12/30 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Nikki Cross vs. Reckoning (w/Mustafa Ali), Akira Tozawa vs. Angel Garza

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
DECEMBER 30, 2020
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Nikki Cross dials up intensity in rematch against Reckoning

FULL SHOW REVIEW

The show opened cold with an “In Memory of Jon Huber” still image.

(1) NIKKI CROSS vs. RECKONING (w/ Mustafa Ali)

After Cross’s entrance, a short backstage interview was shown with Cross who was visibly frustrated and declared that 2021 would be a better year – this was coming off of last week’s loss to Reckoning.

The bell rang and Reckoning muscled Cross backward into a corner, then slapped Cross’s chest with both hands before backing off. Cross strutted to meet Reckoning in the middle but Reckoning instantly knocked her down. Cross came back with a cross body, then repeatedly slammed Reckoning’s head into the canvas by her hair. Cross set up to monkey flip Reckoning, but Reckoning remained upright and instead dropped Cross face-first onto the top turnbuckle.

Cross dodged Reckoning’s attack in the corner, then rolled her up for a two-count. Cross leveled Reckoning in the middle of the ring, but Reckoning yanked down the middle rope when Cross charged at her, causing Cross to spill out to ringside. Ali was standing nearby and backed up slightly with his hands harmlessly in the air. Cross got up, holding her chin, and turned to face incoming danger: Reckoning with a big boot. Cross writhed on the floor while Ali shouted, “All that pain, you take it out on her!” Reckoning nodded and rolled Cross into the ring. She covered but Cross kicked out at one. Cross got to her knees but Reckoning landed a kick to the side of her face, then covered again for two.

Reckoning lifted Cross to her feet by way of a full nelson, then executed a dragon suplex which she bridged into a pin and two-count. Cross stunned Reckoning with a jawbreaker, but both women ran the ropes and cross-bodied each other in the middle of the ring. They got to their feet simultaneously, but Cross struck first with three forearm shots. She landed two clotheslines while maintaining a wristlock, then dropped two seated sentons. Reckoning slumped against the corner, where Cross ran in and hit a cross body against the turnbuckles. Cross covered for two. Cross hit a tornado DDT, and followed up with a spinning neckbreaker – a combo good for the three-count.

WINNER: Nikki Cross by pinfall in 4:10.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Predictably, Cross gets a win back from last week. Another decent showing from both. It’s anticlimactic when Ali screams at Reckoning to take her pain out on Cross, then Reckoning merely rolls her in the ring for a pin attempt. Wouldn’t a mounted flurry of forearm shots seem more appropriate? Speaking of flurries, Cross’s series of big offensive moves made for a strong, believable finish.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Reigns vs. Owens Cage Match for Universal Title from Smackdown
• Replay of Zayn vs. Big E Lumberjack Match for IC Title from Smackdown
• Replay of Orton / Bliss in-ring segment from Raw

(2) ANGEL GARZA vs. AKIRA TOZAWA

Moments after the bell rang, Tozawa performed a spin-kick exhibition. Garza removed his tear-away pants and threw them into Tozawa’s face, then delivered a series of forearms and knee strikes. He applied an arm bar while grinding Tozawa’s face into the mat with his elbow. Garza landed a knee strike to Tozawa’s face, and followed up with a kick to his face while Tozawa was seated in the corner. Tom reminded the audience of how Garza recently presented Sara Schreiber with a rose. Tozawa climbed to the top rope, but Garza was right behind him and rained down a series of forearm blows, then delivered a running punt kick to Tozawa who was hanging upside down from the top turnbuckle. Garza posed briefly before covering for two. Tozawa dodged a Garza attack and managed to land a forearm strike, but Garza came back immediately with a superkick to Tozawa’s face. We cut to break.

Garza maintained control through the break and put Tozawa in a camel clutch. Tozawa grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold, but Garza leveled him once more with a right cross. Garza casually covered for two, then applied an abdominal stretch. Tozawa elbowed his way out, then reversed out of a powerbomb attempt with a hurricanrana to Garza. He followed up with a shining wizard, then climbed to the top rope and launched into his flying reverse elbow, knocking Garza to the canvas. Tozawa covered for two.

Garza tricked the foolish babyface into chasing him out of and then back into the ring, allowing Garza to smash Tozawa with a baseball slide. He made another lazy pin for a two-count. Garza helped Tozawa to his feet, then laid in two chest chops. Tozawa maneuvered Garza into an octopus. Garza started to fade, but stood upright and tossed Tozawa to the mat. Garza hit another superkick to Tozawa, who was on his knees. Garza hit the stunned Tozawa with the Wing Clipper, then covered for three.

WINNER: Angel Garza by pinfall in 6:20.

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

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42