Sincerely: WWE
A promo by Belle and Sasha Banks served the Raw, SmackDown and Women’s Tag Team Champions as the special guest ring announcer for the Tri-branded Battle Royal to determine the No. 1 contender for the title of the former .
The contestants included Billie Kay and Peyton Royce of The IIconics, Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox of NXT, Lesy Evans, Naomi, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke and Tamina Snuka.
The elimination came swiftly and furiously, leading to a ringside dispute between Riot, Morgan and The IIconics. Moments later, Tamina finished the cross in a surprise. Snuka came face to face with Bellaire in a performance of the powerhouses. EST got the best of that exchange, to deliver a spear and finish it.
Naomi and Evans resumed their rivalry, the latter getting the best of her with feminine authority. Blackheart bites him. Buszler applied the Karifuji clutch to Shotzi and Evans pulled him to the floor. Beller’s own speed cost him as Knox sent him to the floor. The NXT star fired both Asuka and Bezler, a stunning victory.
Brooke, having never been out before in the match, dragged Knox up and to the floor before Bussler and Asuka joined. The Empress of Tomorrow sent her packing, as her run was short-lived. The Spades of Queen put a naughty kick on Asuka, but the former Raw champion eradicated Belle and Banks’s standing on a fallen body.
Asuka eventually eliminated Basler for the match win and the title shot.
result
Asuka wins Battle Royal, finalizing Battler
Grade
C-
Analysis
It was not a particularly good match, but neither are most of the fighting royals.
The booking was interesting, to say the least. Did we really have to watch Asuka get another title match despite having one against Sasha Banks? Why even include Buszler and thus threaten to hurt his credibility in a match when they could use Snuka in one place?
Ditto Belair, who is not enough with the main roster audience, just to sacrifice his speed in a pointless battle royal.
This did nothing to help anyone already included in the women’s title picture and, given the sheer number of talented contestants involved, this is the largest indictment on this entire ordinance.
But hey, Belle and Banks were terrible as inadequate ring announcers, so that’s it.
.