5/12 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Mustafa Ali vs. Ricochet, Naomi vs. Nikki Cross, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MAY 12, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Naomi and Nikki Cross return to TV action

(1) NAOMI (w/ Lana) vs. NIKKI CROSS

Cross made her entrance with Naomi and Lana already in the ring. She paused at the top of the ramp, appreciative of her surroundings. Naomi and Lana smiled and applauded her return to the ring.

The women shook hands, then locked up in a corner. Naomi patronized Nikki by patting her on the head, causing Nikki to take Naomi down into a brief jackknife cover. She took Naomi down with an arm drag, then applied an arm bar on the mat. Nikki punched down at Naomi while sat atop the corner. Cross started to stand on the top rope, but Naomi hit the vulnerable Cross with an enziguri, causing Cross to bounce off the apron and onto the floor.

Naomi rolled Cross back into the ring and covered for two. Naomi ran the ropes and hit a hard side headlock. Cross escaped with a jawbreaker, but Naomi hit a jumping kick to knock Cross to the floor again. Cross mounted the apron and kneed Naomi through the ropes, then leaped over the top rope to roll up Naomi for two. Naomi dropped a knee, then a leg drop, onto Cross before covering for a two-count of her own. Naomi locked her legs around Cross’s midsection.

They got to their feet and Cross clotheslined Naomi with her own arm, then ran the ropes and landed on Naomi with a seated senton. Cross covered for two. Cross fired Naomi into a corner, then fired up before running in with a splash. Naomi responded by shoving Cross into the opposite corner and hitting a springboard kick off the middle rope. She covered Cross for two.

Naomi hoisted Cross into a backbreaker, then covered for two. Cross fired Naomi into the turnbuckles, then, with Naomi’s legs draped across the middle rope, she hit a twisting neckbreaker to the canvas, good for the three-count.

WINNER: Nikki Cross by pinfall in 5:20.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Decent action from two seldom-seen women of WWE. Cross appears leaner and meaner and no longer exhibits a hyperactive exuberance. Good to see them both back.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay Cesaro vs. Rollins from Smackdown
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV WrestleMania Backlash
• Replay of Asuka vs. Ripley from Raw
• Replay of Lashley vs. McIntyre from Raw

(2) RICOCHET vs. MUSTAFA ALI

The men locked up hard and had a flurry of back and forth moves before pausing and locking up again. Ricochet leveled Ali with a right cross, then dropped a couple elbows and covered for two. Ricochet applied a chinlock 90 seconds into the match. Ali got to his feet and slammed Ricochet into the mat face-first. He planted Ricochet with a side suplex, then covered for two and applied a chin lock of his own. Ricochet battled out with blows to Ali’s abdomen, but Ali fired Ricochet through the ropes and into the announce desk. We cut to break.

Ali had control after the break and was screaming at Ricochet in the corner. Ali fired Ricochet into a corner, but Ricochet came out of it with a fury, repeatedly knocking Ali to the mat with a clothesline, reverse elbow, and forearm shot. He chopped Ali against the ropes, took him down with an arm drag, then rolled into a vertical suplex. Ricochet covered for two.

Ricochet deadlifted Ali from behind and delivered a delayed German suplex and bridged into a pin for a two-count. Ricochet got to his feet and chopped Ali in the corner. He situated Ali on top of the corner, but Ali kicked him off. Ali power-bombed Ricochet in the middle of the ring and covered for two. Ali climbed a different corner but Ricochet jumped and kicked Ali in the head, stunning him. Ricochet joined Ali on the top rope and hit a spectacular swinging neckbreaker onto the mat. Ricochet slowly covered Ali, and Ali broke the count by getting his boot on the bottom rope. The wrestlers found themselves on the apron, where Ricochet climbed a corner. The wrestlers moved onto the apron and Ricochet sat upon the top turnbuckle. Ali got to his feet and intercepted Ricochet before he could jump, then jumped off the apron while holding Ricochet by his neck. Both men landed hard on the floor and writhed in agony as the ref made the ten-count and called for the bell.

WINNER: No contest in 7:35.

(Meyers’s Analysis: More good action from these two for the third week in a row, highlighted by the two mega spots in the end. Unfortunately, none of this means anything as WWE, unable to break free from the tractor beam that is 50/50 booking, called for a no-contest finish for their rubber match. Perhaps they will settle the score on Payback’s kickoff show.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 5/5 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali, Jinder Mahal makes his return, more