WWE has announced that there will be a number one contender match taking place on tonight’s SmackDown. It will be a six-pack challenge and include Raquel Rodriguez vs. Aliyah vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya vs. Shotzi vs. Xia Li. Last week, Rodriguez had a rematch with the SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey. The match was … Read more
The latest installment in the WWE 2K games series is officially released tomorrow, 11th March, with some editions providing early access from the 8th. Ahead of the release, 2K has confirmed DLC packs including release dates. Inside these packs, we are being treated to SEVEN total female superstars to add to our roster. We previously … Read more
Sasha Banks is back and she has Naomi by her side. Banks returns to the ring for the first time since the Royal Rumble match at the end of January and she took on a familiar opponent in that of Shotzi. This would also be Shotzi’s first match since the Rumble. Before the match gets … Read more
On this week’s SmackDown, Aliyah had a match with Natalya for the second week in a row. Last week, Aliyah embarrassed Natalya by defeating her in 3.17 seconds in her debut match. In the process, she became a record holder as the fastest victory in WWE history. Before their match this week took place, Summer … Read more
Xia Li finally made her SmackDown debut after weeks of vignettes depicting her as “The Protector” with her mission to thwart any vultures and wrongdoers. Li was called up to the blue brand in October when she was part of the WWE Draft. She utilized her debut to save Naomi from another numbers game against … Read more
Xia Li is finally set to make her SmackDown debut next week on Dec. 10. Li was called up to the main roster and placed on the blue brand during the 2021 WWE Draft in October. Despite not making her official debut since the draft, several vignettes have aired on her behalf. The most recent … Read more
Xia Li laid down a challenge to the NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez for a championship match on last week’s NXT. She instantly received her title shot and found herself in the main event of this week’s NXT. Towards the end of the match, there was some concern for Li. The match stalled when she … Read more
The NXT Women’s Championship will be defended on tonight’s show as Raquel Gonzalez is set to face Xia Li. Li approached Gonzalez last week and essentially demanded a title shot. The match was then instantly booked. Will Li be able to dethrone Gonzalez or will the reign continue? Also planned for tonight’s show is Franky … Read more
NXT Superstar Xia Li is reportedly planned to have a dark match prior to this week’s SmackDown. Fightful Select is reporting this was the plan as of Tuesday. An opponent has not been named at the time of this writing.
EDIT: Since this posting, Aliyah has been confirmed as Xia Li’s opponent.
Li joins several other NXT talents that have had dark matches over the course of the past number of weeks. Tegan Nox, Scarlett, Shotzi, and Toni Storm have all been included on that list. Nox and Shotzi debuted on SmackDown last week and came out with a win in tag team action by defeating the Women’s Tag Team Champions of Natalya and Tamina. A video package started airing last week showing that Storm is coming to the blue brand as well.
At this time, Fightful has not heard of any plans of Li being called up. However, the plan is to continue to have NXT talent work dark matches prior to RAW and SmackDown now that fans will be in attendance.
Li has the biggest opportunity of her career coming up on next week’s NXT as she will be challenging Raquel Gonzalez for the NXT Women’s Championship. She has been a part of a very popular NXT stable at the moment along with Boa and Mei Ying, known collectively as Tian Sha.
Check back in with Diva Dirt for any further news on NXT talent being utilized for the main roster.
NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez has a new challenger and that is Xia Li.
Prior to Li stepping up to Gonzalez, the champion was at ringside supporting her tag team partner Dakota Kai as she faced Ember Moon. Moon is now officially a singles competitor again as Shotzi Blackheart has now moved on to SmackDown with Tegan Nox.
Kai and Moon put on another clinic of a match and Kai was able to pick up the win. Afterward, the lights went out and Xia Li emerged.
Li tells Gonzalez that she is standing in her way. Gonzalez accepts the challenge and says she hopes she shows up this time and tells her to take a good look at the belt. Li then left the ring and the match is booked.
Next week Li challenges Gonzalez with the NXT Women’s Championship on the line.
Mercedes Martinez took part in a Mixed Tag Team Match on tonight’s NXT alongside Jake Atlas. They teamed up to take on Martinez’s rivals of Tian Sha (Xia Li & Boa).
The match had to be stopped by the referee due to a concerning moment after Li delivered a roundhouse kick to the head of Martinez. Li went for the pin but Martinez couldn’t physically keep her shoulders down although the official was making the count. The official then realized something wasn’t right and she was checking on Martinez as Li backed away. The match was then called.
Concern quickly set in with fans in wanting to make sure that Martinez is okay. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful stated that he would look into it and has received word that Martinez was checked in the back and talent/staff were told that she has been sent to the hospital for further evaluation.
I'll work to find out Mercedes' condition. That was nasty
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 30, 2021
Mercedes Martinez was checked in the back and talent/staff were told she's headed to the hospital for further evaluation
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 30, 2021
Diva Dirt will provide any further updates to this post as the information is provided.
Franky Monet was poised to have the encore of her world premiere tonight. Prior to her heading to the ring, a new face graced our screens as Elektra Lopez made her NXT debut. Lopez, formerly known as Karissa Rivera, was signed by WWE earlier in the year and had her class originally announced in February. … Read more
Shotzi Blackheart returned at this weekend’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House to help her tag team partner Ember Moon and get some revenge in the process. Blackheart has been out for a number of weeks after suffering an attack by Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai. Moon challenged Gonzalez in an attempt to become a two-time NXT Women’s Champion. Despite Blackheart returning and removing Kai from the equation, Moon wasn’t able to put Gonzalez away and the championship stayed put.
Moon hit a huge Eclipse on Gonzalez prior to Blackheart’s return. As the count was heading in Moon’s favor and she was a mere second away from becoming the new champion, Kai inserted herself. Kai placed Gonzalez’s foot on the ropes. The referee saw Gonzalez’s foot but didn’t see Kai do it so the official called for the rope break to keep Gonzalez alive in the match.
Blackheart made her return and chased Kai around the ring slamming her into the plexiglass at ringside. The two then battled back and forth as they made their way to the stage where the In Your House set up was. Blackheart threw Kai into the plants below the set window. The two disappeared as they battled to the backstage area.
Moon tried to capitalize with Kai now out of the picture and she executed a big DDT from the ring apron onto the ramp. She tried for a second Eclipse, however, the champ was able to stop the attempt and grabbed Moon for the one-armed powerbomb to get the pin to retain her title.
The second women’s match from In Your House had Xia Li facing Mercedes Martinez in a very personal match. Li felt disrespected several years ago when Martinez defeated her in the Mae Young Classic. Martinez may have the experience but she knew she was heading into a three-on-one disadvantage because with Li comes the rest of Tian Sha (Boa and Mei Ying).
Li was able to finally get her retribution from many years ago as she came out with the win. As the match approaches its ending, Boa gets in the way of Martinez and the two exchange words before Boa is shoved to the side for Martinez to get to Li. After she is able to get a back drop on Li, Martinez goes for the Air Raid Crash but is unable to execute it as Li breaks free. Li connects with a spin kick to the face of Martinez which is enough to get the pin for the win.
After the match, things get intense as Mei Ying gets involved. Martinez didn’t back down from Ying and said she wasn’t scared of her. She tries to go for the steel chair which she just had to fight off Li and Boa post-match, but that wasn’t enough. Ying grabbed Martinez by the throat and slammed her into the plexiglass. All three members of Tian Sha then regrouped on the ramp as Martinez lays at ringside.
Other notes from the night includes a message from General Manager William Regal. Regal was leaving the building with tears in his eyes saying: “It’s been seven years since I became the GM of NXT and I’ve never seen so much bedlam. It’s complete madness. I think it’s time for a change.”
Could this be the end of Regal as GM? At this time it is just speculation. He will be at NXT this Tuesday to further address his concerns and statement.
The next special event will come in July and it will be the return of The Great American Bash. This event theme returned last year along with several others including In Your House and Halloween Havoc. It will be on July 6 on NXT’s regular night of Tuesday.
It’s that time again for another TakeOver event and this one like most will see two women’s matches on the card. This will be the second In Your House since the theme returned to WWE last year for the first time since the year 1999. First we will see Xia Li representing Tian Sha as … Read more
NXT TakeOver: In Your House returns for the second year running and features two intriguing women’s matches to look forward to. The first is Mercedes Martinez taking on the vicious and undefeated Xia Li. The second sees Ember Moon challenge Raquel Gonzalez for the NXT Women’s Championship. Mercedes Martines vs Xia Li Mercedes Martinez is … Read more
The next NXT TakeOver event In Your House is rapidly approaching on June 13. It was announced from this week’s NXT that we will have two women’s matches on the card. The NXT Women’s Title will be defended as Raquel Gonzalez will be putting her championship on the line against Ember Moon. Last week, Moon … Read more
Tonight’s NXT is the last show before their big two-night TakeOver event next week. Stand & Deliver currently has only one women’s match over the two-night show that will see the NXT Women’s Title on the line. The champion Io Shirai got what she asked for and will be facing Raquel Gonzalez. They will take … Read more
Tonight’s NXT should be another great night for the women of the brand. There are two matches scheduled and a big announcement coming from General Manager William Regal. First, we will see Kayden Carter take on Xia Li. Li took out Carter’s tag team partner Kacy Catanzaro two weeks ago and now Carter is seeking … Read more
Another overall great outing for the ladies of NXT. Zoey Stark had a massive push by facing the NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in her second match in NXT. Going one-on-one with not only the champion but against the high level of Shirai is a huge rub for someone the WWE audience hasn’t seen much … Read more
For this week’s NXT there are a couple of matches being advertised. As reported earlier today, the newly signed Zoey Stark will be receiving a great opportunity by facing the NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in a non-title match. This match could be really good and/or it may just be a setup to allow Toni … Read more
NXT has reached its final show before their TakeOver event this Sunday. That event, Vengeance Day, has two women’s matches on the card. First, there will be the NXT Women’s Title on the line as Io Shirai faces both Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez in a huge Triple Threat match. The second match will be … Read more
The first NXT of the year is here and it is named New Year’s Evil. There is one women’s match scheduled for tonight and it should be a good one. Raquel Gonzalez takes on her rival Rhea Ripley in a Last Woman Standing match. These two last went at it one-on-one at Halloween Havoc in … Read more
A heel turn, one team is formed for WarGames, and we are one step closer to seeing who has Xia Li living in fear. The one women’s match of the week was advertised between Ember Moon and Candice LeRae. As the match progressed, Moon became more and more outnumbered. Indi Hartwell of course accompanied LeRae … Read more
Two matches are set up for this week’s NXT. Both of them have been developed from last week. First, there is Xia Li who has asked to face Raquel Gonzalez. She received another letter from her family last week in a backstage interview. She then asked to face Gonzalez from General Manager William Regal because … Read more
In over a year since Ember Moon had a singles match in WWE, she had a one-on-one match with Jessi Kamea on this week’s NXT. This was one of two women’s matches on the show and it was a nice outing for both women. Moon picked up the obvious win here and she did it … Read more
NXT Superstar Xia Li is looking into another venture outside of a wrestling ring. She will be in an amateur kickboxing bout that will take place in Orlando, Fla. this weekend. It will take place on Oct. 24 and she is listed under the name of Xia Zaho. She will be facing Anna Housel. Prior … Read more
