6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (23 Dec - Results & Review)

3. Another Lackluster Triple Threat

Let’s get this out of the way immediately: Iyo Sky is incredible, and regardless of the “consolation prize” vibe of her losing a Women’s World Championship title match and immediately being inserted into the Women’s Intercontinental Championship tournament as an injury replacement, she’s value added.

But her triple threat match against Alba Fyre and Natalya was yet another soulless performance of moves happening in front of an audience in this tournament. Fyre, who barely gets TV time these days and has had just one televised non-tag match in the last 10 months, felt like she was just there, rather than maximizing her opportunity.

The action had a few sloppy moments, and the double Sharpshooter spot looked incredibly artificial. There also was an obvious mid-match edit, with the referee magically teleporting to the opposite side of the ring and Natalya appearing on the mat suddenly, so either there was a cut for time or there was a noticeable botch edited out.

Sky versus Lyra Valkyria should be an excellent semifinal match, but there’s no emotional investment in these triple threats, which could also funnel onto the new Women’s IC title if the semifinal matches don’t connect. If you want a title to mean something, then do something more than throw a bunch of wrestlers out there to do a flurry of moves and then pose with the new title making the “I want the belt” gesture.