Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up: WWE Women’s Tag Title Tourney Begins, New NWA Burke Invitational Entrants

WWE unveils the Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament bracket. NWA reveals more entrants in the Burke Invitational. Capital Championship Wrestling celebrates one year, and more! Let’s break it down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up!

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament Announced, Bracket Unveiled

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships have finally resurfaced.

With the near three-month absence of Sasha Banks and Naomi, the main roster women’s tag team division went virtually non-existent. In late May, WWE announced that a tournament would take place to crown new Women’s Tag Team Champions in their place. Now, that tournament will finally begin.

Last Friday on Smackdown, WWE revealed that a tournament would start on the following RAW to name new title holders. Accordingly, the tournament brackets were unveiled on Monday, with eight official teams participating.

The 2022 WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament bracket revealed competitors from RAW, Smackdown, and NXT. Perhaps the biggest surprise, Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark of NXT will compete in the tournament in what also serves as their main roster debuts.

The official match quarterfinals matches are as follows:

• Dana Brooke & Tamina vs. Dakota Kai & IYO SKY
• Alexa Bliss & Asuka vs. Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop
• Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah vs. Xia Li & Shotzi
• Nikkita Lyons & Zoey Stark vs. Natalya & Sonya Deville

Last night on RAW, the first official quarterfinals matchup concluded. Dana Brooke and Tamina battled IYO SKY and Dakota Kai–who arrived with Bayley by their side. In the end though, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai continued their path of destruction in the women’s division with the victory. SKY and Kai now advance to the semi-finals.

A recap of the first quarterfinals match can be read below, courtesy our live coverage page.

WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT: IYO SKY AND DAKOTA KAI W/BAYLEY VS. DANA BROOKE AND TAMINA

Brooke lands a hip toss followed by a boot. Brooke kicks out. Tamina tags in and levels Kai with a big elbow strike. Tamina knocks Sky off the apron. Suplex by Tamina. Kai and Sky confer outside the ring. Brooke surprises them with a dive.

After the break, Sky and Kai are taking turns working over Brooke. Brooke manages to tag in Tamina. Tamina clears the ring. Sky and Tamina trade strikes.

Brooke tries a cartwheel attack outside the ring. Bayley pulls Kai out of the way so Brooke lands on the barricade. Tamina tries a splash but Sky gets her knees up. Tamina blocks it, but Kai comes sailing in with a scorpion kick. Kai lands a running boot in the corner. Sky hits the Over the Moonsault for the win.

Winners- Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai

Dakota Kai and IYO SKY’s opponents in the semi-finals will be determined next week on RAW. There, Alexa Bliss and Asuka clash with Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop in another first-round matchup. The winners will then advance to the semi-finals to round out the left side of the bracket.

READ MORE: WWE Raw Results (8/8/22)

On the right side of the bracket, stars from Smackdown and NXT will collide. Presumably set to begin this Friday on Smackdown, the right bracket features a mixture of former champions a newer faces.

Former NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez will partner with Aliyah to take on former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion Shotzi on Xia Li. Moreover, former Smackdown Women’s Champion Natalya will team up with Sonya Deville to battle the biggest surprise of the tournament.

In what will serves as their main roster debuts, Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark enter the tournament as the only NXT representation. Correspondingly, they will battle veterans Natalya and Sonya Deville in the opening round.

No official time has been given for these matches to take place.  With Friday Night Smackdown looming around the corner though, WrestleZone will keep you updated as more details become available.

RELATED: Women’s Tag Title Tournament Match And Riddle Interview Set For 8/15 WWE RAW

NWA Unveils More Competitors In The Burke Invitational, NWA 74 Matches Made Official

Eight of the ten entrant have officially been confirmed for the NWA 74 Burke Invitational.

On August 27th in St. Louis, Missouri, competitors will battle for an NWA Women’s World Championship title shot on night two of NWA 74. In addition, reigning champion Kamille will defend her title against Taya Valkyrie on night one. The winner of that title match will defend “The Burke” against the winner of the Burke Invitational the following night.

Throughout the last week, the National Wrestling Alliance unveiled participants in this year’s Burke Invitational. Last year, the NWA introduced their inaugural Women’s Invitational at Empowerrr. There, “The Hot Mess” Chelsea Green outlasted all her competitors to emerge victorious, then going on to challenge reigning champion Kamille.

This year, the Women’s Invitational Women’s Invitational will fly under the name of The Burke Invitational, after NWA legend Mildred Burke. As revealed by the National Wrestling Alliance last week, “The Perfect Knockout” Samantha Starr became the first competitor added to the Invitational. Since then, the company unveiled seven more of the competitors.

As the only returning competitor announced thus far, St. Louis’ own Tootie Lynn looks to claim the victory this year. Last year, she made it all the final to the final two, before being eliminated by Chelsea Green.

“The Mother Effing King” KiLynn King also returns to St. Louis this year for the Burke Invitational. Last year at Empowerrr, King vied for the NWA Women’s Tag Team Championships with Red Velvet. The Hex went on to defeat them in the finals of the tag team tournament, however.

Additionally, the following talent also join the fray in the Burke Invitational: Missa Kate, Max the Impaler, Madi Wrenkowski, and Angelina Love.

As of this writing, two spots remain open in the Burke Invitational. WrestleZone will keep you updated as more details become available.

One more women’s championship match will take place in St. Louis too. On night two of NWA 74, the Pretty Empowered will defend their NWA Women’s World Tag Team Championships against The Hex.

Here is a breakdown of the women’s wrestling card for NWA 74, as of August 9th.

NWA 74 – St. Louis, Missouri

Night One: August 27th

• Kamille (c) vs. Taya Valkyrie – NWA World Women’s Championship
• Samantha Starr vs. Missa Kate vs. KiLynn King vs. Tootie Lynn vs Max the Impaler vs. Madi Wrenkowski vs. Angelina Love vs. TBD vs TBS – The Burke Invitational

Night Two: August 28th

• Kamille or Taya Valkyrie vs. Winner of Burke Invitational – NWA World Women’s Championship
• Pretty Empowered (c) vs. The Hex – Street Fight for NWA World Women’s Tag Team Championships

INTERVIEWS

IMPACT Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace appeared on Windy City Slam to discuss her “Triple Crown” achievement, her upcoming match with Mia Yim at Emergence, the IMPACT Knockouts division, and more.

Former WWE Divas Champion Saraya (Paige) chatted with The Bellas Podcast about  the birth of #GiveDivasAChance, leaving Paige behind, her connection to her ring name, how she got her real name, and more.

Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker spoke with Absolute Geek Podcast about winning the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament, her AEW action figure, her career in AEW, and more.

Former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Zelina Vega appeared on Entertainment Earth to discuss her first Comic Con, her love of Cosplay, anime, and more.

RESULTS

Capital Championship Wrestling: Blood In The Sand (1-Year Anniversary Show)

• CCW Tag Team Championships: The Renegade Twins (Charlette Renegade & Robyn Renegade) (c) defeat The Good Sisters (Lizzy Blair & Payton Blair)
• Gabby Ortiz defeated JC Storm
• Rebecca Scott defeated Katie Arquette
• CCW Network Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls: Vita VonStarr (c) defeated Kayla Sparks
• Willow Nightingale defeated Savannah Evans