11/16 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Asuka vs. Kiana James, Alexander vs. McDonagh, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 16, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Alexander vs. McDonagh far exceeds Main Event standards

In an inset video during her entrance, James reflected on her victory last week. “The last time I was here on Main Event, I exposed Dana Brooke for what she is: A brainless has-been who no longer has any purpose. If the WWE Universe had any sense, which we know they don’t, they would forget that Dana Brooke ever existed and they’d invest in Kiana James.”

(1) ASUKA vs. KIANA JAMES

The women locked up and Asuka pushed James up against the ropes. James took her down with a side headlock, then Asuka reversed into a brief head scissors on the mat. They got to their feet and Asuka applied a side headlock until James fired her off toward the corner. Asuka dodged a charging James, then danced mockingly. Asuka knocked James down with a shoulder block, then ran the ropes and missed a hip attack. James kicked Asuka to the mat, then smashed her face into the top turnbuckle. James rammed her shoulder into Asuka’s gut, causing her to crumple to the mat.

James hit two knee strikes, then scoop slammed Asuka to the mat and covered for a one-count. James applied a chinlock and repeatedly shouted, “Give up!” Asuka stood up but James pulled her back to the mat by her hair. James pie faced Asuka twice, causing Asuka to smack James across the face. Asuka pinned James with a backslide, but James kicked out at two. Asuka ducked a kick and took James down with an ankle lock, then suplexed her to the canvas. An Asuka chant was heard before Asuka hit a flurry of strikes and kicks. She hit the hip attack to James in the corner, then ducked a clothesline and knocked James down with a kick to the side of James’s head. Asuka covered James for the three-count.

WINNER: Asuka by pinfall in 4:15.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Asuka is a good way to fire up a crowd with what was probably the first match of the night in the Raw arena. The match was basic, and though the ending was realistic, it was anticlimactic.)

Cedric Alexander was shown backstage with JD McDonagh. McDonagh introduced himself, and Alexander said he’s heard a lot about him. He said, “People seem to think you’re straight-up creepy.” McDonagh responded. “What’s creepy about training your brain to be impervious to empathy? Or your body to be impervious to pain? Can you imagine what it’s like standing in the ring, resting heart rate of 40? My mind and my body right now are at complete Zen thinking about what I’m going to do to you in just a few moments. So if that makes me a little creepy, I’d rather have everyone think that than being physically vulnerable like you.” He walked off while Alexander stared into the void. McDonagh barely spoke loudly enough for the mic to pick up his voice – there’s no way the crowd in the arena heard a word he said.

(2) CEDRIC ALEXANDER vs. JD MCDONAGH

As this match started, the announcers mentioned how McDonagh recently sent NXT wrestlers Axiom and Ilja Dragunov to the hospital. The wrestlers opened by exchanging wrist locks, then McDonagh ducked a kick. Alexander backed into a corner and shook off his wrist, impressed with McDonagh. McDonagh went back to a wrist lock, but Alexander broke the hold and drop kicked McDonagh to the mat. He chopped McDonagh’s chest in three corners, then went for a suplex but McDonagh slipped out and kicked Alexander’s arm as he was attempting a handspring rebound off the ropes. McDonagh went back to the wrist, this time jumping over the top rope and dragging Alexander’s arm over the rope on his way to the floor. McDonagh posed to the fans at ringside as we cut to break.

McDonagh maintained control through the break, but Alexander fired him face-first into the turnbuckles. Alexander landed two elbow strikes, then a snap German suplex. McDonagh rolled out to ringside and recovered on the floor. He entered the ring and Alexander planted him with a Michinoku driver and covered for two. Both men recovered on the mat. As McDonagh began to stir, Alexander went for another handspring off the ropes but the arm McDonagh had been punishing gave out and Alexander collapsed to the mat under his own weight. McDonagh dragged him to the mat by his injured arm. Alexander ran at McDonagh, but McDonagh dropped and pulled down the top rope, causing Alexander to topple out to the floor. McDonagh hit a graceful springboard moonsault off the middle rope, then rolled Alexander back into the ring.

McDonagh hit a twisting senton over the top rope and pinned Alexander for two. He went for a German suplex, but Alexander flipped through and landed on his feet. He nailed McDonagh with a forearm strike, then McDonagh came back with a Spanish fly in the middle of the ring. He covered Alexander for two. McDonagh landed some strikes, then a big head butt. This dazed both men, and McDonagh collapsed onto Alexander for a limp pin and two-count. Alexander battled his way out of another wrist lock, then took a dazed McDonagh to the mat with a brain buster. Alexander covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Cedric Alexander by pinfall in 8:35.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Really good stuff here, far exceeding the Main Event standard. I’m surprised McDonagh took the loss after his “cold assassin” promo, but he still impressed me in the match with some dazzling moves. They really took their time establishing an injury on Alexander’s left arm which controlled the story of the match. This one is worth watching.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.8

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

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