June 7, 2020

Women of the WWE – May 31- June 06

Welcome to this week’s round-up of all the action from WWE’s women’s divisions. It was another busy week for WWE’s women, which is always good to report. NXT’s women have NXT TakeOver: In Your House to look forward to on Sunday, and Backlash follows a week later for RAW and SmackDown’s women.

 

 

RAW

Billie Kay def. Nikki Cross

Nia Jax def. Kairi Sane

Charlotte Flair def. Asuka

 

Asuka had a backstage interview where they confirmed two of the matches for the night, Asuka vs Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax vs Kairi Sane, and she was asked how she was preparing for her match against Charlotte Flair. She said, ‘The Empress never bows down to anyone.’ She also said she’s always better than Charlotte Flair and called Nia Jax a bully when she said she’ll beat her at Backlash.

 

Nikki Cross, with Alexa Bliss vs Billie Kay, with Peyton Royce

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross have a title match on Friday against Sasha Banks & Bayley, but they have unfinished business with Kay and Royce from last week. The IIconics missed their entrance because they were arguing and scrapping with Bliss and Cross backstage, but the match got started after a break.

Nikki Cross takes down Billie Kay

The match was decent, but Billie Kay still talks too much. She got frustrated at one point and had a tantrum at the ref, which cost her control of the match. Unfortunately, Cross missed with her crossbody from the top and got pinned before she could recover.

 

Nia Jax vs Kairi Sane

I’m not going to dwell on Nia Jax’ pre-match promo because it wasn’t good. She basically complained about Asuka being handed the title and said Asuka and Kairi Sane weren’t really friends. There was nothing wrong with what she was saying, but it felt so inauthentic.

Kairi Sane with Nia Jax in a sleeper

Kairi Sane had a couple of solid chances against Jax, but things went wrong when they went to the outside. Badly wrong. Kairi Sane got injured. Nia Jax smashed Sane’s face into the apron then flung her headfirst into the steps. Unfortunately, Sane really did hit it face first and cut her head open in the process. Jax finished the match quickly and Sane covered the fact she was bleeding by rolling away from camera. Asuka came down and stood between Sane and Jax to prevent any post-match interaction.

Kairi Sane later posted a picture of the cut on her head on twitter.

 

Asuka vs Charlotte Flair – Champion vs Champion

Charlotte Flair went on a long rant before the match, aimed at the Performance Center and NXT superstars in the crowd. She told them she’s rooting for all of them and wants them to become the next Rhea Ripley or Io Shirai. She wants them to step up to the throne so she can make them bow down to The Queen. She talked up Asuka’s accomplishments and said it seems like The Empress wants to be like The Queen. Asuka’s entrance cut her off at that point.

Charlotte Flair with Asuka in a Boston crab

Charlotte Flair was bleeding from her lip by the end of it, which seems to be common for her. It was a very good match, but we didn’t get to see a finish. Nia Jax turned up to Asuka’s music, wearing an Asuka mask and face paint. Asuka was counted out while distracted by Jax, then levelled by Jax when distracted by the bell ringing. Nia Jax threw the mask down onto her and left her laying on the ramp.

 

 

NXT

Candice LeRae vs Mia Yim – Double Count-out

Candice LeRae & Johnny Gargano def. Mia Yim & Keith Lee

 

Candice LeRae vs Mia Yim

An excellent opening match. Candice LeRae and Mia Yim are developing quite the intensity in their rivalry and it’s got to be good for both of them. This one didn’t get a finish though. They took it to the outside, courtesy of Yim punching LeRae off the apron and fought their way up to the stage. Mia Yim tossed LeRae into the barricade and LeRae sent Yim flying into the backboard.

Things got chaotic then. Tegan Nox came out and pulled LeRae off Yim. While they were arguing Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez appeared and started beating on Yim, then Shotzi Blackheart arrived. Nox brawled with Gonzalez and Blackheart took on Dakota Kai and they all disappeared backstage, leaving Yim and LeRae with officials trying to separate them.

Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Tegan Nox, Raquel Gonzalez, Shotzi Blackheart, and Dakota Kai brawl

Johnny Gargano backed the official away from his wife, who then jumped Yim again. Gargano played cheerleader. Keith Lee charged down to the ring and, just like last time, LeRae and Gargano ran away. Unlike last time, it was quickly announced we were getting a mixed-tag match. Johnny Gargano complained, and to be fair he wasn’t in wrestling gear, but the match happened after a break.

Candice LeRae & Johnny Gargano vs Mia Yim & Keith Lee

Gargano and LeRae tried to leave and take a count-out, but Keith Lee followed and picked Gargano up over his head to drag them back. LeRae jumped on his back, so he carried her as well. It didn’t even slow him down. Gargano took a dropkick from Yim when Lee deposited him in the ring, and the match started when Candice LeRae got off Lee’s back and got in the ring.

Gargano was in no rush to get in the ring. He started the match standing on the floor. When he did get up on the apron, Yim took a shot at him, which gave LeRae the opportunity to inflict some damage to Yim’s leg.

Johnny Gargano made the mistake of touching Mia Yim. He kicked her legs out from under her to prevent her pinning LeRae and set Keith Lee in motion. The women, who were still legal, rolled out of the ring so Lee could throw Gargano around it.

Lee got Gargano up for a spirit bomb, but Gargano shoved something in his eye and Lee dropped him. The something turned out to be car keys. When Mia Yim responded to Lee’s screams and came to check on him, Candice LeRae rolled her up from behind and pinned her.

Candice LeRae sneaks up in Mia Yim while she's checking on Keith Lee

Lee and LeRae had a brief tug of war with Gargano when she was trying to get him out of the ring. Keith Lee slumped over the ropes with his arm between the ring and the steps and Gargano kicked the steps into it. For a second it looked like Johnny Gargano was going to steal the North American Championship belt, but he just laid it in front of the In Your House logo and walked away.

 

We were shown Chelsea Green’s post-match interview from last week. She let Robert Stone answer the first question she was asked but he mainly talked about how great he was. When she did get to talk she said she was hotter than she’d ever been and no longer needed his services, so he was fired. She walked off and he chased after her to see if she was serious.

Aliyah vs Santana Garrett

By the look of Robert Stone when he appeared at ringside a minute or so into the match, Chelsea Green was serious. He was encouraging Aliyah throughout the short match, but it didn’t work in her favour. Santana Garrett pinned her with a handspring moonsault.

Aliyah controls Santana Garrett

Aliyah tried to talk to Stone after the match but he walked away looking distressed. Aliyah having a manager to facilitate some kind of character development might not be a bad idea.

 

The final build for the NXT Women’s Championship Triple-threat match came in the form of a Prime Target video package. The YouTube version is different, but still pretty great, so have a look.

 

There will be a six-woman tag match at NXT TakeOver In Your House – Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, & Raquel Gonzalez versus Mia Yim, Tegan Nox, & Shotzi Blackheart.

 

 

 

NXT UK

This week’s NXT UK was all about Gallas, so no input from the women’s division.

 

 

 

SmackDown

Lacey Evans def. Sonya Deville

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross

 

Lacey Evans vs Sonya Deville

Sonya Deville didn’t even wait for her own entrance before attacking Lacey Evans. She ran down as Evans made her way to the ring and shoved her into the ringpost and steps. Their match last week ended in a double count-out, so this was the rematch to try and get a result.

Lacey Evans kicks Bayley

It got a decent amount of time, enough to have an ad break in the middle. Sonya Deville crashed into the ref going into that break and he requested medical attention for his knee. He’d been replaced with ref Jess by the time we came back, but Deville had speared Evans while the first ref was being helped out of the ring.

As it did last week, the match went to the outside, via a vicious move that dragged Evans from the apron to the floor. They made it back in before the count this time, but only after Deville had sent Evans into the steps. We did sort of get a result. Mandy Rose appeared on the big screen and called Deville a failure. While Deville was screaming at her, Lacey Evans spun her around and hit her with the Woman’s Right for the win.

 

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (C) vs Sasha Banks & Bayley – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match

This was the main event of the evening. Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss started strong with lots of fast tags to keep Bayley under control. It didn’t last, of course, but it took a Sasha Banks attack on Nikki Cross while the referee’s back was turned, to give them the advantage. Cross had been a one-woman wrecking crew every moment she was in the ring until then, but she took a lot of punishment after and was prevented from getting to Bliss time and time again.

Eventually, of course, she did make the tag. A Banks distraction cost Bliss a potential win with Twisted Bliss, The couple of seconds it took Bliss to kick her off the apron gave Bayley the chance to jump up and punch her in the face. The Bayley to Belly off the second rope followed with Banks’ knee to the face, only got a two count, and the pin attempts start to pile up.

Nikki Cross took out Bayley on the outside with a tornado DDT, but Bliss’ sunset flip pin on Banks got her a two count. Nikki Cross’ crossbody on Banks also got two.

Alexa Bliss levels Bayley while Nikki Cross looks on
All photo credits: wwe.com

The end was messy, but by design, I think. Bayley tagged herself in moments before Banks put Cross in the Bank Statement. It didn’t seem like either Banks or Cross were aware, but the ref was, so Bayley dragged Banks of Cross and kicked her out of the ring. Banks looked less than pleased, especially when Nikki Cross reversed Bayley’s attempt at the hold. For a second it looked like she might let Bayley get pinned, but she broke it up just in time.

Sasha Banks dragged Bayley to the corner and tagged herself in. While Bayley kept Alexa Bliss out of the ring, Banks put Cross back in the Bank Statement. Nikki Cross twisted herself out and got Banks’ shoulders onto the mat but Banks turned them over again and pinned Nikki Cross with a crucifix.

 

 

That’s it for another week of WWE women’s division action. Join me next week and in the meantime follow @ArnFuriousCom to make sure you never miss a review. You can also follow me @manda_why. Please stay safe.

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