WWE Main Event Results
January 22, 2014
Taped 1/21 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Report by James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

Main Event started with R-Truth's full rap intro before Xavier Woods joined Tom Phillips and The Miz on commentary for the opening match. Damien Sandow was introduced to the ring and he declared his intentions to win the Royal Rumble on Sunday. Sandow said he will then become the Face of WWE.

1 -- R-TRUTH (w/Xavier Woods) vs. DAMIEN SANDOW

Sandow and Truth traded control during the first half of the match as Miz and Xavier teased tension before the Rumble match on Sunday. Miz also tried to get Xavier to admit that he would toss out Truth if it came down to them in the Rumble. On the outside, Sandow sent Truth into the barricade with a side Russian Legsweep to take control leading to break.

[Commercial Break]

Back in the ring, Sandow continued to work on the neck/upper back to capitalize on the legsweep. Meanwhile, Xavier talked tape study with Truth, which drew Miz's curiosity. Truth and Sandow then traded nearfalls, which began to frustrate Sandow. Sandow argued with the ref, then took a facebuster from Truth. It was good for the pin and the win. Xavier thanked Miz for the discussion, then joined Truth in the ring to celebrate and help Truth recover from the match.

WINNER: Truth at 11:30. Nice TV match with solid commentary. Well done.

Video Package: How Daniel Bryan plotted to infiltrate the Wyatts, leading to Bryan vs. Bray Wyatt this Sunday at the Rumble.

Backstage: The Bella Twins were shown getting ready. Nikki Bella then excitedly approached Brie to ask if she knew about Bryan's plan all along. Nikki said she thought she was the trouble-maker, but Brie is sneaky, too. Brie did not actually confirm that she knew of the plot, as Nikki kept talking instead of letting Brie answer. Alicia Fox and Aksana then walked in to cause trouble for the Bellas before their tag match.

[Commercial Break]

This Friday: Big Show & Rey Mysterio vs. Real Americans.

2 -- BELLA TWINS (NIKKI BELLA & BRIE BELLA) vs. AKSANA & ALICIA FOX

The heels isolated Brie Bella early on, allowing them to taunt her about her relationship with Daniel Bryan. Nikki then tagged in, avoided a double-team attack, and dropped A. Fox with a Torture Rack backbreaker. It was good for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Bellas at 4:14. Fine follow-up to the Bryan Story, although Nikki took the win, not Brie.

Still to come: Alberto Del Rio vs. Sin Cara.

Video Package: John Cena vs. Randy Orton feud, going back to when Orton won the TLC ladder match to become Unified WWE champion. This Sunday, the title re-match.

[Commercial Break]

Video Package: Full-length, five-minute "Royal Rumble By the Numbers" historical piece.

Rumble Rundown: Phillips and Miz broke down the Royal Rumble line-up.

In-ring: Sin Cara was introduced for the main event.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Alberto Del Rio was introduced, then WWE reminded Del Rio of the bad ending to his Monday night when Batista gave him a Batistabomb on Raw. Back on Main Event, Phillips said Del Rio will meet Batista in the Rumble match, which Miz noted might not happen since it depends on when they're in the match.

3 -- SIN CARA vs. ALBERTO DEL RIO

Mood lighting for the main event, which threw off Del Rio early on. Cara knocked down Del Rio on the outside, then threw him back into the ring to deliver half of a thrusting dropkick in the corner. Del Rio woke up and began attacking Cara, taking out his frustration after what Batista did to him on Raw. Del Rio, now in control, posed in the ring as Main Event cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Cara was shown falling down in a heap. That kind of a match for Cara, who tried to fight back, but Del Rio dropped him with a backbreaker. Del Rio then tried to rip off Cara's mask, drawing a reprimand from the referee.

After a reset, Cara snapped off a head scissors into a back-elbow smash for a nearfall. Cara followed with a kick to the face before climbing to the top rope, but Del Rio cut him off. Del Rio followed with a superplex, but Cara escaped a pin.

Del Rio lowered his kneepad to expose his bare knee, but Cara avoided a charging knee. Cara dropped Del Rio to the mat, then climbed to the top for a Swanton, but Del Rio moved and popped Cara in the face with the exposed knee. But, Cara escaped a pin. Del Rio freaked out, not believing that Cara kicked out.

Reset with Del Rio going to the top, but Cara cut him off. Del Rio fought off Cara, though, and delivered a top-rope double stomp to Cara's chest. Cara writhed in pain, setting up Del Rio to flow right into a spinning cross arm-breaker. Cara was forced to tap, giving Del Rio a win heading into the Rumble. As Del Rio celebrated in the ring, Philipps signed off with a final plug for the Rumble on Sunday.

WINNER: Del Rio via submission at 11:59. Solid TV match with a nice, new wrinkle of Del Rio trying to use the bare knee attack on Cara.

Overall, this was a solid hour of television. Two good singles matches, a Divas match with purpose, and focused, deliberate hype for the Royal Rumble on Sunday.

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