10/19 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Cameron Grimes vs. Akira Tozawa, Alexander vs. Hudson, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
OCTOBER 19, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• NXT doors remain open to Main Event

(1) CAMERON GRIMES vs. AKIRA TOZAWA

For reasons unknown, Tozawa shrieked as the bell rang. The men grappled back and forth to start. Grimes flipped a running Tozawa onto his back with a knee to the gut. Tozawa came back with a head scissor takedown. Grimes hit a twisting uranage, then covered for two. Grimes used full effort to fire Tozawa into a corner. Tozawa crashed hard there and crumpled to the mat where Grimes covered for another two-count. Grimes applied a chin lock.

Tozawa battled out and ran the ropes but Grimes immediately leveled him again with a forearm strike, then covered again, then applied another chin lock. Grimes wrenched back on his hold a little harder this time, but still Tozawa battled out. Grimes nearly hit a powerbomb but Tozawa reversed out and into another head scissor takedown. Tozawa climbed to the top rope and hit a flying reverse elbow, then covered for a two-count of his own.

Tozawa struggled, for some reason, to stand with Grimes on his shoulders. Grimes slipped free and caught a couple Tozawa kicks. Grimes hit a superkick, then a high cross body, then he finished Tozawa with the Cave In. Grimes covered Tozawa for three.

WINNER: Cameron Grimes by pinfall in 4:45.

(Meyers’s Analysis: It’s neat to see fresh NXT faces on Main Event, but after a few weeks it’s apparent that they’re merely merging into the Main Event formula for their matches. This show periodically uses Tozawa struggling with a fireman’s carry to demonstrate how big his opponent is – this that almost works with someone like, say, T-Bar. It does not work at all against Grimes, who might be six feet tall. Stop doing this struggle spot.)

(2) DUKE HUDSON vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER

The men locked up and Hudson shoved Alexander to the mat, then applauded at the audience. Alexander briefly held a wrist lock, but Hudson muscled him into a corner, but Alexander got free. Hudson leveled Alexander with a shoulder block. Alexander came back with a drop kick and a knee strike to Hudson’s face. Hudson hung up Alexander across the top rope, then kicked him off the rope to the floor. We cut to break as Hudson taunted the crowd from the ring.

Back in the ring, Hudson hit a suspended sidewalk slam and covered Alexander for two. Hudson got up and landed a couple kicks, then some elbow strikes. He posed at the crowd with Alexander at his feet, and Alexander rolled him up for a surprise two-count. Hudson tossed him into a corner and rammed his shoulder into Alexander’s midsection. He fired him into the opposite corner where Alexander collapsed. Hudson moved in and applied a chinlock. Alexander got free and caught a charging Hudson with a boot to the face. Alexander hit some forearm strikes, then slapped Hudson in the face before taking out his knee with a low-altitude drop kick. Hudson rolled out to ringside to recover. Alexander ran the opposite ropes and dove through the ropes, crashing Hudson into the ringside barrier. He rolled Hudson back in, then hit a DDT and covered for two.

Hudson came back with a German suplex and a cover for two. Hudson was shocked at the kick out. He slowly lifted Alexander to his feet and set up for a Razor’s edge, but Alexander slipped down to the mat (bumping pretty hard on his back) while firing Hudson into a corner. Alexander hit the Neuralyzer, then a brainbuster. Alexander covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Cedric Alexander by pinfall in 7:20.

(Meyers’s Analysis: This was more like it – more intensity and a strong finishing sequence for Alexander. The NXT lads went 50/50 against Raw tonight.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

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