10/12 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Carmelo Hayes vs. Cedric Alexander, Wagner vs. R-Truth, more

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

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• NXT Talent continues to cycle through Main Event

(1) CEDRIC ALEXANDER vs. CARMELO HAYES

Byron said these wrestlers have similar fast-paced styles as they squared off. Alexander controlled early with a wrist lock until Hayes broke free and pied Alexander’s face. Hayes ran the ropes and caught an arm drag from Alexander. He broke free, but Alexander took him to the mat again. Alexander fired Hayes off the ropes. On the rebound, Hayes flipped over Alexander’s back, then strutted in and slapped Alexander across the face. Alexander chopped Hayes on the chest, knocking him to the mat. Alexander came back with a drop kick. Hayes ducked a clothesline and Alexander hoisted him over the rope onto the apron. With a handful of his hair, Alexander ran Hayes into the two posts on that side of the ring. Alexander ‘brought him in the hard way,’ defying all physics. He launched Hayes with a back body drop. Hayes came back by springing off the middle rope and clotheslining Alexander to the mat. Hayes stood up and mimicked dribbling and shooting a free throw as we cut to break.

After the break, Alexander was hung up on the ropes when Hayes kicked him in the back of the head. When Alexander slumped down, Hayes sprung off the middle rope with a fadeaway leg drop, then applied an arm bar in the middle of the ring. Alexander started to battle out but Hayes slammed him hard to the mat while maintaining the hold. Alexander began screaming in a manner disturbing. The hold went on for a while – unusually long for this show – but Alexander eventually whipped Hayes to the mat, then nailed him with the Neuralyzer. Both men lingered on the mat.

Alexander landed a series of blows, then hit Hayes with a basement drop kick. Alexander clotheslined Hayes hard on the apron, then hit a Michinoku driver in the ring and covered for two. Hayes rolled up Alexander for two, then kicked Alexander in the face. Hayes hit a neckbreaker and covered for two. Hayes looked thoughtful before getting to his feet. The men exchanged quick roll ups, then Hayes hit a codebreaker that nearly bent Alexander in half backward. Hayes climbed to the top rope and hit Nothing but Net guillotine leg drop and covered Alexander for the three-count.

WINNER: Carmelo Hayes by pinfall in 8:45.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Not sure I’ve ever seen a more back-and-forth, 50/50 match than this. It made for some good action, especially the codebreaker and Alexander’s harrowing shrieks, but not a terribly compelling match.)

(2) R-TRUTH (w/ Shelton Benjamin) vs. VON WAGNER

As the match started, Truth asked the crowd “What’s up,” then jumped and landed doing the splits. He approached Wagner and appeared to give him presentation tips. To illustrate where the hard camera was located, Truth slapped Wagner with his right hand and pointed into the lens. Truth apologized, then ducked a clothesline from Wagner. Truth landed a few shots, but Wagner knocked him to the mat with a connecting clothesline. He choked Truth against a middle rope with his knee. Truth staggered into a corner – Wagner followed him there and dished out some punishment. Wagner fired Truth into the opposite corner. Truth collapsed after the collision and Wagner laid in some kicks. Back in the original corner, Truth got in a couple shots, but Wagner came back with a sidewalk slam. Wagner looked to Benjamin at ringside, and Benjamin said, “You can beat the hell out of him for all I care. I don’t care what you do to him. Beat some seriousness into him.”

Truth dodged a charging Wagner in the corner, then landed three more right hands. He heel kicked Wagner in the jaw. Truth ran the ropes and caught a big boot from Wagner, planting Truth back on the mat. While the ref checked on Truth, Wagner removed a top turnbuckle pad. The ref noticed the pad and set about repairing it. Meanwhile, Benjamin slid a steel chair in to Truth. Truth wound up as if to strike, but instead slammed the chair against the mat, making a loud bang, then tossed the weapon to Wagner and gave himself a flat back bump – shades of Eddie Guerrero. The ref turned around to see Wagner with the alleged smoking gun and Truth writhing on the mat, and quickly disqualified Wagner and called for the bell.

Truth slid out of the ring and joined a baffled Benjamin.

WINNER: R-Truth by disqualification in 3:30.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Main Event continues to spin an odd-couple tale with Truth and Benjamin. I don’t see Truth turning serious, as Benjamin prefers. Either Benjamin will turn to the silly side or the two will explode, like so many mega powers, and go on to headline WrestleMania 39.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.2

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

CATCH-UP: 10/5 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Briggs & Jensen vs. Truth & Benjamin, Brooke vs. Henley, more