11/14 WWE Main Event Report: Alicia Fox vs. Dana Brooke, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder vs. Tyler Breeze & Apollo Crews

WWE MAIN EVENT #320
NOVEMBER 14, 2018
AIRED ON HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Foxy‘s bizarre antics.
• Can Hawkins break his mega losing streak?

(1) ALICIA FOX vs. DANA BROOKE

As Brooke fancily climbed into the ring, Percy explained her disappointment since breaking away from Titus Worldwide and the lack of forward progress she’s achieved on her own. The women circled each other before locking up, and Fox pushed Brooke into the corner and slammed her back into the turnbuckle three time before backing up to the center of the ring and flexing her biceps, mocking Brooke. They locked up again, and Fox shoved Brooke to the mat and flexed her biceps once again. Amidst the mockery, Brooke charged Fox and applied a leg scissors takedown into a pin and a two-count.

Brooke went behind Fox and rolled her up for another two-count. The wrestlers both sprung up and Fox struck first with a knee lift to Brooke’s midsection. Fox bounced off the ropes and landed a Thesz Press and slapped Brooke about the face before standing up and repeating the press and slaps again. Both wrestlers righted themselves, and Fox charged in to attack but Brooke scooped and slammed her to the canvas. The wrestlers crisscrossed until Brooke leveled Fox with a shoulder block. Fox rolled out of the ring and kicked the steps in frustration, and proceeded to sell her foot from said steps, causing me to laugh out loud.

Fox climbed back into the ring and said, “Wait, I just have to warm up.” She did a few high leg kicks, then did a pushup in the middle of the ring when Brooke’s patience had worn out. Brooke leaped over Fox, who was in the upright pushup position, and rolled her up for a pin but Fox kicked out at two. They got to their feet and Fox missed a clothesline, opening her up for another roll-up pin by Brooke for a two-count. Both women got to their feet and Brooke landed a single-leg drop kick to Fox, sending her staggering into the corner. Brooke emphatically screamed “Get up!” to the audience, who did not comply.

Brooke performed a handspring flip into a reverse elbow against Fox in the corner. Fox again rolled out to ringside, and Brooke used the time to show up Fox by doing one-arm pushups in the middle of the ring. When asked if he could do that, Nigel responded, “I can’t even do that with two arms anymore!“ Fox climbed onto the ring apron and kicked the approaching Brooke in the head, then entered the ring and landed a swinging neck breaker to the stunned Brooke. Fox made consecutive pin attempts but Brooke kicked out both times. Fox then slammed Brooke face-first into the mat before applying a rear chin lock. Brooke got to her feet and landed a jawbreaker to Fox, but Fox retaliated immediately with a clothesline and another pin. Frustrated, Fox slapped the backside of Brooke’s head and shouted, “I don’t know what to do with you!”

Fox stomped Brooke’s hand and foot, then drove her knee into Brooke’s back after Brooke had draped herself over the middle rope. Brooke got a rope break, but Fox wound Brooke’s pony tail around her fist, like how you might wrap the loose end of a rope around your hand for maximum grip, and reapplied a chin lock. Brooke got to her feet and lifted Fox onto her back in a piggyback position and bumped her against the turnbuckle to break free from the hold. Brooke started to walk away from the corner but Fox grabbed Brooke’s hair and slammed her back-first onto the mat, much to the referee’s disappointment.

Fox approached the prone Brooke with her arms comedically outstretched like Frankenstein’s monster and Brooke rolled up Fox again for a near fall. Fox quickly got to her feet, but Brooke put her back down with a clothesline. The wrestlers slowly got to their feet and Brooke landed four right hands to Fox before delivering three short clotheslines, yanking Fox repeatedly back to her feet by her wrist. Brooke bounced off the ropes and did another gymnastics flip to splash Fox, but Fox got her knees up to block the landing and rolled Brooke over for a pin. Brooke got out of the pin at the two-count by rolling back over into a pin of her own, this time for the three-count.

WINNER: Dana Brooke by pinfall.

(Meyers’ Analysis: It was refreshing to see the WWE Women‘s Division represented on Main Event. The match itself was nothing to write home about, but as usual, Alicia Fox provides entertainment with her bizarre antics.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Recap of Rollins’ promo regarding Ambrose turning and his handicap match against AOP from Raw
• Replay of Corey Graves interviewing Rollins, and Ambrose fireside chat promo from Raw
• Recap of Becky Lynch & Company invasion of Raw from Raw
• Replay of Lynch selecting her replacement to face Rousey from Smackdown

Check out this week’s episode of PWTorch’s Wrestling Night in America with Greg Parks…

In this episode of Wrestling Night in America, PWTorch columnist Greg Parks is joined by PWTorch.com contributor Jeff Vandrew Jr. to talk about the WWE landscape after Survivor Series. They also talk about the recently registered trademarks by the Elite group, and the upcoming ROH Final Battle PPV. They answer caller questions on Daniel Bryan’s top three babyface opponents, why WWE won’t let us miss Roman Reigns, and more.

-On Tune In Radio HERE
-On Apple Podcasts HERE
-Or search “PWTorch” or “Pro Wrestling Torch” on your podcast app of choice

(2) CURT HAWKINS & ZACK RYDER vs. TYLER BREEZE & APOLLO CREWS

Breeze used his selfie stick to take pictures of himself and Crews in the ring before the bell rung to start Crews off against Hawkins. They were about to lock up but Hawkins dashed and ducked through the ropes, yelling “Whoa whoa whoa,” causing the referee to move Crews away. Ryder seemed disappointed with Hawkins’ cowardly effort. Hawkins took Crews down with a headlock, but Crews reversed with a leg scissors around Hawkins’ neck. Hawkins kicked out to escape, and got to his feet and was overly pleased with himself when Crews landed a drop kick to send him to the mat. Crews dragged Hawkins toward the corner and tagged in Breeze, who entered the ring and twisted Hawkins around in a wristlock. Hawkins reversed and applied a wristlock of his own before tagging Ryder in.

Ryder telegraphed a back body drop to Breeze, who straightened up Ryder and whipped him against the ropes and attempted a back kick but Ryder caught his boot. Ryder spun Breeze round like a top and attempted the Rough Ryder, but Breeze dodged the maneuver by pushing Ryder higher than his intended trajectory, forcing Ryder to harmlessly leapfrog over his head. The wrestlers grappled into a corner, and the referee called for a rope break. Ryder backed away and slapped Breeze’s chest, and Breeze immediately shoved Ryder hard toward the center of the ring, then used a leg scissor takedown to roll Ryder into a single-leg crab.

Hawkins hopped into the ring, but retreated when Breeze relinquished his hold on Ryder and moved toward him. The mere distraction was enough, though, as Ryder had time to recover and land a dropkick to Breeze’s back. Breeze rolled out and collapsed at ringside.

-Ad break with no ad

Hawkins had Breeze in a chin lock in the center of the ring but Breeze quickly broke free to the crowd’s rhythmic clapping. Breeze rolled up Hawkins for a pin, but Hawkins had tagged in Ryder mid-move. Ryder shot into the ring to break up the cover with a boot to Breeze. Ryder straddled Breeze and landed two punches before lifting him to his feet and delivered a Rude Awakening into a two-count pin. Hawkins tagged back in and reapplied the chin lock. The crowd was dead silent.

As Breeze got to his feet, Hawkins moved him into the corner and tagged Ryder back in. Ryder and Hawkins double teamed Breeze for a hard takedown, and Ryder covered for another two-count. Hawkins tagged back in again and hoisted Breeze up onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry while Ryder climbed onto the second turnbuckle and motioned for Hawkins to come near with their victim, Breeze. Breeze was able to wriggle free and shove Hawkins from behind into the corner, knocking Ryder from his perch and to the floor. This allowed Breeze to crawl toward his own corner and dive to tag in Crews.

Crews ducked a clothesline from Hawkins and planted a back kick into Hawkin’s gut. Crews bounced off the ropes and kicked the hunched-over Hawkins in the face, ducked another clothesline, then leveled Hawkins with a flying clothesline of his own. Crews got to his feet with a spirited kip up, then performed a fall away slam to Ryder who had entered the ring at his own risk. Ryder rolled out to ringside, and the recovering Breeze took him by bounding over the top rope and landing a high cross body. As Crews watched the carnage at ringside, Hawkins moved in and rolled him up for a pin and a handful of tights, but Crews kicked out at two. Vic mentioned that Hawkins could end his losing streak.

Hawkins used a unique twisting suplex to slam Crews onto his back and scored another two-count. Hawkins was about to tag in Ryder, but Crews got back to his feet and yanked him away from the corner and lifted Hawkins into an atomic drop, but Hawkins escaped by flipping backward and landing on his feet. Crews swung and missed with a clothesline, and Hawkins landed a Pele kick as Crews followed through. Hawkins tagged in Ryder and hoisted Crews onto his shoulders as Ryder again scaled the corner, this time successfully landing the neck breaker to the exposed Crews. Ryder pinned Crews but Breeze broke up the count. Breeze threw Hawkins through the ropes but Hawkins steadied himself and landed his feet on the apron. Breeze noticed his target wasn’t on the floor as he intended, so he finished the deal with a super kick. Ryder charged at Breeze and clotheslined him over the top rope to join Hawkins.

Crews staggered Ryder with an enzuigiri, then lifted him toward the lights with an impressive overhead military press. Crews sustained this pose for over five seconds before dropping Ryder to the mat and executed a standing moonsault and pin for the three-count.

WINNER: Tyler Breeze & Apollo Crews by pinfall.

(Meyers’ Analysis: An average tag match. Crews is definitely energized, but Breeze seems bored and disinterested. It‘s interesting that the announce team continues the narrative of Hawkins‘ extravagant losing streak, and it prompts the question of whether Hawkins will ever win another match in WWE again. The Hawkins and Rider pairing is an odd one, as Hawkins exhibits heel behaviors while Ryder is a baby face.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 6.4

FINAL THOUGHTS: Not a noteworthy episode with the exception of women returning to the Main Event spotlight, highlighted with Alicia Fox doing her thing. Real-life friends Ryder and Hawkins have a nice chemistry in the ring, but Breeze needs some more pep in his step.

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 11/8 WWE Main Event Report: Breeze obviously repeatedly calling spots in the ring, Roode & Gable teamwork improving, staring top match