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
Asuka vs Peyton Royce
Peyton Royce deserved much better than this poor excuse of an opportunity. She has not been allowed to build upon her amazing promo from a few weeks ago, therefore it was no surprise when Asuka submitted her with ease. This only served to set up Asuka vs Rhea Ripley, which is quite frankly insulting to Royce.
Winner: Asuka
Rating: 2/5
Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke vs Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
This. Match. Was. Terrible! Nothing could save the performance, with all four women seemingly wrestling on autopilot. Reginald was his usual annoying self, which means there was truly nothing to enjoy here.
Winner: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
Rating: 1.5/5
AEW Dark: Elevation
Tay Conti vs Ray Lyn
This was my favourite flavour of Tay Conti match. A squash. A delicious, easy to digest squash.
Winner: Tay Conti
Rating: 2/5
Leva Bates & Madi Wrenkowski vs Red Velvet & Big Swole
In all fairness, this match was better for being slightly competitive. Red Velvet and Big Swole never really looked like losing, but this match would have benefitted from a more entertaining beatdown sequence. Velvet hit a Just Desserts for the victory, but I didn't really enjoy this.
Winner: Red Velvet & Big Swole
Rating: 2/5
Leyla Hirsch vs Ryo Mizunami
Acting as the main event of the show, this was a fairly entertaining match. Ryo Mizunami won, however Leyla Hirsch easily proved she can hang with the best women's wrestlers in AEW.
Winner: Ryo Mizunami
Rating: 2.5/5
Impact Wrestling
Deonna Purrazzo vs Jazz
Simply not good enough for Deonna Purrazzo, who is quickly losing steam as Knockout's Champion.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
Rating: 1.5/5
AEW Dark
Penelope Ford vs Miranda Alize
In all honesty, this was a fair performance from Penelope Ford, who is slowly becoming a consistent performer in AEW. She secured the pinfall victory with a Fisherman's Suplex, but it was Taz's reaction to her kissing Kip Sabian that made the match entertaining.
Winner: Penelope Ford
Rating: 2/5
Ashley Vox vs Alex Gracia
This was just about there, with neither wrestler really making themselves look worthy of a regular promotion to Dynamite. Ashley Vox made Alex Gracia tap out in about two and a half minutes, which was at least a surprising finish to the contest.
Winner: Ashley Vox
Rating: 2/5
The Bunny vs Jazmin Allure
The Bunny is a great character, especially for her incredibly over the top expressions. Unfortunately, that does not translate well into the ring, and although she won this match, the lack of discernable in ring talent is what will ultimately hold her back in AEW.
Winner: The Bunny
Rating: 2/5
AEW Wednesday Night Dynamite
Tay Conti vs Nyla Rose
I was incredibly impressed by this encounter, as I had no faith going into it that they would be able to put on a mini classic. However, Tay Conti once again highlighted how strong she is in the ring, whilst Nyla Rose continued to gain some real momentum as a monster heel. Conti secured the pinfall victory following a DDTay, but Rose kicked out just as the referee slapped down the three count. I usually hate that as a finish, but it allowed Rose to maintain her credibility.
Winner: Tay Conti
Rating: 3.5/5
WWE NXT
Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs Io Shirai & Zoey Stark
All four women are extremely talented, but I cannot rate Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez and Io Shirai highly enough. This match was exciting from start to finish, with Gonzalez once again highlighting how she is a very real threat to Shirai's dominant NXT Women's Championship reign. A destructive Powerbomb was enough for the heels to pick up the win, capping off a great match.
Winner: Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez
Rating: 3.5/5
Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs Aliyah & Mercedes Martinez
This match was for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship, but the contest never really clicked. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart didn't bring the fire that the previous women's match had, whilst no-one was buying into the idea that Aliyah would win championship gold. Moon retained the titles with an Eclipse, but overall, this was just disappointing.
Winner: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart
Rating: 2/5
WWE NXT UK
Isla Dawn vs Aleah James
This was the standard NXT UK women's match, which is not a disservice to either woman as they have both failed to make an impact on the brand.
Winner: Isla Dawn
Rating: 2/5
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Bianca Belair vs Natalya
I'm not sure which part of this match I found more egregious, as Sasha Banks' interference was equally as painful to watch as Natalya's in ring performance. Bianca Belair secured the pinfall victory with a KOD, but the match as a whole was unimpressive.
Winner: Bianca Belair
Rating: 1.5/5
MATCH OF THE WEEK:
Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs Io Shirai & Zoey Stark
This was simply a fantastic television match to build to Io Shirai vs Raquel Gonzlalez.
WOMEN OF THE WEEK:
Tay Conti
Tay Conti once again displayed clear improvement in the ring, securing two victories to keep her near the top of the AEW Women's Championship rankings.
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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