6/1 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Akira Tozawa vs. Apollo Crews, Truth vs. T-Bar, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JUNE 1, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Can Crews win without Commander Azeez?

(1) R-TRUTH vs. T-BAR

A “Truth” chant broke out as the match got underway. T-Bar muscled Truth into a corner, then Truth dodged an overhead strike from T-Bar. T-Bar landed clubbing blows, a kick, and elbow strikes. He posed angrily at the crowd who responded with a chorus of boos. Truth stopped a charging T-Bar with a big boot in the corner, then whipped him to the mat with a hurricanrana. Truth splashed T-Bar in a corner, shouted “What’s up?” and then landed a right cross. Truth ran the ropes and jumped into a high cross body but T-Bar caught him and hit a knee strike to the ribs before tossing Truth to the mat. T-Bar stomped Truth repeatedly in the corner before dragging him to the middle of the ring and covering for a two-count. T-Bar applied a chin lock.

Truth battled out with elbows to the ribs, but T-Bar leveled Truth with a reverse elbow strike. T-Bar covered for another two-count. T-Bar placed two kicks and a double axe handle before covering Truth again. Truth kicked out, landed a few more token shots, then absorbed a big boot from T-Bar. T-Bar covered for two, then told Truth, “You’re a dead man!” T-Bar climbed the corner and launched into a moonsault but Truth rolled out of the way. Truth ran the ropes and transitioned into John Cena’s move set: Floating shoulder tackles and the Five Knuckle Shuffle. T-Bar threatened the High Justice with his hand on Truth’s throat, but Truth broke free and after some quick reversals he took T-Bar down with the Attitude Adjustment and covered for the three-count.

WINNER: R-Truth by pinfall in 6:00.

(Meyers’s Analysis: A standard R-Truth match that adequately pumped up the crowd.)

-Main Event recap session:

Replay of Usos in-ring segment from Raw

• Replay of Riddle & Nakamura vs. Usos from Raw
• Replay of Belair vs. Asuka from Raw
• Replay of Lashley vs. MVP from Raw
• Replay of Lashley / Omos contract signing from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PLE Hell in a Cell

(2) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. APOLLO CREWS

The commentators noted that Crews was not accompanied by his partner Azeez. They said Crews wanted to shut down critics who think he can’t win without assistance from Azeez.

Tozawa struck first with a drop kick, then blocked a charging Crews with a boot in the corner. He landed another drop kick, then Crews ran at Tozawa again. Tozawa yanked down the top rope, causing Crews to topple out to the floor. When Crews climbed onto the apron, Tozawa knocked him back down with another drop kick. Tozawa leaped over the top rope to the floor in a high cross body but Crews demonstrated his might by catching him in mid-air. He rammed Tozawa spine-first into the ring post – not once, but twice. He dropped Tozawa’s body onto the floor and raised his hands to the audience as we cut to break.

Tozawa had a burst of energy in the ring after the break but Crews quickly quelled it. He hoisted Tozawa in a suspended vertical suplex before dumping him to the mat and covering for two. Crews applied a chin lock. Tozawa broke free and landed a series of left and right kicks, then a running knee strike. Tozawa climbed to the top rope and hit a flying back elbow and covered for two. Tozawa adjusted his belt while keeping his determined eyes on his opponent, then rolled up Crews for a two-count. Crews struck back immediately with an enziguri, then lined up for a standing moonsault, but Tozawa lifted both knees to block the impact. Tozawa rolled over into a pin and two-count. Tozawa stomped across the ring apron and again climbed to the top rope, but Crews got to his feet and caught Tozawa for the second time and went smoothly into a Samoan drop and cover for the three-count.

WINNER: Apollo Crews by pinfall in 4:40.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Pretty good slam-bang action with impressive feats of strength by Crews. Also, Crews getting a victory without sleazy Azeez present is as close to storytelling as we get on WWE Main Event.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: 5/25 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Apollo Crews vs. T-Bar, Azeez vs. Tozawa, more