7 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (24 June - Results & Review)

2. Women’s MITB Qualifier Slaps

The decision to make all the Money in the Bank qualifiers triple threats was an odd one, but if all of the matches resembled Monday’s women’s qualifier, they’d answer any questions.

Lyra Valkyria, Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler had a fast-paced, all-action match that saw quick counters, repeated saves and rapid switches between wrestlers pairing off. Baszler’s ground game and power were offset by Sane’s speed and strikes, while Valkyria mixed in both her aerial attacks and mat work to stay in the match. Shayna looked dangerous, and Kairi for perhaps the first time in a while looked like more than cannon fodder.

But the star of the match – and eventual winner – was Lyra, who continues her rapid ascent as one of the top new stars on Raw. Despite coming up short in the Queen of the Ring tournament and losing to Iyo Sky a couple of weeks ago, Valkyria has been well-positioned just a small level below the top stars, on the cusp of breaking out. The hope has to be that when they finally pull the trigger on Lyra, fans are ready to receive her as the top star because they’ve bought in and have been there with her throughout her journey.

The match finish itself was great fun, with everyone hitting their finishers in intricate fashion leading to Valkyria nailing Nightwing on Kairi for the win. While this wasn’t a classic, it was a class TV match, and that’s a victory in and of itself.