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Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up: Saraya Is Cleared, Survivor Series Takes Shape, Mariah May Interview

By Ella Jay

Saraya is medically cleared to compete. WWE Survivor Series: WarGames takes more shape. IMPACT Wrestling gears up for Over Drive. Mariah May speaks with WrestleZone and much more. Let’s break it down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!

Survivor Series: WarGames Takes Shape

Following her recent return to WWE, Mia Yim is already making her mark on the RAW women’s division.

As she aligned herself with The O.C. (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson), Yim partook in her first match back in the company this week. On the November 14 episode of WWE RAW, the “HBIC” displayed a dominant victory over former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Tamina. Following her win, Damage CTRL (Bayley, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai) attempted to reel in Yim to their team for the company’s upcoming WarGames match on November 26. Yim initially declined their offer, but later solidified her decision.

Yim then appeared on the entrance stage after SKY’s victory over Dana Brooke. Accordingly, she confirmed her alliance with the other team of Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka. Now, Mia Yim will participate in her first-ever WarGames matchup — she was attacked by Dakota Kai ahead of her scheduled 2019 NXT Takeover: WarGames appearance, which rendered her unable to compete that night.

On the other side of things, DAMAGE CTRL found themselves an unlikely ally in the form of “The Nightmare” Rhea Ripley. After Yim’s announcement, Ripley informed Bayley, Kai, and SKY that she would be joining their team, making her the official fifth and final member of Bayley’s team. In recent weeks, Ripley has been fending off Mia Yim amidst the rivalry between The Judgment Day and The O.C.

As it stands, Belair’s team now has accumulated four members, and still needs to find one more to join them. Bayley’s team, however, has officially rounded out their team ahead of the Survivor Series: WarGames pay-per-view.

RELATED: Women’s WarGames Match Set For WWE Survivor Series

Shotzi Punches Her Ticket To Survivor Series

On the November 11 edition of SmackDown, a six-pack challenge ensued to determine Ronda Rousey’s next challenger. The winner would then earn a title shot for the SmackDown Women’s Championship

Liv Morgan, Xi Li, Raquel Rodriguez, Shotzi, Sonya Deville, and Lacey Evans entered the match with hopes for a title opportunity. In the end, Shotzi managed to land a DDT on Evans to secure the win.

Now, she will go on to face “The Baddest Woman On The Planet” at Survivor Series: WarGames for the Smackdown Women’s Championship.

RELATED: WWE SmackDown Results (11/11/22)

Saraya Is Cleared, Full Gear Update

Last week on AEW: Dynamite, Saraya made a major announcement regarding her in-ring future. In a passionate promo against Britt Baker, the former Divas Champion revealed that she is officially medically cleared to compete. Now, for the first time in nearly five years, Saraya will return to the ring. On Saturday, November 19th, Saraya will challenge the former AEW Women’s World Champion in a match at Full Gear.

A recap of the segment, courtesy of our play-by-play coverage, can be read below:

Saraya and Britt Baker come to the ring. Saraya announces she’s medically cleared, and she calls AEW her house. Baker describes how she has built that house, while Saraya hasn’t laid a single brick. Baker says Saraya walked away from her house, and AEW doesn’t take walk-ins. Saraya says Baker doesn’t know what it takes to be a star, let alone a superstar. She says she has wrestled all over the world and started revolutions before they were cool. Saraya says she broke her neck for this business, and Baker doesn’t know what it takes to make it. Saraya challenges Baker to a match at AEW Full Gear. Baker goes for a cheap shot, and Paige lays her out. She again says AEW is her house.

This upcoming match will mark Saraya’s first taste of in-ring competition since December 27, 2017, where should took a stiff kick to her surgically repaired neck

During a recent appearance on The Sessions with Renee Paquette, Saraya revealed how and when she ultimately got cleared to return to the ring. Accordingly, “The Glampire” visited a doctor on Halloween this year, and underwent a series of exams, including a CT scan and MRI.

“So Halloween, a perfect day, I went to the doctor here in California, one of the best doctors around,” she said.” He did a bunch of NFL, NBA, all these huge action stars, celebrities, actors and actresses, all that fun stuff. I was like, ‘Well if anyone is going to tell me no, this guy is going to tell me no, right?’ He’s fantastic and his job is on the line if he just lets someone go back to work.”

“So yeah, I got the x-rays done and he was just like, ‘These look great, but we still have to triple-check with the CT scans and MRI.’ So we squeezed them in the same day,” Saraya explained. “I went downstairs for the MRI, I went across the street for the CT scan, I brought them back all within the same hour or so. It was very quick and he sat there and went through them all, he’s like, ‘You’re cleared.’ I just burst into tears, I was [in disbelief].”

RELATED: Saraya On Joining AEW: If I Can Help With A Women’s Division, F-ck Yeah, I’d Love To Be Part Of It

IMPACT Gears Up For Over Drive

IMPACT Wrestling is revving up for Over Drive.

On Friday, November 18th, IMPACT returns to Louisville, Kentucky to present its Over Drive pay-per-view with three Knockouts matches on the card.

Firstly, Jordynne Grace will defend her Knockouts Championship against “The Russian Dynamite” Masha Slamovich. There, the two will compete in a Last Knockout Standing match for the title. The two previously met last month at Bound For Glory in an epic bout that saw Grace retain.  

Following Grace’s successful title defense over Gisele Shaw last week on IMPACT, Masha Slamovich returned to deliver a series of chair shots. After hitting her signature Snow Plow on Grace, Slamovich posed with the Knockouts Championship. Now, the two will meet again this weekend.

Chelsea Green Goes Home

Elsewhere on IMPACT, “The Hot Mess” Chelsea Green squared off with “Hardcore Country” Mickie James. After Green’s tag team partner Deonna Purrazzo was ejected from ringside, James seized much control, and ultimately took home the victory. With her unsuccessful performance, Green later declared to Purrazzo that she was “going home,” as she rolled off with her suitcase into the parking lot.

Amidst her “Last Rodeo,” Mickie James will now turn her attention to a first-time matchup with Taylor Wilde. The two veterans will go on to clash at Over Drive later this week, following Wilde’s recent return to IMPACT. Last month, Wilde served as a surprise entrant in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at Bound For Glory, before seemingly forging an alliance with James. Now, the two respected competitors will battle, as Wilde hopes to put an end to Mickie James’ career.

Lastly, the Knockouts Tag Team Championships will be on the line at Over Drive. The Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie & Jessicka) will defend their titles against the team of Tasha Steelz and Savannah Evans.

RELATED: IMPACT WRESTLING RESULTS – NOVEMBER 10, 2022

INTERVIEWS:

“The Glamour” Mariah May spoke with WrestleZone’s Ella Jay about her recent United States tour, her acting gig on “Deep Heat,” a possible reunion with Zoe Lucas of the Dream Dollz, her recent experience at the Ring Of Pakistan, challenges of establishing one’s brand, and more!

“The Majesty of Pain” KiLynn King spoke with WrestleZone’s Bill Pritchard about her triple threat match against Kamille and Chelsea Green for the NWA Women’s Championship at Hard Times 3, seeing herself as a journeywoman wrestler, emulating Billy Gunn, a potential return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, her status with AEW and more.

Swedish Superstar Aliss Ink appeared on Grapple Theory to discuss her incredible year, rising through the ranks in European wrestling, the rowdy Copenhagen crowds and much more.

AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa joined the Wrestling Perspective Podcast to give an update on her injury, a timetable for her return, how she handles Internet rumors, future plans and more.

Former MPW Champion Jazmin Allure appeared on Putting You Over to discuss appearing on AEW Dark, being in the right place at the right time, Thunder Rosa, and more.

RESULTS:

Pro-Wrestling EVE:  Wrestle Queendom 5 – Show 1 – November 13th

  • EVE International Championship  / PURE-J Openweight Title: Yuu (c) [PURE-J] defeated Laura Di Matteo (c) [EVE] – TITLE CHANGE
  • Rin Kadokura defeated Maria
  • EVE Tag Team Championships: The Uprising (Rhia O’Reilly & Skye Smitson) (c) defeat Hyper Misao & Session Moth Martina
  • Miyu Yamashita defeated Millie McKenzie
  • EVE Championship: Alex Windsor defeated Jetta (c)- TITLE CHANGE 
  • Lights Out: Emersyn Jayne defeated Charlie Morgan 

Wrestle Queendom 5: Show 2 – November 13th

  • Hyper Misao defeated Nightshade 
  • Five Way Scramble: Millie McKenzie defeated Emersyn Jayne and Laura Di Matteo and Safire Reed and Session Moth Martina 
  • Rhio defeated Kasey 
  • EVE International Title: Yuu (c) defeated Rin Kadokura 
  • Maria defeated Rayne Leverkusen 
  • Lizzy Evo defeated Nina Samuels 
  • EVE Championship: Miyu Yamashita defeated Alex Windsor (c)  – TITLE CHANGE 
  • EVE Tag Team Championships: The Uprising (Rhia O’Reilly & Skye Smitson) (c) defeat The Royal Aces (Charlie Morgan & Jetta) 

Capital Championship Wrestling: Payback  – November 12th

  • CCW Global Fighting Championship  #1 Contendership: Gabby Ortiz defeated Clara Carreras
  • Ultra Violette defeated Christina Marie by DQ
  • CCW Tag Team Championships Tornado Rules: The Goons Of Scenic City (Lizzy Blair & Payton Blair) defeat The Renegade Twins (Charlette Renegade & Robyn Renegade) (c) – TITLE CHANGE 
  • CCW Global Fighting Championship: Rebecca Scott (c) defeated Nikii Duke
  • CCW Network Championship: Vita VonStarr (c) defeated B3CCA
Ella Jay
Ella Jay

Ella Jay is a writer, podcaster, interviewer, and host in the wrestling space.
Her love for professional wrestling sparked at the age of 11, finding Friday Night SmackDown while scrolling through channels. Ella watched and attended numerous wrestling events growing up, captivated by the likes of Jeff Hardy, Mickie James, and Shawn Michaels. 

Ella currently resides in Buffalo, NY and has a Bachelor's in Psychology and minored in Creative Writing at Canisius College. She also highly enjoys reality television and crime shows, specifically: Survivor, Big Brother, Law & Order: SVU, and NCIS.
Follow Ella on Twitter: @itsellajay

EMAIL: [email protected]

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