WWE RAW RESULTS: Talking the Talk and Owning the Battlefield (October, 17th 2016)
Welcome All to this weeks RAW Report, and luckily in good time coordination as had i posted this a few hours ago i wouldn’t have known that Sasha Banks and Charlotte had been officially announced to be sharing the Hell in a Cell Main Event (the Historic Women’s Hell in a Cell Match). Key Word HAD as Now Mick Foley has overturned his statement due to WWE still writing the show. With that in mind, the two women had exclusive interviews with Hall of Famer Lita to sound off on this upcoming moment, and Bayley and Dana Brooke also took their own animosity to the ring. Plus Lana has her own animosity with one Roman Reigns…
We first see Charlotte’s Sit down Interview with Lita, as they seem to have set up for these particular sit down interviews rather than have the opposers seated in the ring, sharing their beef with each other. Lita gives Charlotte the courtesy of welcoming her before wishing to analyze her mindset heading into her historic match with Sasha Banks, inside a structure of which the likes of the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and others had stepped in previously. Knowing Charlotte and Sasha now add their names to the list of people having stepped inside the deadly structure, including the said names of legendary status, Lita asks Charlotte how she will prepare for something like this. Charlotte answers that she was a winner, born for these moments, and there is a reason no other woman has stepped inside the cell, because they aren’t her. Lita references Forbes backing of her in a recent article, where they called her one of the best women’s superstars in the industry. Charlotte cant help but crack a smile over this, but she believes they are only spewing facts while Lita says as much as she likes her confidence, she couldn’t help pondering whether she took advantage of a Broken Sasha back at Summerslam. Lita brings up how Sasha has been hurt a few times, taken off TV and that she may not have even been in top shape at the show, but Charlotte switches the topic, asking Lita for an answer as to why she herself is a 2x Women’s Champion, as to why she has worked through Twelve Pay Per Views in a row. Charlotte gives the answer rather than Lita, explaining that she is durable, not someone who whines about constant pain. Therefore the Summerslam Win is a Win and not an advantageous tactic.
Lita continues questioning Charlotte, as she wonders whether it would be better to beat “the best” at 100%, regarding Banks as the best due to her status as champion. However Charlotte sees herself rather as the best, and if there’s one fact to support, its that shes always 100% and when the lights come on and she steps into a ring, everyone looks to her as THE Woman. Lita reminds Charlotte how the WWE Universe are furthermore backing Sasha and wonders whether this worries her but just the one facial reaction from Charlotte tells it all, shes not thrown off by the babyface backing, and Sasha will need her hometown support because it makes her pity her, because unlike “The Bo$$” she doesn’t need the backing of the WWE Universe, the constant supporters, because she is Genetically Superior. She wonders whether any member of the WWE Universe knows what its like to walk in her shoes, to which she answers herself with a Simple No. She feels Sasha may not be 100% that day but she, the woman who has run through twelve consecutive pay per views in an incredible feat, will be. She declares that nothing will stop her from earning a new record as a 3x WWE Women’s Champion.
Moving forward, its to the arena now for the only women’s match of the night, as its announced that Bayley and Dana Brooke will bring their recently found animosity to the ring early for a singles bout. Out first comes the Solo Dana Brooke, though her ties to Charlotte are still referenced on Commentary. Next is the one the crowd loudly pop for, Bayley. When the bell rings Dana escapes tying up with Bayley, instead taunting her from ringside before being chased by the Huggable One back to the ring. Dana is back out of the ring as quickly, and Bayley takes herself out only to watch Dana roll back in as she heads out in pursuit. Dana mocks Bayley in the ring center and coaxes her to return to the ring. Dana charges towards Bayley as she makes it to the apron, and takes a shoulder tackle from Bayley. Bayley places Dana between the ropes and snaps her against it, then returning to the ring to execute a low running bulldog. She whips Dana to a corner and clotheslines her against it before whipping her back into the same corner. Bayley connects with one more clothesline in that corner to Dana, before taking her away from the ropes. Bayley runs Dana into another corner, smacking her face against the corner turnbuckle. As Bayley looks to do the same one more time, as she ropes Dana in the direction of the corner, Dana turns and counters with a forearm smash. Dana looks to reverse the momentum quickly as she sends Bayley shoulder first into the same corners second turnbuckle.
Dana is forced away by a ref who checks on the condition of Bayley. The Ref asks if shes Okay to which Dana answers for herself, simply no as she kicks Bayley to add more damage to the fallen competitor. Dana kicks Bayley against the corner to further her assault, then dropping her back first against the mat while taking her out of the corner. Dana tries to pin Bayley there, and the first pin attempt gets her a near fall on Bayley. She Keeps Bayley busy with a rear choke-hold applied, sending her backward to the mat before she can find any way to escape her clutches. Dana reverts back to the hold, which Bayley tries to escape from only to be sent to the corner. She performs her handstand choke before both women crash to the mat following the double clothesline attempt.
Dana gets to her feet, sent back to the mat as quick by the countering drop toe hold by Bayley and Bayley unloads with a flurry of punches to Dana. Bayley takes Dana into a corner, and has found her momentum as she connects with her running elbow to Dana in the same corner. She rolls Dana away, just making up the turnbuckles when she notices Dana fleeing from the ring. Dana demands a timeout on the outside, to no avail, because as she tries to rest up, Bayley comes in from behind with a baseball slide dropkick near the ring post to Dana. Bayley rolls Dana back into the ring, heading back there herself when Dana counters, sending Bayley face first into the ring post. She drags Bayley through the ropes and Bayley tumbles on her back onto the mat for Dana’s pin attempt, and Dana, despite having her foot under the rope (which i believe was meant to be on it) gets the sudden win over Bayley. Dana wins the match.
The Interview series is followed up with Lita’s talk with Sasha, aka the defending women’s champion whose title will be up for grabs at Hell in a Cell. Like with Charlotte, Lita kindly welcomes Banks before getting to her questions, firstly asking Sasha how shes feeling after hyping her championship match. Sasha states shes ready, and has been ready. The News to them is huge, as two people who started together in NXT, to her its crazy to see how far they have come, from the acclaimed developmental system to present day. Sasha knows they are making history, and regardless of how she feels about her opposition, they are doing this together, but shes there to show Charlotte she is the best. Lita mentions that Charlotte has acknowledged their history, naming her as one of her toughest competitors, but she has stated that Hell in a Cell will lead to her walking out as the Women’s Champion. Sasha begs to differ, reminding Lita that the show takes place in her hometown of Boston. Sasha says thats where it all began for her, and she cant get it through her head that shes making history, to which Lita understands. Sasha says the said women’s revolution has come so far and for her to know that she has come so far, that she is one of the first women to work a Hell in a Cell Match, shes in disbelief.
Lita jumps back to Sasha’s past championship defense at Summerslam, asking how she is with the knowledge that she had aggravated back problems. Sasha didn’t seem to want to acknowledge the topic but laughs it off, but Lita is just being self aware considering the fact she could step into the cell with these said problems, unless of course shes healed. Sasha says Summerslam was Summerslam, but shes back and better than ever, confirming shes good to go for the big match. Lita acknowledges this before reminding Sasha of the intimidating, imposing several feet structure that is Hell in a Cell. She wonders if Sasha is afraid of stepping into the cell for the first time, but Sasha answers that she knows what shes getting herself into, she signed up for that. She requested that very match so she would know what shes getting herself into, and she doesn’t want to say shes afraid because shes been utilizing the wwe network to pick up knowledge of Hell in a Cell matches, using this to prepare herself mentally. She knows once she steps into the ring, with the cell as her surroundings, fear is a non-needed option for her. Its about showing the world (and Charlotte) why she is “The Bo$$” and at Hell in a Cell, she is there to simply make history.
And Lastly Lana and Rusev took their time inside the ring to introduce “The Rusevs” to the WWE audience, though this rather hilarious moment was interrupted by Rusevs Hell in a Cell Opponent (and the United States Champion) Roman Reigns. This lead to Lana not only getting her long awaited payback on Roman for the Cake Moment with a hard slap to the gold clad superstars face, but Rusev got his own beat-down on Roman to follow that up.
Plus we have another photographic vignette for the return of Emma, presented again as the “Makeover of Emma to Emmalina”. Like the past few, no premiere date is given for the NXT Alumni’s return.
(Charlotte and Lita Exclusive Interview)
(Bayley vs Dana Brooke)
(Bayley RAW Exclusive)
(Sasha Banks and Lita Exclusive Interview)
(The Makeover of Emma to Emmalina Promo #3)
(Lana, Rusev and Roman Reigns Segment)
Thoughts On:
Dana/Bayley: Overall the match allowed both women to get momentum at selective times, but the crowd seemed to die down through much of it, but the finish was both questionable and rather smart. Questionable as in it was a definite botch, but smart as it can be used to creatives advantage. Was it just a perfect sell by Bayley for an injury angle? Or did Bayley legit have the air taken out of her when crashing to the mat? Plus even if Dana didn’t touch the rope with her foot as possibly instructed, she did have it under the rope as a heel tactic that can be used like with Charlotte at last years Survivor Series vs Paige. Either way it can be used to further the angle between the two, and even if Bayley is legit injured, it gives Dana extra development time as the secondary heel, hopefully less matches as a enhancement if Creative don’t suddenly decide to feed her to the particular names, and more exposure. But if the Bayley thing is a work, it also adds to the animosity thats begun to pick up in the feud and some around the ring or backstage brawls would be perfect for the feud in my opinion. But based on the result of tonight, its definite a rematch is waiting in the wings with another loss fed to Dana, but where does she go from there? Is she told they have no plans for her like clearly with Nia Jax, or does she try to assist Charlotte by possibly getting into the cell or somehow helping from the outside and either intentionally or accidentally screwing so they get their long awaited angle? At this rate i wouldn’t be surprised just by the amount of boo’s Dana gets that the whole babyface turn prediction was just words and nothing legit but heres to hope for more development for Dana post Hell in a Cell because as the fans have shown this past weekend this “revolution” cant revolve around just certain names.
Sasha/Charlotte interviews: While i enjoyed Charlotte’s interview because she perfects the confident, arrogant character so well, i wasn’t much a fan of Sasha’s promo as it reflected her past promos. While its fair to say it is a definite dream for her, and her legit opinion as shes ascended so far, from being the woman in NXT without a character close to release, to reinvention, to NXT Women’s Champion to sharing numerous accolades on the main roster, its a dream also to the other women on the main roster to even be in the company. Maybe it was too scripted for me but Sasha’s promos seem to revolve around the same thing as of late, and i wouldn’t mind something different but regardless each interview did its part in hyping their possible main event, and it was also nice to have Lita play host to it as shes knowledgeable of returning from injuries and competing in high risk matches, Steel Cage vs Victoria being one, or just general matches where shes done insane moonsault spots. She brings the veteran knowledge to those interviews to share with the girls to a point so i thought that was well thought out. Or in short. Shes been there and done that.
– Catherine
Cattie's Womens Wrestling 