4/14 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: Mansoor vs. Tozawa, Garza vs. Gulak, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
APRIL 14, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

Garza and Gulak integrate their ring gear to annoy one another

(1) MANSOOR vs. AKIRA TOZAWA

During the match’s opening, Byron said that Mansoor sat in the crowd at WrestleMania 37 to motivate himself to get to that level. The wrestlers exchanged holds early on. Mansoor rolled through and reversed a wrist lock. He whipped Tozawa to the canvas with three consecutive arm drags and then applied an arm bar.

Tozawa battled out with punches, then ran the ropes. After some crisscrossing, Mansoor took Tozawa down with a drop kick. Mansoor rolled Tozawa up for a two-count, then transitioned into a single-leg crab. Tozawa crawled to the ring’s edge and grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold. Tozawa yanked Mansoor face-first into a turnbuckle, then tossed him to the mat with a German suplex. Tozawa scoop-slammed Mansoor, then hit a standing senton. He pinned Mansoor for two, then applied a chin lock.

Mansoor soon broke free and had Tozawa in another brief single-leg crab. Tozawa escaped but Mansoor hit a running knee to Tozawa’s face, then leveled him with a clothesline and reverse elbow. He executed his go-to combo of an inverted atomic drop into a spinebuster, then covered for another two-count. Tozawa missed a spinning kick, allowing Mansoor to take him to the mat with a dragon screw leg whip. Mansoor hopped to the apron and hit a slingshot neckbreaker before covering Tozawa for the three-count.

WINNER: Monsoor by pinfall in 5:25.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Standard Main Event match with standard back-and-forth action.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Alexa’s Fun House from Raw
• Replay of Firefly Fun House from Raw
• Replay of Asuka vs. Ripley from Raw
• Replay of Orton vs. McIntyre vs. Strowman from Raw

(2) ANGEL GARZA vs. DREW GULAK

As the ref called for the opening bell, Gulak removed his vest and fired it at Garza’s face. Garza played it cool and calmly removed the vest and used it to wipe the sole of his boot. They locked up and Garza applied a side headlock. The wrestlers ran the ropes and Gulak monkey flipped Garza who nearly landed on his feet. He stood up and the wrestlers paced around the ring, staring each other down. Gulak applied a wrist lock, but Garza came back with a chop to the chest and a few right hands. Gulak returned fire with a chop of his own, then fired Garza into a corner and followed through with a double barrel drop kick. He covered Garza for two. Gulak missed a second attempt at a similar drop kick in another corner, which allowed Garza to nail him with a back cracker. We cut to commercial with both men on the mat.

Garza controlled Gulak after the break with a front chancery. Gulak fired shots to break free, but Garza kicked Gulak in the mid section and tore his pants off to throw in Gulak’s face. This distraction allowed Garza to level Gulak with two clotheslines and a hurricanrana into a cover and two-count. He immediately hit Gulak with a superkick and covered for another two-count. Gulak fired Garza off the ropes and took him down with a clothesline of his own and covered for two.

Gulak attempted a suplex but Garza blocked the move and twisted into a corner to break up the hold. Gulak caught Garza’s superkick attempt and transitioned into an upright ankle lock. Gulak rolled to the mat and applied a rear choke and Garza appeared to be fading. Garza opened his eyes and inched toward the edge, eventually getting close enough to rest his boot on the bottom rope. Gulak held the hold until the ref’s four-count.

Garza got to his feet and hit a standing drop kick. Gulak was stunned but did not fall – instead he rolled up Garza for a surprise two-count. Garza returned the favor for a mere one-count. Gulak missed a clothesline, then Garza hit a right cross to Gulak’s chin. With Gulak rocked, Garza set up and hit the Wing Clipper, good for the three-count.

WINNER: Angel Garza by pinfall in 7:50.

(Meyers’s Analysis: This was definitely more interesting than the first match. The wrestlers seem to actively dislike one another and used their removable wardrobes to show it. Also cool to see actual submission holds beyond the standard chin lock.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.6

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 4/7 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: Mansoor vs. Drew Gulak, Lucha House Party vs. Garza & Tozawa, more