Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! With the Sunday Night’s Main Event special out of the way, attention now turns to the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event. Qualification Matches for the Women’s Ladder Match begin this week, with a Triple Threat Match between Maxxine Dupri and recent rivals Sol Ruca and Lyra Valkyria. Not forgetting a WrestleMania rematch as Liv Morgan (not waiting half a year to defend the title this time) puts the Women’s World Championship on the line against the former title-holder Stephanie Vaquer. Who will leave Raw with the major victories? Let’s get into it, and find out…
The week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos included The Judgement Day with LIV MORAN, RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ and ROXANNE PEREZ. Also in the videos was STEPHANIE VAQUER.
MAXXINE DUPRI accompanied The Vision as they went to the ring for a promo. After the men had taken turns to speak, Dupri mocked the fans as being ‘Broke-es’ and showed Austin Theory with compliments. Akira Tozawa would interrupt, bringing out Otis to face Theory in a match.
Dupri and The Vision would say ringside for the contest. At one point, Dupri grabbed the leg of Otis as the ref was distracted, allowing Theory to take advantage. At another point, Theory slid out of the ring to put his arm around Dupri to get a kiss on the cheek. However, the match would end when the newly returned Bronson Reed jumped Otis to cause a DQ. Leading to a major beatdown of Alpha Academy by The Vision and that, in turn, led to Oba Femi fighting the men before the numbers game took its toll and Femi took the beating.
Backstage in the locker room, BECKY LYNCH confronted Stephanie Vaquer. Lynch once again came in pretty much her heel, patronising act, claiming they had gotten off on the wrong foot. Trying to convince Vaquer to follow her plan, referencing an upcoming live event in Vaquer’s homeland, or saying that she’d be too proud to take a helping hand. Contrasting herself by pointing out the ‘five on two’ (including the men, even though they’ve not gotten involved in this feud) numbers game, but showing her true colours by asking for the first title shot, and saying that everyone wins ‘especially me’. Vaquer turned down the offer, saying she did things on her own and that every time she trusts someone, they betray her (a Nikki Bella feud reference perhaps). A quite yikes finish to the segment with Lynch telling her ‘go back to Chile as a loser’.
JACKIE REMOND handled interview duties.
Byron Saxton interviewed Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez. Rodriguez bragged about her win last week, telling Sol Ruca she’d never get her hands on the IC title. Perez boasted that both herself and Rodriguez would be in Qualifying Matches for MITB, with perhaps some long-term storyline work as Perez said she’d been dying for an oppertunity like this, and referenced an upcoming AAA Reina de Reinas contendership match. Perez said one of them would win MITB but Rodriguez interestingly didn’t vow that she would win, merely that one of them would and that the WWE Women’s Championship would look good in the clubhouse. Rodriguez dismissed the threat of Stephanie Vaquer, and Perez agreed.
LOLA VICE had another hype video ahead of her debut next week.
Triple Threat Match – Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
SOL RUCA defeated LYRA VALKYRIA & MAXXINE DUPRI
Ruca looked for revenge, tackling Valkyria and getting a couple of punches in before Dupri pounced with a Cradle pin, only getting a count of one. Dupri took a punch and Ruca went after Valkyria again, hauling her off the ropes for the soft Powerbomb spot. Dupri again tried to steal it with a backroll pin, which Ruca countered to one of her own, before being shoved off and taking the reverse stomp from off the mat by Valkyria. Dupri caught Ruca with a Head Kick before the two heels teamed up for a Double Team Clothesline, sending Ruca over the ropes and to the floor.
Valkyria hit a Knee Strike to the gut, but Dupri held the ropes after being whipped to avoid a Roundhouse Kick. Dupri got a leg takedown into a Jackknife Pin, which Valkyria bridged out of but in a nice spot Ruca came in and hit a Senton to send both women crashing back to the mat. Ruca targetted Valkyria, whipping her into a corner for a follow up Forearm Strike, followed by a couple more before hitting a version of a Curb Stomp, sending Valkyria into the bottom turnbuckle pad. Dupri failed to take advantage again of Ruca’s focus on her rival, as Ruca hit a Running Meteora to the back of Valkyria in the corner, before hitting Dupri with the high X-Factor for a near fall.
Valkyria avoided a corner charge from Ruca that sent her seated on the ropes, before Valkyria swept the leg so the back on Ruca’s head hit the top buckle. Valkyria hit a couple of stomps, then a Swinging Neckbreaker for a two count. Followed by more stomps in another corner and hard whips to corners, before she paid for going for too many as Ruca countered with a step-over into a kick to the face. Dupri hit a Release Fisherwoman’s Suplex on Ruca before kipping up, but the follow-up spot of the step-up Legdrop was botched as Ruca hit the match right after the step-up touch, leading to a very messy landing. Valkyria hit a Fisherwoman’s Buster on Ruca, planting her on top of Dupri to get a near fall on Ruca as the show went to a ‘commercial break’.
Valkyria hit a Clothesline on Ruca. Moments later Ruca dumped Valkyria to the floor before Dupri yet again tried to steal it with a Roll-up but only got two. Dupri hit a Clothesline on Ruca, then stomps in a corner before a Fisherwoman’s Suplex got Dupri a two count. Ruca got choked on the ropes then took a slap, but when Dupri celebratted on the floor Valkyria hit a Clothesline. Valkyria applied a resthold of a Camel Clutch in the ring, and Ruca slipped as she countered before getting a Roll-up for a near fall and rallied with strikes as the show returned to ‘live action’.
Dupri tripped up Ruca from the outside as she ran the ropes, then raced up top for a Crossbody but only hit Valkyria as Ruca dodged, then Ruca hit a Springboard Crossbody on both heels. Ruca hit a Spinning Back Elbow on both opponents then her feet Backstabber to Dupri. Both heels were stacked in a corner for a Back Elbow, then a Back Elbow solo for Valkyria before hitting a Release German Suplex. Ruca followed up with a Dropkick off the middle rope to both opponents, and not looking where she was, when she kipped up she ended up planting a foot right into Dupri. Ruca hit a Running Knee Strike on Dupri for a two count. Dupri countered being on the shoulders with a Sunset Flip, but Ruca kicked out at two and then hit a Superkick.
Shades of last week, when Ruca went for Sol Snatcher Valkyria was there to block it, but Ruca drove Valkyria into the turnbuckle post. Dupri captured Ruca from the corner and hit, of all things, a Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex but Valkyria broke the pin with a Chop Block before hitting an Enzigiri on Dupri. Valkyria hit her Dropkick through the ropes to Dupri, but back inside she took a Dropkick from Ruca. Ruca went for another Release German on Valkyria and had to counter being countered with a dropdown pin, but got sent face-first into the middle turnbuckle off the kickout. Valkyria hit a Tornado DDT on Ruca and rolled through, but whatever she planned was blocked when Dupri grabbed her from behind, with Ruca still in the grip of Valkyria, for a nice spot as Dupri hit a Final Cut on Valkyria which made her hit a DDT on Ruca who sold it like she’d been spiked. Dupri got a near fall on Valkyria.
Ruca used Valkyria’s back as a step-up, taking out Dupri with a Dropkick, then hitting a Shoulderbreaker but Valkyria sold it more like she’d taken the knee to her face. Valkyria cut off Ruca going up top, but Durpi caught her and tried for the Cyclone Suplex on her, only for Valkyria to escape and shove Dupri into the corner, sending Ruca tumbling to the floor.
Valkyria hit Nightwing on Dupri, but BAYLEY made her return to WWE after a few months of speculation about her future. Pulling the referee out of the ring, legal in a Triple Threat Match with no DQs, to stop the count. Valkyria looked like she’d seen a ghost compared to Bayley’s fury. The distraction allowed Ruca to hit Sol Snatcher on Valkyria and score the victory to advance to Money in the Bank.
After the match, Bayley attacked Valkyria with mount punches then a Running Knee. Bayley hit a form of Nightwing/Attitude Adjustment to Valkyria on the floor, then cleared the announce table before dragging Valkyria onto it. However, looking for perhaps a Piledriver, Valkyria managed to struggle free. Fleeing the scene through the crowd to leave Bayley fuming, far from satisfied from just that beating of her former friend.
Backstage, Liv Morgan confronted Becky Lynch and mocked her about leaving early, and about her being selfish and having no one trust her. Getting personal, making fun of her husband before doing the ‘greatest of all time line’. Leaving with a hair flip as Lynch seemed torn about just leaving or getting some revenge.
Maxxine Dupri and The Vision confronted Paul Heyman backstage.
Women’s World Championship Match
Women’s World Champion LIV MORGAN defeated STEPHANIE VAQUER to retain.
Morgan avoided the opening lock-up, rolling and sliding to the floor so she could lure Vaquer out, just to slide back in. Trying to get the cheap shot advantage by stomping Vaquer coming back in, but Vaquer faked out, and pulled Morgan out to rough her up with a shot to the apron. Back inside, Vaquer hit a hat trick of strikes finished with a Headbutt. Rope running and misdirection led to a Headscissors into a 120% Roll-up but only for a two count. Vaquer sent Morgan into all three buckles in a corner, and soon after hit a Back Suplex, wanting Devil’s Kiss but Morgan fled to the outside. Vaquer hit a Crossbody off the apron to Morgan as the show went to a ‘commercial break’.
Morgan stalled, then tried to leave the scene but Vaquer decked her from behind in the aisle, taking her back for another apron shot. Vaquer hit Stomps in the ring then a choke, followed by some Facewashes. Vaquer went up top, but Morgan hauled her down and hit rounds of Stomps. Morgan hit a back choke on Vaquer on the ropes, then a long resthold Chinlock as the show returned to ‘live action’.
Vaquer eventually escaped the Chinlock with a Chinbuster, just to be cut off with a kick to the gut. Morgan hit the corner combo of the Back Elbow, rollout, then a High Knee Strike. Followed by a Basement Dropkick for a nearfall. Morgan hit the Three Amigos then a Glimmering Warlock, but running towards Vaquer at the ropes for ObLIVion, Vaquer decked her with a counter boot. Vaquer would take Forearms, fighting through them to hit a series of Headbutts but Morgan hit a Codebreaker. Vaquer answered with a Suplex then a Forearm shot, then a Powerslam with the grip held for a Final Cut for a near fall.
Morgan escaped SVB, but right after took the corner Dragon Screw. Vaquer hit Devil’s Kiss for a full ten blows, then a Corner Meteora for a two count. Morgan went to the apron to try and fake a break, but it just allowed Morgan to hit a hotshot onto the middle rope. Morgan tried for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb from the apron, but Vaquer held the ropes to block, breaking free to hit a Knee Dropk to Morgan leaning against the apron. After sending Morgan into the barricade, Vaquer cleared the announce table but restarting the referee’s count, Morgan decked her and then drove her into the table a few times. Morgan would get swept by the leg, and it led to nine shots of Devil’s Kiss on the announce desk.
Back inside, Vaquer hit a Crossbody off the top for a near fall. Vaquer hit some Facewashes, and once again Morgan cut her off going up top. This time Morgan got the Sunset Flip Powerbomb but only got a two count. After trading blows, Morgan hit a form of Crucifix Bomb for a near fall. Morgan went up top, and paid for taunting as Vaquer caught her and hit a Superplex, rolled through into the OG SVB for a two count. Vaquer hit Headbutts in a corner, but the Corner Meteora only hit the corner when Morgan dodged, following up with a double bounce into a Codebreaker off the middle rope. Vaquer again countered ObLIVion with a boot, then hit SVB 2.0.
Vaquer went up top but now the rest of The Judgement Day finally showed up, with Roxanne Perez distracting the ref at one side so Raquel Rodriguez could haul down Vaquer at the other. The ref caught Rodriguez on the apron however, and instantly tossed her from ringside. Only for Becky Lynch to run down and drive Rodriguez into the ring steps. Perez slid in the Women’s World title belt to Morgan and while Lynch saw that, Lynch unhelpfully just chased Perez around the ring and through the crowd rather than trying to get the gold away or tell the ref. The official was distracted by that chase, allowing Morgan to nail Vaquer with the title belt, setting up for ObLIVion and the cheating win to retain the Championship. After the match, Rodriguez raised Morgan’s arm in victory before she celebrated and Vaquer was left looking dejected.
A major Women’s MITB Qualifier Match was announced for next week with Women’s IC Champion Raquel Rodriguez facing off against not just Lola Vice in her Raw debut, but the NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan as well! Even if the ring announcers didn’t even name-check Jordan in the announcement and more cared about Vice.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Two great matches on Raw this week, even with the outcome of both being very expected. I’ve said for weeks that Ruca not getting the IC title was freeing her up for MITB and that came completely true here. The Triple Threat Match, even with a couple of botches, allowed all three to shine. The Bayley return was great to see, after so much speculation about her status in WWE and her contract situation, but with her being back it’s almost made the past few months since the match with Valkyria almost irrelevant. Valkyria got that big beatdown moment, got no wins afterwards on Raw, and now we’re basically back on square one with the heat back on Bayley. There’s going to have to be a lot of work done to make this a good storyline and not just ‘I’ll beat you up because you beat me up’ deal.
The Women’s World Championship Match was great as well with plenty of moves and a good back and forth. Lynch has offered nothing to this storyline so far aside from insults and stealing the spotlight, and looked like a joke here chasing off Perez instead of actually helping, no doubt something Vaquer can point out since if it wasn’t for Lynch distracting, Vaquer wouldn’t be able to use the title to cheat. All signs still point to a Triple Threat Match for the World title in the future, but we’ll see if Lynch gets a one-on-one title match in the future before that.
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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