NXT will host TakeOver: 31 tonight on the WWE Network. At the time of this writing only one women’s match has been announced and will be for the NXT Women’s Title.
We will see the champion Io Shirai battle Candice LeRae in attempts to continue her reign. LeRae is looking to grab her first gold in the company and wants to become the first-ever couple with her husband to hold gold on the black and gold brand.
NXT has just announced that former NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley will be featured on the Pre-Show. She will be addressing her recent ruin-ins with Raquel Gonzalez.
For weeks Ripley and Gonzalez have done all they can to derail the other. The two ruined each others shot at the NXT Women’s Title during a Battle Royal as they both eliminated each other at the same time. Last week, Ripley helped Shotzi Blackheart in her defat on Dakota Kai. She made sure that Gonzalez wouldn’t be the reason for Kai to get one over on Blackheart.
The first SHIMMER event since last November is just eight days away as it will be part of The Collective on Oct. 11. The Collective will be a collection of shows that will start on Oct. 9 and go throughout the weekend. On the same day as SHIMMER will be Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport which will host talents such as Lindsay Snow,Allysin Kay,Killer Kelly, and Leyla Hirsch.
As for the SHIMMER main event, it will be the SHIMMER Championship on the line as Kimber Lee faces former champion, Nicole Savoy. Lee captured the title from Savoy in November in a four-way elimination match that also included Priscilla Kelly and Shotzi Blackheart. This ended Savoy’s longest single reign in SHIMMER history at 721-days, an honor that was previously held by MsChif at 715-days.
NEXT SUNDAY in Indianapolis! SHIMMER Champion Kimber Lee will defend against former titleholder Nicole Savoy in the main event of SHIMMER at #TheCollective! See it live, either in person or on @FiteTV!
The Interim Heart of SHIMMER Champion will have to defend her title as well. Hyan became the interim champion after Samantha Heights went out due to injury. Hyan defeated Kris Statlander and Rhia O’Reilly in a Three-way match.
Interim Heart of SHIMMER Champion “The Renaissance Woman” Hyan @_thehyan will be a part of SHIMMER at #TheCollective on Oct. 11 in Indianapolis!
The event, as well as all of the ones from GCW’s The Collective, are available to order on FiteTV.
Who do you think will walk away as SHIMMER Champion? Will Nicole Savoy be able to regain the title or will Kimber Lee continue her reign? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!!
The hunt for the SmackDown Women’s Title is strong for The Boss and destroying her former best friend is just what she plans on doing to achieve it. Sasha Banks attacked Bayley from behind at Clash of Champions last weekend and she made sure to show that she wasn’t backing down.
Banks made her way to the ring on SmackDown still in her neck brace from the attacks of Bayley with a steel chair from weeks prior. She was aware that Bayley was not present for SmackDown tonight, so she wanted to be loud and clear with her message.
She made the announcement that next week it will be her versus Bayley for the one thing that Bayley loves the most, her SmackDown Women’s Championship. Banks removes her neck brace and declares that the champion no longer has anyone there to save her anymore, so she doesn’t stand a chance.
There has been a prior rumor that Bayley vs. Sasha Banks will be in the main event inside a Hell in a Cell for the next pay-per-view. If that is the case, then this will be a good teaser.
Next week is also the first night of the WWE Draft. SmackDown gets the privilege of starting things off.
Carmella is back on SmackDown and she has returned with a message.
Over the past number of weeks, there have been several vignettes hiding the identity of a woman on the blue brand. At first, there was very little to gather information on who this mystery woman could be. We only saw her in her high heels at first and the bottom of a fur jacket.
However, by the second vignette, WWE had let more details then they wanted to show out on who this could be. In this next video, it was easy to spot Carmella’s tattoo on her arm.
Although most fans figured it out by this point, a few more videos were shown over the course of the next few SmackDown’s. The last one airing last week where we saw the mysterious blonde write “Untouchable” with lipstick on her mirror.
Now this week any question of mystery was gone, as Carmella appeared.
The last vignette aired on tonight’s SmackDown and it showed photos of Carmella’s most recent moments. Most importantly showing her time with R-Truth as they did their dance breaks and chase for the 24/7 Championship. She admits that she got a little lost during that time.
Now she is back, and she says she is better than each and everyone and she declares that she is not anyone’s princess anymore. She concludes by saying it doesn’t matter if she ends up on SmackDown or RAW as a result of the Draft next week. Regardless, she says she is “Untouchable” unless she doesn’t want to be.
Although this was far from a surprise, what do you make of Carmella returning? Do you want to see her stay on SmackDown or move to RAW? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!!
It’s now SmackDown’s turn to receive the fall out from Clash of Champions that took place last Sunday. On the blue brand, Bayley had to defend her SmackDown Women’s Title against Asuka as her original opponent Nikki Cross was unable to compete. Bayley would get herself disqualified which means her longest title reign continues. She would then be attacked by Sasha Banks after the match.
With Hell in a Cell as the next pay-per-view event coming up later this month, Banks could finally get her wins in both a Hell in a Cell match and the SmackDown Women’s Title if the cards are dealt right. What may develop out of this on tonight’s show?
The advertised segment of the night will be Kevin Owens returning to SmackDown to host his KO Show. He will have Alexa Bliss as his guest. Bliss has been show more and more moments influenced by The Fiend lately. She delivered another Sister Abigail to Lacey Evans last week and caused the disqualification from their match. What will Bliss have to say tonight?
This week’s Free Match Friday is from a TakeOver event to celebrate as we are about to hit TakeOver 31 this Sunday.
This was over three years ago as the third TakeOver to rush into Brooklyn. It had a The Empress of Tomorrow, Asuka, in her unprecedented undefeated streak as NXT Women’s Champion. This would also end up being her last match on NXT at that time. She would debut on the main roster shortly thereafter.
Feel free to enjoy the match that is listed above. Discuss in the comments what you thought of this match. Would you like to see Ember vs. Asuka again in the future? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!
IMPACT Wrestling star, Jordynne Grace and Ring of Honor Star, Jonathan Gresham, got married this week.
The couple got engaged in 2018 and were due to tie the knot in March of this year. But they had to postpone their big day back in because of the pandemic.
Grace took to social media to share the pictures of their special occasion.
Grace has been at the epicentre of IMPACT’s Knockouts division. She held the Knockouts Championship for 182 days until recently when Deonna Purrazzo defeated her.
Everyone at Diva Dirt would like to congratulate Grace and Gresham on their wedding and wish them the very best.
Riho would take on “The Native Beast” Nyla Rose in the first women’s match in AEW Dynamite history.
Riho and Nyla put on a great match. The crowd was hot, the stakes were high and the two competitors went (no pun intended) all out.
Riho would defend the title four times. First, against Britt Baker on the third episode of Dynamite. Second, against her mentor, Emi Sakura at Full Gear. Her third defence was a four-way match against Nyla Rose, Hikaru Shida, and Britt Baker. Riho’s final defence was against Kris Statlander.
Riho would lose the title after 133 days to Nyla Rose in another fantastic match on the Feb. 12 episode of Dynamite.
One year on AEW’s women’s division is still trying to find its feet, which is a real shame considering the way it kicked off with such a bang.
What are your favourite Dynamite memories from one year ago today? Let us know in the comments below.
Kairi Sane has shared an update regarding her status with WWE. In a recent post, Sane mentioned that she is now back home and will be involved with WWE from Japan.
Greeting from Japan!! WWE Superstar Kairi Sane here. I have moved back to Japan and will still train and support WWE from here.?? https://t.co/hpUd6I21Vh
This is Kairi Sane from WWE. I will report on future activities. In addition to continuing to belong as a player, I have been given the role of a new WWE promotion supporter in Japan, and will resume activities based in Japan. Thank you for your continued support.
There is no official word from WWE about Kairi’s new role. We will update when that happens.
Kairi Sane’s departure from WWE has long be a topic of conversation
There were rumours stemming as far back as last year that Kairi would return to her home country once her WWE contract expired. Kairi married in February earlier this year, which only exasperated said rumours.
The rumours were confirmed when she made her last appearances at the July 20, RAW tapings. She would defeat Bayley in her final match for the company. Her last time on WWE programming saw her beaten by Bayley that would cost Asuka the RAW Women’s Championship.
This would close Sane’s three-year run with the company. Sane joined WWE in 2017 and became a much loved member of the roster. Her first WWE appearance was in the first Mae Young Classic. She would go on to win, defeating Shayna Baszler in the finals.
Throughout her WWE tenure, Sane held the NXT Women’s Championship and the Women’s Tag Team Championships with Asuka as the Kabuki Warriors.
What do you make of Kairi Sane’s update and new WWE role? Let us know in the comments below. As always stay tuned to Diva Dirt for all of your WWE news, reviews and updates.
NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray successfully retained her title against Piper Niven last week. With that being said, where does this leave the division, and who will be her next opponent? Ray will be addressing the NXT UK’s women’s division next week in a State of the Union.
The #NXTUK Women's Champion @Kay_Lee_Ray is set for a State of the Union next week! ?
Jinny may be a possible next opponent for Ray. After Ray was able to retain against Niven last week, Jinny was behind the barricade watching Ray’s celebration. Perhaps Jinny is next in line for a shot at the title?
Speaking of Jinny, she did return to action on this week’s NXT UK where she faced Xia Brookside. The Fashionista was able to put away the rising star with a submission. After the match, Jinny warns everyone that we haven’t seen the best of her just yet and she is tired of playing nice.
Stephanie McMahon has been listed in the number two spot of the most influential CMO’s according to Forbes.
The annual list is out of the Top 50 and celebrates the CMO’s around the world. They are characterized as those “who are redefining industries and creating a more diverse and equitable future within business, culture, and society.” She is listed just behind Phil Shiller who is the Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing for Apple at the number one spot.
Forbes had the following to say about WWE’s Chief Brand Officer on their website:
“McMahon is an outspoken and highly visible executive at WWE, a company in an industry often mired in controversy. The daughter of WWE CEO Vince McMahon, she is a former WWE Superstar herself, and she’s a big proponent of WWE Superstars growing their own brands via social media. She has also championed women’s equality in the WWE.
This year she spoke out about making the events that went on during the pandemic safe for fans and Superstars. In June she also reportedly shared what she and the company are doing to eliminate racial inequality on The Female Quotient—and partnered with FQ founder Shelley Zalis to create a discussion series called ‘Women in the Business of Sports.'”
This week’s NXT was the last episode before we see a collide between two incredible performers for the NXT Women’s Title at TakeOver 31. The event will take place this Sunday on Oct. 4. Before Candice LeRae tries to capture her first gold in the company, she teamed up with her husband on this week’s show.
It was LeRae and Johnny Gargano as they were the challengers facing the champions Io Shirai and North American Champion, Damian Priest. LeRae & Gargano have made claims that they want to be the first couple to hold titles on the black and gold brand. Gargano has a title match against Priest as well at TakeOver.
Before we get into that mixed tag match, let’s talk about the other TWO women’s matches we saw this week. There is a lot of things to unpack!
Kai wanted some revenge after Blackheart eliminated her from the Number One Contender Battle Royal last week. The match starts with the two trading a couple of near falls. They would then trade submission holds as Kai attempts to go for the Fujiwara Armbar. Blackheart would block it.
Kai has her enforcer Raquel Gonzalez at ringside. Gonzalez would get on the apron to distract Blackheart as she was thinking about executing an inverted cannonball. Kai regains the control of the match from the distraction.
Later on in the match, Blackheart goes for a modified Sliced Bread No. 2 on the ring apron and takes a nasty bump as the two fall to the floor. Gonzalez would interfere once again as Blackheart attempted to gain momentum after the fall. She trips up Blackheart but couldn’t celebrate too long as Rhea Ripley came rushing to ringside. She rams Gonzalez into the side of the ring before several referees push her to the back.
Ripley and Gonzalez have had some issues with each other lately and they both eliminated each other simultaneously during the Battle Royal last week. Back to the ring, Kai goes for a running kick in the corner, but Blackheart avoids it. Blackheart then went for the pin and stacked up Kai to get the three count. Blackheart comes out with a victory.
After the match, Gonzalez was livid. Could we maybe get Ripley vs. Gonzalez added to TakeOver? I wouldn’t complain. If not, we should.
Blackheart took to her Twitter after the match and showed how her move on the apron was supposed to happen. It is good to see that she appears to be okay.
Now on to the second match of the night which was Kayden Carter taking on Xia Li.
Last week we saw a tag team match with Carter and Kacy Catanzaro as they faced Xia Li and Jessi Kamea. The team of Li & Kamea was definitely makeshift but something new for the two. This week, Kamea was not present.
The match was a quick outing for the two, but Carter was able to pull out a win. The end of the match included them trading Sunset Flips. Carter’s move was a little harder to maneuver, but once she got Li over she was able to pin her for the win.
Li has been on a bit of a losing streak and her frustrations mounted. After the match, Carter went to help up her opponent but was met with a shove. After knocking down Carter, Li gave a stare at Catanzaro as she exited the ring.
Now on to the main event. The mixed tag match between Champions vs. Challengers. Shirai and Priest were quick to prove why they are the champions at the start of the match. However, we all know that LeRae & Gargano always have something sneaky up their sleeves.
A little bit of intergender action took place as well as Shirai did strike and hit a moonsault on Gargano after he helped move his wife out of the way.
As the end of the match approaches, LeRae delivers a low-blow to Priest just when he was about to hit Reckoning. The referee didn’t see it as he was tied up with Shirai who was trying to enter the ring. LeRae raced out of the ring after she delivered the blow as Shirai chased after her. Gargano hit the One Final Beat on Priest to get the win for the “First Couple.”
After the match, Shirai would have some words with Gargano until LeRae attacked her from behind with a backstabber.
Could this be the picture we see by the end of TakeOver 31?
Candice comes out of the main event looking strong to dethrone Io at TakeOver. I could honestly see Candice taking the title on Sunday for a few reasons. Io hasn’t had any solid feud with her reign, so it may be time to pass the title onto the next. Also with the WWE Draft coming up, Io could possibly show up on Raw or SmackDown. Preferably SmackDown as that roster needs some help.
WINNER: Shotzi Blackheart
She is finally picking up wins as she should. I definitely see Shotzi as a future NXT Women’s Champion. I can see her going up against either Shirai or Candice next.
LOSER: Xia Li
As of this week, Xia lands on the losing end. This is weird seeing as how much she was winning once upon a time. However, if her reaction to Kayden after the match is any indication, we may see a push for her soon.
What did you think of this week’s NXT? Who were your Winners & Losers?
Check back in with Diva Dirt for the results of the title match at TakeOver on Sunday.
NXT TakeOver 31 is this Sunday on Oct. 4 and Candice LeRae is determined to become the next NXT Women’s Champion.
Before she is able to get to Io Shirai one-on-one, she will have to face her in tag team action on tonight’s show. It will be a mixed-tag match between LeRae and Johnny Gargano as they face Shirai and the North American Champion Damian Priest.
We will also be getting a match between Shotzi Blackheart and Dakota Kai. The two were in the final four of the Battle Royal that determined LeRae as the number one contender. Blackheart eliminated Kai, making her opportunity of facing Shirai once again slip through her fingers.
The news was broken last week on the NXT Injury Report that Nox had suffered a torn ACL due to a vicious attack by Candice LeRae. There was hope here at Diva Dirt that news was part of a kayfabe angle and not legitimate.
WWE has confirmed our worst fears and announced that the “Shiniest Wizard” Tegan Nox has indeed suffered anotheer torn ACL.
Keeping the news kayfabe, LeRae is still the cause of the injury that kept her out of the number one contender Battle Royal.
This is Tegan’s third ACL tear. Her first happened in 2017 when she had just signed for NXT. Her second knee injury came during the Mae Young Classic match against Rhea Ripley.
On today’s NXT Media Call, Triple H stated that Tegan has already had the necessary surgery and now begins yet another long and arduous road to recovery.
All at Diva Dirt wish Tegan a speedy recovery and hope that she is back kicking ass in an NXT soon.
Bound for Glory may bestill a few weeks away but the Knockouts division continues to deliver the fire. This week’s IMPACT had two matches. The first was a tag team match between Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary as the took on Havok & Nevaeh. We then had a rematch between Tenille Dashwood and Jordynne Grace.
The tag match saw Rosemary and Valkyrie on the same page for the first time in a few weeks. Rosemary hadn’t been accompanying Valkyrie to the ring or have been in her corner as she has been busy planning her wedding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C5U_YQn4VI
The match started with Havok and Nevaeh showing great teamwork as they isolated Valkyrie. Once she was able to break free and get the tag, Rosemary came in hot with a pair of Slingblades. Then it was Valkyrie and Rosemary’s turn to show some great tag team work.
The two celebrated prematurely as Havok was on the outside. Nevaeh was still in the ring and delivered a German Suplex to Rosemary. She would try to do the same to Valkyrie, but gets stopped. A Road to Valhalla was what it took to take out Nevaeh and pin her for the win.
As Rosemary and Nevaeh were celebrating on the turnbuckles, Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan stormed the ring. They first attacked Valkyrie. Rosemary came over to fend off the attack but they teamed up on her as well. Steelz and Hogan retreated up the ramp as Havok and Nevaeh re-entered the ring and made a chase for them.
This was a perfect moment reminding me that I am going to manifest the Knockouts Tag Team Titles into existence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcCEv-W99OQ
As a rematch from last week, Jordynne Grace attempts to get revenge on Tenille Dashwood from her lost last week. Kaleb with a K was enough of a distraction to allow Dashwood to pick up the prior win, but Grace is determined to not have that happen again.
Grace was dominant early on but Dashwood gained control with a neck breaker. Dashwood focuses on the throat of Grace as she goes through a plethora of chokes. Grace fights back but is only able to get a two count after a splash. Kaleb attempts to get involved again as he gets on the apron. Unlike last week, Grace wasn’t going to fall for it and gets her rival in a submission causing her to tap out. Grace gets a win and the two are now 1-1 on their rivalry.
It was announced that the rubber match will take place at Victory Road this Saturday on IMPACT Plus. Speaking of Victory Road, Susie will get her shot at the Knockouts Title as she faces the champion Deonna Purrazzo. Both Purrazzo and her tag team partner Kimber Lee are not happy that the champ has to defend her title so close to Bound for Glory. You can read about this announcement here.
She got herself a title match! The promo between her and Kylie also was well done. I enjoy their chemistry with one another. I am looking forward to seeing if Su Yung does appear at Victory Road. They may still hold off on it as a complete transition at this time. Deonna retaining and then Kylie winning at Bound for Glory makes sense. Then we can have Kylie vs. Su Yung.
WINNER: Jordynne Grace
Nice rebound after her loss last week against Tenille. Excited that this is going to the third match at Victory Road. It has been a nice side rivalry as Kylie is going for the title for now.
LOSER: Who would you think ended up on the losing end this week?
Not really sure I can think of a loser for this week. Taya picked up a much-needed win, but she and Rosemary were attacked after the match. I just think we need to have another title for the Knockouts to chase. It would give even more fire for the division.
What did you think of this week’s IMPACT? Who were your Winners & Losers? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!!
Deonna Purrazzo may have Kylie Rae to battle come Bound for Glory on Oct. 24 but will she be champion by then? This Saturday on the IMPACTPlus, Purrazzo will have to defend her title against Susie at Victory Road.
For the past couple of weeks, Susie has been racking up wins. First, in tag team action alongside Rae, they defeated Kimber Lee and Purrazzo as Susie pinned Lee. Then last week, Susie pinned Lee once again in a one-on-one match. Both times, we saw the presence of Su Yung emerging from Susie.
After Rae heard that her tag team partner would take on Purrazzo for the Knockouts Title this Saturday, Susie was concerned that she would be mad. Mad if she wins the title because after all, Rae is the number one contender. Rae confirmed that she could never be mad at her.
Rae continues that she would love to take out the bully Deonna, she would also love to wrestle against her best friend for the title if it came to it. To show that she isn’t mad at all about what may transpire, she offers a present to Susie in the form of new kick pads.
Rae tells her that she knows this is her moment and that her time has come as she exits to screen. Susie repeats in the mirror, “your time has come” as the presence of Su Yung was definitely felt!
Also on the card for Victory Road will be a rubber match between Tenille Dashwood and Jordynne Grace. After Grace’s victory this week on IMPACT the women are tied one win a piece. Who will walk out of victory road with the win?
What do you make of Susie vs. Purrazzo at Victory Road? Do you think that Purrazzo will retain and go on to defend against Rae at Bound for Glory? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!!
It is being reported by WrestleVotes that Bayley vs. Sasha Banks will indeed take place at Hell in a Cell. The long-awaited feud between the two started just a few weeks ago on SmackDown when Bayley turned on her best friend. The plan for the match is to have it inside Hell in a Cell and in the main event.
Sasha Banks vs Bayley inside Hell in a Cell is the planned main event as of now for the 10/25 PPV event.
If this does take place then it will be the third women’s match to take place in the Hell in a Cell structure. The prior two took place in 2016 and 2019 and both included Banks. She took on Charlotte Flair in the first and Becky Lynch in the second. Both matches were for the RAW Women’s Title and Banks came up on the losing end in both.
If this were to take place then this would be the first time the SmackDown Women’s Title would be decided in the steel structure. The event takes place on Oct. 25.
There has been no confirmation from WWE at this time on this match. As we know, cards are always subject to change.
Check back in with Diva Dirt for any further news and rumors for this year’s Hell in a Cell event.
Alex Gracia will make her in-ring debut for AEW on tonight’s episode of Dark. Gracia will take on the “Bad Girl” Penelope Ford in one of three women’s matches scheduled for the show.
Gracia has made a name for herself as one to watch out for in the two years she has been active. She has wrestled all over the world for companies such as CMLL, STARDOM, RISE, and SHIMMER to name but a few. She had a WWE tryout last year and was named as one of sixteen women to compete in Ring of Honor’s postponed Quest for the Gold tournament to crown the first-ever ROH Women’s World Champion.
Most recently she was in action at Thunder Rosa’s all-female promotion, Mission Pro Wrestling. Gracia would face off against Avery Taylor in a losing effort.
Deonna Purrazzo recently cancelled her appearances at The Collective. The weekend of wrestling events included SHIMMER and Johns Barnett’s Bloodsport.
Barnett has found an excellent replacement for the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion. “Legit” Leyla Hirsch will be stepping into the four-woman tournament.
The matches for the tournament are;
Killer Kelly vs. Allysin Kay and Lindsay Snow vs. Leyla Hirsch.
And for our last match up announcement for Josh Barnett's: Bloodsport we have a big one – 4 Woman, 1 night tournament.
1st round -Snow vs Hirsch (replacing Purrazzo) -Kelly vs Kay
Hirsch has only been wrestling for three years and has already made a name for herself as a fierce powerhouse in the ring. She has appeared for STARDOM, CZW, Beyond and wXw.
Hirsch will be pulling triple duty at The Collective. She is appearing at Black Label Pro and SHIMMER on the same day as Bloodsport.
Leyla Hirsch @LegitLeyla will make her debut as part of SHIMMER at #TheCollective on Sunday, Oct. 11 in Indianapolis! Join us live!
The WWE Draft may not be coming to RAW until Oct. 12 but we have a new member of its locker room.
Dana Brooke surprised everyone on this week’s RAW as she is now officially a member of the red brand. Not only is Brooke going to be fighting on RAW now but she is part of a new tag team with Mandy Rose.
This announcement came from WWE Producer Adam Pearce as he interrupted the team of Natalya & Lana. After Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax were not medically cleared for Clash of Champions to defend their Women’s Tag Team Titles, team B.O.A.T feels that they should be handed the titles. As social media influencers and celebrities, Natalya & Lana demanded that the champions be stripped of the titles.
Pearce would interject and let them know that their request was not going to happen. In fact, Baszler & Jax will have to defend the titles in the near future against the team they were supposed to face on Sunday, The Riott Squad. Instead, he would introduce to the team in the ring, their opponents for the night. The two newest members of the RAW brand – Brooke & Rose.
Rose was traded a few weeks ago to RAW from SmackDown via The Miz’s influence. This was a way to get back at Otis who now is without his peach on SmackDown. We have seen vignettes for Rose showing up on the red brand to make it Mandy Night RAW.
As for the match, it was a short bout between the two teams. Brooke would take the bulk of the match before tagging in Rose. After a wicked flip into a face plant from Rose to Lana, she goes for the cover but only gets a two-count. Natalya made the attempt to break up the pin. Brooke took out Natalya with a big clothesline to allow the two legal competitors in the ring to continue.
Rose hits Lana with a knee strike and stacks her up for the pin to get the win for the new team. The two flex as they celebrate their win.
Clash of Champions may be over and done with but Zelina Vega still has the thirst for gold. Vega had her first big title opportunity at the pay-per-view event over the weekend. Although she felt short by eventually succumbing to the Asuka Lock, she will have a rematch tonight.
It is being advertisted that Vega will challenge Asuka once again for the RAW Women’s Title.
At Clash of Champions, the Women’s Tag Team Title match did not take place. According to the announcement on the Kickoff show, Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax were not medically cleared to compete. So they were not able to defend their gold against The Riott Squad. The announcement said this would be addressed on tonight’s RAW.
What do we think is going to going to happen on this week’s RAW? Feel free to use the comment section below to discuss tonight’s show.
WWE’s most recent pay-per-view event Clash of Champions took place over the weekend. An event that focuses on every championship being defended. Unfortunately for The Riott Squad, they were not able to go for the gold as the Women’s Tag Team Champions could not compete.
On the Clash of Champions Kickoff show, it was announced that the current Women’s Tag Team Champions, Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler, were not medically clear to compete. This led to many fans showing concern and automatically thinking that one or both may have tested positive for COVID-19. Although them not being medically cleared could have been many reasons or even precautionary due to the current health pandemic, it still raised some concern.
Both Jax and Baszler responded to fans on Twitter. Baszler confirmed she does not have COVID and Jax says that she is healthy as well.
Girl….I could not be better ? I apologize that the announcement scared some, but all is great and healthy on my end & my tag partner’s end as well (not that I speak for her, but I kind of just did ?) https://t.co/8eQXodGAdN
There has been no official word about the status of the tag champs at this time from WWE. They mentioned when calling off the Clash of Champions match that this will discussed further on Monday night during RAW.
Check back in with Diva Dirt for further news and a Winners & Losers from tonight’s RAW.
Clash of Champions certainly didn’t turn out as planned when it comes to the women’s division. Prior to the event, there were three women’s matches scheduled. As always, the card is subject to change, and that it did.
On the Kickoff show, it was announced that the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax were not medically cleared to compete. As a result, the tag title match between them and The Riott Squad was canceled. This will be addressed on RAW tomorrow night. This took us down to two matches, however, one of the two would be altered.
Nikki Cross, who was scheduled to face Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Title, was also said to not be medically cleared to compete. This led to Bayley having to address this with an open challenge later on in the night.
The RAW Women’s Title match was moved to the main card from the Kickoff show, which is where it should have been to begin with. So we will start with that match as it was first. It had Zelina Vega in her first women’s title match as she faced the RAW Women’s Champion, Asuka.
It was a very good showing for Vega. She earned this match by beating the veteran Mickie James, so her defeating Asuka wouldn’t be that far fetched given that scenario. However, the deck was still stacked against Vega with Asuka being her opponent.
Albeit a match that could have lasted longer, Vega did everything she could to not be caught in the dreaded Asuka Lock. Many counters and near falls almost gave La Muneca what many would have considered the upset victory. In the end, she would get trapped in the Asuka Lock and promptly tap out.
After the match, Asuka was interviewed in the ring and gave many kudos to Vega. At the end of the day though, Vega was not ready for Asuka and The Empress was able to retain. Asuka extended a hand of good sportsmanship. Vega denied it but gave Asuka a bow, only to attack the champ once she bowed back.
Vega retreated out of the ring and up the ramp after the attack saying that this wasn’t over.
Now it came to the time to find out who would challenge Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Title now that Nikki Cross couldn’t compete. She mentioned it was an open challenge and assumed no one was going to answer. The Role Model asked for the referee to get into the ring and raise her hand in victory as a result. Someone would answer her challenge – Asuka.
In a quest to become Asuka2Belts as she once did at SummerSlam, she was quick to go after a familiar foe. The match didn’t last more than a few minutes and Asuka was able to get Bayley locked in the Asuka Lock. It would only last a matter of moments as the champ was near the ropes. Shortly thereafter, Bayley causes a disqualification which allowed her to retain her title.
Her celebration didn’t last long as Sasha Banks attacked her from behind with a steel chair. Banks would continue the attack with a kendo stick which had the champion reeling.
Let’s get into the Winners & Losers of the event!!
WINNER: Zelina Vega
Zelina may not have won the title her first time out, but her loss didn’t make her look weak. She far from jobbed out to the match and there were moments where it looked like she was about to win. Her attack after the match was great to show that the business between the two isn’t over yet. It is good to see this may not just be a one-off.
WINNER: Sasha Banks
Although some wish that they would just keep Sasha off TV for a few in order to build the feud, her attack on Bayley was great. I think we are going to finally see Banks win that blue belt that she has been missing around her waist for so long. It is time to check that box off and make her the third-ever Grand Slam Champion.
LOSER: Bayley
She may have retained her SmackDown Women’s Title by disqualifying herself but Bayley’s time as champion may be coming to an end. It is clear that Sasha is hungry for that belt and with them still keeping her on TV it most likely will happen sooner rather than later. Hell in a Cell perhaps?
LOSERS: The Riott Squad
Throughout fault of their own, this could have been their moment to win their first gold in WWE. It is a shame to see them not even get the match regardless if they would have won or not. We will have to see what happens on RAW in regards to the titles.
What did you think of Clash of Champions? Who were your Winners & Losers? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
During the Clash of Champions pay-per-view event, WWE has announced its next official draft is just weeks away. According to the news, the draft will start with the SmackDown brand on Oct. 9. It will then continue on RAW on Oct. 12.
The last draft that occurred did take place around the same time last year in October. It was the second draft type process last year as there was a Superstar Shake-Up earlier in 2019 after WrestleMania in April.
There has been a draft every year since 2016. There is no word on if NXT will be a part of the draft, but they have had outgoing talent for the past several years.
Below is the current list of both RAW and SmackDown brands:
Who do you see trading brands? Who would you like to see on a different brand? Which NXT woman could you see making a change to either the red or blue brand?
Leave your thoughts on the upcoming WWE Draft in the comment section below.
It has been announced on the Kickoff show that Nikki Cross, Shayna Baszler, and Nia Jax are not medically cleared to compete. The Women’s Tag Team Title match has been scrapped and will be addressed on RAW tomorrow night. Bayley is in the building and she will address her match for tonight.
Asuka vs. Zelina Vega has also been moved to the main card!
WWE Clash of Champions – Gold Rush is here and it is reported that there major changes to the advertised card. Two of the three women’s matches are supposedly affected.
Reportedly Bayley vs Nikki Cross and Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs The Riott Squad are no longer taking place as adveritised. It is expected that explanations will be made during the show.
As this news is only a report the matches in their original form are disscussed below. Let’s get to it.
Vega inserted herself into the RAW Women’s Champion scene by slapping Asuka right across the face. She would go on to win a number one contender match against Mickie James on last week’s RAW.
Asuka and Vega have never met in combat before so this is a rare new matchup in the women’s division. A fresh challenger is great to see as WWE needs to build a new level of strong and credible title contenders.
Despite being on the kick-off show this should be an interesting bout. This is Vega’s first pay-per-view match and her first title match. Can Zelena pull of the shock of the century and defeat Asuka for the RAW Women’s Championship?
Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs The Roitt Squad – Women’s Tag Team Championships
Just because Baszler and Jax have the titles doesn’t mean they have to like each other. They went from enemies to champions and the animosity still remains. Despite being a threatening and dominent force in the ring their fractious relationship is what defines them as a team.
Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott on the other hand have repaired their broken relationship. The Riott Squad’s comeback has been very successful so far with wins over the IIconics to become the number one contenders and a victory over Baszler in a handicapp match.
Will Nia and Shayna’s troubled partnership withstand a rejuvinated Riott Squad?
Bayley vs Nikki Cross – SmackDown Women’s Championship
It has been announced on the Kickoff show that Nikki Cross, Shayna Baszler, and Nia Jax are not medically cleared to compete. The Women’s Tag Team Title match has been scrapped and will be addressed on RAW tomorrow night. Bayley is in the building and she will address her match for tonight.
Asuka vs. Zelina Vega has also been moved to the main card!
It is being mentioned that two out of the three women’s matches may be in jeopardy for the Clash of Champions card. This is coming from POST Wrestling. They report that both the SmackDown Women’s Title match and the Women’s Tag Team Title match may be either canceled or changed.
EXCLUSIVE: An update on the Clash of Champions card with two matches impactedhttps://t.co/AabxedgsnJ
The concern on the SmackDown Women’s Title match stems from the challenger, Nikki Cross, and her absence from the go-home episode of SmackDown on Friday. It is rare that someone involved in a championship match is not present for the show prior to the pay-per-view event.
Bayley has continued to promote the match through her promo on SmackDown and subsequent discussion of it on Talking Smack. She mentioned on Talking Smack that Alexa Bliss may have some involvement in the title bout.
At this time there are talks to have a replacement for Cross in this match over calling it off.
In addition, POST Wrestling is being told in reference to the Women’s Tag Team Title match that it is “off.” The match was scheduled for the champions Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax to face The Riott Squad. There has been no explanation of why this match is reported as canceled but will be explained on tonight’s show.
At the time of this writing, WWE has not confirmed either one of these matches either being canceled or changed. Both matches have been advertised by WWE’s social media up to a few hours ago.
There are no reports to change the RAW Women’s Title match from the Kickoff show to the main card. That match will be Zelina Vega challenging the current champion, Asuka.
Clash of Champions airs tonight at 7 p.m. ET. The Kickoff show starts at 6 p.m.
