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, ROH's Women of Honor, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.



Mickie James vs Natalya

This match was simply insulting. It was meant to be all about Mickie James' in ring return, but the focus was annoyingly on Seth Rollins and his feud with the Mysterio family.

The match was viewed from an angle which made enjoying it difficult, but Natalya won via countout as James struggled to return to the ring. This was, quite simply, the absolute drizzling shits.

Winner: Natalya (via Countout)
Rating: 1/5


Ruby Riott vs Peyton Royce

This was literally the exact match we have seen before. Despite an interesting storyline, the matches have lacked fire.

Peyton Royce took advantage of miscommunication between Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott to hit the Deja Vu Suplex for the pinfall victory. Unfortunately, one to avoid.

Winner: Peyton Royce
Rating: 2/5


Asuka & Shayna Baszler vs Sasha Banks & Bayley

Asuka teamed up with Shayna Baszler to take on Bayley and Sasha Banks, and despite the worst intentions of Nia Jax to ruin the match, it came off rather well.

The action was extremely back and forth which made for an entertaining match. Asuka was able to trap Banks with an Asuka Lock, whilst Baszler was able to lock in the Kirifuda Clutch on Bayley to secure the submission victory.

This was a fun match which hinted at the outcome for SummerSlam. A great effort, all in all.

Winner: Asuka & Shayna Baszler
Rating: 3/5



Naomi vs Sasha Banks

This week's episode of SmackDown allowed Naomi to showcase her skills as she challenged both Sasha Banks and Bayley. Naomi almost beat Banks, but she was wise enough to steal the victory by locking in the Banks Statement.

This was brief, but fun.

Winner: Sasha Banks
Rating: 2.5/5


Naomi vs Bayley

Naomi was immediately attacked by Bayley to soften her up, however that wasn't enough to put her away.

After avoiding a knee from Bayley, Naomi was able to hit a solid looking Rear View to pick up the pinfall victory.

A loss to Sasha Banks wasn't too bad, but a victory over Bayley suggests there is some level of faith in Naomi's ability. These were a fun series of matches.

Winner: Naomi
Rating: 2.5/5



Dakota Kai vs Jessi Kamea

This was a simple squash, which is exactly what it needed to be as Dakota Kai moves onto Io Shirai at NXT TakeOver: XXX with real momentum.

Winner: Dakota Kai
Rating: 2/5


Rhea Ripley & Shotzi Blackheart vs Mercedes Martinez & Aliyah

This was Aliyah's best match yet in NXT, with all four women here working well together.

The Robert Stone brand has been quite the intriguing storyline, and once again it was used to great effect here. Rhea Ripley took out Mercedes Martinez whilst Shotzi Blackheart disposed of Aliyah with a Senton.

This was a solid and fun match to continue the ongoing feud.

Winner: Rhea Ripley & Shotzi Blackheart
Rating: 3/5



The Nightmare Sisters vs Ivelisse & Diamante

To say this was the final match in the Deadly Draw tournament, it was extremely underwhelming. The Nightmare Sisters didn't bring their A game, but at least Ivelisse and Diamante impressed. They isolated Allie and secured the pinfall victory, underlining how dominant they could be as a full time tag team.

Winner: Ivelisse & Diamante
Rating: 2/5



Kylie Rae vs Taya Valkyrie

This was another Wrestle House match. As poor as these usually are, this one wasn't too bad.

Kylie Rae secured the pinfall victory with a Superkick, however the match would have been so much more interesting in a proper ring. This was just bland.

Winner: Kylie Rae
Rating: 2/5



Bianca Belair vs Billie Kay

Bianca Belair is too good to be relegated to Main Event. Billie Kay is a solid hand in the tag team division, but struggles as a singles wrestler. Therefore it was a shame to see Belair fail to put Kay away immediately.

Belair dominated the contest and won following a KOD. This was ok, but once again, Belair deserves a much bigger platform.

Winner: Bianca Belair
Rating: 2/5


Io Shirai vs Dakota Kai

This was a fabulous match, with Dakota Kai finally proving her doubters wrong. Io Shirai was the favourite to successfully defend her NXT Women's Championship, but it was by no means a forgone conclusion.

The arm work by Kai was superb, as it directly impacted on Shirai throughout the match. Shirai was able to overcome her pain to put Kai away with a Moonsault, but Kai pushed her all the way.

This was a great advert for NXT's women's division. Well done Kai and Shirai. You deserve all the praise you get.

Winner: Io Shirai
Rating: 4/5



Mandy Rose vs Sonya Deville

No longer a hair vs hair match, this contest took on a darker undertone as Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville fought in a loser leaves WWE match.

The hatred was palpable here, with Rose rising to the level of hatred that Deville has resided at for quite some time. Despite introducing a table, Rose put Deville down with a series of knee shots to send Deville packing from WWE.

This was much better than it had any right to be. Rose can now build towards a tilt at the SmackDown Women's Championship, whilst I wish Deville all the best in her time away from WWE. Hopefully we will see her again before too long.

Winner: Mandy Rose
Rating: 3.5/5


Bayley vs Asuka

Bayley was the first opponent for Asuka at SummerSlam, leaving her at a distinct disadvantage. Despite this, the SmackDown Women's Champion walked into the match determined to retain her precious title.

The action was as good as ever between the pair, with both wrestlers putting on a wrestling clinic. Sasha Banks sacrificed herself to allow Bayley to capitalise, locking in a Cradle to steal the pinfall victory.

This was a great match to reinforce the importance of Bayley's reign, whilst also hinting at the inevitable split between Bayley and Banks.

Winner: Bayley
Rating: 3.5/5


Sasha Banks vs Asuka

Asuka entered her second match of the night at a distinct disadvantage, and she seemed destined to lose following a rather sickening bump to the outside as she was Powerbombed by Sasha Banks.

Bayley arrived to secure the match victory for Banks, however she refused to sacrifice herself in the same manner that Banks did earlier in the night, which allowed Asuka to capitalise and secure the Asuka Lock for a submission victory.

Asuka rightfully regained her title, whilst Banks vs Bayley appears closer than ever. Banks looking devastated in the ring was an extremely enduring image. This was a fantastic match with a great storyline narrative.

Winner: Asuka
Rating: 3.5/5



This was a fantastic women's match, with Dakota Kai finally proving she deserves to hang at the top table. Io Shirai remains the standard bearer in NXT, but the rest are not far behind.


Asuka once again showed why she is the best women's wrestler in WWE. She recaptured her Raw Women's Championship whilst putting on three fantastic matches. Well done Asuka for working so well with Sasha Banks and Bayley. All three women are quite frankly incredible!

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!