3/4 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Shelton Benjamin vs. Curt Hawkins, Akira Tozawa vs. Eric Young with four neckbreakers

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MARCH 4, 2020
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Mickie James

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Akira Tozawa survives four neckbreakers

(1) SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. CURT HAWKINS (w/Zack Ryder)

As the match started, Byron informed us that Hawkins and Ryder’s first WWE match was in 2007 against Benjamin and Haas. Benjamin had the upper hand early, but the moment Hawkins got in a mere two arm drags, Benjamin rolled out to ringside for an unofficial time out. Benjamin exchanged unpleasantries with Ryder on the floor, then rolled back into the ring. Hawkins, who had followed Benjamin out to the floor, followed behind him into the ring and rightfully caught a boot to the face as he entered.

Benjamin fired Hawkins into the corner, then suplexed him across the ring. Benjamin covered for a two-count. Benjamin applied an arm bar, then hit Hawkins with a spinning heel kick once he got to his feet. Benjamin went back to the arm bar. Hawkins delivered five right hand blows to Benjamin, causing Benjamin to push him off and into the ropes. Hawkins rebounded, emitted a high-pitched shriek, then hit Benjamin with a clothesline. Both men went down to the canvas.

Benjamin got to his feet first and ran at Hawkins, but Hawkins blocked a punch and came back with three of his own. He ran the ropes and hit a running forearm, then a drop kick. Hawkins took Benjamin down with a sitout scoop slam, then covered for two. Hawkins hit an enzuigiri in the middle of the ring, and covered for another two-count. Hawkins climbed to the top rope, leapfrogged Benjamin who had gotten to his feet, but then Benjamin ran at Hawkins in the opposite corner to land a knee strike. Benjamin applied an arm bar submission. Hawkins spent a few seconds inching toward the bottom rope, but then tapped out.

WINNER: Shelton Benjamin by submission.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Standard Main Event singles match.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Cena in-ring promo from Smackdown
• Replay of Heyman / Lesnar in-ring promo, featuring McIntyre attack, from Raw

Match rundown for upcoming PPV Elimination Chamber

• Replay of Goldberg / Reigns encounter from Smackdown
• Replay of Orton / Beth Phoenix in-ring encounter from Raw

(2) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. ERIC YOUNG

Young aggressively went after Tozawa early on, and while he did so, a lone male fan could be heard chanting “TNA!” five times before giving up. Young and Tozawa exchanged chops. Mickey explained that the chop was her least favorite move, because they “hurt so bad.”

Tozawa knocked Young out to ringside with a spinning kick, then ran the opposite ropes and prepared to dive through the ropes. Young, however, had moved out of range, so Tozawa climbed through the ropes to the apron, missed a kick at Young below him, then Young swept Tozawa’s feet with his arm, causing him to land hard on the apron. Young lined up Tozawa and took him down with a neckbreaker on the floor. Young poised at the crowd to very little reaction. Young rolled Tozawa into the ring and covered for two.

Young hit Tozawa with another neckbreaker, this time more deliberately. Young rained down with forearms, forcing Tozawa back to the apron. Young slid outside and delivered yet another neckbreaker on the floor. We cut to break.

Tozawa got a little momentum going, but Young soon quashed that with a reverse elbow and anther pin and two-count. He lifted Tozawa to his feet and landed a fourth neckbreaker, then pinned for another two-count. Young applied a chinlock.

Tozawa battled out and somehow turned the tide of the match when he reversed Young’s move into a hurricanrana that flung Young out to the floor. Tozawa revved up as before, but this time was able to execute the dive through the ropes, leveling Young at ringside. Tozawa screamed at the crowd, then cradled the back of his neck while wincing in pain.

Back in the ring, Tozawa hit a missile dropkick, aimed oddly at Young’s abdomen. He covered Young for two, and continued to hold his neck. In the corner, Tozawa set up for a superplex, but Young knocked him down and landed a big elbow drop. Young covered for another two. With Tozawa on the mat, Young tauntingly kicked lightly at his head, then screamed at the crowd, “This is your fault!” Tozawa got to his feet and, after a brief exchange, hit Young with a superkick. Tozawa hit a high-altitude senton onto the prone Young from the top rope. Tozawa covered and this was good for the three-count.

WINNER: Akira Tozawa by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Probably the most interesting Tozawa match in recent history. Young was clearly playing the heel, albeit a generic one with no character of his own. Very strange to see Tozawa absorb a move as unique as a neckbreaker four times and go on to win the match. He needs to enter a contest where neck durability is paramount.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.2

FINAL THOUGHTS: Main Event is unable to maintain the positive momentum from last week. The first match is skippable, the second match is a curiousity.

CATCH UP… 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