PITTSBURGH — In what was the final battle of their epic rivalry, Charlotte Flair reigned supreme over Sasha Banks to reclaim the Raw Women’s Championship in sudden death overtime following a grueling 30-Minute Iron Man Match.
There is no doubt that Sasha and Charlotte came to Pittsburgh with a storied history, having traded the coveted Raw Women’s Title back and forth several times throughout the year in a series of classic matches. As a result, Raw GM Mick Foley made it clear that this Iron Man Match — a contest in which the competitor with the most falls at the end of the 30-minute time limit would be declared the winner — would not be followed by a rematch.
Raw Women's Champion Sasha Banks prepares to defend her title against Charlotte Flair in a 30-Minute WWE Iron Man Match: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
The fact that absolutely everything was at stake was evident from the word go. An early feeling out process soon gave way to relentless aggression from both competitors. In an moment that would prove to be key, Flair took out her opponent’s legs and drove Sasha face-first into the steel ring steps to secure a definitive advantage. Nevertheless, The Boss refused to give in and the first fall wouldn’t happen until nearly the 20:00 mark when The Queen hit Natural Selection off the top rope for the three-count.
The WWE Universe would not have to wait very long for the second fall. Around the 21:30 mark, Sasha rolled up her adversary out of nowhere to steal a pin and tie things up at one fall a piece. Then, nearly 24 minutes in, Sasha made Charlotte tap with The Bank Statement and took the lead two falls to one.
Sasha Banks defends the Raw Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair in the first-ever female Iron Man Match on a Raw-branded pay-per-view
Now at a disadvantage, a desperate Queen went to work on Sasha’s knee and eventually locked in the Figure-Four Leglock. While Sasha fought the pain with everything she had, she was forced to tap when Charlotte turned it into a Figure Eight with less than five seconds left in the match.
Tied at two falls each with no time remaining on the clock, it was ruled that the two competitors would continue in sudden death overtime. With Sasha still favoring a vulnerable leg, Charlotte ultimately came out victorious, locking in another devastating Figure Eight Leglock and forcing her opponent to tap again. While no one could take away Sasha’s tremendous effort in the contest, Charlotte emerged from the match as a four-time Raw Women’s Champion with a perfect record in pay-per-view singles competition for the year.
Charlotte Flair is back on top of the Raw Women’s Division with Sasha Banks in her rearview, but who will step into the spotlight to challenge The Queen? Find out on Monday night on Raw at 8/7 C on USA Network.
PITTSBURGH — In what was the final battle of their epic rivalry, Charlotte Flair reigned supreme over Sasha Banks to reclaim the Raw Women’s Championship in sudden death overtime following a grueling 30-Minute Iron Man Match.
There is no doubt that Sasha and Charlotte came to Pittsburgh with a storied history, having traded the coveted Raw Women’s Title back and forth several times throughout the year in a series of classic matches. As a result, Raw GM Mick Foley made it clear that this Iron Man Match — a contest in which the competitor with the most falls at the end of the 30-minute time limit would be declared the winner — would not be followed by a rematch.
Raw Women's Champion Sasha Banks prepares to defend her title against Charlotte Flair in a 30-Minute WWE Iron Man Match: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
The fact that absolutely everything was at stake was evident from the word go. An early feeling out process soon gave way to relentless aggression from both competitors. In an moment that would prove to be key, Flair took out her opponent’s legs and drove Sasha face-first into the steel ring steps to secure a definitive advantage. Nevertheless, The Boss refused to give in and the first fall wouldn’t happen until nearly the 20:00 mark when The Queen hit Natural Selection off the top rope for the three-count.
The WWE Universe would not have to wait very long for the second fall. Around the 21:30 mark, Sasha rolled up her adversary out of nowhere to steal a pin and tie things up at one fall a piece. Then, nearly 24 minutes in, Sasha made Charlotte tap with The Bank Statement and took the lead two falls to one.
Sasha Banks defends the Raw Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair in the first-ever female Iron Man Match on a Raw-branded pay-per-view
Now at a disadvantage, a desperate Queen went to work on Sasha’s knee and eventually locked in the Figure-Four Leglock. While Sasha fought the pain with everything she had, she was forced to tap when Charlotte turned it into a Figure Eight with less than five seconds left in the match.
Tied at two falls each with no time remaining on the clock, it was ruled that the two competitors would continue in sudden death overtime. With Sasha still favoring a vulnerable leg, Charlotte ultimately came out victorious, locking in another devastating Figure Eight Leglock and forcing her opponent to tap again. While no one could take away Sasha’s tremendous effort in the contest, Charlotte emerged from the match as a four-time Raw Women’s Champion with a perfect record in pay-per-view singles competition for the year.
Charlotte Flair is back on top of the Raw Women’s Division with Sasha Banks in her rearview, but who will step into the spotlight to challenge The Queen? Find out on Monday night on Raw at 8/7 C on USA Network.
