3/31 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: Angel Garza vs. Mansoor and Humberto Carrillo vs. Drew Gulak

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MARCH 31, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Mansoor’s undefeated streak is on the line.
• A rare opportunity to play “Spot the Botch!”

(1) ANGEL GARZA vs. MANSOOR

During his entrance, the announcers discussed how Mansoor is undefeated with 43 wins, including three wins on Main Event. Garza, looking unimpressed, leaned casually against a corner.

The wrestlers locked up and Garza pushed Mansoor up against the ropes. They split up and Garza applied a waist lock. Mansoor reversed into a headlock and kept it on tight when Garza tried to fire him off. The wrestlers took turns using wrist locks to leverage one another down to the mat. Garza bit Mansoor’s hand while holding a wrist lock. They traded arm bars, then botched a slingshot suplex / arm drag attempt off the top rope. Mansoor applied an arm bar to Garza on the mat.

This hold didn’t last long before Garza tossed Mansoor into the air and kicked him in the chest on his way down. Garza tore his pants off and went on the offense and pinned Mansoor for two near the corner. He snap-mared Garza to the mat, then nailed him with a basement drop kick. He briefly stalked Mansoor on all fours before applying a dual arm-stretch with his knee in Mansoor’s back. Mansoor got to his feet but Garza threw him back-first to the mat. Mansoor fired back with a suplex. Both men struggled to their feet.

Mansoor blocked three rights from Garza and returned fire. He leveled Garza with a clothesline and forearm shots. Mansoor executed an inverted atomic drop which transitioned into a spinebuster. He covered Garza twice; Garza kicked out twice. Mansoor attempted a tornado DDT but Garza escaped on the way down. He leveled Mansoor with a right cross and covered Mansoor but the ref caught him using the ropes for leverage on the pin. Meanwhile, while Garza bickered with the ref, Mansoor recovered enough to surprise Garza with a roll-up pin and victory.

WINNER: Mansoor by pinfall in 5:40.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Main Event always feels refreshed when a seldom-used wrestler like Mansoor is added to the mix of usual players. The action was decent, but the match gets marked down for the blown spot and stupid surprise finish.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Daniel Bryan / Edge in-ring segment from Smackdown
• Replay of Benjamin vs. Lashley from Raw
• Replay of Alexa’s Playground from Raw
• Match rundown for WrestleMania

(2) HUMBERTO CARRILLO vs. DREW GULAK

The wrestlers twisted around the ring in a collar-and-elbow tie up. Gulak took Carrillo to the mat with a waist lock takedown. Carrillo leveled Gulak with a drop kick, then covered for a one-count. They struggled on the ring apron, then Gulak yanked Carrillo down neck-first across the top rope. Gulak climbed to the top rope but Carrillo scrambled to his feet and took Gulak for a ride with the Spanish Fly. He covered for an early near-fall. We cut to break.

Carrillo was in control with an arm bar after the break. Carrillo dropped Gulak with a sidewalk slam and covered for two. He then tried a snap suplex and another cover, this time only good for a one-count. Gulak body slammed Carrillo and covered for a two-count of his own. Gulak was first to his feet and nailed Carrillo with a drop kick to the shoulder, then another one to send him rolling out to the floor. Carrillo paced outside of the ring and rolled back in at the ref’s six-count.

Carrillo attempted a springboard kick off the middle rope, but Gulak saw it coming and turned it into an angle lock in the middle of the ring. He dropped onto Carrillo’s back and cinched in a chin lock. Carrillo rolled over to initiate a ref count, which led to Gulak relinquishing his hold. The wrestlers climbed to the top rope where Gulak went for a super side slam, but Carrillo transitioned into a cross body such that Carrillo landed in a pinning position. Gulak kicked out at two.

Carrillo hit Gulak with a springboard flying headbutt, then covered Gulak. Gulak wriggled free and applied a dragon sleeper, but this was short-lived as Carrillo got his boot on the bottom rope. The wrestlers exchanged quick roll-ups and pin attempts, culminating with a Carrillo victory. The wrestlers shook hands after the winner announcement.

WINNER: Humberto Carrillo by pinfall in 7:35.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Even better action in this match, albeit with another silly ending. Usually, a flurry of quick back-and-forth pins is a cool pace-buster that shows each wrestler barely keeping up with the other before transitioning into a bigger, thoughtful ending. Instead, someone actually got a three-count on a roll-up in the midst of the exchange. Anticlimactic.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.2

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 3/24 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak and Gran Metalik vs. Angel Garza