5/15 WWE Main Event TV Report: Fantastic Lucha House Party vs. Revival match, plus EC3 vs. Titus O’Neal is anything but fantastic

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MAY 15, 2019
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Renee Young, Vic Joseph

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Luchas and Revival bring excellent tag action.
• Gasp-worthy bump in said tag match.

(1) EC3 vs. TITUS O’NEAL

While the wrestlers made their low-energy, spiritless entrances, Vic asked Renee to make her picks for both of the upcoming Money in the Bank matches. Renee went with Drew McIntyre and Naomi. The bell rang and EC3 bowed out through the ropes to keep O’Neil at bay. When they locked up, O’Neil shoved EC3 and sent him tumbling toward the corner. Back on his feet, EC3 landed multiple blows and a chop to O’Neil in the corner.

The chop seemed to anger O’Neil, who returned with two huge vertical chops of his own. O’Neil posed for the crowd to minimal reaction. EC3 knocked down the charging EC3 with dual big boots up in the corner, the landed repeated blows to his prone opponent. In another corner, EC3 blocked and caught a front kick, then landed a kick to O’Neil’s remaining leg, causing him to crumble down to the mat. EC3 covered for a two-count, then locked in an arm bar.

While O’Neil battled out of the hold, Renee went off topic by claiming Becky Lynch was “crazy” to defend her titles in two matches at Money in the Bank. EC3 leveled O’Neil with a missile dropkick, then tried for three pinfalls in quick succession before applying a front chancery. EC3 twisted the hold around and executed a neck breaker, then screamed at O’Neil to “say my name!” EC3 ran the ropes and dropped the elbow, then shouted for O’Neil to “get up!”

O’Neil did get up, and EC3 got him into a suplex position, but couldn’t budge the bigger man. As EC3 repeated his efforts, a mild “EC3 / Let’s go Titus” battle chant emerged. O’Neil, unwilling or unable to milk this rare crowd exuberance, immediately turned the tide and suplexed EC3. The crowd died, as the move silenced them prematurely.

O’Neil got to his feet and landed chops, shoulder blocks, and a big boot. With EC3 stunned in the corner, O’Neil jogged in and landed a big splash. EC3 staggered toward the center of the ring where he was scooped up and thrown into Clash of the Titus for the three-count.

WINNER: Titus O’Neil by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis: A lumbering, uninspired match that instantly squandered the only bit of heat it managed to generate.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Seth Rollins video package, leading to his upcoming match against AJ Styles at MITB
• Replay of Women’s title match contract signings from Raw
• Replay of Firefly Fun House
• Replay of Strowman vs. Zayne, with the winner entering the MITB match, from Raw

(2) KALISTO & LINCE DORADO (w/Gran Metalik) vs. THE REVIVAL

Revival strutted down the ramp to their music. When one fan patted Dawson on the back, Dawson slammed on the brakes and angrily fired his elbow backward, which legitimately startled the fan. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ramp, Wilder motioned as if he was moving in for a high five with a fan, but at the last moment, retracted his hand and instead flicked his head and wet hair into the crowd, dowsing them with his hair water. Renee said that it’s “insane” and “embarrassing” what the Usos have been putting the Revival through, regarding their grooming and Usey Hot antics.

The match opened with good, fast-paced, back and forth action – and a clear portrayal of Lucha House Party as babyfaces and Revival as heels. Eventually, Wilder and Dawson were tossed out to ringside, which allowed Kalisto and Dorado to perform coordinated double backflips off of the turnbuckles, landing in the center of the ring. They posed for the crowd as we cut to commercial.

Back in the ring, Revival had control over Kalisto. Dawson toyed with the tail of Kalisto’s mask while Wilder paraded outside the ring making high pitched “Lu-cha” sounds. Dawson covered Kalisto with his knee across Kalisto’s face, but Kalisto kicked out. Kalisto executed a double hurricanrana on Wilder and Dawson, then scrambled to tag Dorado. Dorado landed a high cross body to Wilder, then a hurricanrana to Wilder. Dorado followed up with a drop kick and three moonsaults onto Dawson, one from each turnbuckle in the corner. His pin was broken up at two by Wilder, who dragged Dawson toward their corner, crawled through the ropes, then tagged himself in legally. Revival attempted a double-team clothesline, but Dorado thwarted their effort with the Golden Rewind.

Kalisto entered the ring and leapfrogged Dorado to land a dropkick to Dawson, who rolled out to ringside. Kalisto, now spotting Wilder on his feet at ringside, fired off the opposite ropes and dove between the middle and top ropes at Wilder. In an incredible maneuver, Wilder intercepted the airborne Kalisto and seamlessly twisted and tossed him back-first into the barricade. Dorado returned fire by spring boarding off the top rope and splashing Revival, leaving all four wrestlers on the floor.

Dorado and Dorado got back into the ring, and Dawson made a blind tag in. Revival executed Shatter Machine, and Dawson covered Dorado for the victory.

WINNERS: The Revival by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Just a fantastic tag match. The Revival’s heel antics from start to finish belong in a professional wrestling textbook. The Kalisto / Wilder spot outside of the ring was gasp-worthy. Instead of a showcase for Lucha House Party’s antics, it was a well-executed tag team match. Watch this.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.2

FINAL THOUGHTS: This show was a tale of two matches – skip the first and watch the second. The tag teams brought enough energy and impact to steamroll the singles match and finally galvanize the crowd. Check it out posthaste.

RECOMMENDED: 5/8 WWE Main Event TV Report: Strong episode featuring EC3 vs. Cedric Alexander, Nikki Cross vs. Peyton Royce