9/22 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Karrion Kross vs. Ricochet, Dorado vs. Alexander, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

First-time matchup: Dorado vs. Alexander

(1) LINCE DORADO vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER

Alexander applied a waist lock to start, then took Dorado down and controlled him on the mat. He held Dorado in a front chancery and yelled, “Come on, Lucha!” Dorado got to his feet, but Alexander transitioned into a wrist lock. Dorado countered the hold by snap maring Alexander to the canvas. He ran the ropes and took Alexander down two more times with a hurricanrana and a drop kick. Alexander rolled out to ringside. On the apron, Alexander shoved Dorado into the ring post, then slammed him to the ring edge with a clothesline. They got into the ring and Alexander applied a chin lock.

Alexander briefly tore at Dorado’s mask, then smashed him with an elbow to the skull. He forearmed Dorado in a corner, but Dorado mustered a couple of chops to Alexander’s chest. Alexander took control back and tossed Dorado onto the top rope, sling shooting him to the mat. Alexander kicked Dorado in the back and covered for two. Alexander went back to the chin lock.

Dorado escaped by way of a jawbreaker. He landed a few chops and waved his hand to shake off the sting. Alexander set up for a powerbomb but Dorado wriggled free. Alexander ended up hitting a loose Michinoku driver, then covered for another two-count. Alexander stood up and held his boot against Dorado’s throat. Dorado hit a lucha-style DDT, and both wrestlers lied stunned on the mat. Dorado used the ropes to get to his feet, then laid in another chop. He knocked Alexander down three times in the middle of the ring, then urged the crowd on. From the top rope, Dorado launched into a high cross body, then made his first cover for a two-count.

Alexander sidestepped Dorado in the corner, but still caught a short superkick. Dorado flew into a series of three moonsaults from each of the turnbuckles – Alexander dodged the third attempt, but caught another superkick. Dorado went into a handspring off the ropes, but Alexander intercepted him on the rebound with the Lumbar Check. He covered Dorado for the three-count.

WINNER: Cedric Alexander by pinfall in 6:20.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Decent action, though some of the exchanges could use some tightening up.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Belair Homecoming, featuring Kane, from Smackdown
• Replay of Flair / Alexa in-ring segment from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV Extreme Rules
• Replay of New Day vs. Bloodline from Smackdown

(2) RICOCHET vs. KARRION KROSS

Kross powered Ricochet into a corner, and when Kross backed off, Ricochet slapped him across the face. Ricochet hit a shoulder block, but Kross absorbed it. Kross leveled Ricochet with a shoulder block of his own. Ricochet landed a couple kicks, then took Kross down with a springboard drop kick off the top rope. Kross rolled out to ringside, and Ricochet juked a dive to the floor but instead bounced off the ropes and posed in the ring to taunt Kross, who shook his head in disapproval. We cut to break.

After the break, Kross was pretending to be a legit big man by resisting Ricochet’s holds before tossing him into the turnbuckles. Kross used the ropes to leverage his boot into Ricochet’s chin, then landed a big right forearm, sending Ricochet to the mat again. He landed a second forearm, this time to Ricochet’s mid-section. He suplexed Ricochet to the mat while shouting loudly. Kross covered for two, then applied a chin lock.

A “Ricochet” chant echoed briefly through the arena. Ricochet ducked a clothesline, then took Kross down with a springboard cross body. In a corner, Ricochet fed Kross a boot, then struck an enzuigiri with his free leg. Ricochet landed a series of jabs, then ran the ropes and took Kross down with a flying forearm. He hit a flying clothesline off the top rope, then landed a standing moonsault before covering Kross for a two-count.

Ricochet hoisted Kross into a fireman’s carry, but the big man facade was still in effect so Ricochet couldn’t hold him there for long. Kross slipped down and powerbombed Ricochet, then covered for two. Kross angrily applied the Kross Jacket – Ricochet appeared unresponsive and the ref called for the bell after a few seconds.

WINNER: Kross by referee decision in 6:40.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Not a news flash, but Kross’s entrance gear is bad. It looks like a costume from GWAR’s earliest incarnations. Let this not be a slight against GWAR, who were broke college students at the time and had no considerable budget. It’s laughable that his in-ring portrayal (against a cruiserweight, anyway) is that of a big man, when Kross is more like the average taken of a bunch of averages. They need to figure out a more worthwhile depiction for this guy.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.2

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

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