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WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
OCTOBER 4, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Byron Saxton, Wade Barrett
REASONS TO WATCH…
- Third consecutive episode with women’s matches only
SHOW REPORT
(1) INDI HARTWELL vs. XIA LI
Li applied a side headlock, then the women had a shoulder-block stalemate. Hartwell knocked Li down in a second attempt. Li twisted Hartwell around in a wristlock, then Hartwell blocked a suplex attempt and gave Li a suspended vertical suplex instead. Hartwell hit a European uppercut, then kicked Li in the head. She covered Li for a two-count. Li escaped from a firefighter’s carry and chop-blocked Hartwell’s left knee. Li laid in some kicks, then dropped all of her weight against Hartwell’s ankle while it was draped across the bottom rope. Li covered for two.
Li worked some more on Hartwell’s left ankle, then posed to the crowd – this elicited some boos. Li punched Hartwell in the corner, then took her down with a dragon screw leg whip. Li covered for another two-count. Hartwell clung onto the ropes, trying to recover. Li dragged her into the middle of the ring and applied a single-leg crab variant. Li screamed as she wrenched back on Hartwell’s injured leg, but Hartwell kicked her way out of the hold. Hartwell hit Li with a jawbreaker, then a reverse elbow strike. She sidestepped a charging Li in the corner, then took Li down with consecutive clotheslines. Hartwell took Li to the mat with a spinebuster, then struggled to get to her feet. Li kicked Hartwell in the gut, then missed a running knee strike. Hartwell took advantage and planted Li with a double-underhook DDT, then covered for the three-count.
WINNER: Indi Hartwell by pinfall in 5:15.
Meyers’s Analysis: The crowd was hot for this show to start. Decent action, and a good job by Li to work over Hartwell’s ankle.
(2) NIKKI CROSS vs. KAYDEN CARTER (w/Katana Chance)
Wade Barrett, during ring entrances: “I will be keeping at least one eye on Nikki Cross throughout the duration of this match, and if she heads anywhere near the desk, I will quit! You’ve got this on your own, Saxton. I like a safe working environment. Nikki Cross is not conducive to that.”
The women locked up and Carter reversed out of a wristlock. Cross reversed out of the reversal, then fired Carter toward the ropes. Cross ducked a kick, then Carter held up on a second attempt when Cross saw it coming and put her guard up. Cross bounced on her haunches and swiveled her hips. Carter took Cross down with an arm drag, then hit a low drop kick, sending Cross out to the floor. Carter attempted a baseball slide under the bottom rope, but Cross stepped back and yanked the apron away from the ring, trapping Carter there. Cross unleashed a flurry of forearms. Chance shouted encouragement, comedically appearing halfway behind the ring steps. Cross approached the announce desk and blew kisses at Wade, who was disgusted. “Ugh! I quit! I’m out!” Byron told him to sit down and relax. Carter got onto the ring apron and kicked Cross in the face from above. Cross fell to the floor as we cut to break.
Carter was in control through the break. She face-planted Cross to the mat, then landed a springboard leg drop. Carter covered for two. She fired Cross into a corner, then landed shoulder thrusts to Cross in said corner. She positioned Cross on the top turnbuckle and set up for a superplex. Cross blocked, then landed a few punches. This allowed Cross to hit a tornado DDT. Both women lingered on the canvas.
Cross was first to her feet and pumped herself up. She ran the ropes and hit back-to-back basement drop kicks. She splashed Carter in the corner, then took Carter down with a Michinoku driver. Cross climbed to the top rope, but missed a flying cross body. Carter moved in and applied a twisting leg submission. Cross screamed and crawled to the bottom rope. The ref counted, and Carter released the hold. Cross came back with the Purge neckbreaker, then covered for three.
WINNER: Nikki Cross by pinfall in 6:55.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Even better action. Cross using a Michinoku driver felt like a refresh to her moveset. I remain pleased with Wade Barrett’s deep fear of Nikki Cross.
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.4
(Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42)
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