The high-flying opening contest between IYO SKY and Lyra Valkyria set the tone for the show. There's much history between these two women, and you could cut the tension with a knife. Then again, Lyra's win over Damage CTRL in the Queen of the Ring tournament is still a fresh wound for IYO and her Crew, and they were out for revenge.
IYO had a lot of fire coming into this match. She came at Lyra with extreme aggression from the very beginning. She wanted to finish this quickly and make a statement. But Lyra was not one to go down easily. Against all the odds, she rallied to mount one of the biggest comebacks seen in a long time, and why she is one of the most feared opponents in the ring. This match was, to say the least, electrifying. These two women left it all out there. A trio of Damage CTRL members, Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane - at ringside only helped add to the drama. They stayed on the sidelines for most of the match, but you just knew they would get involved at some point.
And they did. Right when Lyra really could've gone over, in comes Dakota and Kairi to send the tide right back to IYO. Even with the interference, Lyra almost won it. She took IYO up into a Fireman's Carry, but then IYO pulled her hair and turned the move around. IYO won with a crucifix pin, and Lyra sat there, looking shocked and angry. That was a tough loss for Lyra, who felt robbed of an honest match.
But Damage CTRL wasn't finished after the match. They started beating Lyra down, rubbing salt in the wounds, but then, out of nowhere, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter made the save for Lyra. It was a great moment, considering Katana and Kayden have connections with Lyra from their NXT days and are common enemies in Damage CTRL; seeing them come to her aid was not only exciting, but it set up some future alliances and feuds as well. This storyline just gets interesting by the minute.
But it wasn't the only big moment of the rest of the show either. Liv Morgan stole a segment by making a bold move. I've almost always been a fan of Liv, and it was good to see her taking some steps toward an elevated career. Ricochet's exit was another alternative.
It feels like something big is on the horizon for him, and I am interested in seeing where his story goes next. Drew McIntyre also got the stipulation he wanted, which promises more intense action in the coming weeks.
Overall, this episode of Raw delivered in many ways. This was a fantastic opener with all of the high stakes and personal grudges, but then layering on the interference aspect was just so dramatic.
It has put into place some stuff that I am excited about seeing. Now, more than anything else, I'm looking forward to seeing the Lyra-Damage CTRL feud play out. Will Lyra get her revenge? How do Katana and Kayden play? What's next for Liv Morgan and Ricochet? So many questions, and I absolutely can't wait to see how they're answered in the coming weeks.
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