1/12 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Pete Dunne vs. Akira Tozawa, Tommaso Ciampa vs. T-Bar, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JANUARY 12, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Star power: Ciampa and Dunne both in action
• Will T-Bar’s win streak continue?

(1) TOMMASO CIAMPA vs T-BAR

The announcers spoke highly of Ciampa and his recent NXT championship reign before the match kicked off. T-Bar backed Ciampa up against the ropes but Ciampa would not be intimidated, smacking T-Bar away from him. Ciampa applied a side headlock until T-Bar lifted him off the mat and tossed him off. Ciampa landed on his feet, ducked a clothesline, then took T-Bar down with two drop kicks.

Ciampa jumped off the middle rope but T-Bar caught him and landed a knee strike to the ribs. He threw Ciampa to the canvas and covered for a one-count. T-Bar mounted Ciampa and rained down several clubbing blows, then covered for a two-count. Ciampa tried to catch his breath against the ropes, but T-Bar moved in and landed kicks and punches. He fired Ciampa into a corner and ran in with a reverse elbow. T-Bar hit a backbreaker then covered for another two-count. Ciampa clutched at his own back while T-Bar moved in with a chin lock.

Ciampa quickly escaped by way of a jawbreaker, then landed a few punches. Ciampa ran the ropes but T-Bar leveled him on the rebound with a reverse elbow to the jaw. T-Bar covered for another two, then went back to the chinlock. Ciampa battled out and landed a resonating chop to T-Bar’s chest. Ciampa hit three clotheslines, finally knocking T-Bar down with the third. He ran at T-Bar who quickly stood up and grabbed Ciampa by the throat. Ciampa battled out and ran the ropes, but T-Bar was ready with the big boot. He covered Ciampa for two in a believable near fall. T-Bar scooped up Ciampa like earlier and hit the same knee strike to the ribs. This time, when T-Bar went to toss Ciampa across the ring, Ciampa clung onto T-Bar’s hips and rolled through the move and stacked T-Bar up with a surprise jackknife cover good for the three-count.

WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa by pinfall in 5:30.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Interesting match, and cool to see Ciampa on Main Event. T-Bar looks even more impressive against someone who can create so much fluid movement. Definitely the right outcome, in spite of T-Bar’s mini win streak ending.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Usos vs. New Day street fight from Smackdown
• Replay of Seth Rollins in-ring segment from Raw
• Replay of Rollins vs. Big E from Raw
• Replay of Becky Lynch / Liv Morgan in-ring segment from Raw
• Replay of Alexa Bliss therapy session from Raw
• Replay of Belair vs. Doudrop vs. Morgan from Raw

(2) PETE DUNNE vs. AKIRA TOZAWA

The wrestlers opened the match by exchanging some grapples. Dunne was soon resorting to small joint manipulation, bending Tozawa’s fingers and wrist at odd angles before stomping his hand against the mat. Tozawa attempted futile kicks from a seated position on the mat, but Dunne went back to the wrist. Tozawa broke free this time and took Dunne down with an awkward hurricanrana. Dunne took Tozawa down with a running sunset flip, but Tozawa rolled through and went for a low standing drop kick. Dunne covered his face with both forearms, avoiding maximum damage. Dunne rolled onto the ring apron and stood up. Tozawa met him there from inside the ring, but Dunne grabbed Tozawa’s hand and snapped his fingers apart. Tozawa fell to the mat in agony as we cut to break.

Dunne maintained control through the break. He stood on the side of Tozawa’s head while prying his arm back against the grain. He snap mared Tozawa to the mat and went back to work on Tozawa’s left shoulder and wrist. Tozawa winced in pain but would not tap out. Tozawa eventually got to the bottom rope, causing Dunne to break the hold and instead treat Tozawa to a shower of kicks. Tozawa landed a few light jabs to Dunne’s torso, but Dunne whipped Tozawa against the ropes and knocked him down with a clothesline. Dunne dropped to the mat and locked in another arm bar.

Tozawa got to his feet and landed a few forearm strikes, these with some mustard on them. Dunne kicked Tozawa in the shoulder, then held his own jaw from the strikes. Tozawa hit a running knee strike, knocking Dunne to the mat. Tozawa climbed to the top rope and hit a missile drop kick, then covered Dunne for a two-count. Both men were slow to get up. Dunne reversed out of a suplex, then dodged a running Tozawa in the corner. He kicked Tozawa in the face, then dropped his knee against Tozawa’s shoulder. Tozawa missed a spinning kick, leading to Dunne hitting a snap German suplex. He stomped on both of Tozawa’s hands, then kicked Tozawa in the jaw. Dunne scooped the stunned Tozawa into the Bitter end, then covered for three.

WINNER: Pete Dunne by pinfall in 8:00.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Another refreshing matchup! It’s odd to see Dunne’s submission offense on Main Event, where chin locks are the order of the day, but be reminded that Dunne would be doing this anyway. This match also served as a reminder of Tozawa’s talent, moving quickly with Dunne and selling appropriately.)

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: 1/5 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Mysterios vs. Alexander & Benjamin, T-Bar vs. Daniels, more