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00:18And her opponent from Adelaide,
00:22South Australia,
00:23here's one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
00:29Reyna.
00:29Rhea Ripley!
00:34Who never backs down from a challenge.
00:37Hey, a week ago, of course, Tag Team Champions,
00:40Io and Rhea were in a brutal championship match
00:44and dissolved in the chaos wave.
00:45Yeah, against Nia Jax and Lash Legend,
00:48both teams came close to victory on several occasions,
00:52but eventually the competitors completely lost focus
00:55on the victory part and a devastating brawl ensued.
01:00Absolutely nowhere was safe as tables were broken
01:04and security barriers were broken.
01:06The ref threw this whole thing out.
01:08And of course, ultimately, the bodies of four competitors
01:11were completely broken too.
01:13Now, the rematch of that incident will be taking place next week
01:17on SmackDown, but for this week,
01:20Rhea Ripley has some singles to deal with.
01:23That's going to be so much fun.
01:24There it is next week in Louisville, Kentucky,
01:27the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match.
01:31Rhea Ripley, Io Sky against the Irresistible Forces next week.
01:37And we are back on the USA next week.
01:40Yes.
01:42Olympic schedule comes to an end.
01:44So, USA Network next week for Friday Night SmackDown.
01:49The night before Elimination Chamber.
01:54Elimination Chamber that on the women's side,
01:57speaking of Nia Jax,
01:59now includes Kiana James, who pulled off the upset,
02:03winning the triple threat earlier tonight here in Florida
02:07over Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax.
02:11So, we had some major crosswords last week in the aftermath of that,
02:15that tag melee that we saw a few moments ago.
02:18Julia and Kiana James talked a little smack to our tag champs,
02:22Io and Rhea Ripley.
02:24Very clearly very unhappy with each other.
02:27Now, you also mentioned not so long ago, Joe,
02:29that Julia lost her opportunity to qualify for the Elimination Chamber.
02:33Of course, Julia and Kiana James lost their tag opportunity
02:38against the tag champs a couple of weeks ago.
02:41So, Julia highly irate at the moment.
02:43And this, right from the off,
02:45has been a very, very aggressive version of Julia,
02:48who is not backing down to the intimidating Rhea Ripley.
02:52No, she's not at all.
02:54And that's Rhea with that strength and power,
02:57but Julia's got her locked up here.
03:00Transitioning to that grovick-type move there,
03:02trying to choke out Rhea Ripley,
03:04but Ripley simply too strong.
03:06Too much left in the tank.
03:08Very difficult to disable Rhea Ripley this early in a matchup.
03:12And you mentioned what happened on February 6th
03:14when Rhea and Io scored the pinfall on Julia
03:17in that tag team championship match.
03:19And then a week ago when Rhea was commenting,
03:22you must be mad about how Elimination Chamber qualifying went.
03:25But once again, attempt to think of a tornado DDT there,
03:28but Ripley just holding on, refusing to go down,
03:31and now forcing this into a vertical suplex.
03:34We'll see if this one works out, and yeah.
03:37It does, as the delayed vertical suplex is delivered by Rhea.
03:41And just the one count, but you can see writhing in pain
03:45with her back is Julia.
03:46Yeah, I feel like suddenly Mammy's woken up,
03:48and he's looking to finish this.
03:50Looking for Riptide right away.
03:52Julia able to escape it and then slam Ripley down.
03:55The yank of the hair referee wasn't too impressed,
03:58but it's done the job.
03:59Warning sent the way of Julia,
04:01but Julia now with a firm upper hand.
04:05Coming in hard to that corner.
04:08Julia really getting better as the weeks pass here on SmackDown,
04:11getting more and more comfortable in that ring.
04:14Drop kicks are all the way to the other corner.
04:17I mean, what a test this is against Rhea Ripley.
04:19So Rhea Ripley was already qualified for the Elimination Chamber.
04:23Io Sky got her qualifier this Monday on Raw.
04:28Presumably taking it easy tonight, resting up ahead of that while Mammy does the damage.
04:33Io Sky against Raquel Rodriguez and Kyrie Sane to determine the final spot in the Women's Elimination Chamber.
04:40That comes your way on Raw.
04:43And this is just Mammy finding those extra gears now.
04:47Oh!
04:47And that was one gear through Manny's shoulder first into the post.
04:52Nice movement there from Julia, and Rhea Ripley's in big trouble there.
04:56Boy, you could hear that impact echoing throughout.
04:59Amaranth Bank Arena, and then the steel steps, so Julia is in control against Rhea.
05:16Boy, Julia turns things around against Rhea quickly.
05:19Yeah, that's what you have to do against a bigger, stronger opponent.
05:23If you're smart enough, use their strength, use their momentum against them,
05:28bait them in as Julia just did, and over-exerting herself in that attack in the corner was Ripley,
05:34and Ripley ended up eating shoulder first the steel ring post.
05:42It's not often you see that, shots of Rhea Ripley just bouncing off a competitor.
05:47This is a Julia with an extra drive in her tonight.
05:52Perhaps impressed by tag partner Kiana James qualifying for the Elimination Chamber and thinking,
05:57you know what, I'm gonna try upstaging her now.
06:01With a major singles victory against Rhea Ripley.
06:07Slamming her into the top of the barrier.
06:13See the emotion that Julia is battling with tonight as Rhea looks to turn things around,
06:18deliver that barrier shot to Julia.
06:21Yeah, and I think Julia has been the picture of composure at times here since arriving on SmackDown,
06:27and I think the angry version of Julia is clearly peeling back the layers and finding something extra special here,
06:35and really dominating Rhea Ripley.
06:38And it's rare you see anybody doing that.
06:43Just locking up her arms in between the ropes and pulling back.
06:48So let me check, is that the beautiful part or the madness part?
06:51That would be the madness part.
06:52I think you're right on that one.
06:55Rey's look in the eyes of the US champ.
06:59We know she's in full control of this one.
07:02And I don't think too many people would have predicted Rhea Ripley at the feet of Julia this easily in
07:09this matchup.
07:10The intensity of Julia that we are seeing here.
07:16I'm gonna stretch her out here with all that leverage pulling back in the compromised position of the lower.
07:22Oh!
07:22Oh, my.
07:23Oh, that might be a knockout.
07:25Oh.
07:25That might be a knockout.
07:27One, two, four.
07:28Oh, the jaw of Ripley bouncing off the mat.
07:31I have no idea how Ripley kicked out there.
07:35With a force coming down with her leg and just slamming Ripley's head.
07:41And there is no respite whatsoever from these attacks from Julia, who is on a mission tonight.
07:47Well, I go as far as to say this is the best Julia has looked since arriving on SmackDown.
07:57Complete control and making it look almost effortless.
08:25Julia, the United States Champion, is in control here in this non-title match against Rhea Ripley.
08:30It's all the emotion of recent weeks that has boiled up in Julia.
08:34And we have seen plenty of spirit and plate energy.
08:37Came up court in the elimination chamber.
08:39Qualifying Boston Attack Team Championship and now taking it out on Rhea.
08:43Went for that Arrivederci.
08:45Rhea Ripley just about getting a hand up and blocking it in the nick of time.
08:49And Ripley has been taken to test tonight by Julia, but is still alive in this one and looking to
08:57turn things around.
09:01Center of the ring, Julia and Rhea Ripley eight days away from elimination chamber.
09:07Rhea Ripley will be in it on the women's side.
09:10Julia's tag team partner, Kiana James, that's one of the big stories of the night.
09:14She pulled the upset to punch her ticket to elimination chamber.
09:20And now, Mami. Here comes Rhea.
09:24For the first time in this match, Ripley looking to build some momentum after riding out a major storm from
09:30Julia.
09:31And boy, have things suddenly turned around here.
09:34Have they ever.
09:36That is the permanent threat that Rhea Ripley holds.
09:40Even when she looks beaten, there's still this lurking in the tank.
09:45The explosive offense from Ripley and it is met by Julia.
09:50Yeah, there's absolutely no letter from Julia tonight.
09:53It's like a woman possessed in that ring.
09:56She's looking to lock her up in that underhook butterfly position.
10:01Of Rhea fighting back from that second rope and turn things around and now she has Julia in a spot.
10:08Completely unprotected.
10:10Oh.
10:13And Ripley with such ease and returns the favor.
10:21Faceplant right off the shoulder.
10:24And Rhea Ripley looks almost furious with herself for allowing Julia to dominate so much of this match.
10:37And this could be it now, Joe.
10:39No, she's going for riptide, Wade.
10:41Rhea wants to end it right here as Julia fights back with a series of elbows.
10:45Well, Julia's done her homework, knows how devastating that move is.
10:49Needs something in reply and that'll do it.
10:51That's exactly what she looks to get here.
10:54Oh!
10:54And Arrivederci knee.
10:56Arrivederci knee.
10:57Arrivederci knee.
10:58And Rhea survives it.
11:00But straight back on the attack is Julia again.
11:03Absolutely no let up.
11:05Could be a Northern Lights bomb right here.
11:08But instead, the headbutt from Rhea Ripley.
11:11And quickly into position for a row.
11:16Nia Jax has arrived.
11:20As has Lash Legend.
11:23Remember what's going down next week in Louisville.
11:28The irresistible forces sending a major message now to 50% of the women's tag champs.
11:35Rhea Ripley who is getting mugged in the ring.
11:38And backup is on his way.
11:42Here comes Io Sky, the other half of the tag team champions.
11:48Nicely navigating her way around Nia Jax.
11:53It's only half the puzzle there.
11:54The genius of the sky.
11:57The show take uppercuts on Lash Legend.
12:00What a mismatch those two are.
12:03Rhea clears the ring of Lash Legend.
12:10But their arrival put an end to a feisty match.
12:15They will meet with the tag team championships on the line next week in Louisville.
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