2/26 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: “Best episode of Main Event in in the modern era of its PWTorch coverage” – Jose vs. Shelton, Cedric vs. Riddick Moss

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 26, 2020
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Mickie James

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Two (2) good matches; best episde of ME in recent history
• Two (2) members of Jose’s Conga Line destroyed by Shelton Benjamin
• 24/7 Championship defended in actual match

(1) NO WAY JOSE vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

Benjamin immediately had the upper hand, landing blows against Jose in the corner, but Jose snapmared Benjamin before landing a drop kick. Jose took Benjamin down with an arm drag, causing Benjamin to roll out to ringside at the feet of Jose’s conga line. The line began to dance in his face, so Benjamin reacted accordingly by firing its nearest member into the ringside barricade. Jose came out to tend to the slain dancer, giving Benjamin time to assault another line member by power bombing him in midair into Jose. Byron, not understanding what life is all about, asked, “What is wrong with Shelton Benjamin?”

Benjamin slammed Jose arm-first into the ring apron, then rolled into the ring as the ref began to count out Jose. Benjamin rolled back outside and yanked Jose against the ring post by his wrist. In the ring, Benjamin executed an arm bar take down and covered Jose for two. He then applied an arm bar.

Pumping his free fist, Jose got to his feet and battled to eventually body slam Benjamin. Benjamin ran at Jose, but Jose leveled him with a big boot. Jose landed a few blows on Benjamin, then took him down again with a clothesline. Jose sold the damage to his shoulder momentarily, then hoisted Benjamin up and hit a flapjack, then covered for a two-count.

Jose climbed to the top turnbuckle and flew toward Benjamin, attempting something resembling a high cross body, but Benjamin intercepted by grappling the injured left arm into submission on the mat. Jose quickly tapped out to this modified arm bar.

WINNER: Shelton Benjamin by submission.

(Meyers’s Analysis: A nice match that told a miniature story about a bad guy beating up dancers, and a good guy losing because of an injury. Main Event matches always score bonus points when members of the conga line get destroyed.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Heyman / Lesnar in-ring promo from Raw
• Replay of McIntyre sit-down interview from Raw
• Replay of women’s Elimination Chamber contract signing from Raw
• Replay of Goldberg’s in-ring promo from Smackdown
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV Super Showdown
• Replay of Orton in-ring promo from Raw
• Replay of Orton vs. Owens, featuring crooked ref, from Raw

(2) RIDDICK MOSS (C) vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER – 24/7 Title Match

Moss quickly drew boos from the crowd after throwing Alexander to the mat and strutting around the ring, proclaiming, “He ain’t ready!” They locked up again, and Moss soon took Alexander down again with a sprinting shoulder block. He screamed, “I’m the greatest 24/7 champ of all time!”

Moss allowed Alexander to get to his feet of his own accord, and Alexander soon turned the tide by landing multiple chops to Moss in the corner. Alexander took Moss down with a missile drop kick, sending Moss retreating to the floor. From the apron, Alexander blasted Moss with a sweeping kick. He rolled Moss back into the ring and jumped at him from the ropes, but Moss clotheslined Alexander to the mat out of midair. We cut to break as both wrestlers recovered.

Moss was punishing Alexander after the break in two corners with repeated shoulder thrusts. He poised to the crowd, drawing more boos, before applying a waist lock to Alexander from behind. Alexander got to his feet, but Moss violently thrashed around, refusing to relinquish the hold, and pulled Alexander back to the mat. Alexander landed two reverse elbows, causing Moss to let go, but Moss landed a clubbing blow to end this momentum.

Alexander surprised Moss with a quick roll-up pin, from which Moss immediately twisted out of. Alexander landed on his feet, however, and landed a low drop kick to the back of Moss’s skull. Moss staggered to his feet, and Alexander laid in multiple shots to Moss, sending him reeling into a corner. Alexander hit a second low drop kick, this time with a running start, to Moss’s head. Moss rolled out to ringside, and within three seconds, Alexander was diving through the ropes to demolish Moss against the barricade. He rolled Moss back in. Alexander landed a diving DDT and covered for a believable near fall.

Alexander charged at Moss in the middle of the ring with a front kick attempt, but Moss intercepted and caught his leg. He hoisted Alexander upward and awkwardly spiked him onto the mat, back first – the wrestlers were on different pages for this move, and the announcers reacted with shock. Moss covered for a two-count.

Moss ran at Alexander from a corner, but Alexander caught him with a superkick. Alexander ran the ropes with a handspring and went for the Neuralyzer, but Moss stayed close and ducked, causing Alexander to somersault harmlessly over Moss’s back. Moss quickly ran the nearest ropes and smashed a rebounding Alexander with a huge uranage, then pinned for the three count to retain the title.

WINNER: Riddick Moss by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Probably the best match I’ve seen during my coverage of Main Event. Sure, it’s just the 24/7, but they still treated the match like a real title defense, and the crowd was hot for it. Non-stop action was kept fresh by the newly-added talent of Moss, and he was taking his 24/7 championship reign very seriously. This match easily could’ve been on Raw. There was one slip-up in the ring, but it didn’t disrupt the match and actually made Moss’s move look more dangerous, luckily without injuring anyone.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 9.2

FINAL THOUGHTS: Best episode of Main Event in in the modern era of its PWTorch coverage.

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