SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
MAY 8, 2019
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Renee Young, Byron Saxton
REASONS TO WATCH…
- New match ups give Main Event a fresh feel.
- IIconics shown to be competent.
- Announcers take part in match storytelling.
(1) EC3 vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER
The wrestlers locked up in the middle of the ring, and EC3 spiked Alexander down to the mat, face first. While Alexander recovered and looked up, EC3 crouched down and gazed upon Alexander with pity on his face. EC3 worked an arm bar, but Alexander used quickness and a series of acrobatic maneuvers to eventually level EC3 with a drop kick, which was good for a one-count.
After Alexander set up but failed to perform the move, Byron pointed out that Alexander has never executed the Lumbar Check on someone the size of EC3. EC3 delivered a series of boots to the down-and-out Alexander in the corner. He whipped Alexander back into the same corner, landed a clothesline, then tossed him to the canvas like a sack of rotten avocados. EC3 went for three consecutive pins, all of which were kicked out of at the two-count. EC3 switched from the pinning to a full nelson, then body slammed Alexander when he got to his feet.
EC3 ran the ropes and dropped a big elbow, then stepped back and measured Alexander, urging him to get up. When he did, EC3 hoisted him into a fireman’s carry, but Alexander wriggled free and blasted EC3 with a European uppercut, rattling him for the first time in the match. Alexander then landed a big boot, a reverse elbow, and a low drop kick to the knee, knocking EC3 to the mat.
Alexander kipped up and booted EC3 again in the face, then covered for another two-count. Alexander removed his elbow pad and charged at EC3 in the corner, but EC3 slipped laterally out of the way and returned fire with a big clothesline of his own, spinning Alexander through the air. EC3 followed up with his modified DDT which was good for a believable near-fall two-count.
EC3 lifted Alexander up and began the setup for a suplex, but Alexander reversed the front chancery into an inside cradle pin for a two-count. Both men got up quickly, Alexander ducked a clothesline before hand springing off the ropes and landing a Neuralyzer. This thoroughly stunned EC3, allowing Alexander to set up and this time execute the Lumbar Check in the middle of the ring for the pin and victory.
WINNER: Cedric Alexander by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Quite a good match. Both of these wrestlers are (or at least should be) above the Main Event level, so the match felt more important than a typical show-opener. The announcers did a good job of telling the brief story of Alexander’s finisher and gave it a sense of weight in the context of this match. Good job by everyone.)
-Main Event recap session:
- Replay of Reigns returning to Raw against the wishes of Vince McMahon from Raw
- Replay of Kofi’s in-ring promo against Daniel Bryan from Raw
- Replay of Reigns vs. McIntyre from Raw
- Match down for upcoming PPV Money in the Bank
- Replay of Kofi vs. Daniel Bryan from Raw
- Replay of Firefly Fun House
(2) NIKKI CROSS vs. PEYTON ROYCE (w/ Billie Kay)
As Cross flailed about the ring after her ring announcement, Byron referred to her as “erratic, unhinged, and pretty unpredictable.” Renee described the IIconics as “masterminds” for having maintained the women’s tag championships thus far since WrestleMania. While Royce was wrestling the match, Kay wore both tag belts around her waist, one atop the other.
The women locked up and Cross pushed Royce up against the ropes, then broke cleanly as instructed by the ref. Cross ducked a clothesline at the opposite ropes, then dropped to her hands and knees behind Royce to trip her up as she rebounded. Cross took Royce down with an arm drag then locked in an arm bar. Royce yelled, “Owwww!” Cross transitioned the hold into a pin for a two-count.
Cross reversed out of a body-slam attempt, then applied a sleeper hold while hopping onto Royce’s back. Royce escaped and leveled Cross with a reverse roundhouse kick to the chest. We cut to commercial while the action continued in the ring.
After the break, Royce still had control. She was draped over the ropes, upside down, with Cross’s arms locked in quite a precarious hold. After relinquishing this illegal maneuver, Royce smiled and posed for the crowd on the apron as Cross slumped down and rolled into the ring. Royce whipped Cross face-first into a corner as the crowd started a “Let’s go Nikki!” chant.
Cross almost got the upper hand with shots to Royce’s throat, but Royce yanked her to the canvas by her hair. After a Royce pin attempt, both members of the IIconics loudly and shrilly admonished the referee for what they believed to be a three-count. Royce dropped two elbows to the seated Cross, then locked in an arm bar.
Cross broke free from the hold and quickly rolled up Royce for a pin and two-count. Cross blocked two attacks from Royce before leveling her with a clothesline. Cross began to fire up, and the crowd cheered. She clotheslined Royce in the corner and transitioned into a running bulldog – good for another two-count.
Cross scaled the top turnbuckle and took flight, but missed a high cross body. Royce scrambled to pin the stunned Cross, but Cross kicked out. Royce dealt a series of a forearm and two kicks before executing a fisherman’s suplex and pin for the three-count.
WINNER: Peyton Royce by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Not a bad match, but both of these wrestlers lack the impact and strength of what’s expect at this level. With that said, this is a refreshing match up for Main Event – it’s good to see Cross again and hear her dope remixed theme song, salvaged from her time with Sanity. As for the IIconics: Since they are the tag champions, it would do them both good to have had this match on Raw, showing they have some competency and can win matches, even without cheating. Also, if you’re a fan of the their shtick, you didn’t get enough of it during this segment. They didn’t do any mic-work before the match, and their antics were very limited once the bell rang.)
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.6
FINAL THOUGHTS: A much better than average episode of Main Event, with fresh match ups and interesting details in both bouts. If the main roster announce teams won’t take their cues from NXT, they could at least consider the Main Event formula.
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