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.
WWE Monday Night Raw
Naomi vs Nia Jax
Directly following the amazing contest between Sheamus and Drew McIntyre, this match was literally sent out to fail. Nia Jax and Naomi admittedly tried their best, but there was no way in which they would even come close to the quality of that contest. One Samoan Drop later gave Jax the pinfall victory, but it never had a chance to succeed.
Winner: Nia Jax
Rating: 2/5
Charlotte Flair vs Shayna Baszler
In short, this was typical ‘LOL, Charlotte Flair wins’, which is a crying shame as Shayna Baszler deserves better. Pre-match, The Queen of Spades came out looking fired up, but it was all for naught as Flair secured the victory with a Natural Selection. This could have easily been one of the highlights of the night, as opposed to being one of the most disappointing.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: 2/5
Impact Wrestling
Tenille Dashwood vs Havok
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this match, as both Tenille Dashwood and Havok put in their best individual performances for months. Dashwood was fired up, whilst Havok was hard hitting in her offense. Dashwood hit a Spotlight for the victory, but both women should be proud of their improvement within this match.
Winner: Tenille Dashwood
Rating: 3/5
Deonna Purrazzo vs Kiera Hogan vs Jordynne Grace
Triple Threat matches have the potential to be really clunky affairs, but thankfully, that was avoided within this match. Deonna Purrazzo, Jordynne Grace and Kiera Hogan all played their roles well, combining great wrestling with superb in ring psychology.
Grace seemed primed to win following a Vader Bomb, however Tasha Steelz pulled her out, allowing Purrazzo to steal the victory. Overall, this was a fantastic match for the Knockout’s division.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Rating: 3.5/5
AEW Dark
Ivelisse & Diamante vs Red Velvet & Kilynn King
This was purely a showcase for Red Velvet and her upcoming tag team match with Cody Rhodes on Dynamite. Overall, it achieved what it needed to do, with Velvet picking up the victory.
Winner: Red Velvet & Kilynn King
Rating: 2.5/5
Abadon vs Renee Michelle
Abadon definitively squashed Renee Michelle here, putting her away with a Cemetery Drive. Whilst not an in ring masterpiece, it was no doubt entertaining.
Winner: Abadon
Rating: 2.5/5
AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite
Ryo Mizunami vs Nyla Rose
I cannot understate just how much I enjoyed this match, which is shocking considering I had low expectations going in. Ryo Mizunami and Nyla Rose worked their socks off, with a series of near falls adding to the enjoyment factor. A Top Rope Legdrop was the deciding factor, but overall, both women looked great here.
Winner: Ryo Mizunami
Rating: 3.5/5
WWE NXT
Aliyah vs Ember Moon
In all honesty, this was a terrible match. Ember Moon looked sloppy here, whilst Aliyah did not bring much to the contest. Moon won with the Eclipse, but she appears to be regressing in her in ring development.
Winner: Ember Moon
Rating: 1.5/5
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
Where do I start with this match? The action itself was great, with both teams putting on a strong performance. Where this match fails though, is the fact that the messy finish destroyed any positivity within the match. Adam Pearce brought out an alternative referee, securing the match in the favour of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, but Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez deserved so much better.
Winner: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
Rating: 3/5
WWE NXT UK
Kay Lee Ray vs Meiko Satomura
This was a fantastic battle that actually called back to when NXT UK had a functioning women’s division. Meiko Satomura nearly had Kay Lee Ray’s number, but the record breaking NXT Women’s Championship reign continued courtesy of a Gory Bomb. Should Satomura have lost so early into her NXT UK career? Perhaps not, but regardless, this was a quality contest.
Winner: Kay Lee Ray
Rating: 4/5
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Bianca Belair vs Shayna Baszler
Despite looking promising on paper, this match never really got going. Both Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler tried hard, but the shenanigans involving Reginald drastically affected the match. Belair won, but she looked no better for doing so.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Rating: 2.5/5
AEW Revolution 2021
Riho & Thunder Rosa vs Britt Baker & Maki Itoh
Maki Itoh replaced Rebel, thus making the match more interesting on paper. Despite not being a part of the main card, these four women busted their asses off to encourage fans to pick up the full show. Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa in particular looked great, but it was Baker who stole the victory thanks to interference from Rebel. Overall, this was everything that a pre-show match needed to be, and more.
Winner: Britt Baker & Maki Itoh
Rating: 3/5
Hikaru Shida vs Ryo Mizunami
Although Hikaru Shida and Ryo Mizunami had an intriguing encounter on Dynamite, the outcome of this match never seemed in doubt. I thoroughly enjoyed the action, as we had the return of big match Shida, whilst Mizunami was one hell of an opponent. Shida won with a Knee Strike, but the match was missing some drama. Overall, it was good, but it could, and perhaps should, have been so much better.
Winner: Hikaru Shida
Rating: 3/5
MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Kay Lee Ray vs Meiko Satomura
This match was quite frankly a return to form for NXT UK's women's division.
WOMAN OF THE WEEK:
Kay Lee Ray
In extending her NXT UK Women's Championship reign, Kay Lee Ray sent a warning message to anyone who thinks they can take it from her.
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!
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