5/10 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Roxanne Perez vs. Emma, Frazer vs. Tozawa, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MAY 10, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

(1) ROXANNE PEREZ vs. EMMA

Emma knocked down Perez early with a shoulder block, then helped her back to her feet with no ill will. Perez rolled up Emma with a unique bridge for a two-count. Perez helped Emma up this time, but Emma shoved Perez to the mat and yelled, “I started NXT!” Perez swept Emma’s legs and hit a jackknife cover for a two-count. Perez knocked Emma down with a shoulder block, then mock-bowed to her. Perez spun Emma around with an unlikely head scissor takedown into a roll-up pin for two.

Emma German-suplexed Perez to the mat, then laid in a series of kicks to Perez in the corner. She hit Emma with a standard suplex, then covered for two. Emma booted Perez toward a corner, then snap mared her to the mat before locking her legs around Perez’s mid section. From this position, Emma landed a few forearm shots to Perez’s back. Perez rolled backward, forcing Emma to release her hold or be pinned. Perez hit a jawbreaker, but Emma came right back with a clothesline. She covered Perez for another two-count.

Perez was on her knees while Emma tauntingly swatted her in the face. Perez smacked Emma with actual authority, then came in with an unhinged series of forearm strikes. Perez took Emma down with a side Russian leg sweep, then climbed to the top rope. Emma got to her feet and swept Perez off the ropes to the mat. Perez was stunned, allowing Emma to set up and execute the Widow’s Peak. Emma covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Emma by pinfall in 6:15.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Decent match. Between Emma’s in-ring ranting and the announcers, the story was that the veteran Emma was resentful of her up-and-coming opponent. While I maintain that Perez’s head scissor spin is distractingly unrealistic, the transition into a roll-up cover was way smoother (and maybe more believable?) than watching Emma sprint into the turnbuckles as a result of a takedown.)

(2) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. NATHAN FRAZER

Tozawa took down Frazer early with a wrist lock. He kept Frazer grounded in the early going. After an evenly matched exchange on the mat, the wrestlers slapped hands in the middle of the ring and resumed. They locked up briefly, then exchanged headlock takedowns. Frazer turned on the jets and rebounded off the ropes five times and delivered a drop kick at top speed. He stacked up Tozawa for a two-count cover. Frazer set up for a suplex, but Tozawa reversed out and rolled up Frazer for a two-count. Frazer dumped Tozawa onto the apron, then launched into a springboard dropkick off the middle rope – the move was not close to connecting, but Tozawa sold it and rolled off the apron to the floor. We cut to break.

Frazer had control of Tozawa with a chin lock after the break. Tozawa got to his feet and scoop slammed Frazer, but Frazer maintained control over Tozawa’s neck through the move, allowing him to roll through the landing and stay in control. Tozawa got to his feet again and whipped Frazer to the mat. Frazer missed a spinning kick, then Tozawa hit a quick German suplex. Tozawa lined up and hit a running knee strike. Tozawa climbed to the top rope and jumped into a flying reverse elbow, knocking Frazer to the mat. Tozawa covered for two.

Both men were slow to their feet. Frazer reversed out of another German suplex for a two-count roll up cover. Frazer landed a series of strikes, then hit a twisting neckbreaker. He covered, but Tozawa kicked out dramatically at two. Frazer jumped at Tozawa with a springboard off the top rope, but Tozawa rolled aside. Tozawa hit a spinning kick, then climbed to the top rope. He leaped into an arcing senton that hit its mark – Tozawa covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Akira Tozawa by pinfall in 7:45.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Pretty good, except for the whiff on the Frazer’s springboard drop kick. The commentary went out of their way to make Frazer into a one-dimensional being based on his speed, referring to him as WWE’s version of the Flash, and saying they need to time him the next time he runs the ropes. To Frazer’s credit, he only did a single exhibition of his speed that was a cool highlight that didn’t overstay its welcome.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.8

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

CATCH-UP: WWE MAIN EVENT RESULTS (5/3/2023): Results and analysis of Mustafa Ali vs. Akira Tozawa, Dana Brooke vs. Piper Niven