WWE MAIN EVENT RESULTS (3/20): Natalya vs. Zoey Stark, Giovanni Vinci vs. Apollo Crews incluidng ref dabbing bloody nose with a tissue

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MARCH 20, 2024
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Blake Howard, Brian “Road Dogg” James

(1) NATALYA vs. ZOEY STARK

Natalya blocked an early hip toss and rolled up Stark for a two-count cover. Stark applied an upright waist lock, but Natalya backed her up and rammed her into a corner, then fired reverse elbows at Stark’s neck. Stark somersaulted over a charging Natalya in the same corner, then leveled Natalya with a clothesline. Stark hit some clubbing blows to Natalya’s shoulder, then hoisted her onto her shoulders. Natalya got free, but Stark knocked her down again with a springboard missile drop kick. Stark covered for two. Stark applied a chinlock. When Natalya tried to battle out, Stark snap-mared her to the mat and covered for another two-count.

Stark set up for a suplex, but Natalya blocked and rolled her up again for two. They got to their feet and Natalya clotheslined Stark to the mat, then both women lingered on the canvas. They slowly stood, then exchanged forearm strikes in the middle of the ring. Natalya got the upper hand, but Stark kneed Natalya in the gut, then suplexed her to the mat. Stark covered for two, then went back to the chinlock.

Natalya leveraged Stark to the mat, then nailed her with a front kick. Natalya ducked a clothesline, then landed more forearm strikes. She suplexed Stark, then landed punches in the corner. Natalya hit a low drop kick to a seated Stark and covered for another two-count. Natalya set up for the sharpshooter, but Stark kicked her away and rolled her up for a surprise three-count.

WINNER: Zoey Stark by pinfall in 4:40.

(Meyers’s Analysis: A brief but solid back-and-forth match.)

(2) GIOVANNI VINCI vs. APOLLO CREWS

The men locked up and Vinci tossed Crews to the mat. Vince covered for a zero-count, then applied an arm bar with Crews on the mat. Crews reversed and arm-dragged Vinci. Vinci landed a front kick and European uppercut, then Crews hit a running Vinci with a drop kick. Crews ducked a clothesline, but then ran into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Vince held his fists in the air as we cut to break.

Crews was escaping from a chinlock when we returned from break. Vinci leveled Crews with a high-speed high cross body. He chopped Crews in the corner, then Crews came back with a German suplex. Both men lingered on the mat. They stood up simultaneously but it was Crews who went on the offense with kicks and a jumping clothesline. He splashed Vinci in the corner, then gorilla pressed him before dropping him to the mat. Crews hit a standing moonsault, then covered Vinci for two.

Crews slowly climbed the corner and jumped for a frog splash. Vinci rolled out of the way, so Crews somersaulted through his landing. Crews escaped from a suplex, but Vinci still hoisted him onto his shoulders, did a squat as a feat of strength, then crushed Crews against the canvas with a fireman’s carry roll. He followed up with a moonsault from the middle corner, then covered Crews for two.

Vinci managed to bust his nose during the melee, and the referee produced a tissue and dabbed at the blood as though he was a toddler – very, very strange. Vinci swiped the tissue from her hand and threw it on the mat. The ref picked it up and stuffed it back in her pocket. Crews hit an enzuigiri, then Vinci took him down with a powerful clothesline. Vinci followed up with a brainbuster, then remained on top for the three-count.

WINNER: Giovanni Vinci by pinfall in 5:55.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Really good match for Main Event, but I’m still bewildered by the tissue event. What was that? Surely you don’t plan something like that, so it was just a weird improvisation?)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.4

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42