Trish Stratus qualifies For WWE Money in the Bank. IMPACT Wrestling continues the road to Slammiversary. AEW Collision debuts. Delilah Doom speaks with WrestleZone and more. Let’s break it down in this week’s Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!
Trish Stratus Qualifies For WWE Money in the Bank
The field is now (mostly) set for the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Last night on RAW, Raquel Rodriguez battled WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus for the final spot in the 2023 Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. The match began as a back-and-forth contest. With Stratus distracting the referee, though, her ally Zoey Stark took the opportunity to sweep Rodriguez’s feet off the apron. As Rodriguez staggered back up to a vertical base, Becky Lynch rushed in to attack Stark at ringside. In an attempt to stop Lynch’s assault, Stratus slid to the outside and yanked Lynch by her hair.
In the flurry of the chaos, Lynch fired back, launching Stratus in the barricade. This move forced the referee to call for the bell and subsequently end the match. As a result of Lynch’s action, Trish Stratus scored the win via disqualification. Therefore, Stratus was permitted entry into the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Post-match, Lynch and Rodriguez exchanged some words, with Rodriguez expressing her frustration that Lynch had accidentally gotten her disqualified.
Following Stratus’ victory, she and Zoey Stark spoke with backstage interviewer Cathy Kelley in a Digital Exclusive. There, Stratus and Stark reveled in their numbers advantage heading into Money in the Bank. As Stratus pointed out, their presence also serves as a major disadvantage to their rival, Becky Lynch.
Money in the Bank appears to be an uphill battle for Lynch, as she must fend against two current and two former rivals of hers. As Lynch alluded to in a backstage segment on RAW, she will not only have to fight off Stratus and Stark, but she will also have to contend with Damage CTRL members IYO SKY and Bayley.
Damage CTRL, of course, is very familiar with Lynch after feuding with “The Man” for many months. SKY and Bayley secured their Money in the Bank placements on the June 9 edition of SmackDown. SKY defeated Shotzi, while Bayley scored a win over “Michin” Mia Yim to qualify. As both women look to secure the Money in the Bank briefcase, some complications arose.
This Friday, Bayley will put her Money in the Bank spot on the line against Shotzi. If Shotzi wins there, Bayley will officially be nixed from the match, and Shotzi will take her place. While Bayley battles to keep her spot, Zoey Stark, Trish Stratus, IYO SKY, Becky Lynch, and Zelina Vega have firmly solidified their positions in the match.
RELATED: WWE Raw Results (6/19/23)
IMPACT Wrestling Is Summer Sizzling
As IMPACT continues the road to Slammiversary, the company heads to Atlanta, Georgia this weekend for two days of television tapings. Ahead of the two-day showcase, IMPACT Wrestling has announced some of the matchups that will take place.
On Friday, June 23 Deonna Purrazzo will defend her Knockouts Championship against Taylor Wilde, who currently reigns as one-half of the Knockouts Tag Team Champions. As Wilde attempts to dethrone “The Virtuosa,” her tag team partner KiLynn King will battle “The Russian Dynamite” Masha Slamovich in singles action. Elsewhere on Friday’s card, Savannah Evans and Jai Vidal will accompany Gisele Shaw as she faces Courtney Rush, with Jessicka looming at ringside.
The next day, IMPACT advertised an intergender match between Trinity and Jai Vidal. Assuming Deonna Purrazzo retains her Knockouts Championship on Friday, she will host an open challenge for the title on Saturday. The identity of the challenger has yet to be unveiled.
On July 1, Purrazzo will defend her IMPACT Knockouts World Championship against Gisele Shaw as a part of IMPACT’s “Down Under” tour in Australia. If Shaw wins that match, she will defend the title in a three-way match against both Purrazzo and Trinity at Slammiversary on July 15. Should “The Virtuosa” retain in Australia, the Slammiversary title match will remain a singles bout between Trinity and Purrazzo.
RELATED: Deonna Purrazzo Surpasses 500 Cumulative Days As IMPACT Knockouts Champion
The Debut Of AEW Collision
With Collision set to premiere last Saturday, All Elite Wrestling made their way to the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. There, the company kicked off its new show with a plethora of action. This debut included a competitive women’s tag team match.
AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm partnered up with her ally Ruby Soho to take on the team of NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale and Chicago native Skye Blue. Blue arrived back to a huge homecoming pop before pivoting her focus to the action. Soho and Storm seized control early on, but in the end, Skye and Nightingale prevailed.
As Nightingale thwarted Storm’s attempt to spray paint Skye Blue, Storm accidentally painted her tag team partner, Ruby Soho. This then allowed Blue to nail Soho with a Code Blue to seal the victory.
A full recap of the women’s tag team match can be read below, courtesy of our live coverage page.
Toni Storm & Ruby Soho vs. Willow Nightingale & Skye Blue
Storm and Soho attack Blue and Skye during their entrance and take control early on. Storm gets in Skye Blue’s mom’s face in the crowd, and she slaps the champion. Willow and Soho get in the ring, and the match officially begins. The Outcasts double-team Willow and isolate her. They continue to control the action. Blue makes the hot tag and takes control with a flurry of offense. Blue gets a two-count with a crossbody on Storm. Willow drops Soho with a spinebuster. Willow tags in and slams Storm. Soho comes in and rocks her with a kick. Blue tags in and gets suplexes by Storm. The AEW Women’s World Champion hits a hip attack. Soho drills Blue with a shot to the face. Willow stops Storm from spraying Blue with spray paint, and Toni accidentally sprays Soho. Blue pins Soho with the Code Blue.
Winners: Willow Nightingale & Skye Blue
RELATED: Skye Blue Reflects On Emotional AEW Collision Hometown Victory
INTERVIEWS
“The Queen of Aerobic Style” Delilah Doom speaks with WrestleZone’s own Ella Jay about doing motion capture for WWE 2K22, what drew her to the world of acting, Chyna’s influence on her wrestling career, how she’s grown as a competitor and person through wrestling, and more.
Former AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa joined NBC Chicago to discuss the debut episode of AEW Collision, favorite memories of Chicago, her recovery process from the injury, the upcoming “Fight Forever” video game, and more.
IMPACT Knockout Gisele Shaw chatted with Denise Salcedo about her anniversary of coming out as transgender, the highs and lows of her journey, Pride Month, and more.
“The Kick Demon” Janai Kick appeared on Grapple Theory to discuss her 2023 year, making her debut at Pro Wrestling EVE, being Ladies Night Out Champion, fantasy booking, and more.
“Y2Kutie” Ava Everett spoke with PWPonderings about her start in the wrestling world, her inspirations, and mentors, the formation of the Y2Kuties, wrestling Billie Starkz, and more.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Smash Wrestling x Femme Fatales: Girls Next Door – June 25
