4/12 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Tyler Bate vs. Dolph Ziggler, Cross vs. Stark, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
APRIL 12, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Tyler Bate brings refreshing move set to Main Event

(1) NIKKI CROSS vs. ZOEY STARK

The women locked up, then traded side headlocks. Stark knocked down Cross with a shoulder block, but Cross came back with a cross body follwed by some ground and pound. Stark dragged Cross out to the floor and rammed Cross’s back into the edge of the ring. Stark entered the ring, ran off the opposite ropes and went for a baseball slide, but Cross saw it coming and pulled the skirt away from the ring, trapping Stark between the apron and skirt. Cross rained down forearm strikes while Stark covered up.

Cross rolled Stark back into the ring and climbed to the middle rope. She set up for a tornado DDT, but Stark tossed Cross to the mat instead. Stark followed up with a big clothesline, then covered for a two. Stark laid in some rapid kicks in the corner, then knocked Cross down with a flying forearm. She wound up and kicked a crawling Cross in the gut, then choked her against the middle rope. Stark snap mared Cross to the mat, then ran the ropes and hit a low-altitude clothesline. Stark applied a chinlock.

Cross nearly fought out, but Stark rolled her back to the mat, never releasing her hold. Stark hit a few elbow strikes and dropped a knee. Stark speared Cross into a corner, then did the same in the opposite corner. She tried this a third time, but Cross dodged this one, then hit two low drop kicks. She splashed Stark in the corner, then took her down with a bulldog. Cross climbed to the top rope, but Stark met her there with a kick to the face. Cross telegraphed a back body drop, allowing Stark to strike her in the face with her knee. Stark followed up with a superkick and a running drop kick to the face. Stark covered for two.

Cross stumbled back into a corner. When Stark ran at her, Cross got up a reverse elbow, and this time successfully took Stark down with a tornado DDT. Cross immediately transitioned into a neckbreaker, then covered Stark for the three-count.

WINNER: Nikki Cross by pinfall in 6:30.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Decent back-and-forth action, nothing special.)

(2) TYLER BATE vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER

The men locked up and were evenly matched. Ziggler applied a wrist lock. Bate quickly somersaulted multiple times to unwind the hold. Ziggler rolled Bate up for an early two-count cover. Ziggler kept it on the met and applied a side headlock, which Bate quickly reversed. Bate baited Ziggler to grapple his left leg, and when he did, Bate whipped his free leg up and over Ziggler and rolled him up for a two-count. Bate hit a cross body and another cover for two, then applied an arm bar. Ziggler stomped Bate’s foot to escape, then raked his boot across Bate’s eyes. Ziggler swiveled his hips at the audience, and screamed, “What are you gonna do about this?” at Bate. Bate responded by punching him in the jaw, then clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor. We cut to break.

Ziggler gained control during the break and whipped Bate into the corner back-first. Ziggler measured Bate briefly, then dropped an elbow and covered for two. Ziggler applied a chinlock and implored the ref to “Ask him!” Bate started to fight out but Ziggler whipped him to the mat by his hair. Ziggler planted his boot in Bate’s back and hyperextended Bate’s arms backward. Bate slowly powered out and booted Ziggler in the face with both feet. Bate landed a series of uppercuts, then hit a knee strike in the corner. Bate jumped from the middle rope and elbowed Ziggler, then took him down with back-to-back drop kicks. Bate hit a suplex variant, then landed a running shooting star press. He covered Ziggler for two.

Ziggler missed a Famouser, but hit his second attempt – he covered Bate for two. A “Let’s go Ziggler” chant could be heard. Ziggler lined up a superkick, but Bate caught his boot. Ziggler improvised and spun on his heel to punch Bate in the face. Bate rebounded off the ropes and took Ziggler down with a clothesline. He hoisted Ziggler onto his shoulders and began an airplane spin. He dumped Ziggler to the mat and covered for two. Bate staggered to the ropes, then lifted Ziggler to his feet. He set up for a Tyler Driver, but Ziggler escaped and hit a superkick. Ziggler covered for three.

WINNER: Dolph Ziggler by pinfall in 9:30.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Pretty fun match! The crowd was firmly behind the legacy wrestler in Ziggler, despite his efforts to heel it up. Bate did not shy away from his unique offense, and at over nine minutes, this match was significantly longer than most Main Event affairs. This was a refreshing bout for this program.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.6

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

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