Another match has been decided for WWE Survivor Series. Tonight’s WWE Raw included a battle royale to determine the new number-one contender for the Women’s World Championship currently held by Rhea Ripley, with the match to take place at the next PLE. Becky Lynch was taken out by Xia Li before she was able to get in the ring and Nia Jax was tossed over the top rope by a combination of women, eventually leaving the match down to just Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler. Stark delivered several superkicks and a DDT on the apron to send Baszler to the floor, with commentator Michael Cole declaring the moment as the most important victory of her young career so far.
After the match, Stark confronted Ripley backstage, pointing out that she nearly had Ripley beat on Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel. Ripley retorted by stating that she’d already beaten Stark in the multi-woman match and expressed confidence she could do it again one-on-one. Stark then left Ripley with one last threat before storming away.
Ripley and Stark have never met in a singles match, but they have shared a ring twice before: once at Crown Jewel in a five-way and in the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble, which Ripley eventually won. The Women’s World Champion used that title shot to challenge Charlotte Flair at WWE WrestleMania 39, successfully becoming the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion. Just a short time later, that belt was changed into the Women’s World Championship that Ripley now holds.
Stark made her main roster debut back in May following a few years in WWE NXT. Upon arriving at Raw, Stark served as an ally to Trish Stratus against Becky Lynch before being involved in a short storyline with Baszler, whom she finished off tonight’s match with.