3/24 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak and Gran Metalik vs. Angel Garza

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MARCH 24, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Tozawa’s offense gets cranked up a notch.
• Metalik and Garza deliver solid action,

(1) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. DREW GULAK

During ring entrances, Byron explained that since Tozawa and Gulak recently lost a tag match on Main Even, they blamed one another for the loss and decided to take the disagreement to the ring.

Tozawa screamed “Ninja power!” and posed, allowing Gulak to deliver a kick to his midsection. Tozawa twirled Gulak to the mat with a head scissor takedown, then knocked Gulak off the apron and into the ringside barrier. Tozawa threatened to dive at Gulak through the ropes, but Gulak moved out of the way and toward the barrier corner. Tozawa got onto the apron and smashed Gulak with a running cannonball. He rolled Gulak into the ring and covered for a one-count.

Gulak absorbed a few punches from Tozawa before scooping and slamming him to the mat. Gulak laid in a couple kicks, dropped an elbow, then covered for a one-count. Tozawa escaped another body slam attempt, landed a few slaps, but Gulak fired back with a backbreaker and covered for two. Gulak dropped three elbows onto Tozawa’s neck, then applied a right-arm stretch, using Tozawa’s head for leverage. Tozawa got a rope break, then escaped from a chinlock before taking Gulak down with another head scissor. Tozawa hit a shining wizard, then climbed to the top rope and landed a flying senton. He covered Gulak for two.

Gulak slowly got to his feet and Tozawa applied an octopus in the middle of the ring. Rhythmic clapping echoed through the Thunderdome as Gulak reversed out of the hold and planted Tozawa with the Cyclone Crash neckbreaker. He pinned Tozawa for the three-count.

WINNER: Drew Gulak by pinfall in 4:40.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Not much going on in such a brief match, but Tozawa’s cannonball off the ring apron to the floor was the definite highlight.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Asuka vs. Royce from Raw
• Replay of Benjamin & Alexander vs. McIntyre from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV WrestleMania
• Replay of Orton / Fiend in-ring confrontation from Raw

(2) GRAN METALIK (w/ Lince Dorado) vs. ANGEL GARZA

The wrestlers grappled on the mat to start the match, exchanging holds evenly. They got to their feet and Garza was leveled by a shoulder block and a reverse springboard elbow by Metalik. Garza rolled out to ringside, and Metalik attempted a baseball slide under the bottom rope. Garza saw this coming and sidestepped while yanking Metalik’s feet across the apron, causing Metalik to sprawl out onto the floor. We cut to break.

Back in the ring, Garza had control and was blasting a grounded Metalik with kicks to the back. He fired Metalik off the ropes, launched him skyward on the rebound, and kicked him in the chest on his descent back to the mat. With Metalik stunned, Garza was able to rip his own pants off. Garza wrenched on Metalik’s arm and planted a couple knee strikes. Metalik hit a surprise roll-up but Garza kicked out at two, then took Metalik down with a low drop kick. He snap mared Metalik and applied a double arm bar.

Metalik escaped with a unique throw, then hit a charging Garza with a reverse elbow and big boot. Metalik spun into his “king of the ropes” maneuver, from which he leveled Garza with a double-barrel drop kick. He covered Garza for two. Metalik missed a clothesline, then Garza drove him to the mat with a uranage and covered for two. Garza tried another immediate pin for another two-count. Metalik broke free from a slingshot suplex, then smashed Garza with a springboard elbow off the middle rope. He covered Garza for two.

Metalik moved Garza into position on the mat, then climbed to the top rope. He flipped into a moonsault but Garza had rolled out of the way. Reacting to this, Metalik landed on his feet and somersaulted backward. Garza launched from the corner and turned Metalik inside out with a well-timed running clothesline. Garza smashed Metalik’s jaw with a right hook then planted him into the canvas with the Wing Clipper.

WINNER: Angel Garza by pinfall in 7:10.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Solid action from these two with a fun variety of unique moves. It’s a shame the weird formatting of Main Event seems to require rest holds during every match when we know these guys could crank out more offense if not for that limitation. Similar to the first match, Kevin attempted to force intrigue into this matchup by claiming they were each fighting for the pride of their home country Mexico.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.4

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42,

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 3/17 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: Humberto Carrillo vs. Angel Garza and Lince Dorado vs. Akira Tozawa