6/2 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Jeff Hardy vs. Mustafa Ali, Mansoor vs. Drew Gulak, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JUNE 2, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Mansoor and Gulak keep things grounded

(1) MANSOOR vs. DREW GULAK

The announcers touted Mansoor’s eight-match winning streak prior to the bell. The wrestlers grappled on the mat to start – Gulak had the upper hand and Mansoor got to a bottom rope to break it up. They locked up on their feet and had to be separated again when they went up against the ropes. Gulak controlled Mansoor with a wrist lock. Mansoor maneuvered into a head scissor takedown and kept his legs locked around Gulak’s head on the mat.

The wrestlers exchanged more holds pretty evenly on the mat. Gulak applied a unique upright submission hold and transitioned it into a pin and two-count. Gulak maintained the hold after the kick out, but the wrestlers exchanged a quick series of pin attempts. Gulak ended up on top with a side headlock, then rolled Mansoor onto his shoulders for another two-count. They got to their feet and Mansoor leapfrogged a somersaulting Gulak, then Gulak reached back and rolled Mansoor into a pin. Before the ref could even count one, Mansoor rolled through and into a jackknife cover of his own, and the ref made the three-count.

WINNER: Mansoor by pinfall in 5:50.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Interesting bout – the wrestlers were glued to the mat for 95% of the match. Dashes of excitement were mixed in when they turned up the speed with quick pins, but it never got flashy. Something different.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Usos / Reigns backstage segment from Smackdown
• Replay of Usos vs. Street Profits from Smackdown
• Replay of Reginald vs. Baszler from Raw
• Replay of Alexa’s Playhouse w/ Baszler from Raw
• Replay of Kofi vs. McIntyre from Raw

(2) JEFF HARDY vs. MUSTAFA ALI

Hardy controlled the match to start. Ali moved him into a corner and landed a series of kicks. Ali fired Hardy into the opposite corner, but caught a double-barreled kick from Hardy when he ran in. Hardy smashed Ali’s face into all four corners, then Ali collapsed in the middle of the ring. Hardy went for an early Twist of Fate but Ali pushed him off. With Hardy now against the ropes, Ali ran at him but Hardy executed a back body drop, sending Ali up and over the top rope to topple to the floor. Ali stood at ringside, allowing Hardy to knock him to the floor again with both boots through the ropes. Hardy ran off the apron and took Ali out with a flying clothesline. We cut to break.

Ali had turned the tide during the break and was driving his boot into Hardy’s chin in the corner. Ali hit a neckbreaker, then covered Hardy for two. Ali applied a chin lock on the mat. Hardy got to his feet and planted some elbows. Ali ducked a slow-motion clothesline, then hit another neckbreaker. He covered Hardy again for two. Hardy hit a jawbreaker in the middle of the ring, and both men were stunned on the mat.

Hardy struck first with a few right hands before knocking Ali down with a forearm shot. Hardy hit a basement drop kick, then splashed Ali on the mat and covered for two. Ali went for a tornado DDT but Hardy landed on his feet and transitioned into a sit-out face-buster, then covered for two. Ali slowly got to his feet and spun out of another Twist of Fate attempt, then clocked Hardy with a superkick. He covered but Hardy kicked out at two.

Finally, Hardy was able to hit the Twist of Fate on Ali, who was rolling in from the apron between the ropes. Hardy took his shirt off and climbed to the top rope but Ali rolled out of range to the floor. Hardy got onto the edge of the ring when Ali yanked the apron out from under him, causing Hardy to fall to the floor. Ali fired Hardy shoulder-first into the ring post, then rolled him back into the ring. Ali followed him in and applied the Koji Clutch. Hardy went motionless after a few seconds and the ref called for the bell.

WINNER: Mustafa Ali by referee decision in 8:30.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Apparently the flash was saved for the second match. Good buildup of Hardy’s finisher, though it failed to do any finishing. Nice heel tactics by Ali at near the match’s end. Hardy seemed a step slow at times, and the back-to-back neckbreakers seemed awkward – like they momentarily lost their place. Still a decent match.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 5/26 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali in a two out of three falls match, more