10/4 WWE Main Event TV Report: Three Reason to Watch, No Way Jose vs. Mike Kanellis, Mojo Rawley vs. Tyler Breeze

WWE MAIN EVENT #314
OCTOBER 4, 2018
REPORT BY MIKE MEYERS

Announcers:  Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, and Percy Watson

REASONS TO WATCH…

-Nigels McGuiness’s commentary during first match.
-Tyler Breeze’s comeback.
-Mojo Rawley’s heel clinic.

(1) NO WAY JOSE vs. MIKE KANELLIS

Vic Joseph was unable to think of a better way to kick off Main Event than with Jose’s entrance antics.  As Kanellis made his entrance, Nigel pointed out that since the Superstar Shake Up, Kanellis has been unable to get on the winning track.  As the match got underway with Jose applying a side headlock, Nigel suggested a strategy for Kanellis against Jose:  Stamp on his feet, kick him in the knees, stop him from dancing, “because it’s annoying.”

Kanellis knocked down Jose mid-ring with a shoulder block, then Jose grounded Kanellis with a modified arm drag.  Kanellis recovered and shot Jose shoulder-first into the ring post, then applied several stomps for good measure.  Kanellis pinned Jose for a two-count, then locked on a rear chinlock.

Jose, urged on by the crowd, began to get to his feet but Kanellis ended that momentum by whipping Jose back to the mat by his hair, which Nigel likened to a bird’s nest.  Kanellis snap mared Jose and re-applied the chinlock.  The crowd again clapped for Jose.  Back to their feet, Kanellis whipped Jose into the corner and followed through with a clothesline.  Vic pointed out that Kanellis was staying one step ahead of Jose this match.

Jose got the upper hand and splashed Kanellis in the corners three times to nice crowd reactions.  Jose landed a reverse splash off the middle rope and got a two-count.  Jose then landed a DDT for another two-count.  Percy said, “The power of love is certainly bringing Mike Kanellis something at this point.”  Nigel dryly replied, “It is a curious thing, Vic.  Makes one man weep, another man sing.”  Line of the night, and 25 cents to Huey Lewis.  Kanellis nailed a bent-over Jose with a superkick, then delivered a modified swinging RKO, hooked the near leg and got the three-count.  “It was just a matter of time before the power of love paid dividends!” said Nigel, and Vic said this was Kanellis’ first victory since coming to RAW.

WINNER:  Mike Kanellis by pinfall.

(Meyers’ Analysis:  Not much to this brief match.   Mainly notable for Nigel’s refreshing heel commentary, and a seemingly big first win for Kanellis since joining the Raw roster.  The commentators made multiple comments on Kanellis’ home life, and how it’s must be difficult for him to explain his many losses to Maria and his daughter.)

-Main Event recap session:

Replay of Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre from Raw
Replay of Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riot from Raw
Match rundown for upcoming PPV Super Show-Down
Replay of Becky Lynch promo / poster reveal from Smackdown
Replay of A.J. Styles sofa promo from Smackdown

(2) MOJO RAWLEY vs. TYLER BREEZE

The wrestlers locked up and Rawley immediately shoved Breeze to the canvas, and held up his hands to the audience, who booed Rawley as Breeze sheepishly got back to his feet.  Another lock up, and this time Rawley planted Breeze’s face to the canvas and gave his head a taunting shove from above.  Rawley took a seat on the bottom turnbuckle, and as Breeze approached, he leaned out through the ropes and urged the referee to stop Breeze.  This drew more boos from the crowd.  Rawley emerged from his break with a front kick to Breeze, causing him to collapse again to the mat.  Rawley shook his head, bewildered by his pathetic opponent.

Rawley slowly bounced off the ropes, but Breeze caught him with a back kick to the midsection, followed by a low drop kick to the head of his stooped opponent.  Breeze nailed a flying forearm in the corner, and another one mid-ring.  Breeze laid in a brief beating in the corner, when Rawley knocked down Breeze as he was being admonished by the ref for the corner attack.

Rawley straddled Breeze on the mat for a brief ground and pound, then brought him to his feet for a headbutt.  Rawley snap mared Breeze to the mat from the corner, and layed in an arm bar.

-Susan G. Komen video.

Rawley maintained the upper hand, blasting his shoulder into Breeze’s midsection in the corner, before slamming him to the canvas for a two-count.  Rawley again postured angrily to the crowd, and flicked his chest sweat into Breeze’s face.  Breeze landed an enzuigiri, knocking Rawley down.  Breeze scrambled to the middle turnbuckle and launched a high cross body, but Rawley caught him in mid air and again slammed him to the mat.  Breeze made his way to the ring apron, and while Rawley was pulling him up by his hair, Breeze landed a second enzuigiri, knocking Rawley to his knees.  Breeze used the hunched-over Rawley as a fulcrum to flip back into the ring, and brought Rawley to the mat with a leg scissor takedown before applying a single-leg crab to a nice crowd pop.

The crab didn’t last long, as Rawley powered out and shot Breeze into the corner with football strength.  Breeze rolled a smooth hurricanrana into a pinfall / fist attack / two-count.  Breeze scaled the corner and tried a second high cross body – this time the dazed Rawley couldn’t catch him, but Rawley managed to roll through the landing for a pin of his own, and a two-count.  The wrestlers criss-crossed off the ropes and Rawley strangely deflected Breeze into a spinning landing on the ring – not sure what exactly that was.  Rawley went for another pin, and was irate at the referee after a two-count.

As Breeze got to his feet, Nigel said Tyler Breeze “now has one last opportunity.”  Why only one?  Are opportunities measured like MLB mound visits?  Rawley hoisted Breeze into an Alabama slam position, but Breeze escaped and quickly landed a spinning heel kick and the three-count.

WINNER:  Tyler Breeze by pinfall.

(Meyers’ Analysis:  This match was better than the first, due to the heat on Rawley and Breeze’s easy likeability.  I got excited with the crowd when Breeze applied the submission move in the middle of the ring.  Like the first match, the commentators pointed out one wrestler’s recent struggles (Breeze), then that wrestler went on to win.  It appears that the main roster is off limits for Breeze until Fandango returns from his injury.  The commentators made multiple mentions of Fandango and the Fashion Police, so we’ll likely see the duo on TV again down the line.  Rawley’s talents are largely untapped by WWE – his heel antics are so solid, he could do just fine on the main roster at a midcard level.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.0 

FINAL THOUGHTS: An above average episode of Main Event.  Although the first match was uninspired, it was made amusing by the efforts of the comentary team, mainly Nigel.  The second match was entertaining on its own merits.  Seeing Rawley at this level merely whets the appetite.  I’m left wanting more:  Promos to develop his character and his mission, and higher-profile opponents.

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