WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT (7/26): Akira Tozawa vs. Sanga, Nikki Cross vs. Kayden Carter

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
JULY 26, 2023
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

•Nikki Cross vs. Kayden Carter highlights the program

(1) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. SANGA (w/Veer & Jinder Mahal)

Mahal took the mic in the center of the ring, flanked by Sanga and Veer. “The Maharaja presents the most destructive tag team in all of Monday night Raw: Indus Sher. And tonight, Sanga is unleashed as he feasts on the carcass of Akira Tozawa.”

Tozawa escaped from a corner early on, then jumped onto Sanga’s back to apply a choke hold. Sanga flung him over his shoulder to the mat. Sanga caught both of Tozawa’s boots when he charged at him in the corner. Tozawa went to the top rope and jumped, but Sanga caught him in mid-air, then demonstratively hoisted him upward and suspended pre-slam position before putting dropping him. Sanga lined up for a big clothesline, hit it, then screamed at the audience with his hands together. Sanga rag dolled Tozawa by his neck before dropping him to the mat. He gut wrenched Tozawa onto his shoulder. Tozawa had the nerve to land some bad-angle punches, causing Sanga to release him. Tozawa staggered into a corner, where Sanga immediately splashed him.

Sanga lifted Tozawa to his feet by his ear, then Tozawa went on a brief flurry of offense. He climbed to the top rope and hit a missile drop kick, but Sanga remained on his feet. Tozawa ran the ropes and went for a clothesline, but Sanga just leaned into it, causing Tozawa to bounce off and fall to the mat. Tozawa escaped a choke slam, but Sanga came back with a big boot to the face. Sanga set up for the choke slam again, this time hitting it. Sanga covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Sanga by pinfall in 3:35.

(Meyers’s Analysis: This was basically a cartoon match, big man vs. little man. Not much to it, but Tozawa is good at selling.)

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(2) NIKKI CROSS vs. KAYDEN CARTER (w/Katana Chance)

Carter grounded Cross with some mat wrestling to start the match. Cross applied an upright side headlock, then knocked Carter down with a shoulder block. Cross did some hip thrusts toward her downed opponent. Carter got to her feet and arm dragged Cross to the mat, then Cross rolled out to the floor. Carter knocked Cross off the apron with a low drop kick when she tried to enter the ring. With Cross back on the floor, Carter ran off the opposite ropes and went for a baseball slide, but Cross yanked the apron away from the ring, trapping Carter between the apron and ring. Cross rained down elbow strikes to Carter’s back and chest. Cross screamed at the crowd and we cut to break as Carter slumped to the floor.

Back in the ring, Cross hit a sitout powerbomb, then covered for two. Cross applied a strait jacket submission. She sat on the small of Carter’s back and wrenched backward. Carter managed to get to her feet and backed Cross up into a corner, but Cross jumped on her back with a choke hold. Carter stood up with Cross still on her back, then flopped backward onto the mat, crushing Cross and breaking the hold. Both women were slow to their feet, but Carter struck first with multiple forearm shots, knocking Cross to the mat. She smashed Cross’s face in the corner with another forearm, then booted her in the face as she was slumped against the bottom rope, attempting to knock her skull into the fifth row. Carter bounced off the bottom rope and hit a spinning leg drop, then covered Cross for two.

Cross scored a two-count with a surprise roll-up, but Carter sprung up with a kick to the back of Cross’s neck. She covered Cross for two. Cross dodged a splash in the corner, then took Carter down with a bulldog. Cross covered for another two-count. Carter reversed out of a neckbreaker attempt, then dropped Cross face-first to the mat. Carter slowly rolled over to cover Cross, but she kicked out at two. Carter hoisted Cross up to the top rope. She climbed to the second rope to meet Cross face-to-face. She set up for a superplex, but Cross resisted, punching Carter to the mat. Cross launched into a high cross body, hitting her mark and remaining on top for the three-count.

WINNER: Nikki Cross by pinfall in 8:15.

(Meyers’s Analysis: One of the best women’s matches in recent Main Event history. Smooth action, and Carter’s presence was refreshing for the show. I was a little confused with the finishing move, as that high cross body is usually transitional. Maybe that surprise is a good thing.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.4

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

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