WWE RAW RESULTS: WWEs Biggest Female Badass Leads Part 2 of Under Siege (November, 12th 2018)
Welcome all to this weeks RAW report in what will be the last before Survivor Series. Set for this weeks show is Team Captain Alexa Bliss’s reveal of RAWs Womens Survivor Series team, the next installment of the Natalya v Riott Squad rivalry, and well….whats Survivor Series build without brand animosity turning into an invasion?
But before any of that, we have Ember Moon seeking revenge against Nia Jax for her recent betrayal and alignment with Tamina. But the former NXT Womens Champion isnt getting that anytime soon, having to run through Tamina first, as the two are scheduled for a one on one match. Ember is out first for the battle, then Nia Jax enters the stage, soon joined by Tamina, who she accompanies on her way to the ring. Ember locks a tense gaze on Tamina once the fellow superstar enters the ring, and also keeps a small eye on Nia before engaging in combat. That ends up being enough for Tamina to pounce, forearming Ember from behind while she gives Nia the short stare. The match has begun.
Tamina takes advantage of the opening shot and carries on with kicks and headbutts to the NXT Alumni. Ember hits a forearm to try and retaliate but is thrown head first to a corner turnbuckle. Tamina attempts a corner splash afterward but Ember evades and Tamina meets the corner instead. Tamina charges to the center, blocks a standing arm drag and tries to clothesline Ember. Ember avoids it and tries to roll up Tamina, who stays upright. Tamina goes for a fist to Ember, who moves out of harms way, returns to upright position, and starts her retaliation offense, forearming and kicking away at Tamina. Tamina tries to shove away Ember but it barely stalls her opposition who comes back quick with an enziguiri. Ember runs the ropes after and sends Tamina to the mat, a pin attempt quickly following it. Tamina kicks out of it at one, remaining in the battle that Alexa Bliss has eyes on from the backstage area.
Tamina hits back with a forearm to Ember, going for a slam after that Ember gets free of mid set up. Ember kicks Tamina again and drives her face first to the mat to follow. Tamina takes herself to the outside, Ember heading to the apron after her, hitting her with a sliding knee there while she attempts to regroup. As Ember heads to the floor to continue her work on Tamina, Nia approaches, getting Ember’s attention. As the two stare each other out, again Tamina capitalizes, clobbering Ember once she turns away. Ember is in need of springing back heading into the commercial break.
The battle returns to the ring post commercial break as Tamina wraps Ember in a side headlock. Tamina keeps it locked in for some time before she ends up laying Ember out on the mat to take a knee drop to the left shoulder. Tamina goes for her own pin attempt after, with Ember kicking out at two. Tamina shoves Ember to a corner, her attack after blocked by Embers kick. Ember throws forearms at Tamina who hits back with her own. Ember escapes a slam attempt, going back on the offense again, a dropkick soon sending Tamina down. Ember unleashes more kicks after but is stunned by Tamina’s retaliating blow. Tamina whips Ember, attempting to forearm her after she hits the ropes, but Ember ducks it and heads through the ropes, trying to dive onto Nia, who doesnt even tumble upon impact. Ember is stunned but rebounds quickly, blocking Tamina’s behind attack on the apron and hitting a crossbody from the other side of the ring, getting a near fall in the process.
Embers momentum continues post pinfall with a handspring forearm connecting to Tamina in a corner. Ember heads to the top rope, readying to finish with the Eclipse when Nia begins to make her way to the apron. Ember has eyes on Nia, and as this happens, again Tamina capitalizes, superkicking Ember while still high up. Ember hits the mat and Tamina climbs the ropes this time, delivering the Supafly Splash to the former NXT Women’s Champion to end. Tamina wins the match.
Post match, Nia further confirms her disdain of Ember, beating on her while shes down. She stomps Ember down to the mat then delivers a leg drop to add to damage already done. Nia raises the hand of Tamina, showboating over her victory and all delivered to follow, before the duo exit.
The next womens related moment on RAW sees Ruby Riott set to battle Natalya, a week clear of the controversial ending of last weeks Evolution rematch which saw Ruby get right into the heart of Natalya by breaking the sunglasses of her late father, just as Natalya was closing in on victory. The Riott Squad once in the ring are to deliver a promo, or more so Ruby, where she acts sorry over her actions, before revealing her true feelings of enjoying such a moment. She claims she didn’t take it far enough than what she already had. She notes how she, Liv and Sarah have had to scratch and claw for everything they’ve been given and her intention was to make Natalya feel real emotion, to make her ball, and thats exactly what happened. She goes even further as to say that Jim wore the sunglasses to not look at his daughter, because he was ashamed of her. Natalya’s music hits and Natalya attacks the Riott Squad captain from behind. Unfortunately for Natalya, the crews clear numbers game works in favor, and after being overwhelmed, she becomes the victim of the Hart Attack Combo Finisher that Ruby and Sarah utilize against her.
RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, who made a brief appearance earlier in the night in the midst of Stephanie McMahon’s segment, speaks backstage also. After a brief reflection of Becky Lynch’s response to recent words uttered by Rousey, its back to RAWs Women’s Champion for a response. She acknowledges that Becky really dished it out, but either way she wasn’t looking to diss Becky’s past, only to point out how ridiculous her threats were. She looks at Becky as hypersensitive, as the Millennial Man. Someone needs to tell Becky that she is not Charlotte Flair, RAW is not Smackdown, and being offended doesn’t make you right. She sure as hell didn’t pour her heart and soul out to change the meaning of fight like a girl so the leader of the Women’s Evolution could call herself “The Man”. In the conclusion of her statement, Nia and Tamina step by. They aren’t ambushing as Nia seems sincere, wishing Ronda luck on Sunday before she and Tamina slowly step away.
From there its to the main event segment that sees a corporate dressed Alexa Bliss walk to the ring, with Nia Jax and Tamina following behind as well as Mickie James. Once in the ring the allocated captain and non competing manager of the RAW Womens Survivor Series Team calls Sundays event personal, all about proving RAW as the A Show while Smackdown always is second best. As Captain of her team she doesnt just expect victory but demands it. Thats why she has put together what she calls the most talented team in Survivor Series history. She gestures to the competitors at her side but acknowledges one not present, announced teammate Natalya. She has noticed the emotional moments of Natalya and her distress as of late and sent her home, but she told Natalya to channel all of that rage on Smackdown on Sunday. With that said, shes now going to introduce the present members, firstly her loyal friend, multi time champion and future hall of famer Mickie James. She addresses Nia as a former RAW Womens Champion, the Evolution Battle Royal winner, and someone she hopes to put past differences aside with. She then moves to Tamina, who she calls a fierce competitor, someone who has demonstrated the killer instinct that her team needs. With her team needing one more member, she needs someone who will do anything and risk anything to win. That last member will be decided in the match coming up next, and out come Bayley and Sasha.
When we return from another commercial break, the bell has been rung, and with Corporate Alexa keeping an eye from the outside with Mickie, Tamina and Nia, Sasha and Bayley get their match underway. Sasha chops Bayley to escape Bayleys lock up reversal, then moving onto the ropes and arm dragging Bayley. Bayley stalls Sashas charge attempt and rolls her over, getting a one count. Another soon follows from Sasha, ending in another one count. Bayley then uses the ropes to knock off Sasha mid waistlock attempt, then hitting a sliding clothesline. The move gets Bayley her first near fall of the match.
Sasha whips Bayley, missing a corner attack when Bayley moves out to the apron. Bayley seizes Sasha from there and goes for a neckbreaker, but Sasha blocks. Sasha uses the middle rope to elevate herself up, kneeing Bayley. Bayley then blocks an attempted baseball slide dropkick, turning Sasha over after and kneeing her in the side of the head. Bayley picks up Sasha, attempts to swing her to the apron but Sasha uses this as a chance to lock a headscissor, turned into a hurricanrana. Sasha throws Bayley to the ring, quickly ascending the ropes, leaping from there and connecting with the meteora, a near fall following in the instant follow up pin attempt. Bayley then uses Sasha’s float over attempt to take her to the apron, back elbowing her as she remains in the ring, knocking Sasha to the floor post impact. Bayley tries to dropkick Sasha below the bottom rope, but Sasha swings her over post blockage, her right shoulder also hitting the ring post along the way.
Sasha hits double knees to Bayley on the end of the apron, a second attempt missing when Bayley moves, leading to both of Sasha’s knees hitting the ring post. Bayley takes Sasha back to the ring, rolling her up and getting a near fall. Bayley goes for her finisher but is sent through the ropes by Sasha. Bayley comes back with a successful neckbreaker, blocking a follow up kick by Sasha, though the knee that also follows manages to hit Bayley. Bayley hits her finisher on the apron, taking both to the floor afterward. Both are out against the floor heading into the newest commercial break.
When we return, its back in the ring again, Sasha this time out on the mat and Bayley just about to head off the top rope, going for her elbow drop though instead dropping into raised knees from Sasha. Sasha pulls in Bayley and locks the Bank Statement, but we never get a conclusion as suddenly Tamina, Nia and Mickie are in the ring, ambushing the former champions, bringing the match to no contest. A Cackling Alexa declares that neither have won, and shes picked out her real fifth member, Ruby Riott. The Survivor Series Team has been revealed, but little do they know whats to come next…
Suddenly we head backstage, hearing screaming and its revealed that Ronda Rousey is being ambushed by none other than Becky Lynch. Lynch has the disarmer on the RAW Women’s Champion and after leaving her damaged, her music hits and the much loved Smackdown Women’s Champion starts walking by herself down to the ring. She appears outnumbered but continues walking, facing Ruby, Liv, Sarah, Bliss, Mickie, Nia and Tamina. Suddenly the entire Smackdown Women’s Division emerges, attacking the Survivor Series RAW Women’s Team. Dana Brooke and Alicia Fox run down to try and help their fellow roster members against Team Blue, but the relentlessness of Team Blue overwhelms RAW, even Becky continuing even with a bloodied face. Ronda then heads down, taking down members of the Smackdown roster before Becky re-emerges, smacking Rousey with a steel chair. She continues these shots while Charlotte and others help clear the ring of Nia Jax and other members of the RAW roster. After finishing up, she heads out of the arena through the staircase, leaving with the rest of the women’s division.
(Tamina w/ Nia Jax vs Ember Moon)
(Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan and Natalya Segment)
(Ronda Rousey, Nia Jax and Tamina Backstage Segment)
(Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, Nia Jax and Tamina Segment)
(Bayley vs Sasha Banks feat Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Mickie James, Tamina and Ruby Riott)
(Becky Lynch and the Smackdown Women’s Division Invade Monday Night RAW)
Thoughts On:
Tamina vs Ember: Notably the twos first singles encounter in WWE. I Thought this match worked well in terms of establishing effective teamwork from Nia and Tamina, rather than Nia just being there as just a watchful eye or witness. I Thought the finish was well thought out and regardless of whats happened post RAW in regards to Nia and Becky, i can still see Nia and Tamina being an effective unit against Rousey in the future, still with the pre determined outcome. I Just hope Ember picks up steam somehow while Rousey has Nia coming because Ember is immensely talented.
Bayley vs Sasha: I thought these two really brought it for the time they had, continuously going back and forth and one upping each other, showing how important a PPV spot is to them, even if it was abrupt with no build between them in regards to them fighting for this spot. I feel the removal of an extra fifteen minutes of RAW that a lot seem happy with has affected the duration of some matches and segments from here on, and affected Bayley vs Sasha this week, though again they did great with their time. The finish does have us question why the match even happened, especially because Alexa could have just straight up announced Ruby as the final teammate but now shes put Bayley and Sasha’s friendship to the test again. There had to be a reason for Bayley and Sasha getting booked. Do they get sick of Alexa’s treatment of them, of RAWs overall treatment of them and head to Smackdown to their fellow horsewomen? Or is Alexa’s angle when she returns set to be against Sasha Banks and/or Bayley, with Nia and Tamina as her potential henchwomen?
Roster Invasion: I Thought that was a fantastic way to end Monday Night RAW, especially since invasions have become a fun way to build towards Survivor Series related matches. The Smackdown division looked absolutely dominant, and Becky looked badass leading the charge, making me relieved WWE never went the cowardly heel route with her. I Do wish we had got a Sonya and Ronda staredown and some sort of epic encounter with Charlotte and Ronda, and to be honest i was questioning Charlotte’s placement at first in the thing considering she was scared to even be a part of the Survivor Series team as part of a seeming insecurity storyline. I’m not sure if its still going or whether what happened on Smackdown is Becky heightening Charlotte’s belief in herself or not, but im interested to see if there’s anything else between Becky and Charlotte after Sunday.
– Catherine
Cattie's Womens Wrestling 