– We get a video package on what happened with Asuka, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley last week. We see video from earlier today where Ripley confronted Flair backstage and wished her good luck for tonight’s match with Asuka. They had words with Flair saying Ripley just wants to be like her. Flair then said it will be her face Ripley sees inside the Cell at Hell In a Cell. Nikki Cross then appeared and said she can beat both of them. Flair said she’d beat Cross in 2 minutes if she didn’t already have a match, and Cross isn’t worth her time. Ripley knocked Flair for always talking down to people. Flair told Ripley to beat Cross then. Ripley accepted the challenge from Cross and Flair to end the segment.
Beat The Clock: RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Nikki Cross
We go back to the ring as RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley makes her way out for this non-title match. We see the timer on the big screen and the time to beat is 2 minutes. Ripley poses on the apron as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and we get the “Eva-Lution” return vignette for Eva Marie that premiered last week. Eva is coming soon to RAW. We go back to the ring and Nikki Cross is staring Ripley down. We get a formal ring introduction with Mike Rome explaining the rules. The bell rings and Cross charges but Ripley shoves her down by her face. Ripley points at the clock and taunts Cross.
Cross goes for a takedown but Ripley knees her to the mat, then taunts her some more over the timer. Cross charges and leaps but Ripley catches her. Cross slides out and rocks Ripley with a big forearm. Ripley is upset now. She grabs Cross but Cross hits a Jawbreaker. Cross goes to the top and hits a crossbody but Ripley kicks out at 2.
Ripley has less than 1 minute to win now.Cross attacks in the corner but has her Bulldog blocked. Ripley comes right back with a big dropkick. Ripley manhandles Cross in the corner now, then hits her with shoulder thrusts. Ripley beats Cross down in the corner again with less than 10 seconds to go. Ripley argues with the referee and goes back to stomping away on Cross. The timer expires and Cross wins.
Winner: Nikki Cross
– After the match, Cross heads to the floor and starts celebrating as her music hits. Ripley looks on and seethes from the ring. Cross runs around the ring celebrating but the music interrupts and out comes Charlotte Flair. Flair poses on the ramp as pyro goes off and Ripley rolls her eyes in the ring. Fans boo and Cross taunts her. Flair points and laughs over what just happened. We go to commercial with Flair pointing at Ripley and laughing at her.
– Back from the beak and we get a promo for the upcoming return to touring. Damian Priest is backstage with brief comments to promote the 25-city tour.
– The announcers show us what happened with the end of Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre. Graves says as of now Bobby Lashley is without an opponent for Hell In a Cell. Drew walks in on Adam Pearce now. Kofi is right behind him and they’re both furious. Pearce says he’s upset over what happened also. A rematch will take place next week and nothing is changed, the winner will face Lashley at the pay-per-view. Kofi says he’s fine with that, as long as Pearce finds a way to keep MVP and Lashley away from the match. Kofi and Drew have a few more words and stare each other down to end the segment.
Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
We go back to the ring and Charlotte Flair is wrapping her entrance. Asuka is out next to a pop. She hits the ring and poses in the corner to pyro.
The bell rings and they size each other up. They lock up and Flair takes Asuka down first but they keep locked up. Flair takes it to the corner and backs off as the referee warns her. Asuka ducks a shot and we have a stalemate. They go at it again and tangle. Flair takes Asuka down and they trade counters on the mat. Flair dodges an early Asuka Lock attempt. They get back up and break again for another stalemate. More back and forth now. Flair tosses Asuka across the ring and ends up applying a head scissors on the mat. The referee checks on Asuka but she’s not giving up.
Asuka goes to power up but Flair takes her back down with the scissors. They get up and Asuka kicks Flair in the gut. Asuka slams Flair face-first into the top turnbuckle twice. Asuka drops Flair to her knees with a Hip Attack. She charges again but Flair leaps and nails a chop block in mid-air. Flair works on Asuka while she’s down now. Flair focuses on the hurt knee and uses the ropes as the referee warns her and fans boo. Asuka clutches her knee as Flair shows off at ringside. Flair comes back in and goes to work on the hurt left knee.
Flair slams the knee into the mat and applies an ankle lock. Asuka sends Flair into the ropes and she hits hard. Flair goes to the floor for a breather. Asuka comes at her off the apron but lands hard on the floor. Flair then slams Asuka’s knee into the steel ring steps. Asuka screams out as the referee counts to 6. Flair stands tall over Asuka at ringside as fans boo and we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Flair is working Asuka around the ring. Flair drives a knee into the back of Asuka’s knee in the corner now. Flair continues focusing on the hurt knee for another pin attempt. Flair grounds Asuka with another scissors on the leg, working her over. Flair with a Boston Crab now. Asuka crawls for the rope and then rolls Flair for 2. Fair goes right back to work on the knee. Asuka takes Flair down with an armbar. Flair stops her from fully locking it in, then gets to the bottom rope to break it up. Asuka with kicks while Flair is on her knees now. Flair ends up catching a Hip Attack and driving Asuka over her knee.
Flair kicks Asuka away from the corner and goes to the top but has to land on her feet from a moonsault attempt. Asuka immediately follows up with a big German suplex but she goes down, clutching her hurt knee. Fans cheer her on. Asuka charges with a Hip Attack in the corner. Asuka fights Flair off with a big knee to the face, a back-fist and a kick to drop her. Asuka with another low Hip Attack for 2. More back and forth now.
Flair ends up down on the floor in front of the announce table. Asuka follows her but Flair yanks her face-first into the announce table. We go to commercial with both competitors down on the outside.
Back from the break and they’re going at it in the ring. Asuka catches a big boot and drops Flair with a knee to the face. Flair kicks out at 2. Asuka with the armbar now. Flair resists it but Asuka goes into the Asuka Lock. Flair fights that off as well and they go to the corner. Flair fights Asuka off but Asuka grabs her for the Asuka Lock once again. They both tangle to the floor as the referee counts. They trade big strikes in the ring again. Flair with a close 2 count after an elbow drops Asuka. Flair shows some frustration.
Flair goes back to work on the hurt angle but Asuka counters and rolls her up. Flair eats a big boot and stumbles into the corner. Asuka charges but misses. Flair with the backbreaker from the middle rope to stop Asuka’s comeback attempt. Flair goes to the top for the moonsault but has to land on her feet. She immediately hits the standing moonsault and holds it for the pin but Asuka kicks out. Flair screams out in frustration. Asuka counters a move and they tangle. Asuka gets the Asuka Lock applied but Flair rolls through and holds her down for the pin to win.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
– After the match, Flair stands tall at ringside as her music hits. Asuka recovers in the ring as we go to replays. Flair poses at ringside to end the segment.
