Bayley is the new number one contender for AJ Lee’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship after surviving five other women in a gauntlet match on “WWE Raw.” IYO SKY, Lyra Valkyria, Bayley, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez, and Ivy Nile competed in the bout to get a shot at Lee next week on the red brand.
SKY and Valkyria started off the match. SKY hit Valkyria with a back breaker, followed by a meteora in the corner, but Valkyria met her on the ropes when SKY attempted the Over the Moonsault. Valkyria fought hard, but SKY hit her with a big kick to down her and connected with the moonsault to advance in the gauntlet.
Rodriguez was out next, and she caught SKY’s attempt at a suicide dive. The Judgment Day member nailed SKY with a huge shoulder tackle in the ring and sent her flying. SKY got Rodriguez down with a hurricanrana, followed by a missile dropkick and meteora, but when she went for the moonsault, Liv Morgan was there to distract her. Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer ran out to take out Morgan, and while Rodriguez was distracted, SKY pinned her with an inside cradle.
An enraged Rodriguez beat down SKY on the outside and hit her with a Tejana Bomb on the ring apron. That allowed for the next competitor, Nile, to get a quick pin on SKY to eliminate her from the match. The next woman out was Bayley and Nile got the upper hand as Bayley stared down at her former friend, SKY, on the floor.
Bayley Bests Nile, Asuka
Nile had an impressive showing in the gauntlet against Bayley. She was able to counter a Bayley-to-Belly and a Rose Plant throughout the match and hit a delayed vertical suplex that had Bayley in the air for an extended period of time. She hit a second rope suplex then a swinging uranage, but Bayley was able to roll out of the ring and compose herself. Bayley hit an elbow drop off the stairs to Nile on the apron, followed by a Bayley-to-Belly back in the ring to eliminate Nile to go one-on-one with Asuka.
Bayley took the fight to Asuka immediately, but Kairi Sane interfered on the outside. Bayley got Asuka into a knee bar, but “The Empress of Tomorrow” was able to roll to the bottom rope. Bayley almost had the match won with a running knee, but Asuka kicked out and the bout rolled on.
When Sane went to interfere again on the outside, Valkyria ran back out to help her tag team partner. Asuka caught Bayley’s attempt at an elbow drop and got her into the Asuka Lock, but Bayley fought out of the hold to hit a Rose Plant for the victory.
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