The girls have done it again.

When you thought this feud could not get any better, IYO SKY and Kairi Sane took to Monday’s episode of “WWE Raw” to lock up in the show’s definitive match of the night. While SKY ended up taking another loss following a dirty pin, courtesy of a ringside Asuka, both women tore the house down to give the Texas audience just a taste of their upcoming tag team match at Crown Jewel.

There was no doubt that this match was going to be amazing, but this match was in a league of its own: both within Monday’s card, and within each competitor’s recent in-ring resumes. Sane and SKY were incredibly engaging from the opening bell, with flips and back-and-forth wars for dominance bringing the crowd to the edge of their seats early. I know “all gas, no brakes” is a certain “Samoan Werewolf’s” shtick, but there was no warm-up when it came to Sane and SKY’s bout. They immediately started pulling out all the stops, with no time for introductions or preamble. It was straight to the point wrestling.

I mentioned this match being a stand-out contest within both women’s recent careers. I’d venture as far to say that this is Sane’s best work in a while, and while that sounds like a diss, it’s not a low standard by any means, given her current work. Sane’s most recent match against Stephanie Vaquer on the September 15 episode of “Raw” was good, but even then, her match with SKY Monday outshone that, and everything in her recent repertoire. This might even be some of SKY’s best work in a while — if not her best match in recent months, definitely top five. Again, that’s not to downplay her skillset or to demean the quality of some of her latest contests — Evolution, SummerSlam, Wrestlepalooza were all incredible — but this match was really just that good. SKY and Sane are just so comfortable, so familiar around each other. With every fluid counter, you can tell how much experience they have together. With every inventive counter, you can tell how much they trust each other. That immediate offense I was talking about earlier? It’s only made possible because they trust each other so much, because they have that in-ring chemistry that you can’t teach. That trust worked with their pre-existing skill to create a truly magnificent wrestling match. From gnarly bumps (I’m looking at you, Alabama Slam onto the apron and Insane Elbow counter) to aesthetically beautiful arcs and flips, this match, on a purely visual level, commands your attention. This is wrestling as an artform.

I didn’t love the interference finish, but it all makes sense ahead of Crown Jewel. Asuka and Sane aren’t winning in Perth, so might as well make them look dominant here. Tonight was wrestling in its most artisanal form, and if it’s a preview of what we’re in store for at Crown Jewel, it’ll be a guaranteed Match of the Night contender.

Written by Angeline Phu