12/15 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Apollo Crews vs. T-Bar, Alexander vs. Mahaan, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
DECEMBER 15, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Main Event adds flavor: Pre-match promo, post-match altercation

Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin made a standard ring entrance, but instead of an opponent’s introduction, Alexander stood in the center of the ring with a mic while Benjamin leaned against a corner in the background. He spoke of his opponent tonight, Veer Mahaan. He called Mahaan a top prospect. “But notice I said prospect. I have been here for years. Until you come into this ring and prove yourself to somebody, you mean nothing in this business. So, Veer Mahaan, come prove yourself to Prime Alexander!”

(1) CEDRIC ALEXANDER (w/ Shelton Benjamin) vs. VEER MAHAAN

Alexander spent the opening moments screaming at Mahaan at the top of his lungs. He placed his mouthguard and Mahaan immediately struck, knocking him to the mat. He body slammed Alexander, then screamed at him to get up. Mahaan dragged Alexander by his ankle to the middle of the ring, away from Benjamin where Alexander was looking for assistance. Mahaan dropped to the mat with an overhead fist, but Alexander rolled out of the way. Alexander hit a low-altitude drop kick, then applied a headlock.

Mahaan got to his feet and fired Alexander into a corner, but Alexander came back with several quick shots in the same corner and applied a choke hold to Mahaan. He backed off the choke and kicked Mahaan three times in the face. Mahaan was merely angered by these strikes and caught the next one with his hands. He missed a swinging backhand, allowing Alexander to land a strike. They both ran the ropes and the larger Mahaan jumped and leveled Alexander with a splash takedown. He hit a running elbow strike in the corner, then took Alexander down with a sidewalk slam in the middle of the ring. Mahaan followed up with a standing elbow drop. Alexander slowly got up and Mahaan wound up, reminiscent of a left-handed baseball pitch, and turned Alexander inside out with a big clothesline that Kevin called the “Million Dollar Arm.” He covered Alexander for three.

WINNER: Veer Mahaan by pinfall in 4:15.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Interesting to see the references to Mahaan’s baseball background continue as he prepares for his main roster debut. Mahaan seems clunky in the ring, and his “WWE frightening foreigner” persona combined with the baseball stuff is a little mystifying. It will probably last a solid month on Raw before being sequestered back to Main Event and beyond.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Zayn / Lesnar in-ring segment from Smackdown
• Replay of Lynch / Morgan in-ring segment from Raw
• Replay of Lashley vs. Big E from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV Day One

(2) APOLLO CREWS (w/ Commander Azeez) vs. T-BAR

T-Bar quickly scooped Crews up and struck his ribs with a knee lift, then tossed him to the mat. Crews splashed T-Bar in a corner, then hit three low drop kicks, the third landing on T-Bar’s head. Crews covered for one. T-Bar held his head, but then drove Crews into a corner. He delivered a backbreaker, then jumped from the middle rope to splash Crews on the mat. T-Bar covered for two.

T-Bar climbed a corner and sat on the top turnbuckle in waiting, ready to have the high-ground advantage over Crews. Azeez climbed the ring steps, which drew T-Bar’s attention away from the ring. This allowed Crews to run up and knock T-Bar off the turnbuckle – he bounced off the ring apron and down to the floor. We cut to break.

Crews had T-Bar in a chin lock after the break, and kicked T-Bar in the chest after he began to power out. T-Bar came back with a superkick, then issued a sit out chokeslam from the corner. T-Bar covered for two. T-Bar crawled to a corner, holding his neck from the earlier fall. Crews slowly got to his feet and struck first with an enziguri. T-Bar fired back with a reverse elbow, then tossed Crews with a suplex before covering for another two-count. Crews hit a dropkick off the middle rope, then landed a standing moonsault (where only his head and hands made contact with T-Bar) before covering for two.

Crews was first to his feet. He moved behind T-Bar and dropped him on his back. Crews climbed to the top rope and rolled through a frog splash when T-Bar moved aside. T-Bar was already on his feet and hit a big boot, then followed up with Eyes Wide Shut. T-Bar covered for three.

WINNER: T-Bar by pinfall in 5:45.

-Azeez entered the ring to size up T-Bar. T-Bar pointed at him in a threatening manner. Azeez went for a clothesline but T-Bar ducked it, then knocked Azeez out of the ring with the same boot he gave Crews. With both foes vanquished, T-Bar celebrated in the ring alone.

(Meyers’s Analysis: A (mostly) solid, fast-paced, two-sided match. Both wrestlers showed some rust, but not bad.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 12/8 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Crews & Azeez vs. Hurt Business, Brooke vs. Tamina for the 24/7 Championship, more