SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
APRIL 1, 2020
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton
REASONS TO WATCH…
- Main Event debut of Ever-Rise and Imperium’s Fabian Aichner
- Alexander vs. Aichner shines
(1) THE O.C. (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs. EVER-RISE (Chase Parker & Matt Martel)
Ever-Rise entered to generic instrumental rock music and walked to the ring in matching blue full-length tights with their arms held aloft. Parker started off against Gallows. The larger Gallows quickly dominated Parker, while Martel shouted for his partner to “Stick and move!” from their corner. Gallows moved Parker into his own corner and tagged in Anderson.
Parker leveled Anderson with a drop kick, giving Ever-Rise the chance to make a couple quick tags and execute some tag team offense, but Anderson soon had Parker back on the mat before tagging Gallows back in. In the O.C.’s corner, Gallows ground his elbow across Parker’s face. He lifted Parker to his feet and scooped him up into his arms, then taunted Martel before launching Parker backward with a fallaway slam. Gallows covered Parker for a two-count.
Parker reached out toward his corner but Gallows dropped to his knees and rained down elbows to Parker’s back before cinching in a headlock. Martel started an NBA-style “Defense!” chant from the apron. The crowd, which did not exist, reacted predictably. The chant must’ve had an effect on Parker, however, as he got to his feet and elbowed his way free. Gallows punished this resilience by landing a big boot to Parker’s face. Gallows screamed “Best tag team in the world!” at Martel, who responded by shouting, “Piece of garbage!”
Parker got to his feet again and dodged another big boot attack in the corner. Gallows was momentarily tied up in the ropes, allowing Parker to finally tag in Martel. Anderson tagged in concurrently, and Martel went through cookie cutter hot-tag motions over Anderson, including a sludgy head scissor take down. Anderson stunned Martel with a knee lift after Martel telegraphed a back body drop, so Martel tagged Parker back in. Martel grounded Anderson with a drop toehold, allowing the legal man Parker to run the ropes and use Martel’s back as a launching pad for an elbow drop to Anderson’s back. Parker covered for a two-count.
Back on their feet, Anderson shoved Parker into Martel, knocking Martel off the ring apron and stunning Parker. Anderson hit a spinebuster and tagged in Gallows. The O.C. set up Parker for the Magic Killer, and when Martel entered the ring for the save, Gallows met him with a big boot while Parker was still hoisted on the O.C.’s shoulders. They followed through with their finisher and Gallows covered Parker for the win.
WINNERS: The O.C. by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: When Gallows screamed, “Best tag team in the world,” Martel missed the biggest opportunity of the week by not saying “Thank you!” Parker and Martel spent a few years in Chikara before appearing on Raw in a squash match against Authors of Pain in 2018. They signed with NXT in early 2019, and lost two TV matches that September.)
-Main Event recap session:
- Replay of Firefly Fun House from Smackdown
- Replay of Becky Lynch on-stage promo from Raw
- Match rundown for upcoming PPV WrestleMania
- Edge-Orton video package
- Undertaker-Styles video package
- Replay of Heyman / Lesnar in-ring promo from Raw
(2) CEDRIC ALEXANDER vs. FABIAN AICHNER
Aichner made his regal ring entrance alone, as though still flanked by his Imperium cohorts. He removed his black track jacket and the ref called for the bell. The announcers discussed Edge and Orton’s upcoming WrestleMania match while Alexander and Aichner exchanged quick moves to start. Aichner had the upper hand going into the break, sweeping Alexander off the top rope and planting him to the canvas with a belly-to-back suplex.
After the break, Aichner continued the punishment of Alexander in the corner with repeated forearm strikes. He whipped Alexander across the ring back-first into the opposite corner, and Alexander toppled to the mat. Aichner covered but Alexander kicked out appropriately at one. Aichner applied a chinlock. Alexander struggled to get free, but Aichner clobbered him with a forearm to the back. Alexander stumbled into a corner. Aichner set his sights on Alexander and sprinted toward him, but Alexander ducked to the mat while Aichner, who was attempting a jumping knee strike, tumbled over the top rope and out to the floor.
Aichner rolled back in and the wrestlers exchanged blows in the middle of the ring. Alexander got the upper hand and took Aichner down with a dragon screw leg whip. Alexander then hit a springboard DDT and covered Aichner for a two-count. Aichner blocked and reversed his way out of two Lumbar Check attempts. Alexander jumped at Aichner from the second rope in the corner, but Aichner caught him and transitioned Alexander into a brainbuster. Aichner covered for two.
Aichner started to set Alexander up for a piledriver, but Alexander squirmed free and rolled up Aichner for a quick two-count. Alexander attempted a backslide, and when Aichner wouldn’t budge he hit Aichner with a drop kick to the knee instead, bringing Aichner to his knees. With his opponent stunned, Alexander did a handspring off the ropes and hit Aichner with the Neuralyzer. He covered Aichner for the three-count.
WINNER: Cedrick Alexander by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: A nice, refreshing, and unexpected singles match. The announcers made a point to describe Aichner as a physically powerful member of Imperium, and the match outcome was not a foregone conclusion. Worth checking out.)
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.4
FINAL THOUGHTS: Two Main Event debuts, two real tag teams, and an interesting singles match make this an above-average episode.
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