SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 2, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick
REASONS TO WATCH…
- Will Benjamin leave R-Truth hanging?
(1) KIANA JAMES vs. DANA BROOKE
The women bickered briefly before Brooke took James to the mat with a leg hook. Brooke landed a flurry of kicks in the corner, but James blocked her charge with a reverse elbow. Brooke took James to the mat again with a waist lock. James got to her feet and escaped from an attacking Brooke by ducking through the ropes, yelling at the ref, “I need a minute!” Brooke body slammed James, then splashed her on the canvas and covered for two. Brooke fired James into a corner and nailed her there with a handspring elbow. She clotheslined James and covered for another two-count.
Brooke went for another body slam but James slipped out and slammed Brooke to the mat by her hair. She stomped Brooke’s ankle and covered for two. James applied a chin lock. Brooke battled out but caught a knee to the ribs from James. Brooke came back with a flapjack, causing James to roll out to ringside. She picked up her handbag and yelled angrily at the crowd. James threatened to walk out, but eventually tossed her bag onto the far side of the ring. The referee, an opponent of litterbugs, walked away from the wrestlers to clear out the debris. This allowed James to gouge Brooke’s eyes from the floor, then roll back into the ring to cover the compromised Brooke for the three-count.
WINNER: Kiana James by pinfall in 4:20.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Nothing special about the match itself. James needs to tighten some screws – she continued selling a flurry of Brooke’s forearm strikes in the corner even after Brooke walked away. Her heel work was nice, though. She has a strong voice that’s effective at shouting irritating things at the ref and crowd.)
R-Truth was backstage with his opponents tonight, Von Wagner and Duke Hudson. Hudson said it was a shame that Truth and Shelton Benjamin can’t get on the same page. He proposed an idea: “How about you team up with Little Jimmy?” He said if he and Little Jimmy could beat Wagner and Hudson tonight, he’d pay for Jimmy’s college tuition. The tag team walked away and Truth said he sure hopes Shelton gets here.
Later, Truth was wandering backstage, still talking to Jimmy about Shelton. He said Shelton is a lost soul. Jimmy apparently ran away when Truth told him they’d be tag teaming tonight. Truth called him a coward, then scoffed and walked off camera.
Truth entered the ring and said he was supposed to be tagging with Benjamin, but he’s lost his confidence. He wondered what his child hero, John Cena, would do in a situation like this. He said he wouldn’t give up, and that he was here to fight. He said, “Let’s do this,” and removed his shirt. The ref called for the bell.
(2) VON WAGNER & DUKE HUDSON vs. R-TRUTH (Handicap Match)
Truth applied a side headlock to Hudson. Hudson fired him off but Truth grabbed the ropes to prevent his rebound and did a hip thrust. Truth used a drop toe hold but was barely able to drag Hudson to the mat. Hudson quickly got to his feet and knocked Truth down with a shoulder block. Hudson dusted his hands off and tagged in Wagner. Wagner hit a clubbing forearm blow to Truth’s back, then posed at the crowd. He fired Truth into a corner and clotheslined him there, then tagged Hudson back in. Truth had a spark of offense against both men, but Wagner soon knocked Truth back down with an elbow strike. Hudson tagged back in and flexed at the crowd. We cut to break.
Hudson had Truth in a chin lock when we returned to action. Wagner tagged in and kicked Truth in the gut while Hudson held him. Wagner hit a backbreaker and posed to the crowd in the corner. Truth, with another spark, took Wagner down with a back suplex. With both men on the mat, Shelton Benjamin finally showed up on the apron and extended his hand to his ailing partner. Both teams made hot tags and Benjamin went on the attack against Hudson. He twisted Hudson into an ankle lock but Wagner entered to break it up. Benjamin took him out with a release German suplex, then gave the same treatment to Hudson. Benjamin used a knee strike to knock Wagner off the apron, then knocked Hudson down with a spinning heel kick. Hudson rolled out to ringside to join his partner. Benjamin ran the ropes and took out both opponents on the floor with a somersault senton over the top rope.
He rolled Hudson back into the ring and hit a superkick, then tagged Truth back in. Benjamin did the “you can’t see me” hand gesture to Truth. Truth obliged and gave Hudson the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Truth and Benjamin then double teamed both opponents with elevated neckbreakers before Truth covered Hudson for the three-count.
WINNERS: R-Truth & Shelton Benjamin by pinfall in 6:30.
-Benjamin looked pleased after the win and the teammates embraced.
(Meyers’s Analysis: An actual storyline woven through the show! We will see how long this happy, finally functional tag team lasts. The match itself was just a variant of the babyface partner getting hammered most of the match before finally making the hot tag to his partner to clean up – just this time, the partner was missing for most of the match. Unfortunately, the crowd reaction to Benjamin’s arrival was very mild.)
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.6
Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42
CATCH-UP: 10/26 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Von Wagner vs. Cedric Alexander, Brooke vs. James, more
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