Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of WOMEN'S WRESTLING WEEKLY—a rundown of the events which have transpired in the world of women's professional wrestling over the past several days not just with the Superstars on WWE programming, but with Impact Wrestling's Knockouts, Lucha Underground's luchadoras, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.



Paige vs. Sasha Banks

Well, folks, it finally happened. Paige is back in a WWE ring. I don't want to say I told you so, but...

Paige and Sasha's finishers have both been well-protected, so the entire match was them trying to set each other up to take the fall. Absolution had Paige's back while Banks was accompanied by Mickie James and Bayley. However, distraction from Absolution proved to be the deciding factor, allowing Paige to take the victory with a searing Rampaige.

Looks like our girl hasn't missed a beat. She looked smooth and crisp in the ring with Banks, and her finisher is as devastating as ever. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose both attacked Banks post-match, and ended the segment raising Paige's hands high.

Winner: Paige
Rating: 3/5

Asuka vs. Alicia Fox

Alicia Fox was not ready for Asuka.

After the match, Absolution came out and Asuka left Fox to their devices, a sly smile on her face. Deville and Rose attacked Fox and raised Paige's hands again. No prisoners taken.

Winner: Asuka
Rating: 1/5



Charlotte Flair vs. Tamina

Tamina's strength was simply not enough to match Charlotte's, well, everything, so the champion took home the victory. However, after, Natalya got on the mic to warn Flair to savor her time as champ while it lasts before their lumberjack rematch. She was then interrupted by the Riott Squad. A fight almost broke out between Sarah Logan and Tamina, but their friends pulled them apart and Charlotte backed away, title held high.

I'm relieved this hasn't yet shifted to faction warfare. Invasion angles are so much better when they're just invasion angles.

Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: 2.5/5


Rosemary vs. Sienna vs. Allie

Well, Sienna certainly had no allies in this match, and in the end it likely wouldn't even have mattered, because Rosemary was relentless, teaming with Allie to take her out and then hitting a Red Wedding on her own ally for the victory. Rosemary will face Laurel Van Ness for the Knockouts Championship!

Winner: Rosemary
Rating: 2.5/5



Ruby Riott vs. Sonya Deville

In their NXT finales, Ruby Riott and Sonya Deville put on great performances, and the no holds barred stipulation wound up being Deville's saving grace, as she got Riott to tap out with a triangle lock on the ropes.

Great performances by both. Deville needed a win more than Riott, so this was a no-brainer. I'm excited to see more performances like these on the main roster.

Winner: Sonya Deville
Rating: 3/5



This section includes recaps of matches from around the world in various lesser-known independent promotions throughout the week.

Bellatrix Female Warriors

Match: Queen Maya vs. Alex Windsor (Bellatrix World Title match)
Winner: Queen Maya

Defiant Wrestling

Match: Kay Lee Ray vs. Little Miss Roxxy (Defiant Women's Title match)
Winner: Kay Lee Ray

STARDOM

Match: Bea Priestley, Chardonnay, Kelly Klein & Scarlett vs. AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe
Winner: Bea Priestley, Chardonnay, Kelly Klein & Scarlett


These two have fantastic in-ring chemistry, and I'm honestly surprised they never had a one-on-one feud when Banks first arrived on the main roster. That said, Paige has upped her game and Banks is as sharp as ever. This was a good, well-paced return to a WWE ring for Paige. If she keeps putting on fun bouts like this, her return will be a blast indeed. There was a point when most of us thought our wayward goth princess would never return to Raw or SmackDown, but Paige is back with a vengeance and is better than ever. What better story is there, huh?


They wrestled in Abu Dhabi. That's history, folks.

So there you have it, the breakdown for the week in women's wrestling. What were some of your favorite and least favorite moments from these women? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!