1/27 WWE Main Event TV Report: Percy tells story of EC3’s privileged upbringing, EC3 faces Apollo Crews, plus No Way Joe vs. Rezar

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 27, 2019
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers:  Renee Young, Byron Saxton, Percy Watson

REASONS TO WATCH…

• EC3 brings refreshing personality to Main Event.
• Atlanta crowd is so hot, the city should have a nickname.

(1) NO WAY JOSE vs. REZAR (w/Drake Maverick)

The commentators discussed the nature of the rematch, how Jose asked for it and the powers that be were happy to oblige. When Renee said Jose has had a week to watch video and prepare, Percy responded by saying Jose hasn’t changed anything, that he’s still coming out with a conga line trying to have fun, and that he can’t do that if he wants to beat a guy like Rezar. While Jose began dancing in the ring, Byron said that Jose has been trying to perfect his craft in the Performance Center.

Jose stomped on the hands of Maverick who was leaning on the ring apron, then got in a flurry of offensive moves on Rezar. More dancing was mixed in with his offense, but it came to a halt when Jose attempted a body slam and Rezar blocked the move and reversed into a belly-to-belly suplex, launching Jose across the ring. Rezar drove his shoulder into Jose’s gut in the corner three times before tossing him the other way across the ring. The Atlanta crowd, who was noticeably hot on the live Raw broadcast, began a “No way, Jose!” chant as Rezar buckled down with a chinlock to Jose in the center of the ring.

Jose got to his feet and broke free from the hold and slowly scooped Rezar up for another body slam attempt, but the weight was too much and Jose collapsed onto his back with Rezar across his chest. Rezar got to his knees and landed a hailstorm of hammer blows to the prone Jose. Rezar shouted angrily at the crowd in a Foreign Language, and the crowd responded with boos. Rezar locked his arms around Jose’s neck, whipped him about like a doll for a bit, then settled into another hold on the mat.

More chants from the crowd helped urge the alleged Dominican to his feet, and Jose finally landed a body slam on his third try, which is said to be the charm. Jose mounted Rezar in the corner and landed classic counted punches, but Rezar powered out, escaped the corner, and splashed Jose against the turnbuckles. Jose scooted skyward and attempted a tornado DDT, but Rezar blocked the maneuver on the downward trajectory, created a foot of space, and leveled Jose with a big clothesline. Rezar then moved in and choke slammed Jose to the canvas and covered for a three-count.

WINNER:  Rezar by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis:  Last week’s Main Event featured a rematch (Breeze & B-Team vs. Mahal & Singh Brothers) with the same outcome as the week prior. This match followed the same formula. It also followed the same match-formula from last week, right down to having two rest holds in a five-minute match. Jose has taken a step backward, however – he’s back to dancing during his match. Not good.)

Main Event recap session:

• Dramatically edited replay of Reigns’s Leukemia announcement from Raw
• Dramatically edited Replay of Reigns’s Leukemia update from Raw
• Recap of Rollins and Reigns bailing out Dean from Raw
• Replay of Kofi-Bryan-Owens contract signing from Raw
• Replay of Owens & Kofi vs. Bryan & Rowan from Smackdown
• Replay of Lynch’s attack and subsequent arrest from Raw
• Replay of Charlotte’s in-ring promo from Smackdown

(2) APOLLO CREWS vs. EC3

As EC3 strutted to the ring, Percy told a “quick story.” “18th birthday – his parents gave him a strip mall! In 24 hours, he sold it, and went backpacking through Europe for five months. That’s the kind of guy we’re talking about with EC3.”

The match started with EC3 applying a side headlock, and maintaining the hold even after Crews ran the ropes and tried to fire him off. On a second attempt, Crews whipped EC3 against the ropes, but EC3 leveled Crews with a heavy shoulder block. Horrifically pleased with himself, EC3 held up his right hand in victory. Apollo was slow to get up, and EC3 allowed this, taking the time for some posturing. Meanwhile, the crowd developed a loud “Let’s go Apollo! / EC3!” battle chant.

Crews got the upper hand with a couple of deep arm drags, then settled in with an arm bar on the mat. EC3 quickly got to his feet and backed Crews up into a corner, and when the ref called for a clean break, EC3 instead landed multiple punches on Crews. We cut to commercial.

After the break, EC3 leveled Crews with a flying clothesline, then put the boots to Crews in the corner. Crews was whipped into the opposite corner and landed hard on his back. EC3 lifted him from the mat and executed a classic suplex, then covered for a two-count. EC3 applied a trapezius claw. When Crews got to his feet, EC3 body slammed Crews, then landed an old school elbow drop, followed by a somersault neck breaker. EC3 covered for another two count.

The wrestlers ran the ropes and collided mid-ring, mid-air, with simultaneous high cross bodies. They both got up quickly, but Crews landed a series of kicks that culminated with a clothesline and a kip up. Crews scaled the corner from the apron and landed a high cross body that was good for a two-count. Renee exclaimed, “More like EC two-and-a-half!” EC3 ran the ropes toward Crews but Crews struck first with a bicycle kick followed by an enzuigiri. Crews signaled to the crowd, who cheered, then landed a standing moonsault for the three count and victory.

WINNER:  Apollo Crews by pinfall.

(Meyers’s Analysis:  This was a fun match. EC3‘s presence and ring style may not be refreshing in the wrestling industry, but they certainly are on Main Event. He knows how to elicit responses from an audience, and it helped to work across from Crews, who is quite likeable. EC3’s style calls for a longer match than what’s allowed on Main Event.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 6.8

FINAL THOUGHTS: The show is half skippable, considering the repeat of last week’s No Way Jose vs. Rezar match. It’s worth checking out for a rare EC3 match on WWE programming. Props must be given to the Atlanta crowd – they got up for the first match in spite of it having nothing to offer in terms of star power, excitement, or stakes. The crowd played an even bigger role in the second match, providing chants that both wrestlers could play off of. Well done.

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT:1/20 WWE Main Event TV Report: No Way Jose vs. Rezar, Tyler Breeze & B-Team vs. Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers