Zoey Stark punches her ticket to WWE Survivor Series. Asuka aligns herself with Damage CTRL. AEW announces a three-way TBS Championship match for Full Gear. Gabby Forza chats with WrestleZone and more. Let’s break it down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!
Zoey Stark vs. Rhea Ripley Set For WWE Survivor Series
With Crown Jewel in the rearview mirror, the road to WWE Survivor Series has begun. During last week’s episode of RAW, WWE held a number one contender’s battle royal. The winner of this contest would earn a shot at Rhea Ripley’s Women’s World Championship at Survivor Series.
Before the match got underway, two women were removed from the field. When Becky Lynch made her way down to the ring, she was blindsided by an attack from Xia Li. As a result, Lynch was not medically cleared to compete, and Li was banned from competing.
As the action unfolded, Nia Jax, Zoey Stark, Ivy Nile, Shayna Baszler, and Raquel Rodriguez emerged as the final five. Jax’s title pursuit was soon cut short, as her four remaining opponents worked together to eliminate her from the match. In response, Jax pulled Nile to the floor, effectively eliminating her as well.
After Stark and Baszler eliminated Rodriguez from the competition, they stood as the final two. In the end, only one could win….and that was Zoey Stark.
The closing moment of the match saw Baszler and Stark fighting on the ring apron, with Baszler trapping Stark inside the Kirifuda Clutch. With Baszler teetering on the verge of elimination though, she released the hold, prompting Stark to then superkick her three times. When Baszler remained resilient, Stark nailed her with a DDT, sending her crashing to the floor.
With this win, Zoey Stark will now advance to Survivor Series, where she will challenge Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s World Championship
RELATED: Shayna Baszler Believes Rhea Ripley Is Getting A Little Too Comfortable As Champion
Asuka Aligns With Damage CTRL
On Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and Asuka united to take on the trio of Bayley, IYO SKY, and Kairi Sane. Unfortunately for Flair and Belair, Asuka had a disturbing surprise for them.
In the midst of the action, Belair reached out for Asuka to tag herself in. Asuka then proceeded to pull her hand back and spit mist in Belair’s face instead. This opened the door for Damage CTRL, and Asuka, to ambush Belair and Flair. This caused the referee to call for the bell, ruling the match a no-contest. While Shotzi rushed down to potentially save Belair and Flair, Damage CTRL’s numbers advantage was too much to overcome.
Ultimately, Asuka’s true allegiance was revealed as she stood alongside Bayley, IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, and Dakota Kai in a post-match celebration.
With WWE headed toward Survivor Series, this recent development presents the possibility for a women’s WarGames match. Asuka is now aligned with Damage CTRL, but it remains to be seen who Flair, Belair, and Shotzi will recruit to even the odds on their side.
RELATED: Kairi Sane Forgives Bayley On 11/10 WWE SmackDown
Kris Statlander Set To Defend TBS Championship At AEW Full Gear
While Hikaru Shida defends the AEW Women’s Championship against Toni Storm at AEW Full Gear, Kris Statlander will also defend her respective title.
Last week, AEW announced that Kris Statlander will defend her TBS Championship in a three-way match at Full Gear. On Saturday’s episode of AEW Collision, Julia Hart defeated Willow Nightingale to secure her spot in the title match. The third participant in the match will be determined this Friday when Skye Blue takes on Red Velvet on Rampage.
The winner of the Rampage contest will then join Hart and Statlander at AEW Full Gear in a battle for the TBS Championship.
Red Velvet recently returned from injury, eating a loss to Hart on the November 8 episode of Dynamite. Velvet bounced back two days later, defeating Ruby Soho on Rampage. This week, she goes one-on-one with Skye Blue in a number one contender’s match.
Interviews
“Your Homie, The Gnomie” Gabby Forza spoke with WrestleZone‘s own Ella Jay about her impressive rookie year, balancing her football career with wrestling, the long road to recovery after being hit by a Mack Truck, developing her identity in wrestling, sharing the ring with Kris Statlander, and more.
IMPACT Knockouts Champion Trinity chatted with Denise Salcedo about how she felt winning the Knockouts Championship, the pressures of leading the women’s division, if this is the best version of herself, her top favorite moments of 2023, and more.
Former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair appeared on Casual Conversations with The Classic to discuss her new reality TV series Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez premiering in February, Kairi Sane’s return, Charlotte Flair, her favorite match, mental health, and more.
New AEW signee Mariah May joined Pro Wrestling Illustrated to talk about her venture into STARDOM, in Japan, a potential reunion with Mina Shirakawa, her future goals, returning to her home base in England, and more
