5/26 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali in a two out of three falls match, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MAY 26, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Ricochet and Ali unleashed in two-out-of-three falls match

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Tamina & Natalya vs. Baszler & Jax from Raw
• Replay of Reigns / Heyman / Jey in-ring segment from Smackdown
• Replay of Lashley / McIntyre / Kofi in-ring segment from Raw
• Replay of Crews vs. Big E vs. Zayn vs. Owens (IC Title Match) from Raw

(1) RICOCHET vs. MUSTAFA ALI, TWO-OUT-OF-THREE FALLS MATCH

Ali had the upper hand early, but Ricochet quickly turned the tides by hitting a moonsault from the ring apron onto Ali on the floor. Ricochet threw Ali into the barricade two times before rolling him into the ring. Ricochet followed but was met with a kick to his jaw. Ricochet chopped Ali’s chest, then leveled him with a flying forearm. Ali rolled out to ringside, then swept Ricochet’s leg out from under him when he approached the ropes. Ali returned the favor of shooting Ricochet into the barricade, then the ring steps. Ricochet writhed in agony on the floor next to the ring, resulting in a referee ten-count.

Ali wins first fall by count out in 3:00.

After a commercial break Ali maintained control with a series of quick pin attempts. He wrenched on Ricochet’s neck in the middle of the ring. Ricochet got to his feet and eventually took Ali to the mat with a side suplex. They got to their feet and Ricochet hit another couple flying forearms, then turned Ali inside out with a big clothesline. He shouted at Ali as he lifted him to his feet. Ali dodged a high cross body, then spiked Ricochet with a tornado DDT. Ali covered for two.

Ali climbed a corner but Ricochet approached from behind and lifted him off the turnbuckle and planted Ali with a German suplex. Ricochet slowly climbed a different corner. As he got to the top rope, Ali, from the mat, pushed the ref from behind with his boot. The ref collided with the ropes, causing Ricochet to topple down to the canvas. The ref signaled for a disqualification.

Ricochet wins second fall by disqualification in 6:55.

Ali seemed to play that fall for strategy as he pounced on the stunned Ricochet. He landed a neckbreaker then covered Ricochet for two. Ali screamed, “This ends tonight!” before applying a chin lock. Ricochet quickly battled out but Ali elbowed the back of his head. Ricochet came back with a uranage and both men lied on the mat. Ricochet landed three right hands and clotheslined Ali in two corners. Ali ducked a third clothesline, then planted Ricochet with a sit-out powerbomb. He held on for the cover and two-count.

Ali climbed a corner but Ricochet slowly rolled the opposite direction and out to the floor. Ali followed him out and Ricochet ended up suplexing Ali to the floor from atop the barricade. Both men were staggered but simultaneously rolled into the ring at the ref’s nine-count.

The wrestlers exchanged blows in the ring until Ali shoved Ricochet through the ropes and to the floor again. Ali hit a slingshot cross body over the top rope onto Ricochet, but Ricochet caught him and rolled backward, and in a single motion, dead lifted Ricochet and drove him into the floor with a Michinoku driver. Ricochet pumped his fists and rolled Ali into the ring, then went for a 630 splash off the top rope but Ali rolled out of the way. Ali quickly applied a submission right after Ricochet landed, but Ricochet got his boot on the bottom rope and Ali let go.

Ali ran at Ricochet but Ricochet caught him and hoisted him up and into the Recoil. Ricochet climbed to the top rope while Ali lied on his back in the ring. Ricochet launched into another twirling splash but Ali moved. This time Ricochet landed on his feet, and the wrestlers exchanged quick pin attempts. Ali quickly ran up to the middle turnbuckle and jumped backward for a twisting cross body, but Ricochet caught him and dropped to the mat with his knees up and into Ali’s chin. He turned Ali over and covered for three.

WINNER: Ricochet wins third fall by pinfall in 13:20.

(Meyers’s Analysis: They actually did it – a clean finish to a weeks-long feud. As a bonus, it was an awesome match. It suffered a bit from the usual two-out-of-three trope of falls coming unusually early, but I’ll accept that since this was still an outstanding match for Main Event. This would have stolen the show on most main roster broadcasts, and would even fit in as a mid-card PPV match. It had two awesome spots outside of the ring, and they even teased us with the match nearly ending in a double count out. Well done, everyone.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 9.6

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 5/19 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Mansoor vs. Cedric Alexander, Rose & Brooke vs. Naomi & Lana, more