The Man gets her payback on Trish Stratus. Lynch used a massive top rope Manhandle Slam to win the opening match at WWE Payback against Trish Stratus. Despite Zoey Stark's interference, Lynch was able to enter the steel cage before she did. Following their loss of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship on April 10's "WWE Raw," Stratus immediately turned against Lynch, starting their ongoing feud. Due to the appearance of a new ally in the form of "WWE NXT" call-up Zoey Stark, Stratus pinned Lynch at Night of Champions in May. Lynch's subsequent two attempts to defeat Stratus resulted in a disqualification and a double count-out, consequently, before she finally won on Saturday night. Following the match, Trish shoved Zoey while screaming at her to leave the ring. After closing the cage and confronting her, Zoey executed a Z360 and threw her "Thank You Trish" shirt to the ground. Rhea Ripley Def. Raquel Rodriguez (WWE Women's World Championship) Rodriguez's knee had previously been injured (by Ripley backstage weeks earlier), and Ripley controlled the first part of the match by putting her in submission holds. Ripley was knocked off of her by Rodriguez as she attempted to turn the situation around. She was able to block a Riptide from the champion, and after setting Ripley up for a powerbomb, Ripley changed her balance to block the move. Rodriguez managed to free herself from Ripley's submission hold as she again went for her knee, but the champion continued to attack with the usual brutality. Ripley was struck by Rodriguez into the barrier and ring post. Dominik Mysterio came out to the ring to assist Ripley after being knocked through a table by Owens when he interfered in the Tag Team Championship match. Mysterio was hit by a running slam from Rodriguez, but the distraction allowed Ripley to successfully deliver a Riptide to retain the Women's World Championship by hitting her in the injured knee once more. Check out our WWE Payback After show below.

On the Zero Hour pre-show of the AEW All Out event, there will be a women's match. It will be a trios match, with ROH Women's World Champion Athena partnering with Mercedes Martinez and Diamante. They will face Skye Blue, Willow Nightingale, and Hikaru Shida's team. This is the event's second match, as TBS Champion Kris Statlander will defend against Ruby Soho on the main card. On Saturday night, there was a different trios match before All Out at Collision. The Outcasts, including the new AEW Women's World Champion Saraya, were pitted against Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, and Kris Statlander. The Outcasts would win, giving Soho a leg up on Statlander this Sunday.

It’s been a chaotic few weeks in the world of wrestling. There have been highs, lows, notable wins, and unbearable losses. Yet one topic of conversation continues to emerge in a time where one would believe several steps have been taken forward. It may be the contrary that actually exists where steps are being taken backwards. Seth Rollins recently spoke on the “After the Bell'' podcast with Corey Graves and feels that the WWE Women’s division is underserved. “I felt like Monday [Becky vs. Zoey] was a huge reminder of what they're capable of. They haven't, and I'm going to be frank with you, they haven't been showcased as well as they could have been over the past, you know, six months or so. They haven't been. Aside from a few exceptions, I don't need to pick and choose, and name names. Sometimes that's just how the cookie crumbles and that's part of the industry. It's part of the business. I've been in situations where I absolutely feel like I've not been showcased, or male talent, the same way. It has nothing to do, in my opinion, with gender at all. It's just a commentary on where we’re at right now. There are opportunities and I think Monday was a reminder of how incredible our female talent roster is and can be when given the opportunity to main event, to succeed, and to be the best. I think it's all there. I just can't wait to see who steps up and fills that space and grabs that ring." Rollins has a major point as there are not enough compelling storylines, and many characters have gone missing. In a week where the WWE’s rival was heavily criticized for not prominently featuring women on their biggest show, the WWE can ill afford to lose ground in a strength of the company. No more can battle royals be relied upon to showcase the forgotten talent in the division. The women have broken down barriers and we now have Women’s Royal Rumbles, Women’s Money in The Bank ladder matches, and at one time had an all-women’s PLE in Evolution. We are past a time of being progressive and it is now time to be detailed. The talent is there and the pipeline in NXT is growing. The conversation around the Women’s Tag Titles has been ad nauseam. It’s long overdue for the belts to appear on NXT. Fans have been seeing Dana Brooke on Tuesday nights, and it’s time to continue that trend with more unused talent in that same capacity. Names such as Emma, Tegan Nox, Nikki Cross, and Xia Li deserve to be utilized in meaningful capacities. While Becky Lynch taking a trip down to Florida would be compelling and give Tiffany Stratton a great feud, it only hits the mark if other women are elevated in those spaces, she voids on Monday nights. Don’t get me wrong as it’s been a beautiful year for Women’s wrestling. Rhea Ripley can be argued for most popular in the company, and the Iyo Sky era is upon us. However, seeking out more for all the characters shouldn’t be a chore, everyone is talented. Let’s just hope that talent isn’t wasted on the sidelines. Do you agree with Seth Rollins? How would you fix the women’s booking currently? Should the WWE bring back the Mae Young Classic, or start an all-women’s show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

To start the month of September in WWE, this episode of Smackdown saw Shotzi seek vengeance against Damage CTRL's Bayley for cutting off her hair a few weeks prior. The WWE Universe also saw Shotzi sport a new spiked hairstyle that fit perfectly with her overall persona. As the bell rang, Bayley seemed spooked by Shotzi's new look, an observable trend with her character throughout their rivalry these past few weeks. The fans were then treated to an exciting show with Shotzi going "balls to the wall" and displaying her risk-taking high-flying offense throughout the bout. As Bayley called for IYO to hand over the championship for a possible sneak attack, Charlotte Flair ran to ringside to prevent the underhanded tactic. She immediately went for IYO as "The Queen" was possibly still irate over the SummerSlam cash-in. As Dakota distracted the referee for Bayley to take advantage, Flair would capitalize by delivering a forearm to "The Role Model" before Shotzi finished her off with a Modified DDT to secure the victory. Charlotte would then join Shotzi in the ring to celebrate her victory. WWE then announced that the two will be teaming up against Bayley and IYO SKY on the following episode of Smackdown. Writer's Thoughts: Bayley and Shotzi delivered an entertaining match, albeit short. We were given consistency with their ongoing rivalry while Shotzi further capitalized on this opportunity to grow as a top babyface star on Smackdown. It'll be interesting, however, to see how Charlotte inserts herself into this storyline. While the blatant expectation is for her to challenge IYO SKY for the WWE Women's Championship, I would love for her to help elevate Shotzi to her caliber now that the top babyface role on Smackdown is vacant with Bianca Belair reportedly on hiatus for weeks. For further coverage on this episode of Smackdown, be sure to check out Women's Wrestling Talk's official Smackdown Post-Show below!

Coming off the heels of Emergence, Trinity is still Knockouts World Champion. In a shocking ending, Trinity makes Deonna Purrazzo tap out, again. As Trinity continues to reign supreme, this defending champion is ready for the next Knockout. Now the question left on everyone's mind is, who is next to challenge Trinity? Keep reading, this is going to be good. Speaking of holding on to their championships, MK Ultra is successful and retain. They defeat the Death Dollz, the team of KiLynn King and Jody Threat along with Savannah Evans and Gisele Shaw. Tonight, Emergence fallout begins as we gear up for #IMPACT1000 Speaking of #IMPACT1000, I got a chance to speak with The Beautiful People, Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. During the call, Tom Hannifan announces that Angelina Love will be returning to action. Love will lead her team of Gisele Shaw, Savannah Evans, and Deonna Purrazzo. They will take on the team of Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, Jordynne Grace, and Knockouts World Champion Trinity. In addition, each team will have a surprise team member. I asked Love and Sky about their gear for the show and their inspirations. As soon as we took the booking that was the first thing we got on the phone about. We're definitly going with what everybody remembers us as and what everybody remembers us doing Velvet Sky ensures that their look and gear will be edgy and can not wait for fans to see! Be sure to check out the entire media call available now. After her loss at Emergence, Deonna Purrazzo speaks with Gia Miller. The Virtuosa reminds everyone she is a three-time champ and the returning Jordynne Grace still can not beat her. With that being said, Purrazzo challenges Grace to a match at Victory Road. Alisha Edwards will challenge Trinity at Victory Road Kicking us off tonight, 10 Knockouts fight it out to see who becomes the new number-one contender. As Trinity watches along, Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans take out the current Knockouts World Tag Team Champions MK Ultra. Following that, Shaw and Courtney Rush end up taking out one another. In the end, Jody Threat and KiLynn King are in the finals. So we thought. Come to find out, Alisha Edwards was never eliminated. Taking her shot, Threat and King are both eliminated and Edwards makes her way to Victory Road. How will her husband Eddie Edwards play a role in getting his wife to the top of the mountain? Let us know over on our Twitter @WWTalkPod Be sure to check out the number one #IMPACTonAXSTV post-show with #TheSaltShakkas later tonight!

Pro wrestling is a love story and there was no greater example of this than AEW All In weekend. From the second I boarded my flight to the U.K. to landing at Heathrow Airport to walking the streets of London, I was greeted by the sight of wrestling fans proudly wearing their best merch and buzzing with excitement. The tube (train) stations were plastered with All In posters and the chatter on the ride to Wembley Park was at an all-time high. Fans flocked to neighboring independent wrestling shows throughout the weekend, the most notable being Revolution Pro’s 11th Anniversary Show at the Copper Box Arena. The show started off hot with a women’s preshow battle royal that featured a surprise appearance from AEW’s Skye Blue and ended strong with Chris Jericho ambushing Will Ospreay in a call back to the original All In in 2018 and Aussie Open running out to make the save. The show had several other highlights, including the in-ring return of Mickie James that literally sparked chants of “Hardcore Country” for the entirety of her triple threat match versus RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Champion, Alex Windsor and Hyan. Coming off of a magical night at the Copper Box, all roads led to Wembley Stadium and it did not disappoint. As a person who’s loved professional wrestling for most of my life, I can honestly say that was the most unique environment I’d ever been fortunate enough to attend live. Before the preshow even began, the crowd chanted and sang their excitement. It was clear that the people in attendance were true fans of AEW who had waited 5 long years to be able to celebrate the milestones of their favorite wrestling promotion in person. Fans from all over Europe and beyond continued filing into the stadium and it was comforting as a South Carolina girl to know that I wasn’t the only one who was a long way from home. As the show began, it was clear that the AEW homegrown and Day 1 talent were the most beloved by the 81,035 people in attendance. Stars like MJF, Hikaru Shida, and Britt Baker received some of the biggest pops of the night. The sole women’s match on the card was a 4-way match (a call back to the original All In) for the AEW Women’s World Championship. The entrances were noteworthy with British-born Saraya walking out to “We Will Rock You” by Queen alongside her family who are well-known on the U.K. wrestling scene. Toni Storm continued to nail her fallen Hollywood starlet gimmick, walking out to “God Save The Queen”. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D, the only woman in the match to compete in 2018’s All In, came out to much fanfare and a huge firework display. The champion, Hikaru Shida made her way to the ring in all-white and was greeted by a huge ovation from the fans in attendance. The match itself was fairly short, clocking in at a little over 8 minutes, but it packed in a lot of action. Teases of a split to The Outcasts occurred with Toni Storm and Saraya attempting to pin Britt Baker at the same time. Plus, Toni Storm accidentally hitting Saraya’s mother in the audience didn’t help matters. Britt Baker hit the curb stomp heard around the world on Toni Storm while Saraya held her in a submission maneuver. Reigning champion Hikaru Shida was as resilient as ever and avoided tapping out to the Lockjaw. However, the rules of the 4-way match weren’t on her side and Saraya was able to pin Toni Storm to win the AEW Women’s World Championship, completing her redemption arc in front of her home country after being forced to retire due to injury 5 years ago. Another noteworthy moment for the women of AEW was the appearance of Mercedes Moné in the crowd at AEW All In. Saraya’s last match in WWE before retirement was against Mercedes and the two have unfinished business that is likely to be picked back up in AEW once Moné is once again cleared to compete. There’s a lot of work to be done in the AEW women’s division. All In only featured one women’s match and it was under 10 minutes. Popular faces like Athena, Willow Nightingale, and Kris Statlander were not booked on the All In card. Currently, Kris Statlander is scheduled to face Ruby Soho for the TBS Championship at All Out. AEW CEO Tony Khan has also confirmed that barring injuries, he plans to book Athena vs. Billie Starkz on Zero Hour. Time will tell if opportunities for the women will grow with the recent title changes & possible roster additions.

Ahead of AEW All Out, Tony Khan answers questions from the media. To no surprise, many have their minds set on getting the update with CM Punk. This week, it was reported on WWT Live that CM Punk will not be involved in AEW All Out weekend. Outside of the men's drama, Kris Statlander and Ruby Soho face off this Sunday for the TBS Championship. Towards the end, I asked Tony Khan about the growing feud between Kris Statlander and Mercedes Martinez being placed on hold for now while Ruby Soho becomes the next challenger for the TBS Championship. Even though the direction is still unclear, Tony Khan speaks highly of Mercedes Martinez. I have a ton of respect for Mercedes Martinez as she's been great in ROH and that's why I called her in to come work on AEW Collision, she will be great on any show. In closing, he mentions the match between Kris Statlander and Mercedes Martinez. He notes that whoever comes out victorious will have a heavy amount of competition waiting for them. Nevertheless, he ends by saying there could be a possible rematch for Martinez down the line. Regarding ROH, Tony Khan mentions Athena and Billie Starkz. In addition, he states that he does have plans for both talents that may happen for Zero Hour. First things first, Billie Starkz must be cleared. Be sure to listen to the entire media call available now.

In life, our closest friends can become our sudden foes. From spending time together, traveling, and working together, then it stops. You are now across the ring from someone you adored, loved, and respected. The only thing on your mind is competition, winning at all costs. Now, enemies. Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez. Payback is the perfect name for their third singles meeting. However, this is deeper than the championship and a lost friendship. More importantly, this payback is not as one-sided as many think. Let us take a quick trip back to NXT. The days of black and gold were run by the best. From women like Sasha Banks, Asuka, and Bayley, many set the foundation of one of the greatest women's divisions of its time. Rhea Ripley is a result of that foundation that was created. Defeating Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley becomes NXT Women's Champion and the domination begins. As her dominance reaches a level that one would never dare to test, then comes Raquel Gonzalez. This leads us to their match at Halloween Havoc 2020. Rhea gets the win over Raquel after such a heavy-hitting match. For me, this is the first time I see Rhea Ripley struggle to get the victory. As a result, there is no denying the power and dominance of Raquel. Outside of Charlotte Flair, Raquel is one woman in WWE who reaches the stature of Rhea Ripley in every aspect. As the feud continues, Rhea and Raquel find themselves in a classic Last Women Standing match. This is where the tide changes. I can only speak for myself, I was shocked - to the point that I had no idea what this meant for Rhea Ripley. The former champion makes her way to the main roster and the feud is over. 1-1. Two singles matches between these two, both happening in NXT. I feel like fans forgot about this until Raquel made her way to the main roster as well. After the name change, we start to see Raquel Rodriguez being utilized in many ways. In that time, Raquel became a three-time women's tag team champion with Aliyah and more recently Liv Morgan. This all brings us to the present. In the last weeks, the injuries of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez have been caused by the current champion. The motives of the attacks that caused these injuries are still unknown. Since being cleared, Raquel does everything she can to continue the attacks on Rhea Ripley. So, for many, the payback seems to be Raquel getting hers on Rhea. I think it is just the opposite. With that, Rhea Ripley never forgets the past she has with any opponent she faces. That has been proven in the payback she recently gets on Charlotte Flair during their feud for WrestleMania. In my opinion, Raquel may want payback while chasing the championship however, the champion is seeking the most payback while trying to hold on to her own dominance. That brings me to my own question: Who is really seeking the most payback? As you watch this match, I want that to be on your mind. This Saturday in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, former friends go head-to-head for the WWE Women's World Champion. Does Rhea Ripley retain or does Raquel Rodriguez become champion? Tell us what you think on Twitter/X @WWTalkPod #TheSaltShakkas will be live following #WWEPayback post-show. Watch us as we play Fortnite as Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair.

Over the years, professional wrestling has seen the progression of black women and more areas of inclusion. From WWE to AEW, IMPACT! Wrestling and NJPW, black women become the face of every company. Bianca Belair, Trinity, Jade Cargill, Willow Nightingale, Mercedes Moné. That is just to name a few. Black women change the game as they bet on themselves and enter a different world of representation. Their stories captivate the lives of many fans and encourage others to step into the ring. Alexis Littlefoot continues to show her talents all over Kentucky and its sister states. From birth, she is a star and knows she can rule the world. Now, her dreams lead to the ring and Alexis Littlefoot wants her name in lights. I sit down with her to discuss her inspirations and we dive into the world of female rap. I always said that I wanted to be like, a Cardi B of wrestling like everybody loves Cardi B - her personality. She's real she's down to earth. But when she hits you with that rap shit, she's on it, like she got the bar, she got the flow to go with it. And dudes rock with her, the girls rock with her, I just want to be somebody that my people see me and they know, they know what’s up. It's not a character 24/7. It's just really the things that I like and myself. Alongside Cardi B, Westside Gunn is credited for being a big part of Alexis Littlefoot. Westside Gunn is one. I mean, he paid for the back half of my wrestling training. That was a big moment for me. I had like 500 dollars left on my wrestling training tuition. And I tweeted it like because you know, I sold merch, like, I would make like bootleg WWE shirts, and I was just hustling, like, ‘shop the website I got 500 dollars left to pay to finish paying for my wrestling school’ and all of a sudden I hear the Cash App coins drop on my phone. I’m like ‘Who just Cash App me?’ and pops up ‘Westside Gunn sent you $500.’ I was like, ‘Whoa!” Westside - He really cares about this. Lastly, she closes by sharing her feelings. He's been a longtime fan of wrestling and I'm so blessed to have him as a mentor. So blessed to just know him as a person outside of rap or wrestling. So that's number one. The worlds of professional wrestling and hip-hop have always shared a connection. From now with Westside Gunn and WaleMania, to Snoop Dogg and even Cardi B's feud with former WWE Superstar Lacey Evans, the influence will never stop. Added to the list with Cardi B, Littlefoot names Megan The Stallion and The City Girls as big inspirations. In the world of professional wrestling, your character can make or break your career. Represenation and the need to reinvent yourself becomes a heavy desire. For some, this is what keeps you on the top. Within any sport, you want to win the big one. Over the months, Alexis Littlefoot is shown in different promotions including Derby City Wrestling, and gains championships along the way. In addition, she is a former Warrior Pro Wrestling Women's Champion and FEW Women's Champion. Just to be a title conversation, to me is blessed. I've had the opportunity to win two championships this year on the indies at a couple of local promotions. And I treat that as if it was a major I bring [them] - when I have a red carpet opportunity. I bring my titles with me like, I don't, I don't think like any level should be like, 'Oh, that title doesn't mean anything' or it's just whatever. She mentioned always wanting to be a WWE champion so I had to ask one more question. Would she go after Rhea Ripley or Iyo Sky? Surprisingly to some, Littlefoot picks Ripley and says she enjoys being picked up and slammed. Be sure to check out the full interview available now.

This month, I took the time to visit a few AEW shows. During my experience at AEW Collision, I enjoyed the production and presentation of each show. I traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina, and Lexington, Kentucky to catch a different glimpse of what each city was giving. With all the talk surrounding the AEW women's division, I have found myself missing Mercedes. No, not Mercedes Moné who was sitting up real pretty at AEW All In. I am talking about former ROH Women's World Champion, Mercedes Martinez. After the loss to Kris Statlander, Mercedes Martinez finds herself working with Diamante. The two have had quite the issue with Willow Nightingale and current TBS Champion Kris Statlander. Even with this loss, it seems that Martinez is not giving up that easily. Mercedes Martinez and Diamante get a tag team victory, pinning Willow Nightingale to defeat her and the champ. Not to mention, Mercedes Martinez was attacked by the champion on the August 19th episode of AEW Collision after all of the back and forth. However, it was announced that Ruby Soho will be next in line to get a shot at the TBS Championship. For Ruby Soho to get the title opportunity was, for me, out of nowhere. Yes, Kris Statlander did attack Ruby Soho recently and they have a history. I could be wrong, however, it felt like there was a clear build and feud between Mercedes Martinez and Kris Statlander...for weeks. I am just not finding much of a reason for Martinez to be halted from that opportunity. I must say, I am confused. Now, I know she got her opportunity earlier in the month and suffered the loss. However, after that loss, Martinez attacks Statlander with the help of Diamante and the feud seems to just be beginning. Nevertheless, we have seen this plenty of times. Why have them continue their feud? Personally, I got invested and feel as if this feud helps progress the women's division as a whole. With that being said, it is important to understand this. At this moment, I am speaking as a fan. I understand that stories do not necessarily guarantee anything. For one, this is the world of professional wrestling. Things change at all given times. Also, my views do not reflect the views of Women's Wrestling Talk. Many may say this is just another layer that adds to the problems within the women's division. I disagree and I have hope that the division can move in the right direction. Now, if there is an issue or situation that is taking Martinez out of action that I am aware of, I can understand. No report that I have read states that Mercedes Martinez is not able to compete. Lastly, it is not too late for her to be involved with Statlander and Soho. Mercedes Martinez is very important to the world of wrestling. I hope this gives more attention along with the growing storylines in AEW for women. As someone who can not always catch the AEW programming, I have enjoyed seeing Mercedes Martinez and hope down the line she is given that opportunity. In the meantime, be sure to check out our AEW/ROH programming aired live on WWT every single week. Catch the #DynamiteDollz Wednesday for our #AEWDynamite post-show and Thursday for our #ROH post-show. Join the #CollisionCrew every Sunday for #AEWRampage and #AEWCollision post-show.