Rapid Recap:
- Kurt Angle announced the participants of the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber
- Kurt also announced Nia Jax will take on Asuka at Elimination Chamber, and if she wins, she will be added to the Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania
- Asuka defeated Bayley via Armbar
- Nia Jax defeated Vanessa Floyd (Savanna Stone) via Leg Drop
- Mickie James defeated Sonya Deville via Roll Up
The Rundown:
Before her match against Asuka, Bayley catches up with a distraught Sasha Banks backstage, who was reliving her loss last week. Bayley says Sasha needs to stop being so hard on herself. Sasha responds by saying she needs to be hard on herself to prove that she’s the boss and now she finally knows how to beat her. Bayley then asks if Banks has any tips for her.
The Boss’ says that she isn’t going to share her secret tips with anyone. They both begin talking about the Elimination Chamber and Sasha claims that if Kurt puts her in, she’ll be going into WrestleMania with the title and she will end Asuka’s streak. Bayley says she’s going to beat Asuka, and Sasha laughs in disbelief. Bayley says she knows she can beat Sasha and if Sasha thinks she can beat Asuka, so can she.
Kurt Angle came out to address who the participants of the first ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match will be. He listed the following: Bayley, Mandy Rose, Mickie James, Sonya Deville, and Sasha Banks! He also added that Nia Jax will instead compete against Asuka at the PPV, and if she wins, she will go on to compete at WrestleMania for the RAW Women’s Championship in a triple threat match!
The Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss came out looking rather furious. She says this needs to stop and it’s unjust. She’s disgusted at Kurt and says his poor decision is against policy. She then says that the men and women are supposed to equal and asks why she has to defend her title in the Elimination Chamber while Brock does not! She says Brock gets to sit on the sideline and she doesn’t! She then asks if that it’s because she’s a woman.
The GM reveals their last defenses and Alexa blames Kurt because she doesn’t make the matches and claims it’s unfair. She says Kurt values Brock more than her and that’s sexist! Kurt says he won’t make the decision, because he’ll ask the crowd. With an overwhelming consensus, Alexa Bliss will indeed defend her title in the first ever Women’s Elimination Chamber!
A video package for Asuka aired as the match would commence after the commercial break!
Asuka gets the first kick after the two keep their distances from each other. She pulled Bayley into the ring while applying a headlock. She got the former Women’s Champion down, but Bayley reversed and the two went back and forth with different rest holds, to the arm and headlocks. Bayley went for an elbow, but Asuka nailed her strikes before countering her once against by applying another headlock.
Bayley leaped over Asuka in the corner, but Asuka bounced back with a hip toss. She kicked Bayley multiple times to the spine and went to go for her missile dropkick, but Bayley forearmed her off the top rope to ringside. She waited for Asuka to get up and proceeded to execute a hurricarana through the ropes! As Bayley went to enter the ring, Asuka hit her off the apron with a hip attack. She went outside, but Bayley jumped up and tossed her into the barricade.
Back from commercial and we see Bayley in control, but only for a few short seconds. Asuka goes for another hip attack, but Bayley catches her and hits a back suplex! Bayley stayed on Asuka and hit her with strikes and elbows to her back.
Asuka got out of a hold and nailed Bayley with a few forearms before hitting her with a rebounding knee to Bayley’s jaw. She knocked Bayley off her feet and decimated her with a hip attack and running kick. ‘The Empress’ went for her missile dropkick, but ‘The Huggable One’ dodged it and hit Asuka with a running knee. She then tossed her in the ropes, but Asuka locked her in an AsukaLock! Although, Bayley bounced Asuka in the ropes. She went to continue her offense with an apron attack, but as she jumped, Asuka kneed Bayley right to the face!
After a failed pin, Asuka began striking Bayley with kicks to her chest, Bayley was able to reverse, but Asuka began hitting her with multiple strikes. Bayley went for the Bayley-to-Belly, but Asuka stopped her and went for the AsukaLock. Bayley rolled through into a roll up, but Asuka kicked out and flipped her into an armbar! Bayley tapped and Asuka keeps her streak alive!
Asuka shook her hand before leaving the ring.
Next, Dana Brooke came out alongside Titus Worldwide in Apollo’s mission to defeat The Miz and join the Elimination Chamber match. However, he was unable to do so.
A video package for Nia Jax aired as she looked to make a statement heading into her match against Asuka at Elimination Chamber. Nia pushed the local talent like a toy. The girl tried to fight back, but Nia bounced off the ropes and pummeled over her. She tossed her across the ring by her hair and crushed her in the corner. She then gorilla pressed her and hit a leg drop to pick up the win.
She got on the mic and said she’s the only woman in the back who doesn’t fear Asuka, and that Asuka can’t beat her. She said she’ll mess Asuka up so bad, she’ll keep that mask on permanently and she’ll be known as The Empress of Yesterday.
Sonya Deville, alongside Paige and Mandy Rose, looked to gain momentum against Mickie James. Sonya got the control early on and forced Mickie to break the hold with the ropes, Deville got in her face, but James slapped her! Sonya speared Mickie in the corner, but Mickie battled back and took Sonya down and nailed her with right hands! She kept Sonya out of control with a series knees and then a running kick. She went for a hurricarana from the corner, but Mandy Rose jumped on the apron to provide distraction.
Deville whipped James off the turnbuckle and flung her across the ring. Sonya went for a pin, but the referee pulled her back as Mickie held onto her neck. Sonya then hit Mickie with a bunch of kicks and knee strikes. She taunted over James and continued to drill her with knees and different strikes. Mickie slapped her across the face again, but Sonya kept the control on her side. However, Mickie rolled Sonya up and got the win!
Absolution ran in and began attacking Mickie! Alexa Bliss ran out and helped Mickie out the ring…hmmmm.
RAW Talk:
I’m so excited about Elimination Chamber! Not only are we getting an Elimination Chamber Match, but a singles match between Asuka and Nia Jax. The women have been killing it and getting what they deserve! Alexa’s promo was great too, and was 100% valid. But anyways, the chamber is going to be amazing.
I’m going to be honest, Bayley really impressed me. From her segment with Sasha backstage to her match with Asuka. She really stepped it up this week, I’m really happy about it.
The match between Asuka and Bayley was great. I wouldn’t say as good as Sasha versus Asuka, but this was still really good. They have great chemistry. It was obvious during their Takeover matches, but their RAW match was just as good, if given the same time and build up.
Nia’s match was just as it seems. A squash match, not bad or good. I liked her promo afterwards, even though it didn’t necessarily make sense. She said she is the only person that Asuka can’t beat, but she beat her at NXT Takeover before. Urmmmm, I guess. Regardless, they need to keep Nia looking this dominate and have her beat Asuka at Elimination Chamber and go on to compete for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. And no, not end the streak, but count-out and DQ are options.
Mickie James versus Sonya Deville was another whatever match. It was okay, but the crowd wasn’t into it and it felt long, even though it was probably really short. Mickie needed a win, so I’m not mad. Alexa running out was quite…interesting. Not sure what to make of it, but I guess we’ll see where it leads.