HOUSTON — The Raw Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania will remain as scheduled, which is to say it’s not going to involve Ruby Riott. Beyond that, however, things get murky.
The crimson-haired ringleader of The Riott Squad is one of the more underrated Superstars in WWE, but she was little more than a meal for Ronda Rousey, who entered the ring in Sonya Blade cosplay as a nod to her “Mortal Kombat 11” voicing role and quickly submitted Ruby with the Armbar despite the latter’s attempt at a cat-and-mouse strategy. But setting aside the cut-and-dry result of what happened in the ring, the shenanigans started early in this one and continued long after.
In spite of her 60-day suspension, Becky Lynch crashed WWE Elimination Chamber and relentlessly attacked both Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey with her crutches.
Charlotte Flair technically kicked things off with a pre-match victory lap, during which she further rubbed in the salt of being Mr. McMahon’s handpicked replacement for grassroots hero Becky Lynch at The Show of Shows. Lynch herself appeared afterward, crutching her way through the WWE Universe to the ring in defiance of a freshly-exacerbated knee injury and Mr. McMahon’s 60-day suspension. What seemed to be a symbolic gesture of rebellion soon turned physical, as The Man went to town on both women with her crutches, only pausing her attack on Charlotte to unleash her second decimation of Rousey in three months.
With Charlotte Flair looking on intently from ringside, Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey defends her title against Ruby Riott: Courtesy of WWE Network.
The final images of the confrontation were striking, and somewhat familiar. Rousey fumed at ringside with her face peppered with battle scars, a dazed Charlotte struggled to her feet, and Lynch smiled ear-to-ear while being led out by security with her hands behind her back. It was a strong reminder of a certain someone from a few years ago, who, if you may remember, had his own issues with The Chairman. You may also remember that man never took no for an answer. This one might not, either.
HOUSTON — The Raw Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania will remain as scheduled, which is to say it’s not going to involve Ruby Riott. Beyond that, however, things get murky.
The crimson-haired ringleader of The Riott Squad is one of the more underrated Superstars in WWE, but she was little more than a meal for Ronda Rousey, who entered the ring in Sonya Blade cosplay as a nod to her “Mortal Kombat 11” voicing role and quickly submitted Ruby with the Armbar despite the latter’s attempt at a cat-and-mouse strategy. But setting aside the cut-and-dry result of what happened in the ring, the shenanigans started early in this one and continued long after.
In spite of her 60-day suspension, Becky Lynch crashed WWE Elimination Chamber and relentlessly attacked both Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey with her crutches.
Charlotte Flair technically kicked things off with a pre-match victory lap, during which she further rubbed in the salt of being Mr. McMahon’s handpicked replacement for grassroots hero Becky Lynch at The Show of Shows. Lynch herself appeared afterward, crutching her way through the WWE Universe to the ring in defiance of a freshly-exacerbated knee injury and Mr. McMahon’s 60-day suspension. What seemed to be a symbolic gesture of rebellion soon turned physical, as The Man went to town on both women with her crutches, only pausing her attack on Charlotte to unleash her second decimation of Rousey in three months.
With Charlotte Flair looking on intently from ringside, Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey defends her title against Ruby Riott: Courtesy of WWE Network.
The final images of the confrontation were striking, and somewhat familiar. Rousey fumed at ringside with her face peppered with battle scars, a dazed Charlotte struggled to her feet, and Lynch smiled ear-to-ear while being led out by security with her hands behind her back. It was a strong reminder of a certain someone from a few years ago, who, if you may remember, had his own issues with The Chairman. You may also remember that man never took no for an answer. This one might not, either.
