WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT (11/29): Duke Hudson vs. Charlie Dempsey, Apollo Crews vs. Riley Osborne

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Blake Howard

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Riley Osborne makes Main Event debut

(1) DUKE HUDSON vs. CHARLIE DEMPSEY

The wrestlers locked up, Dempsey applied a side headlock. Hudson screamed repeatedly while powerering out of the hold. He got free and leveled Dempsey with a shoulder block. Hudson held up the “U” hand gesture for Chase University. Hudson applied a wrist lock and converted into an arm bar on the mat. Dempsey landed some forearm strikes, then arm dragged Hudson to the mat. Dempsey landed a series of chops, but Hudson came back with another shoulder block and a sidewalk suplex. He covered Dempsey for two.

Dempsey knocked Hudson down with a clubbing blow to his back. He dropped his knee to the back of Hudson’s neck, then covered for two. Dempsey hit a double underhook suplex and remained bridged for a two-count cover. Dempsey applied a chinlock. Hudson whipped him off, but Dempsey stayed on the attack with front kicks and punches. Hudson no-sold this offense and tossed Dempsey to the mat with a back body drop. Hudson pantomimed reeling a fishing rod before elbowing Dempsey in the face. Dempsey rolled up Hudson for a two-count.

Dempsey set up another double underhook hold, but this time Hudson stood up straight and dropped to the mat, crushing Dempsey beneath his back. From the apron, Hudson leapfrogged the top rope and smoothly converted into a release German suplex. He covered Dempsey for the three-count.

WINNER: Duke Hudson by pinfall in 6:35.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Interesting match with moves refreshing for Main Event. Dempsey, thankfully, still resembles a young Eric Idle. Would’ve been fun to see the rest of Chase University at ringside.)

(2) APOLLO CREWS vs. RILEY OSBORNE

Commentary mentioned Crews’s three-match win streak on Main Event as the Osborne made his entrance. Crews shoulder blocked Osborne to the mat. They locked up briefly, and Crews took Osborne down with a waistlock. They traded arm bars, then Osborne creatively escaped from a wrist lock before arm dragging Crews to the mat two times. Osborne backed off and made a “This close!” hand gesture, in spite of not even making a pin attempt. Crews ran at him, and again Osborne arm dragged him to the mat, this time applying an arm bar after the landing.

Crews got to his feet and applied a headlock. Osborne fired him off, Crews leapfrogged him, then nailed Osborne with a drop kick. Osborne tried to flop over the top rope, but didn’t get enough height and the rope bounced him back into the ring. Instead, he dropped to the mat and simply rolled out to ringside in front of the announce table. Crews waited in the ring and gestured to the crowd as we cut to break.

Crews remained in control through the break. He held Osborne upright in a delayed vertical suplex before dropping him to the mat. He fired Osborne back-first into the turnbuckles. The impact was on a hot mic and sounded painful. Crews fired him into the opposite corner in the same fashion, then took Osborne down with a short clothesline. He pinned Osborne for two, then applied a chinlock.

Osborne battled out and dodged a charging Crews in the corner, then nailed Crews with a slingshot shoulder tackle over the top rope from the apron. Crews applied a sleeper hold, but Osborne immediately escaped with a jawbreaker. He took Crews down with a clothesline, then hit an impressive twisting moonsault from a standing position. He covered Crews for two. Crews tossed Osborne with a release German suplex, but Osborne landed on his feet. He snapped Crews to the mat with a hurricanrana and stayed on top for a two-count cover. Osborne, fighting through pain, climbed to the top rope and launched into a shooting star press. Crews moved out of the way, leading to Osborne rolling safely through his landing on the mat. While Osborne was resetting, Crews smashed him with a bicycle kick, then went to the top rope himself. Crews hit a five-star frog splash and covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Apollo Crews by pinfall in 6:50.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Really good action. Osborne seems green but shows so much potential and already has effective, flashy moves.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.4

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42