6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE WrestleMania Backlash

5. Raw Women Avoid Disaster

Despite the botched buildup to the Raw Women’s Championship triple threat, you had to believe that Asuka, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair would put on a good match on Sunday night.

And sure enough, they pulled it off, though not the kind of barn-burner we could have gotten. The three women gelled well enough, brawling all over the ring and beating on each other nonstop. There was little doubt Asuka would rise to the occasion, but Charlotte has been underperforming as of late, so seeing her follow-through was encouraging. Ripley once again was solid, showing that she has the goods to be the standard-bearer for the division.

Ripley pulled off the victory, pinning Asuka after delivering Riptide, which would seem to end the Empress’ quest for the title. That would also seem to leave the door open for Flair to stay in the title picture since she wasn’t beaten, which is what everyone would have expected.

Now, let’s hope the writers can actually tell a story with this. It’s not enough to just deliver a good PPV match after weeks of subpar buildup.