Liv Morgan isn’t letting setbacks deter her from her ultimate goal. She recently took to social media to share a powerful message following her hard-fought battle against Becky Lynch on WWE RAW.
The feud between Morgan and Lynch has continued for weeks, with tensions escalating after the latter interfered in Morgan’s match against Nia Jax. Lynch won against Morgan in the 2024 Women’s Elimination Chamber match, earning fans praise.
With the stakes at an all-time high, the two fierce competitors squared off in a highly anticipated showdown on WWE RAW. Despite Morgan’s valiant effort, Lynch emerged victorious, securing the win after intense action.
Undeterred by the defeat, Liv Morgan remains resolute in her pursuit of redemption. She shared a rallying cry on X (formerly Twitter), hinting at her unwavering determination to continue her quest for vengeance against Rhea Ripley despite the setback on RAW.
LMRT stands for “Liv Morgan Revenge Tour.” She has been on a road of redemption, seeking revenge on Rhea Ripley. The latter sidelined her for six months when she attacked Morgan last June.
Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch face unexpected attack on WWE RAW
Morgan and Lynch found themselves amidst an unexpected attack by Nia Jax following their intense showdown on RAW. In a hard-fought battle on RAW, Becky Lynch emerged victorious against Liv Morgan. However, the drama didn’t end with the final bell.
Following the match, Rhea Ripley entered the ring to confront Lynch, foreshadowing the high-stakes showdown awaiting them at WrestleMania 40. Naturally, this intensifies the anticipation for their impending clash.
However, backstage dynamics became chaotic when a disappointed Morgan found herself face-to-face with Lynch. Before they could reconcile, their encounter was rudely interrupted by Nia Jax. The latter unleashed her fury on both Lynch and Morgan, sending a powerful message to both of them. Following the attack, it was announced that Lynch and Jax would face each other next week on RAW in a last women’s standing match.
Pro wrestling is classified as a performing art form and a form of sports entertainment. Fans may all agree that in order to persuade the audience of the story they tell in the ring, the celebrities participating must exhibit extraordinary acting skills. As a result, a large number of WWE stars have moved to Hollywood. WWE icons like John Cena, Dwayne Johnson, and Batista have made a name for themselves in Hollywood. However, the topic of discussion for today will be the lesser-known female WWE performers that have made a name for themselves in Hollywood.
The wife of Seth Rollins, an Irish professional wrestler and former WWE champion, has previously starred in Hollywood films. But viewers might not have noticed that this was her first time on television. In the eighth episode of the first season of the well-known television series Vikings, she performed as a stunt double. One year prior to her NXT debut, in 2013, the RAW star was featured in the series. But it wasn’t the only occasion she appeared in an action avatar.
She was written off television to star in the WWE Studios movie The Marine 6: Close Quarters, just three years after making her NXT debut and a year after winning the first SmackDown Women’s championship. In the film, she played Maddy Hayes, an Irish criminal villain. Shawn Micheals and The Miz played significant parts in the film as well. Following that, we saw the WWE star in a different capacity in the Young Rock docuseries, starring Dwayne Johnson. In a show episode, she played well-known singer, songwriter, and activist Cyndi Lauper.
Liv Morgan was not fortunate enough to have her movie debut in a WWE Studios production, unlike many other WWE stars. The Kill Room marked the Hollywood debut of the former WWE Women’s Tag Team champion. The film was produced by Idiot Savant Pictures and Yale Productions. Alongside Morgan in the lead roles were notable actors like Samuel Jackson and Uma Thurman. Emma was the role she portrayed in the film. She had a cameo appearance in the second season of Chucky, a horror television series, in 2022. Her Hollywood endeavors remain unfinished, but she has rejoined WWE for the 2024 Royal Rumble.
Sonya Deville
The Raw star, who is currently sidelined by an injury, will soon be seen in the TV film DNA Secrets. The movie is still being filmed, and no release date has been announced. According to rumors, Deville portrays a police officer in the film, which centers on a family that becomes the target of several killings after a DNA test.
Filming for the film is taking place in Clearwater, Tampa Bay. In an interview, Deville also said that her previous WWE ring experience had helped her with her acting career.
Naomi
Trinity Fatal, also known as In the 2024 Royal Rumble PLE, Naomi made a comeback to the WWE. She has made a few appearances in different media thanks to her remarkable reputation in professional wrestling. She made an appearance in The Marine 5: Battleground as Murphy. The movie’s lead role was portrayed by The Miz. But Naomi had very little more than a supporting part. In addition, she was eliminated from the movie not long after making her debut.
Flair Charlotte
Due to a severe injury she received during a brawl with Asuka, the WWE Queen is presently sidelined. Fans shouldn’t overlook the fact that the 14-time Women’s World Champion has also acted in a motion picture. She has portrayed a villain in the television comedy film Psych: The Movie, just like Becky Lynch.
It was an extension of the well-known American comedy-drama Psych. She performed the supporting part of Heather Rockrear, the henchwoman of Zachery Levi’s character, “The Thin White Duke,” who is the main antagonist of the film.
It is indisputable that Seth Rollins, a well-known character in the world of professional wrestling, has attained a degree of fame outside of the sport. On the verge of his breakthrough in film, Rollins encountered an unforeseen obstacle despite his triumphant entry into the mainstream.
The MCU and the pro wrestling community are getting increasingly excited about the film, which opens in February 2025.But rumors circulated that Rollins’ appearance in “Captain America: Brave New World” had been unexpectedly canceled. His path into the $54 billion film industry has taken a dismal turn with this turn of events.
Being a member of a renowned group, Seth Rollins must have been ecstatic to join the cast of “Captain America: Brave New World.” In fact, he had recently discussed the role. His persona is closely linked to the Serpent Society and has its origins in Marvel Comics.
Rollins was candid about his enthusiasm for the project and his set experiences. Sadly, new information obtained by Marvel insider CanWeGetSomeToast indicates that the Serpent Society plot has been dropped. This implies that the World Heavyweight Champion will no longer be included in the reimagined film.
The scenes from the Serpent Society were said to have been crucial. There were rumors that the first significant action scene with Captain America, Falcon, and Isaiah Bradley would have marked the conclusion of the plot. This unanticipated development turned out to be a sad development for fans who were hoping to see Rollins in the movie.
It could be necessary for wrestling enthusiasts to accept Rollins’ removal from “Captain America: Brave New World” and modify their expectations in light of it. Nevertheless, the WWE star has had a terrible week, and this depressing update just makes things worse.
Recently, Seth Rollins encountered a difficult setback as a suspected knee injury would prevent him from competing in WrestleMania. A partial meniscus tear and an MCL tear occurred during his most recent championship defense against Jinder Mahal on WWE Raw. It raises questions regarding the championship sequence and his involvement in future WWE events.
This bad development occurs on April 6, the day Rollins is scheduled to defend the title at WrestleMania XL. Since his return to the organization in November, he has successfully defended the title while handling an interesting feud with CM Punk.
John Cena is regarded as a multi-talented individual. In addition to his Hollywood career, the 16-time WWE World Champion is well-known for his freestyle rapping abilities, which fans got to see in his early WWE tenure. In addition, the celebrity is well-known for having pursued bodybuilding prior to entering the professional wrestling ring. But the celebrity also had a fantasy that he wanted to come true but couldn’t. In a recent interview, the Leader of Cenation discussed his obscure football past with Up & Adam’s Show.
The host of Up & Adam’s Show, Kay Adams, told the 46-year-old star that it was difficult for her to contemplate the possibility that Cena never gave an NFL career any thought in the most recent episode. Cena responded by outlining his position. Despite claiming to have found a “home in the offensive line,” the celebrity was unable to keep up with the game’s rapid tempo. “Football is such a fast game and game of skill and fluency,” he declared. I was somewhat modest because you couldn’t just play one position—you had to play them all.
Cena went on to say that his shy demeanor and large stature were not appropriate for playing football. He said that he had come to terms with the fact that his final collegiate football game would mark the conclusion of his football career.
Despite not being able to make it to the NFL, he claimed to have learned something important from the experience. “It prepared me for being alright when one chapter ends and continuing to look forward to the life you got ahead of you,” Cena remarked.
Cena attended Springfield College and graduated. Although his acting and mic prowess are what most people are familiar with, there is another, less well-known aspect of him.
In addition to playing offensive line for the Springfield football team and engaging in freestyle rapping in his dorm, Cena studied exercise physiology for his bachelor’s degree at the university. His motivation for enrolling in the course in 1998 was his passion for pumping iron. The star suddenly zipped by with brilliant hues, his sights fixed on his next victim.
The celebrity then made the difficult decision to pursue a profession in bodybuilding. He relocated to Venice, California, the bodybuilding mecca. But due to some challenges, he was compelled to work numerous odd jobs in addition to driving limousines. He ultimately made the decision to turn pro, and the rest is history.
If this turns out to be the case, Cody Rhodes will not have the opportunity to “finish his story” at WrestleMania 40 as reports, rumors, and conjecture have long suggested. The most recent tidings, however, indicate that Johnson and his distant cousin might square off in Philadelphia this year.
The two Samoan wrestlers could face off at Elimination Chamber ’24 in Australia, according to a number of sources suggesting that WWE may schedule the match. There are, however, significantly less odds of Johnson showing up in Australia than in Philadelphia, according to recent developments on the subject.
WON just provided an update regarding the status of Johnson’s upcoming WWE return, indicating that a match between him and Reigns at EC this year may not happen. It would actually happen at WrestleMania 40, according to Dave Meltzer.
“Are you sure this is going to be a WrestleMania match between Reigns and Rock? I think so, but we’ll find out in a few weeks. But, we did confirm that the rumors coming out of Australia aren’t true,” Meltzer said in the newsletter.
As per the same source, there are no intentions or scheduled appearances for “The Tribal Chief” on the PLE in Australia on that particular day.
Upon reposting the identical report on their “X” account, Wrestle Ops followers congregated in the comments section to ridicule “The American Nightmare,” arguing that he might not live to tell his tale.
WWE Fastlane advertised Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Iyo Sky defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Asuka and Charlotte Flair, and the Judgment Day defending the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.
WWE’s newly signed free agent Jade Cargill appeared in a backstage segment to greet Triple H as hype for her debut builds. Cargill received a loud pop from the Indianapolis crowd.
Rhodes and Uso won the Tag Titles in the opening match, causing more dissension within the Judgment Day, and inevitably, the Bloodline.
John Cena and LA Knight’s match against The Bloodline featured a cameo appearance from Pat McAfee, who teased a WrestleMania in Indianapolis before doing guest commentary.
This week’s broadcast of WWE Raw was up, with 1.51 million viewers. SmackDown overnight ratings came in at 2.192 million viewers.
WWE Fastlane 2023 Results | October 7
Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso def. The Judgment Day | WWE Undisputed Tag Titles
LWO and Carlito def. Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits
Iyo Sky def. Asuka and Charlotte Flair | WWE Women’s Title
John Cena and LA Knight def. The Bloodline
Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura | Last Man Standing Match for WWE World Championship
WWE Fastlane 2023 Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Ind.)
WWE Fastlane 2023 Tickets Distributed: 12,928
WWE Fastlane 2023 Tickets Available: 30
WWE Fastlane 2023 Winners And Grades
Jey Uso And Cody Rhodes Def. The Judgment Day
Jey Uso came out with new gear, in the form of blue tights, and I was surprised Cody Rhodes didn’t really match him.
Michael Cole actually brought up the history of both Cody Rhodes and Finn Balor being former leaders of the Bullet Club and about 13 subredditors blushed.
Jey Uso hit a spear and Micael Cole went out of his way to say how big of a deal it was because of Roman Reigns’ pending return.
Damian Priest sold his leg throughout the match, which played into whether or not he’d cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase later.
Jey kicked out of everything, even a briefcase shot from Rhea Ripley. Ultimately, Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes hit a modified 1D (with a Cody Cutter) for the win.
Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn is going to be a great feud until Cody Rhodes is ready to finish his story at WrestleMania.
LWO And Carlito Def. Lashley And Street Profits
The Street Profits continue to come out to their babyface theme, but there were not red cups. I won’t believe they’ve developed a killer instinct until they switch to trap music.
The majority of this match was two-on-three, much like the famous Bash at the Beach match between NWO and WCW.
The third man was revealed to be Carlito, who came out to different theme music but the same massive pop he received in Puerto Rico.
Carlito made quick work of the Street Profits and picked up the win. I love to see Carlito back, but I really hope Bobby Lashley doesn’t wash his hands of the Street Profits.
Iyo Sky Def. Charlotte Flair And Asuka
There was product placement all over this show, from Pizza Hut to Slim Jim. In addition to the commercials on WWE Fastlane, even some of these segments felt like in-show commercials.
Fans were not into Charlotte and instead backed Iyo Sky, much like WWE Backlash.
Bayley ran down, and it seemed certain Bayley was going to cost Iyo the match. Instead, Bayley helped Iyo Sky retain. Iyo, who told Bayley to stay in the back, was overjoyed with Bayley’s involvement. All is well within Damage CTRL for now.
Women’s Triple Threat Grade: B+
John Cena And LA Knight Def. The Bloodline
Pat McAfee made a surprise appearance, and Michael Cole was (once again) legitimately surprised. McAfee called Cole the greatest of all time and took a shot at “hatin’ ass” Corey Graves. Then McAfee teased a WrestleMania in Indianapolis and headed to the commentary desk.
For those wondering, yes, LA Knight’s pop was even bigger than John Cena.
Jey Uso’s singles street gear is so much better than Jimmy’s who is essentially wearing street clothes.
The Bloodline spent an eternity getting heat on John Cena, but when he finally made the tag it led to an explosive pop and hot tag from LA Knight.
By the end of LA Knight’s comeback, all four stars were on the ground, leading to a Pavlovian “this is awesome” chant.
After the match, LA Knight declined John Cena raising his hand, and instead raised Cena’s hand.
Seth Rollins Def. Shinsuke Nakamura
In a backstage segment, a banged up Damian Priest agreed not to cash in the Money in the Bank contract , even handing off the purple briefcase to Mami like he was her son. It was a very necessary segment if Priest wasn’t going to cash in so fans wouldn’t wonder why he didn’t take advantage of such a golden opportunity.
The main event entrances started at around 7:15 p.m. local time, so these two were going to get a lot of time.
Both Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura wore elaborate robes to the ring.
Last Man Standing Matches always take a while for fans to really get into it. They’re typically long and have a lot of counting. But fans got more into this match the more weapons were introduced.
Shinsuke Nakamura brought out nunchucks, and he was so good with them it made me want to see him as world champion.
Michael Cole was the MVP of this match as he begged and pleaded with Seth Rollins not to risk a career-ending back injury by continuing the match. At one point, as Rollins was climbing the ladder, Cole told Graves “you’ve known this man for 10 years, talk some damn sense into him!”
Shinsuke blew red mist in Seth Rollins’ face atop a ladder, causing Rollins to fall through a table. The rest of this match looked like a bloody war. I wonder if WWE uses black and white when showing the replay.
Rollins retained with a Falcon Arrow through a table while in the crowd. It was a very good main event.
Over the past several years, WWE has shown more of an interest in booking strong women’s wrestling, with a number of stars truly breaking out as some of the most popular WWE Superstars regardless of gender. WWE’s women’s roster is at any given time a mix of long-time veterans, up-and-coming young studs and legends returning for one more run. But who exactly are the best in the company right now?
15Zoey Stark
Zoey Stark started in the NXT brand in 2021 to not much fanfare at first before starting to impress the crowd with her athletic style of wrestling. After some time in the black and gold brand, Stark is finally getting the chance to show off on the main roster to much larger audiences. Stark got to main-event Raw with Lynch as well on the August 28th episode before attempting to help Stratus get the victory over Lynch during their Steel Cage match at Payback.
Stark turned on Stratus after the match due to Stratus slapping Stark and yelling at her. Stark is now starting a partnership with Shayna Baszler following a loss against her on Raw. With Trish Stratus not being the focal point of Stark’s career now, hopefully, fans will get to see her more on the mic and start to develop more of a character besides being tough, 2023 is a make-or-break year for her.
Lyra Valkyria
Joining the U.S. branch of NXT in late 2022, Lyra Valkyria has been hovering around the NXT Women’s Championship since her arrival. 2023 alone saw her challenge for the belt at NXT Stand & Deliver and NXT Battleground. Lyra impressed fans during her time in NXT UK but now is getting to mix it up with some of the best in the promotion at the moment, plus she has also shown her skills on the microphone more recently during her work with Rhea Ripley.
Racking up wins against names like Ivy Nile and Cora Jade en route to these title matches. Her biggest moment so far has been that short feud with Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio during their ventures with the brand. Lyra faced Ripley in a losing effort but put on a great match even impressing the champion.
Dakota Kai
After returning to the WWE at SummerSlam 2022 alongside Bayley and Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai quickly became a vital asset to the WWE women’s tag division. Kai and Iyo started the year as champions and both participated in the Royal Rumble, Kai earned five eliminations. Whether being a face or heel, Kai has proven herself on the mic and fans are already into her as far as in-ring skill goes.
Dakota Kai has been a fan favorite since her time in NXT whether she was the happy-go-lucky face or after her heel turn against Tegan Nox. Her team with Sky and Bayley had a feud against Becky Lynch and returning legends Trish Stratus and Lita. The duo’s time as champions ended on the February 27th episode of Raw and led to a six-person tag match at WrestleMania.
Tiffany Stratton
Tiffany Stratton returned to NXT after a head injury kept her out of action. Her first match back saw her get a win over Indi Hartwell and participate in the ladder match at NXT Stand & Deliver. After making it to the finals of an eight-woman tournament to crown a new champion after Hartwell vacated the belt, Stratton beat Lyra Valkyrie for the title at NXT Battleground.
Stratton defended the belt against names like Thea Hail and Kiana James before moving into a feud with Becky Lynch over the belt. Lynch beat Stratton and became the NXT Women’s Champion on the September 12th episode of NXT. Starting off as the Daddy’s Little Girl character, Stratton has come into her own proving to be a great competitor and amazing on the microphone, it’s hard to imagine her time in NXT won’t last much longer after taking another loss to Lynch at NXT No Mercy.
Zelina Vega
2023 has really been the stand-out year for Zelina Vega, getting the chance to be in massive matches and feuds more than she ever has been. Two years ago Zelina became the first-ever Queen of the Ring and at the start of 2022, she captured her first championship in WWE when Carmella and herself won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
This year she has really shown what she can do as a top babyface. Zelina got the chance to represent Puerto Rico during the Backlash event, wrestling against Rhea Ripley. Vega and the rest of the Latino World Order have also been given a massive amount of screen time, really helping Vega have a second coming on the WWE roster. A few more big wins can really help any remaining non-believers toward her case as a competitor for any titles.
Liv Morgan
Coming off one of the best years of her career in 2022 and becoming a fan favorite name among the WWE Universe, Liv Morgan got the chance to run with the SmackDown Women’s Championship and put on a decent feud against Ronda Rousey. The start of 2023 saw Morgan last over an hour in the Rumble before getting eliminated last by Rhea Ripley. Morgan also avenged her Extreme Rules loss to Ronda Rousey when she and Raquel beat the duo at Money in the Bank to start their 2nd title reign.
With decent skills with a microphone and great in-ring skills accompanied by some clever and hard-to-pull-off moves, Morgan has all the makings to be a much bigger star as time rolls on.
Raquel Rodriguez
Another name that really benefited from their work against Rhea Ripley this year is Raquel Rodriguez. She and Liv Morgan won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships twice this year beating big names like Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey.
Her feud against Ripley during Payback pushed Raquel up as an actual threat to Ripley’s title reign despite the loss at the event. Another loss on the September 11th episode of Raw now pushed her down the rankings and fans are wondering what might be coming next. Rodriquez is in desperate need of a gimmick change/new character to put her over the top.
Shayna Baszler
The year started with Shayna Baszler teaming with Ronda Rousey to win the Women’s WrestleMania Showcase fatal four-way tag team match before capturing the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles. The two beat Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn to unify the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship not long after.
Baszler then became the breakout star of the team when she turned on Rousey at Money in the Bank leading to a match between the two at SummerSlam, one that Baszler would win. Now Baszler has been positioned more as a badass as she always should have been, doing some good work alongside Zoey Stark as a team, and being a part of the Nia Jax return storyline going on. Much like the rest of the women’s roster that aren’t champions, Baszler could use some more time on promos to really position fans either against or behind her.
Roxanne Perez
Roxanne Perez was flying high at the start of this year entering it as the NXT Women’s Champion and competing in her first Royal Rumble match. NXT Vengeance Day saw her retain against Gigi Dollin and Jacy Jayne in a triple threat and a follow-up match against Meiko Satomura at Roadblock.
Her reign ended at 109 days when Indi Hartwell captured the belt at NXT Stand & Deliver. Perez lost her rematch for the belt and moved into a feud against Blair Davenport leading to a Weapons Wild match at The Great American Bash, with Roxanne emerging as the victor. The fanbase that Roxanne has created for herself on social media is impressive, to say the least, with many accounts just dedicating their time to hyping her up whenever she is on-screen.
Trish Stratus
Making a full-time return in February this year, Trish Stratus was immediately placed into the feud with Becky Lynch and Lita against Damage CTRL. Stratus, Lita, and Lynch got a huge win at WrestleMania before costing Lynch and Lita their WWE Women’s Tag titles on Raw and turning heel on Lynch.
The turn started a feud lasting until Payback when Lynch beat Stratus in a Steel Cage match. Stratus attacked her ally Zoey Stark after the match and seems to be stepping away from the ring at the moment. Stratus can be considered one of the greatest women’s wrestlers in WWE history and her longevity is helping that claim greatly. Whatever decision Stratus makes on her in-ring career coming up, fans can be pleased with a stellar year, an amazing heel turn, and a great feud against Becky Lynch.
Asuka
Asuka had a change in character at the Royal Rumble when she emerged with new face paint and a different attitude. Showcasing her venture to Japan on social media and teasing the concept of being the same performer she was before coming to the WWE. Her return at the Rumble saw her almost win the match before getting eliminated by Rhea Ripley. After the draft, Asuka entered a feud against Bianca Belair over the Raw Women’s Championship with a match happening at Night of Champions.
Asuka beat Belair to capture the belt for her third time and was crowned with the new WWE Women’s Championship on SmackDown. Asuka held the belt for 70 days before losing to Bianca Belair in a triple threat at SummerSlam. After suffering a title loss to Belair and being pushed away from the title picture, all it will really take is another big win over a name like Charlotte or Bayley to get her back in the spotlight. Also, a feud away from the title can do wonders to help elevate a new star higher and keep Asuka relevant.
Becky Lynch
As mentioned before Becky Lynch was a part of the feud at the start of the year against Damage CTRL, a feud that saw her capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship becoming a Triple Crown Champion. After losing the belts, Lynch and Stratus started a feud with the end coming at Payback 2023 where Lynch beat Stratus in a Steel Cage match.
After that feud ended, Lynch went straight into a feud against Tiffany Stratton over the NXT Women’s Championship, even going to NXT to challenge the champion and win the belt for the first time, officially making her a Grand Slam Champion. Lynch is now holding the NXT Women’s title and starting feuds against names that haven’t gotten much time to shine such as Tegan Nox while continuing her feud against Tiffany. She recently put on an incredible main event at NXT No Mercy against Stratton in a brutal Extreme Rules match.
Iyo Sky
via WWE
Dakota Kai’s Damage CTRL partner of course started the year off similarly but as exceeded after Kai’s unfortunate injury taking her out of action. Sky is a legendary name in the world of Stardom and Joshi wrestling and has been given the chance to show off once more now that she is the WWE Women’s Champion.
Sky won the title off of Bianca Belair after Belair had a match against Asuka and Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam. Sky used her Money in the Bank briefcase to capture the belt and has yet to really show what she can do as champion. A major helping point for Sky was the decision from WWE to let stars deliver promos in different languages giving fans a fun moment between Asuka and Sky earlier this year.
Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair entered 2023 as the Raw Women’s Champion, a title she won back in WrestleMania 38 against Becky Lynch. Things started with a feud against Alexa Bliss at the Royal Rumble. After retaining Belair faced Iyo Sky at Backlash and became the longest-reigning Raw Women’s Champion surpassing Becky Lynch’s reign of 398 days.
Belair lost the belt to Asuka at Night of Champions but quickly became champion again once she beat Charlotte Flair and Asuka at SummerSlam for the WWE Women’s Championship. That same night saw Iyo Sky cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase, beating Belair. Now getting the chance to take a little bit of time away from the ring, fans are already anticipating her return and can’t wait to see what she does next. Hopefully, with the arrival of Jade Cargill into the company, a match could be on the horizon.
Rhea Ripley
via WWE
Rhea Ripley takes the top spot as the best women’s wrestler in WWE this year due to her time as the SmackDown Women’s/Women’s World Championship. Her year started with her winning the Royal Rumble while entering at number one. Ripley challenged Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39, capturing the belt for the first time and making herself the fifth Grand Slam Champion.
Since then Ripley has beaten names like Zelina Vega, Natalya, and Raquel Rodriguez to retain her title. The June 12th episode of Raw saw her belt renamed the Women’s World Championship, a title that only Ripley has yet to hold. Plus her work with Dominik Mysterio has helped put the two of them as the biggest heels in the promotion. The only thing holding Ripley back at all is the lack of real competitors for her belt and missing big shows that she easily could have had a great match at like SummerSlam.
After months of speculation as to why he was not appearing on WWE television, Johnny Gargano made his return to “WWE Raw” Monday night to reunite with Tommaso Ciampa, saving him from an attack by Imperium’s Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser after a match with GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship. Now, PWInsider is reporting that Gargano’s return was, in fact, a late decision by WWE creative.
According to PWI, plans for Gargano to return were “locked down” over the weekend; he traveled to the show in San Jose earlier in the day and was kept hidden. Though he had not been seen on TV for months, Gargano had recently been back in the ring, facing Omos at house shows several weeks back, according to the outlet. Gargano’s last match was on the May 15 episode of “Raw,” where he was part of a battle royal to determine the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. His DIY tag team partner has recently been posting “Missing” flyers for Gargano on social media.
Gargano had previously suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of action, but it was reported back in July that the star was healthy. After taking time away from the ring after the birth of his first child in 2021, Gargano rejoined the company alongside a slew of other returning stars, including Karrion Kross and Dexter Lumis, in the summer of 2022.
This week’s episode of WWE RAW is the final one ahead of Fastlane, and it could turn out to be a stacked affair. As of writing, it’s unclear if Rhea Ripley will be part of the show. She missed the last two episodes of RAW after being attacked by Nia Jax, when the latter made her return to the company.
In her absence, Dominik Mysterio has lost his North American Championship, and there wasn’t a single other member of The Judgment Day in attendance to help him at No Mercy.
Mysterio has helped Finn Balor and Damian Priest to retain their Championship in recent weeks, but when he needed help, they were nowhere to be seen. It appears that the same could be said for Rhea Ripley, who has also had backup from Mysterio in her recent title defenses.
There has been a clear split in The Judgment Day in recent weeks, and it appears that this latest title loss for Mysterio has brought this to light. Could Mysterio make the decision to quit the group, before he’s kicked out this week on WWE RAW?
Will Rhea Ripley return this week on WWE RAW?
Rhea Ripley would have been in Dominik Mysterio’s corner without question if she was able to, but given the fact that she is injured, it wasn’t possible.
Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio could make the choice to leave the group this week if she is on RAW, since the two stars have seemingly gone their own way in recent weeks, and the addition of JD McDonagh into the mix has caused a rift between several members.
Dominik Mysterio will definitely want some answers following his loss, and The Judgment Day should have a response.
It was confirmed on Friday’s SmackDown that one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions will face Uso on next week’s Raw.
Two weeks ago on Raw, Uso rejected an offer by Finn Balor and the rest of Judgment Day to join the group by laying them out. On Monday’s Raw, he said he wasn’t interested in joining any more groups following a falling out with the Bloodline.
In the main event of Monday’s show, Priest and Balor successfully retained the Tag Team titles against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn thanks to a flurry of interference from the rest of the Judgment Day and JD McDonagh. After the match, the show ended with Cody Rhodes and Uso coming out to even the odds against The Judgment Day, who continued to attack Zayn and Owens.
Also added to Raw is a match between Ivar and Xavier Woods after Ivar defeated Kofi Kingston on last week’s show. Shayna Baszler, who was laid out on last week’s Raw, will get a chance to face her former tag team partner.
Drew McIntyre will also appear on Miz TV. According to WWE.com, Drew McIntyre will trying “to explain himself again” after he was interrupted on Monday.
The announced card for the Monday, October 2 Raw in San Jose, California:
NXT Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch or Tiffany Stratton defends against Tegan Nox
Damian Priest vs. Jey Uso
Ivar vs. Xavier Woods
Damien Priest to appear on Miz TV
Shayna Baszler vs. Nia Jax
Intercontinental Championship match contract signing with Gunther & Tommaso Ciampa
