WWE MAIN EVENT TV RESULTS (7/12): Meyers’ analysis of Natalya vs. Xia Li, Dana Brooke vs. Indy Hartwell

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JULY 12, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

•Ladies’ night: Two women’s matches

(1) NATALYA vs. XIA LI

As the women locked up, Byron announced that this was Natalya’s 1517th televised match. Li shoved Natalya into a corner, then Natalya rolled up Li for a one-count. Li dragged Natalya to the mat by her hair, then lifted her to her feet. Natalya went on the offense, but Li rolled out of the ring to escape. Natalya ran off the opposite ropes and hit a baseball slide under the bottom rope, knocking Li to the floor. Natalya rolled Li back into the ring, but Li kicked Natalya as she was climbing back in. Li dealt some punishment to Natalya in the corner, then yelled at the audience, “What are you gonna do?” The crowd booed.

Li awkwardly moved Natalya to the middle of the ring, then turned her over and made three cover attempts. She fired Natalya into a corner, then landed a few downward forearm strikes there. She tossed Natalya with an exploder suplex, then covered for two. Li applied a chinlock. Li covered again for two, then went back to the chinlock. Natalya battled out and got to her feet. She unloaded a few strikes before leveling Li with a spinning clothesline and a two-count cover.

Li kicked Natalya away when she tried to use the Sharpshooter, then covered Natalya for two. Natalya dodged a running knee strike in the corner, then successfully applied the Sharpshooter. Li tapped quickly tapped out.

WINNER: Natalya by submission in 5:20.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Nothing too special. Li’s entrance makes her look like a crazed warrior, but then she just dissolves into a generic wrestler – at least in this Main Event format. She did lean into the heel antics against the crowd, at least.)

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(2) DANA BROOKE vs. INDI HARTWELL (w/ Candice LeRae)

Hartwell knocked down Brooke with an early shoulder block. Hartwell ran the ropes and Brooke took her down with a hip toss and then covered for a one-count. Brooke rolled up Hartwell for a similar one-count. Hartwell kicked Brooke off the apron to the floor – we cut to break while Brooke recovered.

Hartwell was dropping deliberate elbows onto Brooke in the middle of the ring after the break. She made three consecutive covers – Brooked kicked out of each. Hartwell landed some kicks to Brooke in the corner, then tossed Brooke face-first into the top turnbuckle before dropping her with a sidewalk slam. Hartwell covered for two, then applied a chinlock. Brooke got free, but Hartwell immediately took her back down with a clothesline, then another cover. Hartwell hit a standard suplex, and yet another two-count cover. Hartwell briefly consulted with LeRae on the floor, then scoop slammed Brooke. Hartwell went back to the chinlock.

Brooke got free and applied a rear choke, but Hartwell backed up into the turnbuckles to knock her off. Hartwell landed a kick, an elbow, and a punch near the corner. She hoisted Brooke atop that corner, then set up for a superplex. The crowd just started to sizzle, but Brooke shoved Hartwell to the mat, then hit high cross body. Both women writhed on the mat. Brooke rolled out of the way of an elbow drop, then kicked Hartwell in the corner. Brooke landed a flurry of forearm strikes in that corner, then a tumbling reverse elbow. Brooke went for a sunset flip cover, but Hartwell stood firm, then dropped straight down with her knees onto Brooke’s shoulders for a cover and three-count.

WINNER: Indi Hartwell by pinfall in 7:55.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Not bad. Dana Brooke’s smiling and bicep flexing is off-putting and unnatural.)

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT (7/5): Akira Tozawa vs. J.D. McDonagh, Riddick Moss vs. Apollo Crews

OR CHECK OUT THIS REPORT FROM PROWRESTLING.NET: MLW Fusion results (7/13): Powell’s review of Delmi Exo vs. Taya Valkyrie for the MLW Featherweight Title, John Hennigan vs. Lio Rush vs. Willie Mack in a three-way to become No. 1 contender to the MLW Title

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