WWE MAIN EVENT RESULTS (5/3/2023): Results and analysis of Mustafa Ali vs. Akira Tozawa, Dana Brooke vs. Piper Niven

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MAY 3, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Simple, effective storytelling from Ali vs. Tozawa

SHOW REPORT…

(1) DANA BROOKE vs. PIPER NIVEN

The women locked up and Niven quickly shoved Brooke to the mat, then mocked Brooke’s biceps flex. Brooke landed a few kicks, then used an unrealistic spinning head scissors to fling Niven into a corner. Niven tossed Brooke to the mat, then ran the ropes and hit a low cross body before covering Brooke for a two-count. Niven smashed Brooke’s left arm against the mat two times, then stood on the same elbow before dropping a body splash onto Brooke’s outstretched arm. Nevin moved deliberately and dropped Brooke into an old school shoulder breaker. She covered Brooke for another two-count, then applied a chinlock.

Brooke got to her feet and escaped by way of a jawbreaker. Brooke landed a few light shots, then hit a reverse elbow in the corner. She followed up with another unbelievable move – a handspring DDT. She covered Niven for two. Brooke set up for a suplex, but Niven blocked the move. Instead, Brooke rolled up Niven for two. Niven walked into a front kick in the corner and was momentarily stunned. Brooke jumped into a high cross body from the middle rope, but Niven caught her and dropped her to the mat with a Michinoku driver. She covered Brooke for two.

Niven dragged Brooke toward a corner, then climbed to the middle rope. Brooke recovered and met Niven there – she slammed Niven with a powerbomb before covering for two. Brooke scurried to the top rope and went for a splash but Niven rolled aside. Brooke saw this and rolled through her landing, which mattered not: Niven moved in and dropped her with a spinning uranage and a three-count cover.

WINNER: Piper Niven by pinfall in 5:55.

(Meyers’s Analysis: It was difficult to suspend disbelief with a couple of the moves Niven took from her much smaller opponent. Niven’s Michinoku driver was a believable near fall, and the following powerbomb and uranage were cool big moves to finish the match.)

(2) MUSTAFA ALI vs. AKIRA TOZAWA

Ali lured in Tozawa with a handshake, and naturally used it to pull Tozawa into a side headlock. Tozawa fired him off into a corner, but Ali rebounded and clotheslined Tozawa to the canvas. Tozawa took Ali down with a hurricanrana, then landed three chops to Ali’s chest. Ali blocked the fourth attempt with his forearms, but when he dropped his guard, Tozawa jabbed him in the face. Ali whipped Tozawa into the ropes and shoulder tackled him on the rebound. He tossed Tozawa into a corner and chopped his chest. Tozawa hit another hurricanrana, this time dumping Ali through the ropes and to the floor. Ali staggered to the barricade while Tozawa got onto the ring apron. Tozawa sprinted the length of the apron and launched into a somersault senton, taking Ali out on the floor. Tozawa screamed to the crowd as we cut to break.

Ali gained control during the break, but Tozawa escaped from a powerbomb before taking Ali down with a spinning kick to the jaw. Ali dodged another kick by slipping through the ropes to the floor. He grabbed Tozawa’s boot and slammed his knee against the ring post, then re-entered the ring. He went to work on Tozawa’s left knee. Tozawa kicked him away, but Ali wouldn’t relent. Ali briefly applied an ankle lock until Tozawa rolled him up for a two-count. Ali got up and hit Tozawa’s bad knee with a low drop kick. Ali set Tozawa’s foot up on the bottom rope and dropped his full weight on the knee. He tried this a second time, but Tozawa kicked him over the top rope to the floor.

Tozawa backed into a corner. Ali entered the ring and sprinted at him, but Tozawa side stepped, causing Ali to crash into the turnbuckle. Both men were slow to their feet. Tozawa landed three blows, then flipped Ali to the mat with a German suplex. He held onto the bridge to cover Ali for a two-count. Ali rolled up Tozawa, but at the two-count the ref noticed Ali’s boots illegally positioned on the middle rope. Tozawa rolled up Ali during the ref’s admonishment for a two-count. Ali kicked the back of Tozawa’s bad knee, then dragged him toward a corner. Ali climbed to the top rope but Tozawa jumped and hit Ali with an uppercut. Tozawa set up for a superplex but Ali kicked him to the mat and carried on with his plan: a 450 splash that hit its mark. He applied a single-leg crab to Tozawa’s injured leg, and Tozawa quickly tapped out.

WINNER: Mustafa Ali by by submission in 7:10.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Pretty cool match with a big flashy move from both wrestlers. It’s also nice to see an injury story told in a Main Event match, culminating with a submission that targeted said injury. Lots of times on this show, a wrestler might “work on” a body part, but it’s often without consequence, and isn’t played out in the endgame. Nicely done here.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42