The WWE Women’s Tag Titles and the NXT Women Tag Team Titles have now been unified.
On the June 23 episode of SmackDown, Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler defeated Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre to unify the gold. Dawn and Fyre thought they had the match won as they went for the double team on Baszler with Rousey on the outside of the ring. However, Baszler was able to counter. Baszler locked in the Kirifuda Clutch on Fyre. With Rousey back in the ring, who applied to armbar to Dawn and the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions tapped out.
During the match, Raquel Rodriguez took a seat next to commentary to watch the bout. As she went to head to the back after the match, Rousey and Baszler stopped her.
They asked her where she was going and more importantly why was she even there. Rodriguez came back to grab a mic and as she is on the ring apron she stated she is there to challenge the unified champs to a match. A match for the titles that “we” never lost.
Baszler questioned who “we” is and it turns out to of course be Liv Morgan. Since suffering an injury in May, they had to relinquish the gold. Now that Morgan is healed and back her and Rodriguez want the unified tag titles.
The two teams stare at each other before the champs leave the ring to end the segment.
Check back in for more news and results from the women of SmackDown.
*WARNING* – This article contains possible spoilers. Continue reading at your own risk
The Money in the Bank event is quickly approaching as it takes place on July 1 in the UK. At the event will be the ladder match for the women to determine who becomes Ms. Money in the Bank.
Currently all six women are confirmed for the match including Zoey Stark, Trish Stratus, Becky Lynch, Bayley, IYO SKY, and Zelina Vega.
According to both PWInsider and Fightful Select, it has been in talks for IYO SKY to win the briefcase. First reported by PWInsider, Fightful confirms there has been talks for quite a bit to have SKY win. However, it was reiterated to those who confirmed it that they won’t be told until the day of if that’s actually the plan.
Diva Dirt will have a live Discussion Post on July 1 at 3 PM ET to talk about the show.
Tonight’s SmackDown will see the unification of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles and the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles. Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey will take on Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre.
The Money in the Bank Ladder Match that will take place On July 1 does have its six women in the bout. However, tonight Shotzi will get a second shot to qualify. If she defeats Bayley then she will be taking her place in the match.
Charlotte Flair returned two weeks ago and will be getting her shot at the WWE Women’s Title next week in the UK the night before Money in the Bank. What further build will be get between Flair and Asuka?
Becky Lynch has been one of the top WWE Superstars over the past several years. She would take time away from the ring in May 2020 as she announced she was pregnant with her first child. She gave birth to a baby girl, Roux, in December 2020.
Lynch came back to the ring later in 2021 during SummerSlam where she quickly defeated Bianca Belair to become the SmackDown Women’s Champion. She was the recent guest on Corey Graves’ podcast After the Bell where she sat down with Graves and Kevin Patrick to talk about her biggest challenge since returning to the ring after the birth of her child.
“I suppose the biggest challenge was one that kind of came up recently, which I didn’t realize could happen, was, you know, people talk about postpartum depression, and I thought that’s what happens instantly. So I’d kind of scaled past it and been like, ‘Oh, I’m great. I’m fine. I survived it.’ I came back to work relatively, not too quickly, but relatively quickly, and put everything into that. So I kind of felt like I’d escaped it. Then I weaned her in January, and I didn’t realize that when you’re done nursing, that you can get kind of a postpartum depression then.
So we’re over two years later, and so at first I didn’t realize what was happening. I didn’t realize why I was so on edge, and then it kind of got really, really dark for a few months, and I was in a really bad spot. It was kind of one of those things where you’re trying to pull yourself out of because I would know mentally, god I’ve got a great life. I’ve got a great life. I’ve got a great husband, I’ve got a great baby. I’m doing this thing at the highest level that I love. But no reasoning with yourself was able to overcome just that level of depression, and so thankfully, somebody that we all know, I won’t put her on the spot, but she told me what was happening because it had happened to her, and she had gone through that. She gave me some help, and she gave me some tips, and I kind of just kept thinking it was gonna pass, and then it really wasn’t passing,” Lynch said. (Fightful)
Lynch continued to talk about her short time away after WrestleMania when Trish Stratus turned on her. She took several weeks off due to a foot injury but that ended up helping her get through her depression without the weight of her on the road schedule to deal with.
“It was right after WrestleMania, just there, right after Trish turned on me and I hurt my foot in that match, I hurt it in the beginning, and it was like a precursor to a stress fracture, so they took me off for four weeks. It was such a blessing because I kind of really had to face everything that I was going through. When you’re go, go, go, you can be so distracted, but you realize that you’re getting quite explosive, but you just kind of get on with it. You’re just our, ‘Let me get on with it.’ So I really had to face it and learn how to deal with it, and a lot of it was meditation and that really didn’t, it made me understand my thoughts a bit better. So I was able to figure them out and stop them when they were getting too dark, and then just a crazy supplement routine, and then acupuncture really kind of balanced everything, and then I was like, ‘Oh, god, okay. Now I can appreciate everything again and get back to feeling like me.’ It lasted way longer than I thought it would, and I thought it was going to pass. So that was probably the biggest obstacle that I faced because I feel like, it’s kind of like the oxygen mask. When you don’t have your oxygen mask on, you can’t help anybody else, and I felt like that too. I felt like I didn’t want to be around people. I could feel this bad energy that I had bringing other people down. So now I’ve gotten back to feeling like myself and bring excited for everything. That was the biggest hurdle I had to overcome,” she said.
In addition, Lynch didn’t know that someone could get post-weaning depression. So this taught her a lot about what she was going through and understanding it is quite common.
“I didn’t know you could get post-weaning depression. So not even knowing that that was a thing, I think also hurt me because ‘why am I feeling like this? Why am I acting like this,’ and not realizing that this is actually a common thing just happens, and there are ways that you can treat it. Once you figure out the cause of all of that, then you’re off to the races, and then you’re back, and then you can appreciate everything. But yeah, for a few months there, it was rough,” Lynch said.
Lynch also talks about the upcoming Money in the Bank Match where she will participate and desires to grab the briefcase.
IMPACT Wrestling’s Gisele Shaw is celebrating this pride month with a one-year anniversary. It has been one year since Shaw came out as transgender.
Shaw is a Filipino-Canadian wrestler who worked on the independent circuit since 2015 before signing with IMPACT in 2022. Known as the Quintessential Diva, Shaw sat down with Denise Salcedo to share how she feels one year since announcing her truth.
“So much has happened, but I feel like with the year that’s passed by, I have had time to really accept myself and be my true authentic self, and just live as happily as I can. I’ve grown, you know, not only personally but also professionally. It’s been amazing. It’s a new chapter in my life that I didn’t know what was going to happen, and I’m just here for the ride and I’m just happy that I took that leap,” she said. (Fightful)
Shaw shared her worries and her stress leading up to the decision and has talked about how people reacted. She did an episode of Diary with IMPACT where she opened up as well.
“So I did say my in my Diary that before I told my story, and it was such a struggle, you know, waking up every single day thinking like – I would go about my regular day, and then thinking, ‘Oh, I can’t really enjoy being in a restaurant with people’, because I’m constantly thinking, ‘Do these people know?’ Because they’re looking and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, like, what’s going on?’ It just gives me such anxiety and even meeting new people. It really stressed me out, too. It’s just mentally draining. Then telling my story, it was just such a relief. It was like, ‘Okay, cool. I can breathe. It doesn’t matter what people think now, and I can enjoy my life freely.’ Like I said, it’s just very liberating to experience life fully the way it’s supposed to be. It’s been such an amazing journey and just amazing in general that I get to just be me.”
She went into more detail about how her family felt when she first told them and then after she came out publicly how those in her professional life took the news.
“So my parents, they had a hard time accepting it at the beginning. But now they’re just so supportive and I love it. And my sisters, they’ve always been supportive since day one. I’m really fortunate to have that with them. At work, I mean, everyone, management, front office, talent, you name it, everyone is just super, super supportive. I’m just fortunate to have that because I don’t want to be going to work and be like, ‘Oh my God, here I go again. I have to go to work, and now I have to experience bigotry and discrimination and all that stuff from people.’ Your workplace is kind of like your second family. For them to just be like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re so happy for you, and we just love you,’ and just to be accepting, it’s been really, really great. And the fans, oh my gosh! So I’ve always thought, you know, there’s always going to be that one person here or there that’s gonna say something negative about it, but it’s like if you say something negative about me, they’re there and they’re just like this army that’s ready to defend me at all costs. I appreciate them so much, and I love them. I’m so fortunate to have that from the fans, from my family, and from my co-workers because not everyone has that support. Hopefully I’m able to support those people that unfortunately don’t have that in their lives.“
Luckily, Shaw has a support system and continues to love her for who she is. With that being said, we all know not everyone is kind and accepting. She has decided to react to those who treat her in a negative way with the thought that regardless of who you are someone will have something to say about you.
“So, you know, it’s something that I actually had to learn how to deal with because no matter if it’s a positive or a negative comment, I see it all online. IMPACT would say, ‘Hey, you know what, we can block those. You don’t have to see it.’ I think for me it’s so important that I see those because those are – It’s a part of me to grow and be like, ‘You know what? Those comments shouldn’t affect me.’ Because at the end of the day, no matter who you are, no matter what you are, people are going to say something because somewhere, someone out there is very unhappy. Or they just want to stay relevant or they want to be in the conversation to feel like they’re included. Whatever they do doesn’t reflect what I do. That’s something that I had to learn and really accept and be like, ‘You know what, it’s not me, it’s them. I’m out here living my best life. I’m inspiring people. I’m raising awareness. I’m educating people, I’m empowering people,’ and that’s the most important thing for me and this is why I do this. Not only for the people in the community, but for the generation now, for the generation that came before, and the next generation. Yeah, okay, sometimes I may look at a negative comment, but then I remember that I live rent free in this person’s head, so I love it,” Shaw said.
Shaw can currently be seen in the Knockouts division with IMPACT Wrestling where she wrestles weekly. She will also be on the upcoming season of The Amazing Race Canada with IMPACT Hall of Famer Gail Kim.
This week’s IMPACT featured Killer Kelly battling Taylor Wilde one-on-one.
It didn’t take long for KiLynn King to interfere by pulling down the middle rope, allowing Kelly to crash to the floor. Wilde then took control with a wicked surfboard before attempting to choke her in the ropes.
Kelly would fire back with headbutts and a dropkick to create space. She was able to apply Killer Clutch, but Wilde rolled free. Kelly immediately trapped Wilde in a roll-up for the win.
Afterward, The Coven beat down Kelly until Masha Slamovich made the save with a chain in hand. Slamovich and Kelly cleared the ring before locking eyes and smiling.
Earlier in the night, Jody Threat beat Nevaeh on BTI. While they were showing respect to each other backstage, Nevaeh spotted Jessicka and Courtney Rush, who she mistakenly called Havok and Rosemary. After some back and forth, Nevaeh told them they needed to go back to the beginning.
Trinity also spoke to Gia Miller backstage and noted that she’s not scared of Gisele Shaw dethroning Deonna Purrazzo during the Down Under Tour. Rather, she wants to settle the score with Jai Vidal and has challenged him to a singles match next week.
What did you think ofthis week’s IMPACT? Sound off with your thoughts below!
Check it out! Ring Post Journal’s 2022 Women’s Wrestling Year in Review is now available on Amazon in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats internationally. Relive the entire year in one book with a news timeline, detailed results, and win-loss records for WWE, AEW, IMPACT, NWA, and more!
This week’s AEW Dynamite featured a title match and several big developments.
To start, Kris Statlander defended the TBS title against Taya Valkyrie. They kept the action neck and neck at first. Kris then hit a moonsault reverse DDT to the floor that didn’t quite connect.
Taya Valkyrie is in complete control in the TBS title match!
As a result, Taya was then able to take control by tossing Kris out of the ring. They knocked each other out coming back from commercial break before Statlander was able to put Valkyrie away with a piledriver to retain.
Big sense of urgency by the champion Kris Statlander!
After their recent interactions, Toni Storm is officially set to defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in Toronto this Sunday.
What did you think ofthis week’s Dynamite? Sound off with your thoughts below!
Check it out! Ring Post Journal’s 2022 Women’s Wrestling Year in Review is now available on Amazon in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats internationally. Relive the entire year in one book with a news timeline, detailed results, and win-loss records for WWE, AEW, IMPACT, NWA, and more!
Mickie James is back to 100% and just waiting for her right time to return to IMPACT Wrestling.
James was not medically cleared to compete a few months ago which caused her to relinquish the Knockouts World Title. Deonna Purrazzo would go on to become the new champion at Rebellion after defeating Jordynne Grace for the vacant gold.
In an interview for Cultaholic Wrestling, the husband of James and pro wrestler Nick Aldis provided an update on his wife.
“She’s 100 percent, so now it’s just a case of she’s just waiting for her right moment. We do have interests outside of wrestling, we have a supplement company, and Mickie has her show and the music stuff, and we have the horses. We’re also producing a show in Australia and Mickie is also a producer of the Last Match musical. She’s really just sort of weighing up where she wants to spend her time because we also have a son,” Aldis stated.
He continues, “So it’s also a case of making the best use of our time that means we have to be away from our son. She needs to be on something that she feels is valuable and worthwhile. She’s certainly going to show up again in IMPACT Wrestling at some point but, like I said, it’s finding the right time. She’s been around enough, she’s not in a rush just to get back for attention’s sake. She’s going to bide her time and make it meaningful.”
Prior to stepping out of the ring with an injury, James held her “Last Rodeo” where she vowed to step away from the ring for good if she either lost a match or didn’t become champion again. She would eventually work her way up to a title match against Grace in January at Hard to Kill. This is where James became a five time IMPACT Knockouts Champion.
Meta-Four members Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson picked up a big and much needed win on the June 20 episode of NXT. Legend and Jackson have formed a stable with Oro Mensah and Noam Darr.
Legend and Jackson took on Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon. The match was on the shorter side, but both teams showcased what makes them good teams. Lola Vice and Elektra Lopez came out on the ramp to watch the match.
Mensah would interfere in the match which led to to Leon taking him out on the outside. Feroz would get back in the ring and meet a big boot of Legend who scored the pin.
Tensions have been high ever since a Battle Royal a few weeks ago which saw the return of Dana Brooke to NXT. Most in particular between Brooke and Cora Jade.
The match between the two took a turn when Brooke went for a move in the corner and fell down on the mat due to her knee. A stretcher comes out to help her but Jade continued to mock her and get in her face. As the stretcher was taking Brooke out, she would slap Jade and continue the match.
From there on, Jade continued to target the knee and locked in a single leg crab submission. Brooke refused to tap, but the referee had enough and stopped the match giving Jade the win.
Thea Hail had a pep rally ahead of her title match next week. Tiffany Stratton interrupts and the two get physical with Hail getting the last laugh.
Next week we will see Hail challenge Stratton as well as a match between Gigi Dolin and Kiana James.
The TBS Championship will be on the line this Wednesday on AEW Dymanite. The champion Kris Statlander will be facing Taya Valkyrie.
Valkyrie is still reeling with what happened at Double or Nothing when she lost to Jade Cargill. After that loss, Cargill issued an open challenge which was answered by the returning Statlander. She not only won the TBS Title, but she ended the undefeated streak of Jade in the process.
Statlander has since grown tired of Valkyrie and after Valkyrie defeated Trish Adora on AEW Rampage she offered the challenge for Dynamite.
Since becoming champion in May, Statlander has defeated Nyla Rose and Anna Jay.
TBS Champion @callmekrisstat has made it clear she’ll defend the title any time anywhere, and @thetayavalkyrie, looking for redemption since #AEWDoN, has swiftly answered the challenge!
Sonya Deville is opening up about what happened after her home invasion in 2020. In August of that year, Phillip Thomas II broke into Deville’s Florida home and had the intentions to kidnap her. In May of this year, Thomas was finally sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of kidnapping, armed burglary, and aggravated assault.
While speaking to Maria Menounos, Deville details the aftermath of the incident and how she felt and what she went through.
“There’s just so many layers to it. First of course, it’s fight or flight, and you’re just in the situation, and you deal with the situation, and that night after the incident, I thought I was gonna go back to the house and sleep there because I was stubborn and I was in shock, and I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know left from right at that point. Then, the sun goes down, and I’m uncontrollably shaking, and I’m in a hotel room under an alias name because I’m so paranoid that even though he’s arrested, he’s somehow gonna find me, and I have the dresser pushed up against the door. I made Mandy (Rose) slide the dresser in front of the door on the fifteenth floor of this high rise, and paranoia starts to set in. It’s fight or flight, and then it’s shock, and I went into an autopilot of, ‘What needs to be done? What do we have to do?’ I don’t feel first. I do first, and then I feel later. You do what has to be done, and then you feel later, so I didn’t feel the full effect for what had happened for months. I was in full-blown fight-or-flight, I was living in fight-or-flight mode for months, maybe years,” Deville said. (Fightful)
Deville continued about how she lived in a safe house for one month afterward and how it was a “weird phase” that she went through because of the trauma.
“I didn’t realize that until, no one knows this either, I went and lived in a safe house for a month because we didn’t know if he was gonna be able to get bail. It was a 24/7 armed security house. Guys with guns standing at each door, entrance of this home, in a secured location 24/7. It’s just weird. I would go work out at the local LA Fitness and he would come work out with me. That was a weird phase of my life. I didn’t know what was going on. My mom flew down and stayed with me for as long as she could, but then she has to go back to work. My dad came down right away, of course, then he has to go back to work. It’s this really weird thing where something so messed up happens to you, but then life goes on. So that was something that was hard for me to deal with at that time because I am such a ride-or-die and I feel my emotions very hard and true, so I’m like, wait a second, I almost had all this taken away from me, and then life just goes on,” Deville said.
Deville took time off from WWE after her 2020 SummerSlam match against Mandy Rose who was with her during the invasion. She returned in January of 2021 as an authority role and would not return to the ring until October 2021. Currently she is in a tag team with Chelsea Green.
Thanks to Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus has now entered into the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Yes, thanks to Becky.
On the June 19 episode of Raw, Stratus took on Raquel Rodriguez. This was Stratus’ first singles match on Raw in 12 years. The match was a great exchange between the two and the match could have gone either way. Zoey Stark, who is already in the MITB match, joined her mentor at ringside. She did interfere as she swept the legs of Rodriguez on the ring apron. Stratus tried to capitalize but still only got a near fall.
The match concluded as Lynch would rush down to the ring and start attacking Stark. This would get Stratus involved to help Stark but Lynch got carried away and turned her attack on Stratus. This cause a disqualification and Stratus won. Rodriguez was left baffled in the ring and was not happy. She shared some words with Lynch saying she had everything under control.
Later in the show, Byron Saxton caught up with Lynch. She says that she either will overcome all of her adversaries in the MITB match or go down in a blaze of glory.
Elsewhere on Raw, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter picked up their first win on the red brand . They defeated Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville. Chance and Carter hit the After Party with Chance pinning Deville. Prior to the match, there was a video package of Green being a Karen on TikTok.
A match was scheduled between Rhea Ripley and Natalya as a rematch from Night of Champions. The match never took place as Ripley attacked Natalya prior to the bell.
After this attack, Rodriguez was backstage about to head out for her match. She had words with Ripley stating that when she wins MITB she is coming for her. Rodriguez of course ended up jot qualifying for MITB.
Maxxine Dupri continues her training with Chad Gable and Otis. She was taught a suplex and delivered it to Valhalla. But the excitement was premature as the Viking Raiders defeated Alpha Academy.
Tonight’s episode of Raw has two matches already confirmed.
We will get to see a qualifying match for MITB between Trish Stratus and Raquel Rodriguez. This will determine the final spot in the match that takes place on July 1. Although, there is a second chance match for Shotzi on SmackDown this week where she will be facing Bayley. If she defeats Bayley, Shotzi will replace her in MITB. Other MITB participants currently are Zelina Vega, IYO SKY, Zoey Stark, and Becky Lynch.
Also scheduled is a match between Natalya and Rhea Ripley. It does not appear the title on the line, but it is a rematch from Natalya’s quick defeat at Night of Champions.
Will we see another Maxxine Dupri arm drag? I hope so!
NXT has announced that there will be a tag team match this Tuesday. After weeks of build from their eliminations in the recent Battle Royal, Valentina Feroz & Yulisa Leon will take on Lash Legend & Jakara Jackson.
These two teams faced off at the end of May on NXT Level Up. Feroz and Leon came out with the win in that encounter.
Also this week we will see Dana Brooke taking on Cora Jade as well as a pep rally for Thea Hail. Hail faces Tiffany Stratton for the NXT Women’s Title next week.
With the unveiling of a new look WWE title for the women, it seems the perfect time to look back at the titles of yesteryear that the women (or then Divas) would be fighting for week after week.
One such title that was retired at the beginning of this era for the women, was the Divas Championship. Introduced in 2008 by Smackdown General Manager, Vickie Guerrero, who felt it was time her Divas on Smackdown and ECW had their own title as a counterpart to RAW’s Women’s Championship.
Over the near eight years of its existence, the title was held by 17 different women, moved from Smackdown to RAW, become the only title for the women after a unification match before finally being retired in 2016 at Wrestlemania.
As with any list like this, there will be Divas listed here that not everyone will agree on their placement so let’s explain what I will be considering.
Length of Reign(s) – Days title held taken from WWE.com
Number of Successful Title Defenses – Not including titles retained via Count-out, DQ or non-televised bouts
Significance of the Reign – The importance of the reign on the division at the time and how memorable it may be today
Number of Reigns – Amount of times the Diva held the title
All this being said, this is only my opinion and as always would love to discuss and debate these in the comments so share your thoughts and even some of your favourite Divas title matches below!
Let me preface this by saying that one of the biggest misses of the Divas Division, for me, was Brie Bella not becoming a two time Divas Champion around the time of her feud with Stephanie McMahon. That version of Brie Bella was a top baby face, solid in the ring and was seen as one of the top contenders in the division at the time.
It is unfortunate that this reign for Brie came at a time when this marked her as the top Diva across both brands as the WWE Women’s Championship had been retired and so her then flaws were highlighted. The success of Laycool and the hole left by Michelle’s retirement was definitely felt and it seems that the heel Bella Twins were perhaps meant to fill that void but when her only challenger to her reign was Kelly Kelly, the match quality was not there.
Not to knock either Kelly or Brie but at this point in their careers, neither were fully able to lead a match but still delivered where they could.
Unfortunately, the title didn’t do a lot when held by Brie Bella for those 70 days which is more a comment on WWE booking than on Brie’s ability especially when we came to see how capable she would become when she tapped in to #BrieMode.
Yes, this title reign was the shortest of any other reign on this list and Jillian holds the distinction of being the only Divas Champion to never successfully defend her title but it’s hard to deny it was a memorable moment.
If you were watching live when this happened, reactions ranged from confusion to sheer elation at Jillian’s reaction to having won her first and only title during her time with WWE.
What came to pass next saw Jillian drop the title to Melina who had just been drafted to RAW and it became clear this reign was simply to pass the title from Mickie James to Melina without the two facing off. (I mean, they could have done a title exchange ceremony, those always go down great!)
The reason Jillian’s reign just beats out Brie’s is down to the reaction to it from the fans and from Jillian herself, her screeching and joy at winning really portrayed how important the title was to her and for me, seeing a wrestler genuinely care about what they’re fighting for makes me care that little bit more.
During the Unification match between Michelle McCool and Melina, the seeds were planted for the next challenger as Natalya found herself confronting McCool throughout the match and even inadvertently cost Melina the match when she distracted the referee.
What followed was a long feud where Natalya became the new target for the mean girl antics of Laycool, an almost full circle moment came about as Natalya was one of the first two Divas to compete for the title when it was introduced. Her chase for the title would say Natalya try her best to combat the numbers, facing Michelle and then Layla in back to back PPVs before deciding to face the threat head on and challenge them to a handicap match.
It was a perfect end to her chasing the title and it’s well known amongst wrestling fans today that Natalya is a work horse so fans were expecting even more hard hitting matches and feuds surrounding the title. We did get the first ever Divas Tables Match featuring Natalya and Beth Phoenix against Laycool in one of the first signs of the WWE giving their women more extreme stipulations in some time.
Regrettably, as with most reigns, the booking is what ultimately hurt Natalya as she only successfully defended the title once on RAW against a newly heel Melina before she would drop it to Eve in a Fatal Four Way match.
They say anything can happen in WWE and Kaitlyn’s reign and rise to the top of the division is probably a perfect example.
It is common knowledge now that Kaitlyn winning the number one contender’s battle royal on that fateful episode of RAW was not the plan but in a rare moment of good writing, the powers that be decided to run with what happened and what followed was a satisfying and entertaining chase for the title.
While Kaitlyn did not receive her original title opportunity and thus opened the doors for another Diva to swoop in, she would remain in the title picture for the following months and finally score the gold in her home state of Texas, spearing Eve right out of the WWE.
Kaitlyn is the first Divas Champion in the ranking to defend the belt more than once successfully but two of those defences happened on NXT and only one would occur on PPV. She would hold the belt for sometime but her title reign would only start to develop some steam when she began a secret admirer storyline with the reveal being that AJ Lee was behind the whole thing. Emotions got the better of the champion in her match against Lee and ultimately cost her the belt.
Around this time, Total Divas was beginning up so the potential of a longer rivalry was taken away from us and Kaitlyn would get lost in the shuffle, never regaining the belt but holding the 7th longest reign out of 17 champions is still impressive.
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus looks to punch her ticket to her first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match by taking on Raquel Rodriguez Monday on Raw.
Since betraying Becky Lynch and Lita a couple of months ago, Stratus has been on a mission to gain respect as a legend and will look to cement it by defeating Rodriguez en route to becoming Ms. Money in the Bank, July 1 in London.
Stratus has also aligned with the bruising Zoey Stark who has already qualified for the match, making them one of the most dangerous duos on the red brand.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, is attempting to regain some momentum after having to relinquish the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships due to Liv Morgan’s injury.
Second, we have a rematch from Night of Champions as Natalya challenges the Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley.
This Monday, Women’s World Heavyweight Champion Rhea Ripley will battle against Natalya. The rivals met at WWE Night of Champions in May, with Ripley retaining her title in dominant fashion. Does the third-generation Superstar have what it takes to score a high-stakes victory over The Eradicator of The Judgment Day?
Join Diva Dirt in talking about these matches live on Monday night.
On the June 16 episode of SmackDown, Shotzi talked her way into a second chance to enter the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. This came after IYO SKY suffered a loss to Zelina Vega.
SKY took on Vega in singles action with Bayley by ringside. The finals moment of the match had Bayley causing a distraction which had the referees attention. SKY had Vega pin for more than 3 seconds but the official didn’t see it. Vega would then get the pin for herself.
Post-match, SKY and Bayley argue about the match result. Backstage they are still in discussion about what transpired as well as the upcoming Money in the Bank match. Shotzi appeared and blamed Bayley for ruining her chance at getting into that match. She challenges Bayley for next week that if Shotzi wins she will replace Bayley. Before Bayley could say much, SKY accepted the match on her behalf.
A mixed tag team match took place as Michin and AJ Styles took on Scarlett and Karrion Kross. This was very short match most likely due to a time situation. After Michin and Scarlett took each other out on the outside, Kross was able to pin Styles.
During the Grayson Waller Effect segment, he welcomed 14-time champion Charlotte Flair. Right before this we saw Bianca Belair in Adam Pearce’s office questioning about her rematch with Asuka. Pearce let her know that he is still figuring it out and she won’t have an answer tonight. This caused Belair to take matters in her own hand.
Belair came out to confront Flair for what she feels is skipping the line. Flair made a compeling argument that she never got her rematch on Rhea Ripley, so technically she is due for one. Belair could see that point, but unlike herself who stayed after she lost, Flair left for several months.
Flair continues to say whether in victory or defeat she has picked herself up 14 times. She is a champion with or without a title but is Belair? Belair exclaims that she is the longest reigning women’s champion of the modern era and didn’t need to do it 14 times.
Belair says she will be at ringside for Asuka and Flair’s match in two weeks. And whoever wins, Belair will step in the ring and claim her shot.
Check back into Diva Dirt for more news and results from the women of SmackDown.
Four Knockouts were part of this week’s five-on-five main event.
This week’s IMPACT opened with a promo segment involving several wrestlers who took issue with each other following Against All Odds. Among them, Gisele Shaw, Savannah Evans, Trinity, and Deonna Purrazzo appeared before Santino Marella booked a five-on-five main event: Motor City Machine Guns, Nick Aldis, Trinity, and Purrazzo vs. Shaw, Evans, Kenny King, Sheldon Jean, and Trey Miguel.
Purrazzo and Shaw started the main event with a flurry of moves as they attempted to score quick pinfalls. Trinity took over, but that soon brought in Evans who bodyslammed Trinity. Purrazzo returned to aid Trinity and they managed to apply their submissions on both Shaw and Evans at the same time.
Later, Evans broke up Shelley’s submission on Miguel, which led to Deonna equalizing her. Shaw and Trinity threw kicks, but then Jai Vidal took Trinity down. In the end, Shelley scored the win for the babyface team.
It was announced that Shaw will challenge Purrazzo during the Down UnderTour on July 1. If Shaw wins, the Slammiversary title match will become a three-way.
Next week’s show will feature Taylor Wilde vs. Killer Kelly.
What did you think ofthis week’s IMPACT? Sound off with your thoughts below!
Check it out! Ring Post Journal’s 2022 Women’s Wrestling Year in Review is now available on Amazon in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats internationally. Relive the entire year in one book with a news timeline, detailed results, and win-loss records for WWE, AEW, IMPACT, NWA, and more!
The ROH Women’s World Champion Athena will put her title on the line in a street fight against Kiera Hogan on June 22. On the June 15 episode, Athena defeated Trish Adora in a ROH Women’s World Title Proving Ground Match.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) June 16, 2023
Despite winning the match, Athena continues the attack in Adora which caused Hogan to come in for the save. Hogan came armed with a yrash can and both women were able to utilize the weapon. The weapons continued as Hogan brought out a table but Athena would spear her adversary through it.
Also in a backstage interview, Athena mocked Hogan with a blue wig on.
I said what I said and if you got a problem wit it come see me periodt https://t.co/8kPDeSHqJe
Deonna Purrazzo is currently in her third reign as IMPACT Knockouts World Champion. She won the title by defeating Jordynne Grace for the vacant title at Rebellion in April. Purrazzo joined IMPACT after her WWE release in 2020.
Over the past three years with The Virtuosa holding the gold on three separate occasions now has her at a cumulative of 501 days as champion. This has only been accomplished by one other Knockout and that is Gail Kim (711). Below Purrazzo on the list is Mickie James who has five reigns at 445 days total. There has been a total of 25 women who have held this gold since its inception in 2007.
Sitting at 60 days and counting with her current reign, Purrazzo will next face Trinity at Slammiversary on July 15.
What has been your favorite feud during any of Purrazzo’s reigns? Discuss below.
Shayna Baszler is in her third reign as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. This time with Ronda Rousey (previously with Nia Jax). The team became champs a couple of weeks ago in a Fatal Four Way match after the belts had to be relinquished due to Liv Morgan’s injury.
While speaking on WWE’s The Bump on Wednesday, Baszler has the same sentiment as Rousey – both women are tired of the tag titles taking a backseat.
“I want the same thing she [Ronda] wants. We want to put more women on the scene. There’s are important. They’re titles, we’re champions. It’s long enough that it’s happened where it’s like, ‘Oh man, a PPV’s coming up, I better find someone in the locker room to team up with. Like, get some friends! Be a team! Ronda and I have been friends for 10 years. Why is it not looked down on that everyone in the locker room only suddenly wants to work with someone when it’s a pay per view opportunity? That’s so opportunistic. We want to put these at the forefront. I think it gets looked past the work that I did when I held these the first time. Worked all three shows. I’m pretty sure we defended these more than anyone had in the past up to that point. But, you know, all everyone talks about is Bayley‘s reign with these titles and blah-blah-blah-blah-blah. Like, I’ve done some work with these too, and it’s not stopping. We immediately defended, we immediately went after the NXT Tag Champions. There’s no break in the storm that we’re causing,” she said. (Fightful)
Baszler and Rousey are now set to face Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn to unify the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships and the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships. With more teams on the main roster than there have been for years and many in NXT forming, who will step up to whomever becomes the unified champs?
That match is set to take place on the June 23 SmackDown.
The June 14 episode of AEW Dynamite saw Skye Blue challenge Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Blue brought the fury to start with lots of punches and then a crossbody off the top. Skye’s mom was watching in the front row but got sprayed in the eyes by The Outcasts. As a result, Blue dove out onto Storm and Ruby.
After the break, Skye managed to spray Storm in the eyes and came close to winning, but Ruby was distracting the ref during the count. Storm then hit Storm Zero, but Skye kicked out right before three. Despite that, Storm locked in the Texas Cloverleaf to retain.
As The Outcasts continued to beat Skye down, Willow Nightingale ran down to make the save. This officially set up Storm & Soho vs. Blue & Nightingale being booked for the premiere of AEW Collision this Saturday.
What did you think ofthis week’s Dynamite? Sound off with your thoughts below!
Check it out! Ring Post Journal’s 2022 Women’s Wrestling Year in Review is now available on Amazon in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats internationally. Relive the entire year in one book with a news timeline, detailed results, and win-loss records for WWE, AEW, IMPACT, NWA, and more!
Reality of Wrestling (ROW) is about to have a foxy time in July as former WWE Divas Champion Alicia Fox will be present at the event. ROW is the Texas based indie promotion ran by WWE Hall of Famers Sharmell and Booker T.
In the Tweet below from Booker, you can see that Fox will be making “her return to the world of pro wrestling” on July 15 at Summer of Champions. There is now word at this time if she will have a match or if so, who her opponent will be.
?? BREAKING NEWS ??
Alicia Fox makes her return to the world of pro wrestling on Saturday, July 15th at the biggest event of the summer #SummerOfChampionsIX
LOCATION: Humble Civic Center 8233 Will Clayton Pkwy, Humble, TX 77338
The current ROW Diamonds Division Champion is Promise Braxton. A title that has been held by names such as Kylie Rae, Hyan, and NXT’s own Roxanne Perez.
If Fox does not go after the women’s title, could she maybe getting a dream match against Melina? The two talked about this and to speak to Booker T in a recent interview that can be seen here.
Bayley was a featured guest on this week’s WWE Bump. As a highly decorated Superstar and Grand Slam Champion herself, she discussed the new Women’s Belts and Names for the main roster.
For those who may not know, the Raw Women’s Title is now the WWE Women’s Title and the new belt was given to Asuka on SmackDown. Rhea Ripley received the new Women’s World Title belt to replace the SmackDown Women’s Title on this week’s Raw.
Bayley said, “I mean, they’re beautiful for one. I think it’s sad to see the other ones go, but it’s definitely time for a change because the locker room has changed so much, the roster has changed and grown so much. It’s kind of nice to see a brand-new slate, so to speak, just a brand-new look. It’s kind of reminded me of when they got rid of the Divas Title and we were presented with the brand-new Raw Women’s Title, and Lita unveiled it at WrestleMania. So it was kind of a cool moment to experience that, but now it lights a fire in me. I’ve done pretty much everything, so it lights a fire in me to want to see myself raising that title or to see IYO [SKY] raising either one of those titles.” (Fightful)
Bayley has not held a championship since 2020 due to being out with an injury and then returning to help put over other talent such as Bianca Belair, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY.
You can watch Bayley and one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler on The Bump below.
