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TORONTO — If you walk into Canada to face a Canadian in a Submission Match, odds are you’re going to lose to a Sharpshooter. It’s not a reflection on your talents; it’s just the rules. Defying all those odds is far from the ordinary outcome, but then again, Becky Lynch is no ordinary Superstar.
Yes, the combined power of a Hart Family scion — Natalya — and the hold that serves as Hart Family heirloom wasn’t enough to relieve The Man of her Raw Women’s Championship in a Submission Match. Instead, the day belonged to the wily Irishwoman and her deeper-than-expected array of submissions. Although Natalya had a very clear game plan going into the match — lock in the Sharpshooter, and dare Becky not to get caught — Lynch had the benefit of varying her arsenal before bell time.
The Queen of Harts wasn’t caught flatfooted by The Man’s ingenuity, as she muscled her way out of Lynch’s early trifecta of an armbar, a triangle and a guillotine. Additionally, Becky’s attempt to use the Sharpshooter did little except to fire up Natalya. (It also considerably ruffled the crowd, which initially welcomed The Man with a deafening ovation.) Natalya wisely targeted the leg she’s savaged over the last few weeks, and the only damage she sustained to her arm was an errant trip into the commentary table.
With Becky finally ensnared in the Sharpshooter, Natalya’s victory seemed all but guaranteed. The Man’s last-ditch escape of the hold freed Natalya’s arm for all of a second, and that was enough for the Irishwoman to sink in a deep, deep Dis-Arm-Her that Natalya tapped to after a struggle to escape.
So, The Man walks out of Canada much the same way she came in: With the Raw Women’s Championship on one shoulder and a chip on the other. Becky may not be Canada’s newest hero, but the Great White North might just have a new signature submission. It’s just the rules.