This week’s RAW started off with a six-woman tag team match. It grouped together the feud between RAW Women’s Champion Asuka and Zelina Vega along with two tag teams that tangled in the ring last week. The teams for this match were Asuka along with new RAW members Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke taking on Vega, Lana, and Natalya.
Throughout the match, Vega still kept her main focus on Asuka which clearly means she isn’t done with the RAW Women’s Champion. She spent many times taking cheap shots even if Asuka wasn’t in the ring with her.
Asuka would make sure to get her licks in as well including getting in a hip attack on the ropes which knocks off Vega towards the end of the match. Asuka and Lana end up being the legal women in the match, but that didn’t stop both Vega and Natalya to try and get at Asuka. Asuka is able to avert all three women until Lana knees her in the face. The champ recovers quickly and goes for a pin, but Natalya breaks it up.
Brooke then enters and takes out Natalya with a springboard back elbow which takes them out of the equation. Rose tags herself in on Asuka, but Lana doesn’t realize it. Once Lana realizes she should be focusing on Rose and not Asuka, Rose delivers a big pump knee strike which takes her down. Rose gets the three count and the win for her team. Rose takes the win for her team for the second week in a row.
After the match, the music of Nia Jax hits. The Women’s Tag Team Champions (Jax & Shayna Baszler) make their way out to the ringside area. Vega gets out of dodge fast as the losing team was still in the ring.
Lana and Natalya attempt to leave as well, but they are sandwiched on the outside by commentary. Natalya tries to fight them up but is unable to as the champs attempt to put her through the announce table. Lana pulls Natalya out of danger as she was up on Jax’s shoulders. For the third time in recent weeks, Lana becomes the sacrificial lamb and goes through the announce table instead via a Samoan Drop from Jax.
The second women’s match of the night was a match we were supposed to see over a week ago at Clash of Champions. The champions are cleared to compete and Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler were ready to take on The Riott Squad.
To start the match was Jax and The Riott Squad did a great job at working as a tag team out of the gate. Unfortunately, this took a turn once Riott officially was the legal competitor and Jax had caught her in the corner. Riott was sent to the outside just in time for Baszler to tag in.
From then on, Baszler dominated the majority of the match as she tortured Riott. Isolating her from tagging in Morgan, Baszler stomped away on her opponent’s arm as well as focused on her shoulder. A shoulder that Riott has had surgically repaired just last year.
Eventually, Riott was able to tag in Morgan. Morgan did what she could as she delivered hits back and forth to both of the tag champs as they were stuck in the corners. She attempted to hit a sunset flip on Jax but was unable to get her over. Jax overpowers her and delivers a big headbutt.
Baszler tries to hit Morgan with a running knee but Morgan avoids it and Baszler drives her knee into the ring post. After a few quick tags between Morgan and Riott, Riott was left in the ring and was caught in the Kirifuda Clutch. She held on for as long as she could, however, by that time she was worn down and she tapped out.
Baszler wouldn’t let go of the hold as Morgan ran in after the bell rang and tried to get her tag team partner free. Finally, Baszler would break the hold. Baszler and Jax raise their titles as they celebrate their win.
Other than the two matches, another vignette for Bianca Belair was shown. The third one in a row which focuses on her being the smartEST.
Although it is great that we are seeing Belair in these vignettes, we need her in the ring and feuding with someone at this point.
Let’s get into the Winners & Losers of the week:
WINNER: Mandy Rose
For the second week in a row, Rose has taken the pin in her matches. I am really happy they put Dana with her as well and I think they could do big things if utilized correctly.
WINNER: Shayna Baszler
Although I was rooting for the Riott Squad, I have actually been enjoying Shayna and Nia together. They both compliment each other in certain areas the other may be weak in. Shayna does a great job when she focuses on her opponent’s arms with the stomp always looks so vicious.
LOSER: Lana
Well, I mean, isn’t this one obvious. The positive is we are seeing her in the ring every week. The negative is not only is she always the one to take the pin, she is forever going through that announce table. The one tonight was completely pointless. Nia and Shayna coming out at that point just to do that was honestly just ridiculous.
LOSERS: The Riott Squad
They had to wait even longer to lose a match they were supposed to lose over a week ago. I guess it was better than them just having the match canceled, so there’s that. I would say this puts them in the back of the line for another tag team match, but with only like 4 teams, the line is quite short.
Riott came off as being totally destroyed by the end of the match also. Looks great for Baszler, not so much for Riott.
It has been hard sometimes to do Winners & Losers as far as booking is concerned lately. I want to say that certain things happen as a result of the navigation through COVID protocols so try to take that into consideration. With that being said, where are Mickie James, Peyton Royce, or Billie Kay?
Don’t forget to check-in with Diva Dirt for the upcoming WWE Draft that will be kicking off this Friday on SmackDown and will follow up on RAW next week.
What did you think of this week’s RAW? Who were your Winners & Losers? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!!
