6/15 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Akira Tozawa vs. Shelton Benjamin, Reggie vs. T-Bar, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JUNE 15, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Shelton Benjamin returns from injury

(1) REGGIE vs. T-BAR

The men locked up and T-Bar quickly shoved Reggie to the mat, then held up his fists triumphantly. Reggie got up and applied a side headlock, but T-Bar carried him across the ring and smashed him back-first into the corner. Reggie landed a series of quick strikes, then dodged a clothesline. Reggie mounted T-Bar in the corner and began to rain down count-along punches, but T-Bar picked him up and walked away from the corner before dropping Reggie face-first onto the top turnbuckle.

T-Bar held his jaw and was bleeding from the bridge of his nose. Reggie hot a couple quick drop kicks, then backed up into a corner. He ran across the ring and splashed T-Bar twice after doing acrobatic demonstrations. On the third splash attempt, T-Bar intercepted him with a big boot, then covered for two.

T-Bar was first to his feet, still holding his jaw. He drove his knee into Reggie’s back, then pried both of his arms backward. Reggie battled out and stopped a charging T-Bar with a boot to the face. He knocked T-Bar back with a shotgun drop kick, then landed a few more punches. Reggie escaped a potential chokeslam with a jawbreaker and dropped T-Bar down to a knee with a backflip kick to the head. Reggie ran the ropes and knocked T-Bar down with a barrel-roll cross body, and stayed on top for a cover and two-count.

Reggie bent over and lifted T-Bar onto his shoulders, but quickly dropped him back onto his feet. T-Bar turned that tide by slamming Reggie onto the back of his neck. He covered Reggie for two. T-Bar got to his feet and held one hand up. He set up for High Justice but Reggie got free and rolled him up for a quick two-count. Reggie sidestepped a charging T-Bar, causing him to blast the ring post with his shoulder. Reggie ran and flipped at the seated T-Bar, but T-Bar stopped him with a hand to his throat. Reggie was stunned, and T-Bar got to his feet with his hand still in place and hit the High Justice and cover for the three-count.

WINNER: T-Bar by pinfall in 6:20.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Reggie continues to show promise but went overboard here with wasted movement and energy. It’s too reminiscent of his prior acrobat experience and takes me out of the match with its non-fight feel.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Riddle vs. Sami Zayn from Smackdown
• Replay of Bliss & Morgan vs. Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. from Raw
• Replay of Rollins vs. Styles from Raw

(2) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

Tozawa ducked a clothesline early and clubbed Benjamin’s back with his forearm, then shook his arm off as if he had just struck the hull of a World War II U-boat. Benjamin made a “get a load of this guy” face before shoving Tozawa to the mat. Tozawa appeared frightened before getting to his feet. They locked up and Tozawa attempted a wrist lock, then hit a series of kicks to Benjamin’s hips. When Tozawa ran the ropes, Benjamin squared his stance and simply knocked Tozawa to the mat with a shoulder block.

Benjamin whipped Tozawa into a corner, then caught a boot to the face when he ran in after him. Tozawa tossed Benjamin to the mat with a hurricanrana, then knocked Benjamin to the floor off the ring apron with an enziguri. Tozawa clapped his hands and ran the opposite ropes. He dived between the ropes but Benjamin caught him by the throat, then simply body slammed him onto the floor. We cut to break.

Back in the ring, Benjamin clubbed Tozawa in the back, then hit a snap suplex. He covered Tozawa for two, then applied a chin lock. Tozawa hit some elbows, but Benjamin soon had him in a suspended vertical suplex. Tozawa wriggled free and transitioned into a sleeper hold without ever touching the mat. Benjamin stooped forward to whip Tozawa to the mat. Tozawa appeared to be out of it, and the benevolent Benjamin motioned to the ref to check on his hapless opponent. When Benjamin moved in to lift Tozawa from the mat, Tozawa came to life and smacked Benjamin across the face. Benjamin’s eyes widened with anger. He lifted Tozawa and hit a barrage of knee strikes before whipping him into a corner. Benjamin put his hands on his hips while Tozawa slowly got to his feet, using Benjamin for leverage. Once there, Tozawa smacked Benjamin again, then crumpled to the mat. Benjamin couldn’t believe it. He tried to splash Tozawa in corner but Tozawa ducked. Tozawa used a hurricanrana to fire Benjamin into a separate corner. Tozawa went back to the kicks, eventually knocking Benjamin down to a knee. He ran the ropes and hit a knee strike to the head and covered Benjamin for two.

Tozawa clapped his hands rhythmically and rolled up Benjamin with a surprise pin and two-count. He ran the ropes and ate a big boot from Benjamin. Benjamin then hit a scoop powerslam and covered for three.

WINNER: Shelton Benjamin by pinfall in 6:25.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Good to see Benjamin back on WWE Main Event. His physical appearance was fantastic, but he wasn’t running at full speed yet in the ring. It felt like too much offense from Tozawa against the returning Benjamin, but this is Main Event, so back-and-forth is what we get.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.6

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: 6/8 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Mustafa Ali vs. T-Bar, Reggie vs. Ciampa, more