2/23 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega, Crews vs. Mahaan, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton and Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

Fresh matchup in Morgan vs. Zelina

(1) APOLLO CREWS (w/ Commander Azeez) vs. VEER MAHAAN

Azeez has traded in his Party City “Evil Foreign Military” costume for more modest coveralls tucked into tall boots… a significant improvement.

Azeez distracted Mahaan from ringside moments after the bell sounded, allowing Crews to rush in and get the upper hand. He landed a barrage of kicks in the corner, but Mahaan soon knocked Crews down with a shoulder block off the ropes. He scooped and slammed Crews in the middle of the ring, then paced around the ring before dropping an elbow to Crews’s chest. Byron described the elbow drop as “ridiculous agility.”

Mahaan ran the ropes but Crews went low with a drop kick to his knee, cutting him down. Crews got the ref’s attention, allowing Azeez to punch Mahaan’s face through the ropes from the floor. Crews ground his wrist tape against Mahaan’s eyes, then applied a chin lock. When Mahaan got his vertical base back, Crews whipped him to the mat and quickly covered for a two-count. Azeez clapped encouragement for Crews from the floor.

The men exchanged blows but Crews maintained control, briefly choking Mahaan against the top rope. Mahaan landed two shots, then sold his neck. Crews caught a boot while running at Mahaan in the corner. Mahaan slammed Crews’s face into the top turnbuckle, then kicked Crews in the ribs when Crews jumped at him from the middle turnbuckle. Mahaan splashed Crews in the corner, then did the same in the middle of the ring, knocking him to the canvas. Mahaan covered for the three-count and win.

WINNER: Veer Mahaan by pinfall in 5:00.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Solid heel work from Crews and Azeez, and I want to reiterate how much more credible Azeez is without the military garb.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Zayn vs. Nakamura from Smackdown
• Replay of Lesnar / Heyman in-ring segment from Raw
• Replay of Edge in-ring promo from Raw
• Replay of Rollins & Owens vs. Riddle & Orton from Raw

(2) LIV MORGAN vs. QUEEN ZELINA (w/ Carmella)

Zelina controlled Morgan’s arm to start, then retreated through the ropes when Morgan came back at her. Zelina leveled Morgan with a shoulder block off the ropes, then posed to the fans who responded with boos. Zelina kicked Morgan in the gut then twisted her to the mat with an arm bar. Morgan elicited some encouragement from the fans and got to her feet. She rolled Zelina up for a two-count. Morgan dodged a clothesline with a Matrix-style back bend and rolled up Zelina again. Zelina kicked out and hit a jawbreaker. Zelina took Morgan out with a running knee strike, then posed for the crowd again as we cut to break.

Morgan got to her feet with Zelina on her back after the break. She backed into the turnbuckles a few times, then snap mared Zelina to the mat. Zelina rolled through and slammed Morgan to the mat face-first by controlling her arm. She covered Morgan for two. Zelina worked on Morgan’s left shoulder a bit, then wrenched backward on Morgan’s neck on the mat.

Mimicking the layout of the first match, Morgan got to her feet but Zelina yanked her back down. Zelina shouted at the crowd to shut up, and indicated she was their queen. Morgan rolled up the distracted Zelina for a two-count. Zelina took Morgan down with a clothesline, then applied an arm bar to the Morgan’s compromised left shoulder. Zelina mockingly shouted, “Let’s go Liv!” Carmela, at ringside, was using her polished tag championship belt as a mirror to admire her own finely-tuned hair. Meanwhile, Morgan fought out and eventually delivered a suspended vertical suplex to Zelina.

Both women were slow to get up until Morgan recharged and kipped up. She took Zelina down with a Thesz press and rained down forearm blows. Morgan hit a knee strike in the corner, then landed a missile drop kick. She covered Zelina, but Carmela got involved for the first time by placing Zelina’s boot on the bottom rope, stopping the count. Zelina planted both knees into Morgan in the corner, then covered for two. Zelina was dumbfounded at the two-count and briefly berated the ref. Morgan got to her feet and ran at Zelina at the ropes. She jumped and took Zelina face-first into the mat, then rolled backward into a pinning position for the three-count.

WINNER: Liv Morgan by pinfall in 8:00.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Thumbs down to Kevin, who said “You’ve got to respect royalty” during Zelina’s entrance. The match was above average – good, fast-paced action and again good heel work from the tag champs.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.6

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: 2/16 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Tommaso Ciampa vs. T-Bar, Mahaan vs. Crews, more