYLEY and LYRA VALKYRIA about both of them being in the Queen of the Ring Tournament. Bayley brushed it off, saying they were in line for the Tag Team titles but Valkyria cut off the interview, walking away to go up to Sol Ruca. Praising Ruca for the title win, but quickly pointing out that she couldn’t challenge for that title for the longest time (the stipulation after losing to Lynch at SummerSlam last year). Ruca said she’d be honoured to defend against the first ever Women’s IC Champion. Bayley came back up, not looking OK with being ditched as Ruca left, and Valkyria was all giddy about getting a solo title shot. Walking off as Bayley seemed flabbergasted and far from cool with what had happened.
Next week on Raw the Queen of the Ring First Round Fatal Four-Way Match will feature Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Chelsea Green and (despite being the reigning Women’s World Champion) Liv Morgan competing.
Backstage in the Clubhouse of The Judgement Day, Roxanne Perez was venting about her loss to the guys and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ. LIV MORGAN bounced in, not reading the room and bragging that she’d gotten her ‘head fitted’ for the crown until Rodriguez had to fake coughing and motion to the furious Perez. Morgan started feeding Morgan lines about reminding her about being family, and Perez bitterly said that she could have used family tonight. Morgan ignored that remark, trying to fire up her team by saying they would take opportunities but both Rodriguez and McDonagh objected when Morgan said she and Mysterio were going to win their tournaments. All the while Perez was fuming about this, and when the group left, Morgan was grinning wickedly to show she was very happy Perez was eliminated.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A fun Fatal Four-Way Match, even with the miscommunication issues that Giulia and Perez had. The WWE loves making hometown or country heroes lose, and Giulia was the unfortunate victim of that tonight even in a great outing, as all the women had. Sky winning was predictable but there’s still a chance there could be some surprise winners advancing to the Semi-Finals and I’m hoping we get that from the other matches. On the one hand, even with how good Sky is, her winning would be a little disappointing when the chance could be given to another star to rise them up but then again, Liv Morgan is long, long overdue to finally defend her title and desperately needs a challenger. There’s no denying that Sky would fit that role, so we’ll see how the tournament unfolds. Ruca had a nothing promo, but at least got a challenger lined up and now we’re finally seeing a clear crack forming between Bayley and Valkyria. Perhaps the start of the end of their tag team with how clearly less than thrilled Bayley was about being ditched by her partner so Valkyria could get herself a title match. We’ll see how that plays out too.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days’ time for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!
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