August 29th 2022. PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Monday Night RAW. The finals of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament. Damage Control sought to begin their collection of gold when Dakota Kai and IYO SKY fought Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah. Kai and IYO were confidant they had victory in the bag. And why not? They have more experience having competed around the world winning gold. Sadly, things didn't quite pan out as they foresaw thanks to outside interference and the referee screwing over Dakota Kai and IYO SKY. So here is what went down.

Bayley along with Kai and SKY addressed the huge week ahead of them. Bayley said Damage Control would continue to lift the Women's Division back up this Saturday by getting rid of Bianca Belair, Asuka and Alexa Bliss. Soon the division would be looking up to Damage Control as they look down on them. Dakota stated they aren't just looking to take control of RAW, they will be taking over the entire company starting with the Women's Tag Team Titles. IYO finished with a simple but sweet affirmation that tonight Dakota and her will leave the new champions.

IYO and Aliyah would start the match trading unsuccessful pin attempts. Raquel was tagged in. Aliyah would perform a splits to evade IYO as she came off a whip and Raquel delivered a big boot. IYO would take back control hitting a double stomp out of a waistlock. Dakota was tagged in and stung her former friend with the scorpion kick before IYO nailed a springboard dropkick. Kai went for a cover but Raquel kicked out at two. Kai tried for a whip but Raquel overpowered her with a shoulder tackle.

Raquel tagged in Aliyah and lifted her up, tossing her into Dakota. Kai rolled to the floor after Aliyah delivered a sitting armdrag. Aliyah tagged in Raquel before going for a baseball slide. IYO pulled Kai out of the way. Kai grabbed Aliyah and tossed her into the steel steps. Dakota teased a charge at Raquel who grabbed at her for a powerbomb, only for Kai to use her as a launching pad to land on the apron where she cracked Raquel's skull with a PK after IYO got in a strike. Kai followed whipping IYO toward Aliyah, crushing her skull into the steps with double knees.

IYO hoped to take out Aliyah by smashing her face first into the steps. Back in the ring, Dakota and IYO kept control with an impressive double team where Kai struck Raquel with a pump kick after which IYO hit a unique leg sweep followed by Dakota nailing a scissors kick before IYO ended the sequence with a basement dropkick. Dakota did not let up spiking Raquel's skull to the canvas with a dope basement hurracarrana. Kai got a bit too confidant taunting Raquel with feint kicks resulting in her getting caught off a codebreaker attempt and tossed to the corner.

Luckily for Dakota she was in her corner so IYO tagged in. But Raquel's momentum propelled her to catch IYO and toss her onto Kai. All three crashed to the canvas with the back of IYO's head hitting hard and crumpling her into fetal position. Raquel fought like a house of fire striking both her opponents before crashing down on IYO with a corkscrew elbow for a two on the pin attempt. Raquel went for a powerbomb but IYO countered it into a sunset bomb for a two count. IYO struck Raquel with a shotei only to get turned inside-out by a clothesline off a whip attempt.

Raquel lifted IYO up for the Tejana Bomb (formerly Chingona Bomb) close to the ropes. Kai tried to come into the ring to assist her partner -- five second rule and all. The referee stopped her. Bayley's passion overcame her and she pulled IYO off Raquel. To be fair, Raquel should have been smarter than to attempt her finisher so close to where Bayley was standing. Did she not pay attention when Dakota taught her that? She's a second generation competitor, too. Back to the action. IYO came down on Raquel with a double stomp followed by Kai nailing the Kaio-Kick.

This was the moment. I was itching to grab that beer or glass for some whiskey. They had it in the bag. The last time Dakota struck Raquel with the Kaio-Kick, her partner at the time Wendy Choo and her followed up with top rope moves to win the match. History would repeat here with a Kaio-Kick followed by IYO's moonsault. And yes, IYO climbed to the top and crashed down on Raquel with the moonsault. But Raquel kicked out at two. Bayley came onto the apron to protest the count -- she didn't even touch the referee nor attempted to strike Raquel. Bianca, Alexa and Asuka are supposed to be the "good guys" but clearly don't grasp that two wrongs don't make a right, marching down to the ring to chase Bayley away and take Dakota's and IYO's focus off their opponents. Like I said, if Team Bianca grasped that two wrongs don't make a right they would have not stuck their noses in Damage Control's business.

Aliyah who had recovered from earlier snuck up to the apron to tag Raquel before slipping off. Dakota and IYO didn't see the tag so Kai annihilated Raquel with the Kairopractor followed by IYO nailing her with a crucifix driver. Aliyah would sneak into the ring and roll Dakota up for the three count -- except IYO was still the legal competitor for her team. I swear, I watched the last minutes from the moonsault and cover by IYO on Raquel to Aliyah's roll-up on Kai and didn't see Dakota tagged in. IYO even tried to pull Raquel from the apron for a cover when she thought Raquel was still the legal competitor because IYO knew she didn't tag out.

Raquel and Aliyah were announced as the new champions. But There.Was.No.Tag. The legal competitor was not pinned. That so-called win is void as far as I'm concerned. Like they say: The Darkest Hour Often Comes Before the Dawn. For Damage Control this is not the end, it's merely the beginning. First they'll teach Bianca, Asuka and Alexa to mind their own business on Saturday at Clash at the Castle. After they get their revenge: Dakota, IYO and Bayley can turn their focus to getting their rightful championship gold.

Additional Information | Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah defeated Dakota Kai & IYO SKY (11:17) to win the vacant WWE Women's Tag Team Championship when the illegal competitor was pinned. The match took place on the August 29th 2022 episode of WWE Monday Night RAW at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.