Another Monday night, Another RAW!
Usual drama, the usual build-up to the Nigh of The Champions, unusual, like rare, appearance of one of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions alone! Where is the Kid? Where is Liv Morgan?
BECKY LYNCH THANKED WITH A CHALLENGE TO TRISH STRATUS
Another passionate speech by The Man this Monday! If I was Trish Stratus I would definitely take a note. But come on - Stratus is one of the greatest ever, Becky is on her way there. Is she? I think she somehow is there with Charlotte... but that is another topic, for another time.
Simply put (I know you love it simple), Becky tanked Trish for evoking her dark side. The same Dark side that made her the Man years ago, when she (and we) were exhausted of being left on the sideways, and robbed by opportunity. Not the "dark side" that returned to trip Bianca Belair and steal the belt at SummreSlam and then walked around dressed as Lady Gaga.
This is the Dark Side we all missed and I can't wait to see The Man having her second great match in her career and being a legend killer, again. I secretly hoped to see some Lita and Trish action, not on PPV, but this is Becky's time, the new Era's women's time, like Liv, Rhea, Roxanne, Dakota, Yio, etc. So, it's going to be epic!
As long as I heard there would be a contract signing, next week, Don't know how actual and true this is, but I am looking forward...
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Then we had WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Rhea Ripley telling Natalya that the next time the Harts Queen interrupts her business, Ripley won't boost her career but will end it...
1/2 WWE WOMEN'S TAG TEAM CHAMPION RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ defeated CHELSEA GREEN (with Sonya Deville)
I have shared when was the exact moment when Chelsea Green won my respect and admiration, at all. It was that match in Lucha Underground when she was named Reklusa and was booked in an intergender match against Pentagon Dark. That woman, who plays a clumsy and disoriented funny character now, tore out the ring and blow off the roof in that match against one of the most dangerous Luchadors ever.
We can see a glimpse of that. Chelsea is good at playing funny characters, remember her time in IMPACT as the crazy dumped by the altar bride Lauren Van Ness. Maybe it's part of her charm and WWE is capitalizing on it, but let's not forget that she is an indie icon. Her name was circulating a lot before she was signed to WWE, she still has her momentum and some of us are waiting for her time to be serious to come.
Raquel was all alone because rumors have it that Liv is injured. BAD! Not that Rodriguez wasn't able to handle Green and Deville who was at ringside, alone. She put one of her solid matches, where she is allowing some hits from the opponent but in the end just slams them into the ring and that is.
Weeeell, sadly Raquel is not that tough to beat two of the cruelest, MMA-experienced female wrestlers who emerged after the match - Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. Looks like Rousey really has her sight focused on the Women's Tag Team title. That's bad news!
That development also is interesting and a bit predictable. So, looking forward to seeing how it's going to happen...
WINNER: RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
OVERALL:
We had one nice RAW, even Valhalla appeared in her usual valet role.
Becky challenged Trish, Ronda, and Shayna challenging for the WWE Women's Tag Team belts, Rhea and Natalya's drama got heated, all of this was expected. The question has always been - we know that this will happen, but let's see HOW it will happen. I had that mentality since the time I wasn't able to watch some matches, and always had read the results page and wanted to see it, not just read the description, because when you watch live or recorded the performance you can feel the drama and the emotion.
So, there is a lot to follow and see here. Looks like the Night of Champions is going to be one hell of a show, despite women's matches still didn't add to the card!
