Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
With only days to go before SummerSlam weekend, the go-home edition of Raw is highlighted by a Women’s IC Title match once again between Sol Ruca and Raquel Rodriguez. After a show last week that featured no matches and countless interviews, will the WWE turn things around this time and give us some proper hype? Especially for the World Title clash between Liv Morgan and Iyo Sky? Let’s get into it, and find out…
As part of The Vision, MAXXINE DUPRI along with Logan Paul accompanied World Tag Team Champions Austin Theory and Bron Breakker as they defeated Dupri’s former team Alpha Academy, Akira Tozawa and Otis. Durpi would cut a brief promo, getting loudly booed as she said her boys ran things but the segment quickly cut to black when the advert break ended. For the match itself, Dupri naturally played her part with interference. At one point, grabbing Tozawa’s leg when he slid back into the ring, providing a distraction that led to Breakker decking Tozawa with a Clothesline. While The Vision picked up the win in the end without Dupri’s direct help, she played a part after the match. Distracting Otis when he attempted a Vader Bomb on Theory, using his feelings against him to allow The Vision to hit a Double Team Powerbomb then the Double Vision Spear on Otis. Even encouraging Theory to swing a chair to smash Otis into the ring post after that attack.
JACKIE REDMOND handled interview duties.
RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ and SOL RUCA both were in the same promo video, with Rodriguez claiming Sol Ruca got lucky last time and Ruca stating she beat Rodriguez once and would do it again. After it, ROXANNE PEREZ would be seen hyping up Rodriguez for the match.
IYO SKY had a promo video, in a mix of Japanese and English, boasting that she became Queen of the Ring and proved Liv Morgan wrong, and mocking her for her ‘Greatest of All Time’ line. She vowed to prove Morgan wrong again at SummerSlam and become Champion.
The Vision were interviewed, and Theory bragged that he’d put Otis out of action indefinitely. Dupri would get loudly booed again, calling all the fans dumb and ugly before showering Theory with compliments then bragging that joining The Vision was the greatest decision of her life.
LIV MORGAN had her response of a promo video, bragging that people underestimated her when she scratched her way to the top, and didn’t care what people think. She admitted Sky was one of the best, but claimed Sky was wrong about her. She vowed to remind everyone of who she was at SummerSlam.
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ defeated SOL RUCA (c) to become the NEW Intercontinental Champion
Rodriguez came out alone to start the match. Rodriguez went for a Big Boot right off the bell, but Ruca barely avoided with an awkward kip-up evasion. Ruca did a Springboard Corkscrew nothing that landed into a Chokeslam grip, but escaped and then flipped out from a Hip Toss attempt to hit a High-Angle X-Factor for a near fall. Rodriguez used a Back Body Drop toss, then hit the Diesel Elbows. Ruca would escape being carried, trying for a Sunset Flip but rolled away when Rodriguez went for an Elbow Drop, setting up for a kick then a Standing Moonsault for a two count.
Rodriguez landed the Rewind Clothesline, and backstage the unhinged LYRA VALKYRIA was watching the match unfold. Ruca would go for a Hurricanrana but was caught in the grip for a Powerbomb, yet still managed to snap off the Headscissors to send Rodriguez into the ropes. A Ruca Superkick sent Rodriguez to the floor, setting up for a Top Rope Moonsault to the floor, getting a near fall back in the ring as Rodriguez had a busted nose off the Moonsault. Rodriguez would catch a Crossbody attempt, turning into a Reverse Suplex for a near fall. Later, Rodriguez hit a corner Splash then a Bodyslam for a two count. Ruca tried to rally but was shut down with a Shoulder Knockdown. Rodriguez locked on a Cobra Clutch that allowed the referee to clean up blood from her face.
Ruca countered a charge with a Knee Strike, then moments later avoided another charge to hit a form of Backstabber but with her feet to the back, shoving Rodriguez off into a corner. Ruca hit a round of palm chops, then some strikes, before flipping to land on her feet off a Back Body Drop attempt. Ruca used a leg trip then hit a Spinning Back Elbow to Rodriguez’s back then a Basement Dropkick. Ruca hit a Sliced Bread from a corner then a Running Knee for a two count. Ruca would duck a Rewind Clothesline attempt, but going for a Springboard Crossbody was caught by Rodriguez. This time, Ruca escaped the grip, landing on the apron over the ropes and using a Hot Shot to snap the back of Rodriguez’s head on the top cable. Ruca hit a cascading DDT off the ropes for a near fall.
Roxanne Perez ran out, immediately cut off with a boot to the head when she entered the ring. That, in turn, allowed Liv Morgan to appear at the other side of the ring to trip up Ruca when she ran the ropes. Rodriguez nailed a Big Boot for a near fall. Iyo Sky then ran out, shades of weeks before but this time Morgan struck first with a shot off the ring steps, driving Sky into the barricade but Morgan got sent into the ring post. Rodriguez tried to get Sky, but Ruca hit Rodriguez with a Backstabber. Along the apron, Sky hit a Bullet Train Attack to Morgan sat against the ringpost.
With the referee distracted, looking out at Sky and Morgan on the floor, Perez interfered to yank Ruca by the arm when she went for a Sol Snatcher, driving Ruca’s head into the top of the ring post. Rodriguez pounced with a Tijana Bomb to steal the win and become the NEW IC Champion! The Judgement Day celebrated the win as Rodriguez got a pyro celebration while Ruca and Sky looked furious at the outcome.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
A very surprising outcome with the change of the IC Title. Not that Rodriguez hasn’t earned a title run with the consistent good work she’s done, but Ruca had been pushed so well that it almost feels like a burial to lose the title on the go-home edition of Raw before a PLE. One has to assume that either they’ll run back the match, yet again, or instead have Ruca move on to be part of the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match following SummerSlam. If that’s the case, the WWE will either need to push someone new to challenge Rodriguez or call up someone for that spot and there’s no sure thing that the WWE will deliver with either of those options. Meanwhile, we got two nothing promo vids from Morgan and Sky, then a brief brawl during the IC title match. It’s not been a stellar build at all between the two, so hopefully the two can deliver once again with an even better match at SummerSlam.
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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