Rhea Ripley defended her RAW Women’s Heavyweight Title against Raquel Rodriguez at WWE Payback 2023. Here’s what happened in the match:
At the start of the match, Rhea and Raquel were trying to figure each other out and display their strength. Rhea gained the advantage by hitting Raquel with a dropkick to the face. She continued to control the match for a while.
Raquel began a comeback but it didn’t last long. She found herself in a tough spot known as the “tree of woe,” but managed to break free and executed a delayed vertical suplex on Rhea. Raquel couldn’t quite pull off a powerbomb but did land a clothesline on Rhea.
Rhea regained control by targeting Raquel’s leg. Raquel fought back with a powerful slam, but her injured leg prevented her from making a successful pin.
The action spilled outside the ring, with Raquel slamming Rhea into the barricade and then sending her shoulder-first into the ring post.
Things took an unexpected turn when Dominik entered the ring. Raquel gave Dominik a powerslam, but this distraction allowed Rhea to once again focus on Raquel’s injured leg. Rhea capitalized on this by executing the “riptide” move and secured the victory with a pinfall.
So, in the end, Rhea Ripley successfully defended her RAW Women’s Heavyweight Title at WWE Payback 2023.
