WWE Crowns New Champion at Evolution 2 (And Screws Rhea Ripley Out of the Title)

After a number of thrilling moments throughout WWE’s Evolution 2, it was time for the main event, which put the WWE World Women’s Championship on the line. Battling over that Championship were two of WWE’s best in Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley, and coming into the match, Ripley was looking to finally get a win over Sky, something she hasn’t been able to do over the course of her career. They gave their all throughout a match that took place all over the arena at times, but by the end of the night, neither one would be the WWE World Women’s Champion, as a surprise Money in the Bank cash-in screwed both Superstars out of the Title.

Early in the match, it was clear how well Ripley and Sky know each other, and there were some mind games between them in the first few minutes. They would have a show of respect for each other and then never look back, and things truly kicked into another gear at that point.

Sky dominated for a while after that, as every time Ripley looked to get on a roll, Sky would find a way to halt her momentum. Things shifted though when Sky went for a missile dropkick from the top rope, but instead of hitting Ripley, she ended up knocking out the referee. Ripley would then hit Sky with a Riptide and pin her for what was close to a full 10 count, but because the referee was out cold, Ripley was robbed of the win.

At this point, the match got even more chaotic, as the action spilled outside the ring and into the crowd. Ripley threw Sky over the barricade, and the fight spilled into other parts of the arena, including one moment where Sky leaped off a high stack of equipment and slammed Ripley onto the floor. The match eventually made its way back into the ring, and it looked as if someone would finally pull ahead for the victory, but that’s when Naomi’s music hit.

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A New Champion

Naomi came running down with her Money in the Bank briefcase, and though she was clearly still hurting a bit from her earlier match against Jade Cargill, she wasn’t letting this opportunity slip by. As soon as the cash-in was official, Naomi hit Sky in the head with the briefcase and then ran into the ring and threw Ripley shoulder-first into the ring post. Naomi then hit the finisher on Sky and pinned her, and that was it for the Champion.

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Naomi is now your new WWE Women’s World Champion, and after Ripley and Sky recovered, they were completely stunned by what just happened. The crowd was stunned too, but there was a lot of praise for Naomi as well, as this is a well-deserved win for a superstar who has been absolutely killing it all year long. Now Naomi is a Champion once more, and it will be interesting to see what the next step in her Title reign will be.

As for Ripley, she clearly had the match won at one point, and has a case to argue in getting a rematch, especially since it was close to a 10 count. Despite that, it’s still officially a loss, and an additional loss to Sky in their long-running feud. Perhaps next time will finally be the match where Ripley will get the official win, but as of now, she will have to take on Naomi to get another shot at that Championship.

What did you think of the match and Naomi’s cash-in? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!