SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JANUARY 22, 2020
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Byron Saxton, Mickie James
REASONS TO WATCH…
- Main Event debut of Deonna Purrazzo
- Alexander and Benjamin deliver good action
(1) SARAH LOGAN vs. DEONNA PURRAZZO
The wrestlers exchanged headlocks and arm bars while the commentators discussed Royal Rumble strategy and rules. Logan broke an arm bar by getting to the bottom rope, but Purrazzo then took her down with a side leg sweep and applied another arm bar. Logan quickly escaped, but Purrazzo went for yet another arm bar. Logan countered with a head butt, then laid in kicks and shoulder thrusts to Purrazzo in the corner.
Logan applied what appeared to be a rear choke, and Purrazzo looked distressed. Purrazzo eventually threw Logan off her back, but Logan countered with a drop kick and a cover for a two-count. Logan then kicked Purrazzo out to ringside under the bottom rope. She rolled Purrazzo back into the ring and covered again for two, then delivered a series of forearm shots.
Logan stood over her prone opponent, and with no sense of rhythm, dropped for another cover and two-count. Both women got to their feet and Purrazzo landed two chops to Logan’s chest, but her suplex attempt was blocked by Logan. Instead, she hip tossed Logan to the mat, performed an energy-wasting back flip, then landed a basement drop kick to Logan’s face. Byron shouted, “Former gymnast!”
Logan missed a clothesline, but then hit a bicycle kick. She dragged Purrazzo, by her arm, face-first into the middle rope, then landed a running knee strike to Purrazzo’s face. Logan covered again, this time for the three-count.
WINNER: Sarah Logan by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Not much to see here. No major errors, but it felt brief and uneven.)
-Main Event recap session:
- Replay of Reigns vs. Roode Tables Match from Smackdown
- Match rundown for upcoming PPV Royal Rumble
- Replay of Viking Raiders vs. Rollins & Murphy Tag Team Championship match from Raw
- Replay of Kane, Fiend, and Daniel Bryan from Smackdown
- Replay of Lana & Lashley vs. Rusev & Morgan from Raw
(2) CEDRIC ALEXANDER vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN
As the match got underway, Byron said that Benjamin has been carrying bitterness with him the past year or so. He said that Benjamin complains about “the system not respecting his talents.”
The men did a little mat wrestling and exchanged holds to start, until Benjamin fired a right forearm through Alexander’s chin. Alexander turned up the gas by twist flipping over Benjamin, then attempted a hurricanrana that Benjamin blocked. He somersaulted under a clothesline attempt, then leveled Benjamin with a standing drop kick. This allowed him to hit a successful hurricanrana, then knocked Benjamin down again with an elbow strike.
When Alexander went to the top rope, Benjamin scrambled up the turnbuckles to meet him, then slammed him to the mat below. Benjamin applied a chinlock. This only lasted a few seconds before Benjamin whipped Alexander back-first into the corner. Alexander fired back with two chops, but then Benjamin caught Alexander with a spinning heel kick to the head. Benjamin covered for two. We cut to commercial.
Benjamin had maintained control through the break, and was body slamming Alexander when we returned to action. He dropped a knee to Alexander’s face then covered for two before applying a headlock. Alexander escaped with a jawbreaker, and both men rolled away on the mat. Both wrestlers got to their feet and Alexander took control with a series of strikes and clotheslines, then a basement dropkick to the back of Benjamin’s head.
Alexander kip upped and received some cheers from the crowd. Alexander knocked Benjamin off the ring apron, then landed a running dive to the outside between the bottom and middle ropes. He scrambled back into the ring, then repeated the spot, this time between the middle and top ropes. The crowd started to swell, and Alexander looked around, ready to try the diving trifecta. He ran again toward the ropes but this time was blocked by Benjamin’s knee.
Benjamin rolled into the ring and stalked the stunned Alexander. Alexander quickly rolled up Benjamin for a surprise pin attempt, but Benjamin kicked out at two. Benjamin dodged Alexander’s Neuralyzer setup, then countered with a powerbomb / pin combination for a another two-count. Benjamin stayed locked on, rolling out of the kickout while maintaining an ankle lock. Alexander countered the hold by rolling Benjamin into another pin and two-count.
Alexander hit a crescent kick and a tornado DDT, stunning Benjamin. Alexander did another back handspring against the ropes, this time hitting Benjamin with the Neuralyzer for the three-count.
WINNER: Cedric Alexander by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Considerably above average for Main Event, once the match got going. Alexander’s high-flying tease was fun, and the match featured believable near falls and counters.)
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.0
FINAL THOUGHTS: Skip the first match, check out the second.
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