Bianca Belair ignites the start of WarGames. The IWGP Women’s Championship set to headline “Historic X-Over.” Interim AEW Women’s Championship match set for Full Gear. Billie Starkz chats with WrestleZone, and much more! Let’s break it down in this week’s edition of Women’s Wrestling Wrap-Up.
Bianca Belair Declares War(Games)
It’s officially WarGames season.
This year, WWE Survivor Series will include two five-on-five WarGames matches. Now, the women in WWE have officially ignited the face-off.
On the November 7 episode of WWE RAW, “The EST” Bianca Belair declared war. After defeating Bayley at Crown Jewel this past Saturday, the RAW Women’s Champion arrived to RAW alongside Alexa Bliss and Asuka. The latter two previously lost their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at Crown Jewel, as Dakota Kai and IYO SKY regained the titles back. After a back-and-forth battle with Damage CTRL, the trio then called out to the ring.
A brawl soon ensued, with Bianca Belair proposing a WarGames match to settle their differences. Nikki Cross would then lend assistance to Damage CTRL, allowing the four to overpower Bianca Belair, Bliss, and Asuka. Bayley then accepted the WarGames challenge, as they will now all meet on November 26th at the corresponding pay-per-view.
#WWERaw Women's Champion @BiancaBelairWWE wants DAMAGE CTRL inside WARGAMES!!! pic.twitter.com/AfhAlY7yOq
— WWE (@WWE) November 8, 2022
Three spots still remain open on the path to WarGames. Belair’s team still needs two members, while Bayley’s crew needs to recruit just one more partner. WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available regarding the official competitors.
WWE Survivor Series is set to take place in Boston, Massachusetts this year.
RELATED: WWE Raw Results (11/7/22)
Inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion To Be Crowned In “Historic X-Over” Main Event
New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Stardom are set to hold their co-operated Historic X-Over event next weekend, with a lineup of talent from both promotions. There, the finals of the IWGP Women’s Championship Tournament will be held.
The official tournament began in early October, with a mix of international talent from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. Now, the finals are officially set to take place on November 20th. KAIRI and Mayu Iwatani will meet to earn the title of the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion.
In addition, NJPW later revealed that the inaugural IWGP Women’s Championship Tournament Finals will culminate in the main event of the NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over event. NJPW later held a press conference, featuring Iwatani and KAIRI speaking on the exciting opportunity.
“There’s some amazing matches and amazing wrestlers on this amazing event, and I definitely feel some pressure and anxiety in being at the top of this card,” Iwatani said. “But I have confidence in wrestling the way I always do, and taking the belt with me.”
The “Icon of Stardom” continued on to declare that she’s ready to cash in on this “first.” “I’ve been a Grand Slam champion in STARDOM, but I haven’t been the ‘first’ anything,” she said. “As the first women’s champion, I want Mayu Iwatani’s name to go down in history, and against KAIRI… I won’t let this be the KAIRI show!”
KAIRI responded, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity. “I am the world travelling pirate princess, KAIRI,” she noted. “This is the first time for NJPW and STARDOM to be crossing over like this, and to be in the main event with the IWGP Women’s Championship at stake is something I’m grateful for from the bottom of my heart. I’ve been wrestling for ten years, and in a lot of main events in Japan and America, but this might be the most nervous I’ve ever been.”
“That’s not just because of the spot I’m in, but because Mayu Iwatani is my opponent. That’s one that really hits me. Mayu and I did a lot together for five and a half years with STARDOM, and for the last five and a half years, we’ve walked our own paths. Now, I’ve wrestled a lot of great opponents in my time in America, but I’ve never met anyone that can bump as well as Mayu.”
LEC presents the Historic X-Over main event!#NJPWxSTARDOM pic.twitter.com/WwXxUXoq8W
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 8, 2022
RELATED: Full Card Confirmed For NJPW x STARDOM Historic X-Over
AEW Interim Women’s Championship Match Set For Full Gear
Last week, All Elite Wrestling announced a huge title match for their upcoming Full Gear pay-per-view. On Saturday, November 19th reigning Interim AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm will defend her title against Jamie Hayter.
After battling on and off in tag team matches the last few months, the two will finally meet one-on-one again. In May, Storm defeated Hayter in the first round of the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament. Now, they will collide with the title on the line at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Storm recently successfully defended her championship against Hikaru Shida on October 18th. The week after, Hayter earned a huge victory over former AEW Women’s World Champion Riho.
Ahead of her title opportunity, Jamie Hayter will collide with Skye Blue once again on this week’s edition of Dynamite.
Things have changed between Toni Storm and @jmehytr…
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS right now! pic.twitter.com/Ccieh7pIaN— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 3, 2022
NWA Women’s Championship Match Set For Hard Times 3
The National Wrestling Alliance will hold its third-annual Hard Times pay-per-view this weekend, with a huge title match slated to take place. Accordingly, Kamille will defend her NWA Women’s World Championship in a triple threat match.
“The Mother Effing King” KiLynn King originally defeated Taya Valkryie on the October 11th edition of NWA Powerrr to earn a title shot at Hard Times 3. However, that anticipated rekindled rivalry between King and Kamille soon morphed into a triple-threat match.
“The Hot Mess” Chelsea Green soon officially cashed in her previous title shot she earned. On October 18th, Green defeated Angelina Love in the Champions Series Title Opportunity match. Now, Green eyes her first championship in the NWA, as she takes on KiLynn King and the reigning champion, Kamille.
Elsewhere on the card, Max The Impaler will battle with “The Russian Crush” Natalia Markova.
NWA Hard Times 3 will air on Saturday, November 12th on FITE TV, as the event emanates from New Orleans, Louisiana.
RELATED: Tag Team Title Bout, Voodoo Queen Casket Match, More Set For NWA Hard Times 3
INTERVIEWS
WrestleZone’s own Ella Jay spoke with “Space Jesus” Billie Starkz about making her debut in Japan, how her TJPW match with Yuka Sakazaki came together, her spot on the PWI Women’s 150, working with Nick Wayne and more!
WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard spoke with former Knockouts Champion Chelsea Green about challenging for the NWA Women’s Championship at NWA Hard Times 3, her current run with IMPACT Wrestling, the “epilogue” to her feud with Mickie James, getting another shot at VXT, and more.
AAA Reina De Reinas Champion Taya Valkyrie appeared on Wilde On to discuss her lucha libre days in Mexico, her love for John Morrison, IMPACT Wrestling, and more.
AEW star Anna Jay spoke with Pro Wrestling Illustrated about returning from injury, reuniting TayJay, joining the Jericho Appreciation Society, and why she might want to wait before challenging for the TBS title again.
NWA Women’s Champion Kamille chatted with Love Wrestling about NWA Hard Times 3, her reign so far, working closely with her husband Thom Lattimer, and more.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Pro-Wrestling EVE: Wrestle Queendom 5 – November 13th
*UPDATED CARD* WrestleQueendom 5 – This Coming Sunday November 13 – Watch LIVE in person in London – Tickets at https://t.co/hSAIIPt8ee or LIVE online at https://t.co/X0FdTg7pKj https://t.co/vR8hlSgAmQ pic.twitter.com/nAB0K45e0m
— EVE – Riot Grrrls of Wrestling (@ProWrestlingEVE) November 6, 2022
