8/10 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Mustafa Ali vs. T-Bar, Alexander vs. Benjamin, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
AUGUST 10, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

Cool finishes to both matches

(1) CEDRIC ALEXANDER vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

The wrestlers smiled and fist bumped to start the match. Benjamin controlled early with a waist lock but Alexander wriggled to the ropes. They acted amused with one other before exchanging wrist locks. Alexander ducked a clothesline before whipping Benjamin to the mat with a hurricanrana. Alexander asked him, “We’re still good, right?” and extended his hand, but Benjamin wasn’t having it this time and tossed Alexander into the corner. Alexander chopped him in the chest, then rolled up Benjamin for two.

Benjamin took Alexander off his feet with a knee to the gut, then delivered two body slams in the middle of the ring. Benjamin fired him off the ropes then scooped and power slammed Alexander on the rebound. Benjamin covered for two, then applied a side-mounted bear hug. Benjamin briefly escaped with elbow strikes, but Benjamin caught him with a release German suplex. Alexander came back with a drop kick, knocking Benjamin off his feet. Alexander dodged a charging Benjamin in the corner, then hit a tornado DDT off the bottom rope before covering Benjamin for two.

Benjamin slowly rolled under the bottom rope to the floor. Alexander ran the opposite ropes and began to dive through the ropes but Benjamin met him there with a rising near strike from the floor. Benjamin entered the ring and hit a powerbomb and held it there for a two-count. He twisted Alexander around into a brief ankle lock, but Alexander reversed and rolled Benjamin up for a surprise three-count. The wrestlers shook hands and shared a bro hug.

WINNERS: Cedric Alexander by pinfall in 4:50.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Not a lot going on here, but the ending sequence starting with Benjamin’s well-timed knee strike was cool looking.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Bloodline in-ring segment from Smackdown
• Replay of Mysterio vs. Balor from Raw
• Replay of Brooke & Tamina vs. Kai & Sky from Raw
• Replay of Styles vs. Miz from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PLE Clash at the Castle

(2) MUSTAFA ALI vs. T-BAR

During his entrance, Kevin described Ali’s “new-found zest for life,” which accounts for how annoyingly chipper he’s been acting recently.

Ali applied a side headlock to start, but T-Bar fired him off the ropes then clotheslined him to the mat. Ali used a hurricanrana to shoot T-Bar face-first into the middle turnbuckle. He hit a springboard bulldog, then covered T-Bar for two. T-Bar grabbed Ali by the throat with one hand, then fired him into a turnbuckle. The ref checked on the slowly-standing Ali when T-Bar ran in and booted him through the ropes to the floor. T-Bar joined him on the floor and caught a kick to his face. Ali ran at T-Bar, but T-Bar ducked and lifted Ali face-first into the ring post. We cut to break.

T-Bar had Ali in a chin lock through the break. Ali got to his feet and T-Bar clubbed him in the back with a forearm. Ali came back with a crescent kick that knocked T-Bar down to one knee, but T-Bar returned fire with a heavy clothesline. T-Bar screamed a bit and grabbed Ali, but Ali reversed out of a powerbomb with a big DDT. Both men lied on the mat.

Ali kicked T-Bar in the face then hit a neckbreaker. Ali hit a running kick to knock T-Bar off the ring apron, then dove through the ropes to ram T-Bar into the ringside barricade. He rolled T-Bar back into the ring and climbed to the top rope and went for the 450 splash but T-Bar rolled aside. Ali saw this and rolled through his landing, ducked a clothesline, then went for a springboard high cross body but T-Bar kicked Ali in the abdomen on his way down. T-Bar hit Ali with High Justice and covered for two, a believable near fall.

T-Bar climbed to the top rope and went for a moonsault, but belly flopped on the mat when Ali rolled away. Ali hit a hurricanrana and pinned T-Bar for two. Ali climbed to the top rope but T-Bar smacked the rope, causing Ali to slip down into a seated position. T-Bar joined him, standing on the middle rope. Ali slammed T-Bar’s face downward onto the top turnbuckle, then hit a huge sunset flip powerbomb. Ali went to the top rope again and this time hit the 450 splash and covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Mustafa Ali by pinfall in 8:00.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Some big moves and sequences in this match. Both matches tonight followed the basic Main Event formula, but seemed to have a little extra juice, especially in their endgames.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.8

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

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