1/9 Main Event Box Score

- Match Times: 34:15 total wrestling; 17:07 per match.

- Streaks: Sheamus - 8 match winning streak (carried over from 2012).

- Results: (1) Sheamus beat Dolph Ziggler (w/A.J. Lee and Big E. Langston). ... (2) IC champion Wade Barrett beat Zack Ryder in a non-title match.

***

WWE Main Event Results
January 9, 2013
Taped 1/8/2013 in Miami, Florida
Aired on Ion Television
By Michael Cupach, PWTorch contributor

[Q1]

-Main Event opening music video.

-Full pyro and Michael Cole welcome everyone to Main Event. The Miz makes a "LeBron taking his talents to South Beach" reference. Right off the bat, Cole throws to an inside look at Sheamus.

-Sheamus talks about always being a WWE Superstar and how at WrestleMania when he became World Champion, he succeeded in making his dream a reality. They then show Sheamus facing all the top stars and putting them down with the Brogue Kick. The package then switches to Dolph Ziggler and his highlight reel. Dolph calls 2013 his year and that one day he will be the best in the business. Dolph beating Cena at TLC and his relationship with A.J. finishes the video.

-Backstage, Matt Striker is with Sheamus. Striker calls 2012 the year of Sheamus, then asks about Ziggler and his briefcase. Sheamus says it doesn’t matter because with the Royal Rumble around the corner, he will get a guaranteed title match of his own. Sheamus then says that tonight Ziggler can bring whomever he wants to the ring because he will Brogue Kick all their heads off!

-Josh Mathews stops Ziggler on the way to the ring. He asks Dolph if he feels he is losing momentum after losing to Cena, then Big E. Langston threatens him and Josh runs off. Dolph laughs and says that Langston cracks him up.

-Sheamus makes his ring entrance, Cole mentions how this match took place two weeks ago on Raw, but The Shield cut it short. Clips from said match are shown.

(Commercial)

-Dolph heads to the ring with A.J. and Big E. Langston in tow. Dolph shows off his Money in the Bank Briefcase and then shares a kiss with A.J. I wonder if Big E. feels left out…

[Q2]

1 - SHEAMUS vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/A.J. and Big E. Langston)

Sheamus powers Dolph into the corner to kick things off, then the ref calls for and gets a clean break. Waistlock by Ziggler is reversed into a drop toehold by Sheamus, who then floats over into a wristlock. Sheamus works the wristlock and then whips Dolph shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Dolph takes a shot at Sheamus, but hurts his own arm, so he dropkicks him. Dolph works Sheamus over in the corner, but Sheamus shrugs it off and explodes out with a clothesline.

Big scoopslam by Sheamus, then Dolph kicks Sheamus in the stomach to try to gain control, but Sheamus goes back to the arm. The Miz is doing a great job putting over what being champion does for a wrestlers's career, saying that he is now a TV and movie star, and when WWE comes to town, all the local media wants to talk to him. Sheamus tries a Brogue Kick, but Dolph sees it coming and bails to the floor.

(Commercial)

Dolph is in control when Main Event returns, but it doesn’t last long as Sheamus backs Dolph into the corner and stomps away on him. Neckbreaker by Ziggler gets a two count on Sheamus. Miz calls Langston a beast after being manhandled by him first-hand last Friday on Smackdown. Stinger Splash by Dolph, then he puts Sheamus in a chinlock. Dolph shows off with a headstand into a bridge, then rides Sheamus, who fights to his feet. Sheamus falls backwards, slamming Ziggler, and both men are out.

Reset. Ziggler drops Sheamus across the middle rope and then nails him with a dropkick. Back to the rear chinlock as A.J. looks on lovingly and Langston looks on…hatingly? Sheamus almost breaks the hold, but Dolph kicks him in the chest hard! Miz asks what would happen if Dolph won the Rumble, as he could fight for the WWE Title and then cash in his briefcase to win the World Title and potentially unite the titles.

Ziggler misses a splash in the corner, then Sheamus comes alive with clothesline and a running knee. White Noise by the Celtic Warrior is countered by Dolph who rolls to the apron, Sheamus ties him up in the ropes and clubs him across the chest ten times as the crowd counts along. Running shoulder tackle off the apron by Sheamus as Main Event cuts to a break!

(Commercial)

Huge uppercut from Ziggler when Main Event comes back. Both men fight for the advantage, then Sheamus tries a battering ram, but Ziggler counters with a X-factor! It looked a little ugly, but still popped the crowd and the announcers. Sheamus and Ziggler go back to trading blows toe to toe, then Sheamus ends up nailing him with a Irish Curse backbreaker. Sheamus tries the Texas Cloverleaf, but Ziggler makes the ropes quickly.

[Q3] Sheamus tries suplexing Dolph into the ring, but Dolph hangs him up on the top rope. Missile dropkick from Dolph connects, he tries a pin, but comes up short. A replay shows that it was a picture perfect dropkick, pretty impressive!

Both men reset, and Dolph runs into a boot. Sheamus goes to the top rope, but Dolph was playing possum and DDT’s Sheamus off the top rope! That should end the match, but Sheamus kicks out after a count of two. Sheamus and Dolph are slow to get up, they are selling the match beautifully. Ziggler calls for the Fameasser, Sheamus pancakes him and then hits with the top rope battering ram. Dolph barely kicks out of a pin attempt at two!

Sheamus calls for the Brogue Kick, but Ziggler ducks and misses a superkick of his own. Sheamus sends Ziggler out of the ring with a Brogue Kick. Ziggler almost gets counted out, and Sheamus rolls out to pulls Ziggler back in, but Langston steps in to stop him. Sheamus rolls into the ring and picks up the win via count-out.

WINNER: Sheamus via countout in 22:48.

-Post-match, Sheamus and Langston have a stare down. Langston teases getting into the ring to face Sheamus, but changes his mind and tends to Dolph instead.

Mike's Reax: Another terrific match from these two. I don’t know what else I can say, this was one of the best Main Event matches in some time. Both men looked like equals and fought to gain the advantage and neither man could put the other away. A.J. also deserves mentioning for her facial expressions outside the ring, she brings a lot of subtlety when she is out there.

-Still to come, Wade Barrett vs. Zack Ryder.

(Commercial)

-Recap of Rock’s return to Raw was shown.

[Q4]

-This Friday, The Rock returns to Smackdown for the first time in ten years!

-Wade Barrett makes his way to the ring followed by Zack Ryder.

(Commercial)

2 - IC champion WADE BARRETT vs. ZACK RYDER – non-title match

Wade and Zack trade armbars to start, then Barrett backs Ryder into the corner and back-elbows him after the ref calls for a clean break. Armdrag by Ryder as Miz calls the JBL and Cole Show “boring” and that is why he doesn’t want to be on it. Barrett fights out and nails Ryder with a big boot. Pumphandle slam by Wade gets a two count, then Barrett knees him in the gut.

Ryder mounts a comeback. He pancakes Barrett and then puts him in a front facelock. Barrett makes the ropes to break the hold, then drives his shoulder into Ryder's midsection. Ryder tries his double knee in the corner, Barrett catches him and dumps him to the outside as Main Event goes to commercial!

(Commercial)

Barrett is using the middle rope to choke Ryder when Main Event comes back. Wade kicks Ryder to the floor. Barrett suplexes Ryder back into the ring, tries a pin, but Ryder kicks out. Miz talks about the greats that were IC champion and says that Barrett isn’t bringing prestige to the title because it has always been there

The crowd gets behind Ryder, who mounts a comeback, slamming Wade face-first into the mat. Ryder connects with the double knee to the jaw. Missile dropkick by Ryder into the Broski Boot, but Barrett rolls out of the way before it hits. Bossman Slam by Barrett regains control for the champ. Zack connects with a neckbreaker out of nowhere, then almost picks up the win. Broski Boot connects on Barrett, and he tries pinning Barrett, but Wade kicks out at 2.99999! Ryder calls for the Rough Ryder, but Wade reverses into the Bull Hammer and he puts Ryder away!

WINNER: Wade Barrett by pin in 11:27.

-Next week, Randy Orton returns to Main Event to face Antonio Cesaro!

Thank you for reading, make sure to check out my reviews of Smackdown each and every week, also follow me on Twitter @MJCupach where I tweet live during Raw and WWE PPVs. I am also a frequent guest on the FTWPodcast, go to FTWPodcast.com for more details!

[Torch photo credit David Campbell (c) PWTorch.com]

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