RAW: Let Them Fight!

This week’s Monday Night RAW saw Rowdy Hart—the dynamic duo of Ronda Rousey and Natalya—in tag team action against the perpetual thorns in their side, The Riott Squad. But it also saw a brawl between Ronda and “The Man” Becky Lynch and a major ultimatum for the entire McMahon clan.

Ronda Rousey & Natalya vs. The Riott Squad (Sarah Logan & Ruby Riott) went to a No Contest

Natalya started things off with Sarah Logan, who used her power to get the early advantage in the match. The Riott Squad tried to cut the ring in half, keeping Natalya in their corner, but after Ruby Riott tagged in, Natalya was soon able to tag Ronda in as well. So then The Riott Squad decided to use their divide and conquer strategy on the RAW Women’s Champion instead. The Riott Squad have plenty of reasons to want to take out “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” (and vice versa), and they certainly didn’t hold back in this match. But the champ was eventually able to tag Natalya in, which only became a problem once Liv Morgan decided to get involved—because of the damn numbers game—but she was taken down by Rowdy Hart with a Hart Attack.

However, going after Liv only allowed the competing Riott Squad members to take out Natalya on the outside. After that, their cutting the ring in half strategy finally worked, preventing Natalya from tagging Ronda in.

But once Natalya was able to tag out? Oh, The Riott Squad felt the fury of Ronda Rousey’s strikes—even a recovered Liv Morgan. While they tried it with the numbers game again, Natalya was able to take out Ruby Riott while Ronda hit a Piper’s Pit on Sarah Logan and prepared for the finishing armbar.

But the armbar never came, because “The Man” came around. And once she fought through security and took out Natalya, it was on between Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch. WWE officials and, eventually, Atlanta PD, did everything they could to stop these women—and while the officials held Ronda down, the Atlanta PD arrested Becky. (The McMahons promised last week this would happen if she broke her suspension again.) “You should be arresting them,” Becky screamed to the cops, about the McMahons. “They robbed me!”

And you know what? Even the champ would agree with that. But “The Man” hasn’t exactly been doing anything to keep “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” on her side on this one.

But maybe she doesn’t need to, because after the commercial and after Ronda helped the officials take Natalya to the back, Ronda went back to the ring and called out Vince McMahon. “It’s time to end this,” she said. “Vince, get out here.” Instead, she got Stephanie McMahon. So that would have to do as Ronda immediately told Stephanie to reinstate Becky and put her back into the WrestleMania main event match, Stephanie tried to play brand new by pointing out that Becky’s been arrested, but Ronda knew the McMahons could just drop the charges and put Becky back in the WrestleMania main event with the snap of a finger.

Stephanie, for some reason, said things weren’t that easy. (Sure, Jan.) In fact, according to Stephanie, Becky has ended up being “a victim of her own actions.” She then had the nerve to really channel her father in saying the following:

“Becky Lynch did this to Becky Lynch.”

And that’s why “Becky Lynch is on the road to jail” instead of the Road to WrestleMania. Ronda tried to speak to Stephanie has a human being—as a woman—bringing up her “legacy” and her three daughters, specifically in how much it would mean for Stephanie to allow the first-ever women’s WrestleMania main event go the way it was supposed to go. Ronda didn’t even challenge the idea of the match being a triple threat instead of the original one-on-one match she and Becky were supposed to have. But even then, Stephanie still said it would be a “hard no” on reinstating Becky and putting her in the WrestleMania match… a hard no which then led to Ronda’s “demand” that Stephanie change the match. No more pleading.

That was when Stephanie McMahon’s true colors showed, as she openly agreed with her father’s statement about Becky and Ronda apparently thinking they’re above the WWE. According to Stephanie, no one is, and Ronda had better fall in line. Instead, Ronda pointed out what’s happening right now pretty on the Road to WrestleMania is pretty much degrading the RAW Women’s Championship she’s worked so hard to defend and make truly mean something. And since Vince says he’s actually “The Man” and the one that makes all the decisions around here, “It’s time for him to make the right decision.” Otherwise? Well, Ronda left the RAW Women’s Championship at Stephanie’s feet and left the ring after that, so… Things aren’t looking too good for that WrestleMania main event right now.

Perhaps The Authority could use this shirt from the Rowdy shop for inspiration…