7/17 WWE Main Event TV Report: Sam Roberts back on commentary, Dana Brooke vs. Sarah Logan, Titus O’Neal & No Way Jose vs. Eric Young & EC3

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JULY 17, 2019
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Sam Roberts

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Sam Roberts back for second straight week on commentary.
• EC3 takes a rare flight.

(1) DANA BROOKE vs. SARAH LOGAN

As the bell rang, Renee indicated that Logan has been “howling at that thunder moon.” Sam claimed to be the motivation behind any improvement we’ve seen from Brooke in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Logan overpowered Brooke in a corner, but once the ref backed her off, Brooke turned the tables and got in some high impact offense in the corner before landing a springboard elbow and bulldog. Brooke landed a handspring moonsault and covered for a two-count.

Getting to their feet, Logan missed a short right clothesline, then leveled Brooke with an immediate left clothesline. She covered Brooke for a two-count. The women exchanged blows, first on their knees, then on their feet. Eventually Logan finished the exchange with an elevated head butt, then knocked Brooke out to ringside with a baseball slide. When the ref began the count, Logan went out to ringside to roll Brooke back in. Logan applied a chinlock.

Brooke escaped the hold with a jawbreaker, but Logan immediately crushed her with a running knee to the ribs. Logan missed a front kick, and Brooke slipped down and rolled up Logan for a two-count. Logan applied a Texas Cloverleaf, but Dana eventually got her hands on the bottom rope and Logan was made to break the count, after lingering through the ref’s five-count.

Brooke dodged a double knee-strike in the corner, sending Logan sprawling out on the mat on her back. This gave Brooke the time to climb to the top rope, pose, then land a somersault senton onto Logan. This was good for the three-count.

WINNERS: Dana Brooke by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Not much rhyme or reason to these exchanges – it was clear they went down a checklist of planned moves. I didn’t buy that Logan was stunned beyond repair by running her knees into a turnbuckle, the move that allowed Brooke’s finishing aerial maneuver.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Recap of Reigns & Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon & McIntyre from Extreme Rules
• Replay of Shane McMahon’s town hall meeting from Smackdown
• Replay of Owens vs. Ziggler from Smackdown
• Replay of Balor vs. Samoa Joe, including the in-ring return of Bray Wyatt, from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV SummerSlam
• Replay of Cross-Branded All-Star Top 10 Battle Royal from Raw

(2) TITUS O’NEIL & NO WAY JOSE vs. ERIC YOUNG & EC3

Young slowly walked onto the stage for his entrance, muttering to himself. Byron, reading the finely-tuned Main Event script, said, “Young has been referred to a madman who embraces chaos at every level.”

Jose started against EC3, but quick tags were made by both teams. O’neil got the upper hand on Young, then tagged in Jose who was slammed onto Young by O’neil. Jose then applied a chinlock as we went to commercial.

Back from the break, Jose twirled Young in an airplane spin, then dropped him to the mat and pinned for a two-count. Jose splashed Young in the corner, but then got whipped into the opposite corner by Young. Jose fended off Young’s initial attack and hopped up onto the top turnbuckle. EC3 approached Jose on the ring apron, providing enough distraction for Young to blindside Jose, knocking him out to ringside. EC3 tagged in, then executed a big missile dropkick from the apron to Jose on the floor, then rolled Jose back into the ring.

EC3 landed repeated kicks to Jose in the corner, and when Jose slumped to the canvas, EC3 did a bizarre march of triumph toward the center of the ring, then became his normal self again upon reaching the middle. EC3 took Jose down with a neckbreaker, then covered for a two-count.

Young tagged in and conducted a brief beat down of Jose before tagging EC3 back in, who put Jose in a side headlock. Jose escaped the hold with a neckbreaker of his own, leading to a hot tag of O’neil who knocked down EC3 twice before giving Young, who ran in to help, the big boot. Jose tagged in and landed a high cross body, but Young broke up the pin with a flying elbow drop out of nowhere. The illegal men tumbled out to ringside, and amidst the chaos, EC3 rolled up Young for the pin.

WINNERS: Eric Young & EC3 by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Young and EC3 should be called “The Sad Sacks.” I‘ve never seen any duo look less satisfied with their lot in life than these two walking down the ramp. As for the match… it was mildly interesting. Unique pairings, and especially refreshing to see Eric Young on the show, although he did very little to impress. EC3’s drop kick off the apron was the match highlight.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 6.1

FINAL THOUGHTS: Main Event has probably seen enough Brooke vs. Logan for one month, and it’s starting to feel like we’re just watching them practice for a real show on some alternate plane of existence. The show is skippable unless you’ve got an unquenched thirst for Eric Young.

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