There is no shortage of history between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez, as the two stars have been the best of friends and bitter enemies during their time in NXT and WWE. Tonight they were on opposing sides once again, and from their past matches, you knew they were going to push each other to the limit. At several points, they fought to a standstill, but Ripley got some good shots in on Rodriguez’s previously hurt knee, which slowed the challenger down. Ultimately though it was the interference of Dominik Mysterio that would allow Ripley to get in two damaging shots on Rodriguez and set her up for the Riptide, and she would go on to retain her WWE Women’s World Championship and continue the dominance of Judgement Day.
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Rodriguez and Ripley locked up and had to let go due to a stalemate. Rodriguez lifted Ripley up but Ripley kept her headlock locked in, only to get tossed away by Rodriguez. Rodriguez brushed off her shoulders and Ripley started taunting her. Rodriguez charged into Ripley and almost pushed her over, and the two exchanged taunts until Ripley grabbed her opponent’s hair. Rodriguez lifted Ripley up but Ripley pushed her away. Rodriguez bounced off the ropes and sent Ripley hard to the ground, and Ripley then rolled out for a quick breather.
Rodriguez pulled Ripley’s hair over the top rope but Ripley pulled her down, only to get met with a shoulder tackle that knocked Ripley to the mat. Ripley kicked Rodriguez in the mid-section and went for the Irish whip, but Rodriguez blocked her attempts. Rodriguez knocked the Champ down and then lifted her up and hit a power slam.
Ripley knocked Rodriguez over with a kick to the leg and then hit a dropkick right to Rodriguez’s face. Ripley had some blood coming from her nose and she started targeting Rodriguez’s ribs. Rodriguez was having a hard time catching her breath, and Ripley kept targeting her stomach and ribs to make things worse. Ripley slammed her arm into the challenger’s back and then slapped her in the head before taunting her some more.
Ripley then went for the cover but Rodriguez kicked out. Ripley then locked Rodriguez in a submission while slamming her elbow into Rodriguez’s ribs and stomach. Rodriguez fought back but Ripley cut her off before she could build more momentum, and continued to keep the challenger on her heels. A massive dropkick to the face came from the Champion, and then she clubbed Rodriguez with hard punches to the head.
Rodriguez grabbed Ripley by the throat and then connected with a few clotheslines and then a huge punch to the back of Ripley’s neck. Rodriguez hit the fallaway slam on Ripley and then hit a splash in the corner. Rodriguez went up but Ripley kicked her feet out from under her and knocked her to the mat. Ripley tangled Rodriguez’s boots in the turnbuckle and stomped on her several times.
Ripley headbutted Rodriguez and knocked her to the mat, but then Rodriguez kicked Ripley and left her laying on the top rope. Rodriguez lifted the Champ and hit her with a vertical suplex, Rodriguez hit the spinning corkscrew elbow and went for the pin, but Ripley kicked out. Ripley dodged a move but ate a back elbow. A headbutt from the Champ once again turned the tables, allowing Ripley to hit a running knee into a cover, but Rodriguez kicked out.
Ripley went for the Riptide but Rodriguez countered. Then Rodriguez went for a move but Ripley got away. Rodriguez knocked the Champ down and went for the pin, but Ripley kicked out. Rodriguez got Ripley up on the top rope but Ripley hit another headbutt and knocked the challenger down. Ripley then chop-blocked Rodriguez on her previously hurt knee, setting her up for a submission. Rodriguez was able to keep herself up and rolled up Ripley, but Ripley kicked out. Ripley then missed Rodriguez and hit the post, and Rodriguez slammed her down to the mat. She couldn’t get all the power behind it though, as her knee gave out during the move.
Rodriguez and Ripley were back on their feet, and they exchanged strikes. Ripley ended up falling to the floor, and Ripley then targeted the hurt knee, sending Rodriguez onto the apron. Rodriguez then lifted Ripley and slammed her into the post, and while she still held her Rodriguez slammed Ripley into the barricade. Rodriguez then threw Ripley into the steel post like a missile.
Rodriguez rolled Ripley into the ring and then Dominik Mysterio came out and Ripley was taking to him. Rodriguez was pulling Ripley away from Mysterio, and then Rodriguez caught Mysterio and she hit him with a running slam. Ripley then targeted the bad knee with a kick and then kicked Rodriguez in the head, setting her up for a Riptide and a cover. Ripley got the three count, retaining her WWE Women’s World Championship.
