WWE crowns new champions at WrestleMania 42. Thekla retains the AEW Women’s Championship. Zaria is the last woman standing, and more!
New Champions Crowned At WrestleMania
A new series of champions have taken over the WWE women’s division coming out of WrestleMania 42.
This year’s big event saw five women’s titles on the line, all of which were captured by new figures. Nia Jax and Lash Legend were the first to raise their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on night one of WrestleMania 42, with Lyra Valkyria and Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss, and Brie Bella and Nikki Bella slated to challenge them. Due an ankle injury sustained by Nikki, a returning Paige ultimately stepped in to team with Brie instead.
Paige’s resurgence turned out to be a triumphant one as she blocked a Twisted Bliss with her knees, then planted Alexa Bliss into the mat with a Rampaige for the win. Together, Paige and Brie are now in their first reign as Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Becky Lynch followed suit when she dethroned AJ Lee as Women’s Intercontinental Champion. In her case, Lynch pulled referee Jessika Carr into AJ Lee’s charging path, leaving an opening for Lee to go head-first into the exposed steel turnbuckle. Off the rebound, Lynch then capitalized with a Manhandle Slam to begin her third reign with the respective title.
Elsewhere on night one, Liv Morgan unseated Stephanie Vaquer as WWE Women’s World Champion thanks to distractions from the Judgment Day and a well-timed Oblivion on “La Primera.” Two nights after her win, Morgan kicked off her reign with a victory over Sol Ruca, who appears on track for an official call-up, on WWE Raw.
Morgan’s old rival Rhea Ripley also walked out of WrestleMania with gold when bested Jade Cargill to become the new WWE Women’s Champion on the event’s second night of action. In Ripley’s case, IYO SKY helped neutralize Michin and B-Fab outside the ring, allowing Ripley to counter a Jaded into a Riptide for the title win inside it.
Following the events of WrestleMania, United States Champion Giulia remains the only non-new women’s titleholder on WWE’s main roster.
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NXT Revenge ends in heartbreak for Sol Ruca
One night after her main roster fight with Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan, Sol Ruca returned to WWE NXT for a Last Woman Standing match against her friend-turned-foe Zaria.
Together, Zaria and Ruca often found themselves in women’s tag team title contention. On an individual level, Ruca glaringly outshined Zaria with her reigns as a singles champion. Because of the latter, Zaria eventually turned on Ruca.
To settle their rivalry for good, Zaria and Ruca met in a Last Woman Standing Match in the main event of NXT Revenge week two. In the final moments, it seemed that the two had reached an emotional reconciliation as they hugged each other while atop a balcony. As quickly as their embrace came, though, it went.
Transforming her expression into something more sinister, Zaria pushed Ruca off the balcony, causing her to plummet through a table down below. With then Ruca unable to get back up before the count of ten, the referee ruled Zaria the winner.
Following her loss to Zaria, reports indicate that Ruca could be headed for a call up to WWE’s main roster. The same can be said about former NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne and former NXT Women’s North American Champion Blake Monroe, both of whom lost in their title rematches elsewhere at NXT Revenge.
Monroe found herself put to rest by Tatum Paxley in a Casket Match. Jayne fell short to Lola Vice, who previously dethroned her at NXT Stand & Deliver.
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Thekla Retains AEW Women’s Title
At AEW Dynasty, Thekla conquered Jamie Hayter to retain the AEW Women’s Championship. On AEW Collision: Spring BreakThru, she did the same to Hayter’s tag team partner, Alex Windsor.
Wanting to avenge Hayter’s loss, Windsor stepped up to challenge Thekla on the April 16th television special. Unfortunately for her, Thekla’s cunning nature proved too much to overcome.
In the action’s final moments, Windsor prepared to deliver a sunset flip powerbomb off the top rope. With Thekla out of the referee’s line of vision, though, she held onto the ropes and blasted Windsor with a pair of brass knuckles. After hiding them under the ring skirt, Thekla then followed with a curb stomp to the dazed Windsor to secure the match-winning and title-retaining pinfall.
TBS Champion Willow Nightingale emerged from AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru victorious as well after successfully defending the title against Kamille. Just days before, Kamille had returned to AEW programming, circling Nightingale as her first target.
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INTERVIEWS
Former WWE star Charlie, also known as Dakota Kai, spoke with MuscleManMalcolm about her outing at House of Glory, what’s next for her in-ring career, being grateful for her run in WWE, her heel turn on Tegan Nox, her Waffle House order, and more.
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch sat down with Chris Van Vliet to discuss her time away from wrestling and her return at WrestleMania 41, her new theme song performed by The Wonder Years, having to keep Seth Rollins’ fake injury a secret, fans believing that she doesn’t put other wrestlers over, her 10th WrestleMania match against AJ Lee, auditioning for Happy Gilmore 2, her new coffee company, and more.
Former Women’s United States Champion Zelina Vega chatted with Denise Salcedo about the WWE Women’s Division, the return of her husband Aleister Black to WWE, coming out to a spooky entrance with him, and more.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Paige appeared on What’s Your Story with Steph McMahon to chat about her return to WWE at WrestleMania, the process of preparing for it, bouncing back after hitting rock bottom and more.
Former WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton joined Adrian Hernandez of Unlikely to talk about Bianca Belair’s pregnancy announcement, Liv Morgan’s performance at WrestleMania, Brock Lesnar’s “retirement,” the future of women’s wrestling, who she wants to face from NXT, her new look she’s using on TV, and more.
