10/11 WWE Main Event Report: Ryder gets his first singles victory over his former tag partner Mojo, Revival up to old tricks, Operation Monochrome executed by announcers

WWE MAIN EVENT #315
OCTOBER 11, 2018
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY MIKE MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers:  Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Ryder‘s first victory over his former tag team partner
• The Revival up to their old tricks
• Operation Monochrome executed by the announce team

(1) ZACK RYDER vs. MOJO RAWLEY

Ryder made his entrance as the commentary crew described the “crazy weekend” that was Super Show-Down in Australia, citing AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, and TripleH vs. Undertaker as highlights.  Rawley made his way into the ring, and taunted Ryder with aggressive finger-pointing.  The ref ushered Rawley to his corner with some finger-pointing of his own.  Nigel explained that, since their split, Rawley has “taken off” while Zack has “struggled to get back on top.”

After a brief lockup, Rawley planted Ryder’s face into the canvas.  Zack quickly recovered and returned fire with a face plant of his own, which Vic identified as a Broski Buster.  Nigel pointed out that Ryder has never defeated Rawley.  Rawley whipped Ryder into the corner and chased, but Ryder got up the big boot.  Rawley staggered toward the center of the ring while Ryder scaled the corner.  Ryder leaped over a ducking Rawley, and Rawley quelled Ryder’s momentum with a shoulder block that sent him spinning to the canvas.  Rawley pinned Ryder for a two-count.

Rawley briefly mounted Ryder and delivered a couple stiff forearms to Ryder who was covering up.  Rawley stood up and postured to the crowd, proud of his domination.  Ryder stumbled into the corner, and Rawley got into a three-point stance, barrel rolled to the center of the ring, and speared Ryder in the corner.  Rawley then took Ryder to the mat with a gutwrench suplex.  Rawley slowly walked around the prone Ryder before delivering a quick knee drop to Ryder’s chest, followed by a boot to the shoulder.  Vic explained that Rawley was letting out some frustration for being overlooked for the World Cup Tournament “at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”

Rawley delivered more boots before applying a chinlock.  Ryder nearly escaped once, but Rawley re-applied the hold.  Ryder delivered blows to Rawley to break free, but Rawley knocked Ryder again to the mat with a knee to the midsection.  Rawley set Ryder up for a vertical suplex, but Ryder countered mid-move and landed a Rude Awakening to a very mild crowd reaction.

Both wrestlers got to their feet simultaneously.  Rawley charged at Ryder who was on the ropes, but Ryder blocked with a lifted knee.  After a rope bounce, Ryder leveled Rawley with a clothesline.  Rawley reversed Ryder’s whip into the corner, but caught a double knee-lift from Ryder as he charged in.  Ryder, from the middle turnbuckle, delivered a great-looking missile drop kick and pinned Rawley for a two-count.  Ryder had an interesting expression – not one of disbelief, but of light contemplation.  Okay, what next?

Ryder slowly guided Rawley to his feet by his head, when Rawley sprung into action and hoisted Ryder onto his shoulders and then into the air to splash Ryder belly-first onto the mat.  (Meyers’ Analysis:  It always stuns me when elite athletes, unlike the common housecat, can never land on their feet in certain situations.)  Rawley pinned Ryder for a two-count.  Percy asked, “How could Ryder respect or like Rawley on any level?”, and Vic confirmed that Rawley stabbed him in the back while Ryder was trying to be his mentor.  Ryder escaped the Alabama slam position and fired Rawley face-first into the center turnbuckle.  Ryder pointed across the ring at Rawley, smiled, and warmed the crowd up for the “Woo woo woo” chant – the most involved the crowd had been so far.  Ryder approached for the Broski Boot, but Rawley charged from the corner and leveled Zack with a chop block to the knee.  Rawley bounced off the ropes to attack again, but Ryder leaped and landed a Rough Ryder for the three-count.

WINNER:  Zack Ryder by pinfall.

(Meyers’ Analysis:  The crowd was reasonably pleased with the outcome of this reasonably decent match.  The announce team did a nice job of establishing the trajectories of either wrestler since their split, which gave a little more weight to this match‘s outcome.  Interesting to hear the announcers mention Crown Jewel for the first time on Main Event, not only by its title, but also its controversial location.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Recap of Triple H vs. Undertaker from Super Show-Down
• Replay of Triple H and Shawn Michaels’s promo from Raw
• Replay of Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott, culminating with Bella heel-turn from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV Evolution
• Replay of Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch from Smackdown
• Promotion for upcoming Smackdown Episode 1000, featuring the returns of Undertaker, Evolution (faction), and Rey Mysterio
• Promotion for World Cup Tournament at upcoming PPV Crown Jewel

CHECK OUT THE LATEST WADE KELLER PRO WRESTLING PODCAST…

PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents “Interview Friday” featuring ex-WWE Creative Team member Jason Allen who previews Evolution, provides his reaction to Saudi Arabia news, gives his thoughts on Roman Reigns leukemia announcement and how that affects the Raw babyface roster, and more.

-On Stitcher HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “Wade Keller” on your podcast app of choice

(2) HEATH SLATER & RHYNO vs. THE REVIVAL

Slater and Rhyno entered first, and while the Revival made their entrance, Vic commented that the Revival have been “ever so close” to the Raw Tag Team Titles.  Nigel added that their opportunity was “stolen away from them by Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre.”  Slater started the match against Dawson.  Slater smiled goofily at the crowd before locking up with Dawson in the center of the ring.  Dawson applied a side headlock, maneuvered around Slater and began wringing Slater’s arm.  Dawson leveraged Slater down to the mat while shouting “Ask him!” at the ref.  After a brief exchange, Slater gained the advantage with an arm bar after taking Dawson down with an arm drag.  Dawson got to his feet almost immediately, cueing Slater to tag in Rhyno.  Slater and Rhyno whipped Dawson off the ropes and executed a double reverse elbow, knocking Dawson to his back.  Meanwhile, Percy indicated that “Rhyno was thinking about selling his house, moving in with Heath, and starting a Daddy Day Care Facility.”  Vic asked if anyone would take their child to that facility, to which Nigel replied, without hesitation, “Absolutely not.”

Rhyno squared off against Dawson as half the crowd chanted “ECW.”  Dawson stunned Rhyno with a knee to the gut, and followed up by ramming Rhyno face-first into the double lifted knees of Wilder in the Revival’s corner.  Dawson tagged in the fresh Wilder, who began his attack with repeated European uppercuts, chops, and head butts to Rhyno.  Rhyno seemed irritated, and landed three loud chops of his own as he moved Wilder across the ring.  Rhyno tagged in Slater, and together they performed another double whip, this time to Wilder, and launched him into the air with a double back body drop.  Dawson entered the ring, planless, and was knocked out of the ring with a double shoulder block.  Wilder missed a clothesline and was tossed to ringside into Dawson, knocking both wrestlers to the floor as Slater and Rhyno taunted them from the ring.

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Wilder had gotten the upper hand on Slater, with Slater draped over the middle rope.  While the ref admonished and backed off Wilder, Dawson kicked Slater in the face from the ring apron.  Slater scrambled and nearly tagged in Rhyno, but Wilder intercepted, and attempted a clothesline.  Slater ducked and quickly rolled up Wilder for a two-count.  Wilder missed another short clothesline, allowing Slater to land a neckbreaker in the center of the ring.  Hot tag session ensued, with Rhyno and Dawson tagging in simultaneously.

Rhyno became a one-man wrecking crew, repeatedly knocking down both members of the Revival before refocusing his attention on the legal man, Dawson.  Rhyno whipped Dawson into the corner, but Dawson planted a stiff forearm to Rhyno’s face as he approached.  Dawson climbed the corner from the ring apron, but Rhyno caught him with a punch to the gut.  Vic, appropriately, said “We don’t see Dawson go to the top rope often.”  Rhyno maneuvered Dawson onto his shoulders, then planted Dawson into the mat with a modified RKO.  Rhyno had a believable three-count on the way, but Wilder yanked Rhyno out of the ring during the referee’s count.   Rhyno charged at Wilder, but Wilder dodged and guided Rhyno into the edge of the ring.  Slater chased Wilder into the ring and was intercepted by Dawson, who delivered a knockout DDT to Slater.  Rhyno, the dazed legal man, rolled back into the ring, as Dawson taunted the crowd with a sarcastic “E C DUB!” chant.  Rhyno took advantage with a quick roll up for a two-count.  Dawson tagged in Wilder in the midst of whipping Rhyno against the opposite ropes, and together the Revival performed Shatter Machine against Rhyno for the three-count.

WINNER:  The Revival by pinfall.

(Meyers’ Analysis: Above-average tag match, which is what you should bet on anytime the Revival are involved.  It‘s always refreshing in 2018 to see a pure two-person tag team without a cartoonish gimmick.  I also enjoy the size and strength dynamic between Slater and Rhyno.  The crowd was more into this match than the first, deservedly so.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 6.2

FINAL THOUGHTS: The tag match was the clear highlight here, and everything the Revival does should be studied by aspiring tag team wrestlers.  It’s fascinating to see Main Event getting on board with the promotion of Crown Jewel.  It will be worth watching to see how the promotion of the event evolves, since Main Event isn’t available on the WWE Network until after a two-week delay due to first-run rights on British television.

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 10/4 WWE Main Event TV Report: Three Reason to Watch, No Way Jose vs. Mike Kanellis, Mojo Rawley vs. Tyler Breeze