WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT (8/9): Nikki Cross goes crazy with crotch chops against Tegan Nox, Indus Sher vs. Akira Tozawa & Apollo Crews

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
AUGUST 9, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Wade Barrett

REASONS TO WATCH…

Nikki Cross goes crazy with crotch chops

(1) INDUS SHER (Veer Mahan & Sanga w/ Jinder Mahal) vs. AKIRA TOZAWA & APOLLO CREWS

Sanga started off against Tozawa, and the former immediately overpowered the latter. Tozawa retreated to his own corner and Crews tagged in. Crews dodged a kick and applied a waist lock, but Sanga used twisting hip torque to twirl him to the mat. Crews hit a low drop kick and enzuigiri, dropping Sanga to one knee. Tozawa tagged back in and landed kicks to Sanga’s chest, but this only angered him. Sanga choke slammed Tozawa, then tagged in Mahan. Sanga dropped Tozawa with a shoulder block, then Mahan followed up with an elbow drop. Mahan applied a death grip to Tozawa’s trapezius. Mahan slammed Tozawa to the mat and dropped another elbow. Tozawa managed to escape these attacks and tagged in Crews.

Crews knocked Sanga off the apron, then splashed Mahan in the corner. Crews tagged Tozawa, then Mahan clotheslined Crews to the mat. Mahan celebrated a bit while Tozawa, the legal man, climbed to the top rope behind him. Tozawa jumped and leveled Mahan with a flying reverse elbow. Tozawa unleashed a flurry of kicks, then ran the ropes. Mahan smashed him to the mat on the rebound. Sanga tagged in and held Tozawa at waist height while Mahan climbed the ropes and dropped an elbow through Tozawa’s chest. Sanga covered Tozawa for the three-count.

WINNERS: Indus Sher by pinfall in 4:00.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Very quick tag match where they really played up Tozawa’s complete ineffectiveness against the ‘giant’ Sanga. Mahal was present at ringside but played no role during the match – he was just shown to be grimly pleased with his team’s victory.)

(2) TEGAN NOX vs. NIKKI CROSS

Cross bounced on her haunches before locking up with Nox. Cross rolled up Nox for an early one-count. Cross fired Nox off the ropes and Nox knocked her down with a shoulder block on the rebound. Cross returned the favor, then did repeated crotch chops while Nox was sat on the mat. Nox landed chops to Cross’s chest, then dropped her face-first into a turnbuckle with a flatliner. She leveled a staggered Cross with a twisting forearm strike. Nox pointed to her head and screamed “Stupid!” at Cross. She covered Cross for a one-count, then swiveled her hips.

Nox laid in some kicks to Cross in the corner, then hit a standard suplex. Nox appeared angry. Cross dodged a charging elbow in the corner, then monkey flipped Nox to the middle of the ring. Cross hit a running drop kick that knocked Nox out to the floor. Cross got onto the apron and nailed Nox with a flying cross body. Cross postured to the crowd as we cut to break.

Cross controlled Nox through the break, and was hammering her with forearm strikes in the corner when we returned. Cross set up for a tornado DDT, but Nox blocked and tossed Cross to the mat. Nox nailed Cross with a running knee strike, then covered for two. Nox mounted Cross on the mat and rained down forearm shots, then rubbed her wrist band across Cross’s face. Nox stood and stomped Cross’s skull. Nox briefly choked Cross against the middle rope. Nox covered for another two-count. Nox splashed Cross with her backside against the turnbuckles, then dragged her away from the corner and covered for two. Nox applied a chinlock.

Cross escaped the hold with a jawbreaker. Cross ducked two clotheslines, then took Nox out with back-to-back drop kicks. Cross pounded the mat, then splashed Nox in the corner before hitting a bulldog. Cross climbed to the top rope while baring her teeth at the crowd. Nox got to her feet and knocked Cross to the mat, then covered her. The ref caught Nox illegally using the ropes for leverage and ceased the count. Cross reversed a suplex attempt into a DDT, then gave Nox a twisting neckbreaker. Cross covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Nikki Cross by pinfall in 7:40.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Pretty good! Fast-paced action with some big hits. Cross’s neckbreaker, “the Purge,” is super crisp.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

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