Tag: WWE Main Event

WWE Main Event results: Tegan Nox vs. Nikki Cross

Posted on by James Cox

This past week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina, before Monday’s episode of Raw.

Dana Brooke defeated Emma (5:40)

This was a good 50/50 contest in which both worked well. Emma could certainly be working on much higher profile matches, because her in-ring work is strong.

They replayed Brooke being beaten by Rhea Ripley on Raw and suggested that it would be hard for her to come back from such an ugly defeat.

Emma had an inset promo where she wanted to remind us that she is the “real pioneer of the WWE women’s division” and that before there were the Four Horsewomen, the history books say “Emma.”

Early on, this featured lots of back and forth as they traded side headlock takedowns and quick pinfall attempts. After what had looked like it would be babyface vs. babyface, Emma turned on Brooke and claimed that she was being disrespected.

There was really no separating the two and in the end, Emma just got caught up in complaining which led to an opportunity for Brooke to steal one.

Emma had nailed Brooke with a basement crossbody in the corner and was moaning to the referee when Brooke jumped up and pinned her with a small package to get the win.

Nikki Cross defeated Tegan Nox (5:27)

This was ok. The crowd was a little dead, but there was solid work on display here with Nox looking more than comfortable working with main roster talent.

The match marked the Welsh-born Nox’s Main Event debut. She has worked a few SmackDown tapings, as well as the 2020 and 2023 Royal Rumble matches on the main roster, but is otherwise no doubt a new face to many.

She got an inset promo here, which was good to see. She said that now that she was on the red brand, she would beat people up and enjoy doing it.

The crowd was quite quiet during this one, but did seem to be behind Cross. There were a few tepid “Let’s go Nikki” chants toward the end that never quite took hold.

Cross gave Nox a lot here as she worked her over methodically without relying on rest holds so the match felt a lot more fluid. She used a flapjack and a ton of strikes and kicks to beat her down. With the crowd fairly quiet, you could hear that Nox enjoys a thigh slap when she’s on the attack.

Cross fired up in the last minutes, using a tornado DDT off the second rope for two before countering a comeback to hit Nox with a spinning neckbreaker for the win.

Final Thoughts:

It was good for the women’s division to be so well represented on the show this week. Everyone was good here, but WWE is missing something by not building any momentum or storylines like they used to. It was at its strongest last year when they played out angles so that the show didn’t exist in a vacuum and had some semblance of continuity.

WWE Main Event results: Nathan Frazer, Roxanne Perez in action

Posted on by James Cox

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, before Raw.

Emma defeated Roxanne Perez (6:10)

This was a good match that allowed Perez to show what she could do while giving Emma her first appearance on the show in over six years.

As she made her way to the ring, they gave the debutante Perez an inset promo. At just 21, she is really quite impressive. She referred to the fact that she is a former NXT Women’s Champion and that she would show everyone tonight why they call her “the prodigy.”

For Emma, this was her first outing on Main Event since 2017. Back then, she was facing the likes of Mickie James and was probably still doing her wacky dance on her way to the ring. She looked far more assured as she entered here in 2023.

After looking like it was going to be a friendly contest in the early going, Emma turned on Perez and shoved her to the floor. Perez was athletic and agile here, showing that she is a natural gymnast and does way more than just the fundamentals.

Emma took most of the match, working over Perez’s lower back. Eventually, Perez got some hope and fired up with a series of strikes and running European uppercuts. She went up to top, but Emma had it scouted and toppled her to the mat.

Emma used a new finisher here to get the win — the Widow’s Peak — previously used by Victoria. It looks a little ungainly to get her opponent locked in, but there’s no doubt it’s a dangerous looking move that could really get over. 

Akira Tozawa defeated Nathan Frazer (8:52)

This was yet another good match on Main Event involving Tozawa who gave the impressive Frazer a platform to show what he can do.

They also gave Frazer an inset promo as he made his entrance. In previous weeks, this has only been used for the opener. He said we had to obey three words (Never. Slow. Down.”) and warned us that we shouldn’t blink or we might just miss it.

This was Frazer’s second Main Event appearance as last time out, he lost to Bronson Reed. That was more of an extended squash and thus, this was a much better way for him to showcase his in-ring style.

Tozawa practically feels like a trainer these days. Every week he puts over a different fresh face, bumping all over for them, never putting in a bad performance. If he’s happy in this spot, it’s ideal. But, he does deserve a run on the main roster at some point.

Before the break, they put on lots of intricate mat work and got the crowd’s appreciation for the technical skill on display. They built to a point where Frazer nailed Tozawa with a springboard dropkick off the apron before the ad break.

Frazer then locked in a cravat for a long period as Tozawa tried everything to work his way out of it. He then fired up with a German suplex, running leg lariat, and a top rope back elbow for a two count.

Tozawa kicked out of a Cross Rhodes before they went to the finish with Tozawa coming off the top rope for the senton to grab only his third win in 2023.

Final Thoughts:

Two really good matches made this episode very strong indeed. It goes without saying that Perez has a huge future ahead of her, but so does Frazer who could become a really accomplished in-ring performer. Credit yet again goes to Tozawa, who is such a safe pair of hands and never gives anything other than his best.

WWE Main Event results: Akira Tozawa vs. Mustafa Ali

Posted on by James Cox

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, before Monday’s Raw. It was a fun episode that showcased some strong wrestling.

While we didn’t get the weekly fresh face from WWE NXT, the quality was strong with both matches really well put together. If they did this all over again next week, there would be no complaints from me.

Piper Niven defeated Dana Brooke (5:57)

This was a good, solid match. Brooke is always good value these days and she and Niven worked really well together here.

This was Niven’s first appearance on Main Event since she changed her moniker from Doudrop. Last time out back in August 2022, she teamed up with Nikki ASH in a winning effort against Brooke and Tamina.

After the early exchanges, Brooke was shaking her left arm that she hurt when Niven used a splash to the corner. Niven nailed Brooke with a modified tombstone, dropping her onto her shoulder. Niven then used a cobra clutch.

Brooke fired up with a cartwheel into a back elbow and bulldog for a two count. Brooke couldn’t hit a suplex and Niven countered into a small package for another nearfall.

After Brooke kicked out of a Michinoku Driver, she caught Niven on the top rope and managed to hit a power bomb for her own near fall. The crowd really popped for both the move and the kick out.

In the end, Niven caught Brooke as she charged and used a swinging side slam to get the job done. Credit where it’s due: this was a good opener.

Mustafa Ali defeated Akira Tozawa (7:07)

This was also a good match between two performers who are usually never bad in the ring. Ali worked really effectively as a heel and created lots of sympathy for Tozawa in the process.

This was the third time these two have faced off on Main Event and over the years, it has always been Ali that has come out on top. This was no different.

Tozawa is such an underrated performer — always giving his best and always playing whatever role they need him to portray with aplomb.

They went back and forth in the early going with the crowd quite invested. We went quite early to the commercial break after Tozawa nailed Ali with a rolling cannonball off the apron to the floor.

After the break, Ali started to really work on Tozawa’s left leg. He dodged a charge into the corner and Ali took a really great looking bump into the second turnbuckle to give Tozawa the hope.

Tozawa grabbed a near fall from a German suplex and then Ali tried a roll-up, using the ropes to get leverage. The ref was about to count to three but spotted the infringement at the last second.

The finish was really clever as the way it played into how Ali had worked over Tozawa’s leg throughout was creative. Ali used the 450 splash and landed it on Tozawa’s legs followed by a half Boston Crab to get the win.

WWE Main Event results: Cora Jade, Joe Gacy in action

Posted on by James Cox

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, before Raw. It featured NXT’s Cora Jade, the return of Joe Gacy, and wasn’t a standout show.

Dexter Lumis defeated Joe Gacy (5:11)

This was fine, but the crowd wasn’t much into it and thus it felt quite tepid.

Gacy worked Main Event last November against Cedric Alexander and looks fine with main roster company. His match last year was much stronger than this, but it doesn’t help that Lumis doesn’t sell very much as part of his gimmick when you’re trying to give fresh faces a chance.

Gacy’s gimmick is a little odd for my taste and, although Lumis does seem to be getting over to some extent, he doesn’t really do much for me either. Lumis seems to be channeling the Undertaker at times, no-selling certain things and turning around to glare at his opponent with wide eyes.

They worked a pretty standard match, but Gacy does move well for a bigger athlete. His handspring into a clothesline that he used here is a testament to that.

At one point, Gacy appeared to try to recruit Lumis by saying that he could have given him a chance, but Lumis was having none of it and nailed him with a few strikes to the gut.

After Gacy locked in a couple of rest holds, he went once more for his clothesline, but Lumis caught him and finished him with his as-yet-unnamed side slam that looks suspiciously like a Rock Bottom.

Nikki Cross defeated Cora Jade (7:14)

It was good to see Jade make her main roster debut in front of her home crowd, but their match wasn’t much to write home about.

At only 23, Jade is still relatively new to this, and she and Cross had a few difficulties towards the end. Having worked a few 205 Live tapings and the odd dark match on SmackDown, this was probably her most notable main roster outing to date.

They gave Jade an inset promo as she made her way to the ring carrying a kendo stick. She said she had been running NXT for a long time and that she was about to become the number one woman in all of WWE. The crowd popped for her as she was introduced as hailing from Chicago.

After some neat early mat work, Cross was slamming Jade’s head into the turnbuckle when she stopped her and hit her with a high knee that sent her to the floor outside. Jade postured to the crowd and we went to a commercial break.

Jade was in control after the break, but this is where they really lost the crowd. After the heat segment, they didn’t really come to life for Cross’ comeback either.

There was a neat spot where Jade reversed a bulldog into a pin attempt, but they lost their way after Cross came off the second rope with a tornado DDT. Jade had Cross in a full nelson and then just dropped on to her back. They conversed on the mat together and then went to the finish.

It looked like Jade was bleeding from the mouth as they teased a superplex. Cross fought her off and came off the top rope with a crossbody to get the win.

Final Thoughts:

It was a nice moment for Jade to get to work in front of a packed Allstate Arena, but she will be disappointed that the match didn’t quite work out as planned. These things happen and she certainly has time on her side.

WWE Main Event results: Eddy Thorpe, Isla Dawn debuts

Posted on by James Cox

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas, before Raw.

Nikki Cross defeated Isla Dawn (4:59)

This was good, but putting a match with this kind of natural storyline on a show like Main Event is a waste.

In the real world, Dawn and Cross grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, about a mile away from each other. Despite the five year age gap, it was Cross who gave Dawn her first ever wrestling match ten years ago. This was all glossed over on commentary, but seems like an angle that they could have done way more with.

Currently one half of the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, Dawn made a good debut here. Cross gave her plenty of shine, but beat her clean in the end.

They gave Dawn an inset promo on her way to the ring where she alluded to the fact that she and Cross had worked together in a previous life and was looking forward to their encounter tonight.

Dawn used a cobra clutch several times to try to wear Cross down. She worked her way out of it twice and they exchanged clubbing blows.

Dawn didn’t get to show off much of her moveset as they kept this one fairly basic. After a couple of dropkicks, Cross came off the second rope with a tornado DDT and then finished Dawn with a whiplash.

Dexter Lumis defeated Eddy Thorpe (8:02)

This was again very basic. Neither looked bad and Thorpe had plenty of offense, but neither dazzled and the more experienced man went over.

They gave Lumis an inset promo where he basically stared at the camera. It would have been better to give Thorpe, the former Karl Fredericks, the air time so that new viewers could have seen a little of what he was about. If you aren’t catching NXT Level Up when he works matches there, you have likely never heard of him.

Lumis has generally had a winning record since he started to make Main Event appearances, but a losing effort to Bronson Reed two weeks back marred his run on this show.

Thorpe worked over Lumis’ left arm in various ways throughout the match. He tried for a quasi kimura and used an abdominal stretch. It didn’t play into the finish, but Thorpe is certainly slick in his transitions and knows his way around the ring.

After the commercials, Thorpe used a lep whip and went back to the abdominal stretch but Lumis worked his way out and nailed him with a suplex.

The finish was Lumis’ kip-up leg drop, followed by a side slam. The crowd seem to be warming to Lumis and he seems to be gradually getting over.

Final Thoughts:

After the two strong matches last week, this show wasn’t as good. The fresh faces always make it an intriguing show, and credit to Dawn and Thorpe who did well, but two rather rudimentary bouts meant it was one to miss.

WWE Main Event results: Tyler Bate vs. Dolph Ziggler

Posted on by James Cox

This week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, before Monday’s Raw. It featured two really good matches that made for a very watchable show.

Nikki Cross defeated Zoey Stark (6:27)

This was good, but probably went much longer than it needed to. The crowd was into Cross as Stark played the heel here.

Although a rest hold is the one thing I detest more than anything in these short Main Event matches, Stark at least used a cravat which played into the story of the match. Stark seems to have a good ring IQ as she and Cross worked well together.

Cross trapped Stark between the ring and the apron and smashed her which the crowd seemed to love. They also cheered when she dodged a third consecutive charge to the corner. Cross used a dropkick to the knee followed by a bulldog to get some separation.

Cross went up top, but Stark had it scouted. She hit Cross with a high kick to bring her down off the top rope and then used a baseball slide for a near fall.

Cross reversed Stark’s attack and came off the second turnbuckle with a tornado DDT. She held on and picked Stark back up to plant her with a neckbreaker to get the win.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Tyler Bate (9:28)

This was very strong, particularly in the last few minutes. Ziggler can work with anyone and Bate has very much become the same. It was a class act all round that marked Bate’s Main Event debut.

This was Ziggler’s first Main Event outing in over a year, but his first singles match on this show since 2020. It was February 2022 when he was last here with Robert Roode. With Roode having gone under the knife at the end of last year for spinal surgery, Ziggler has had to work solo of late.

The crowd was very much into this as you would hope. They did some mat work early on and did the cool spot that Curt Hennig used to do where he would get slapped and sell it by spitting out his gum so it looked like he’d lost a tooth. Ziggler has it down to a tee.

After the commercials, Ziggler was in full flow, posturing for the crowd. He covered Bate with an arm flex and then did a handstand during a rear chin lock.

Bate got the hope when he kicked out of the Famouser and caught the superkick that Ziggler went for. They got a ‘this is awesome’ chant going after Bate used an airplane spin for a near fall. Getting that chant is almost entirely unique — no one ever gets that kind of reaction on this show.

The finish was Bate going for the Tyler Driver ‘97, but Ziggler flipped him over his back and nailed him with a superkick for the win. Bate sold the kick so well here and Ziggler celebrated like he had won an absolute epic.

The work that Bate and Ziggler did buried on a show with such limited viewership is a disgrace, but goes to underline two things: Ziggler is criminally underutilized these days and Bate has a massive future ahead of him.

WWE Main Event results: Bronson Reed vs. Dexter Lumis

Posted on by Josh Nason

The post-WrestleMania 39 edition of WWE Main Event has arrived, chock full of major angles. Not really, but this was taped this past Monday prior to WWE Raw at Staples Center in Los Angeles. And boy, what a show this was.

Rick Boogs defeated Cedric Alexander (w/ Shelton Benjamin)

Boogs was already in the ring awaiting Alexander as apparently, they were short on time with all the video packages to come to give the big man an entrance. Boogs was full of energy, flexing and yelling and doing more flexing and yelling anytime he put his power on display by throwing Alexander around.

Boogs used his power to do bicep curls with Benjamin followed by an overhead throw. Alexander didn’t seem to care for this as he wanted to get counted out, but Boogzseventually went out after him. Boogs very slowly pursued Alexander, but got distracted by Benjamin and eventually taken out by a spear while on the apron. By slowly, I mean a glacial pace.

Alexander went to work with rest holds and a front face lock, but Boogs tossed him overhead in a display of sheer power to regain the momentum. Eventually, Boogs got the win with a press into a slam of sorts for the pin and win in a relatively lifeless match.

Bronson Reed defeated Dexter Lumis

Lumis was looking to pick up his second straight win and second straight against a big man as he defeated Odyssey Jones on this show last week.

These two have a history going back to NXT when they first squared off during the 2019 NXT Breakout Tournament. This is their fourth ever singles match and Lumis has yet to pick up a win in this classic series.

I also couldn’t help but think what the future for these two will be given all the changes in WWE and their past being released.

This followed a similar pattern as the first match with Reed showing off his power to hold the advantage over Lumis, albeit in a much more athletic fashion. Reed missed a running back splash which gave Lumis an opening. He hit a big back suplex, kip up and a ledrop that got a very close near fall. 

In the end, Reed’s size was too much, countering a Lumis attack by simply running into him, then picking up the win after the Tsunami splash off the top.

WWE Main Event results: Dexter Lumis vs. Odyssey Jones

Posted on by James Cox

This week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, before Monday’s Raw.

Dana Brooke defeated Elektra Lopez (5:09)

This was a solid match and they worked well together. Lopez certainly didn’t look out of place working a main roster show. Interestingly, she has been on the main roster before back in a 2019 SmackDown match as one of the Brooklyn Belles against then-WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics.

The most impressive thing here was how much Brooke gave to Lopez. Lopez looks like she works pretty safe, but Brooke sold constantly for her throughout the match.

Although Lopez used a couple of chin locks, she worked quickly and showed off a good moveset. She worked over Brooke’s back and used a nice looking gutwrench suplex.

Brooke rallied with her bulldog and cartwheel moonsault, but Lopez kicked out at two. Lopez rolled through Brooke’s crossbody attempt and lifted her into a powerslam position from the mat. She only got a near fall from it, but it looked impressive.

Brooke grabbed the win with a victory roll, so I suppose the narrative here was that Brooke upended her by being the more experienced of the two, but it would have done no harm to have had Lopez get her hand raised.

They could easily give Lopez a run and make her look dominant on the main roster, but hopefully they will give her a few more runouts on shows like this first.

Dexter Lumis (w/ Johnny Gargano) defeated Odyssey Jones (7:33)

This was ok. Lumis looked good and gave Jones quite a lot. Jones worked slowly and methodically, but the issue is his gimmick and not his in-ring work.

Lumis has done a few Main Event tapings this year and has generally looked good, but this was his first episode with Gargano in tow. Jones, likewise, has done ok in the few outings he has had on the show.

In the opening, Jones showed off his power before Lumis mounted him in the corner for the ten punches. Jones rallied to send him outside as we went to a commercial.

After the break, Lumis took three splashes in the corner and World’s Strongest Slam but kicked out at two. Jones then locked in a nerve hold as you could see he was tired. Lumis worked his way out, Jones ran into a boot, and Lumis used a second rope missile dropkick to take him off his feet.

Gargano gave Lumis some advice from the outside and Lumis managed to hit Jones with a side slam. He then did a kip up into a legdrop which looked extremely cool, but Jones kicked out at two.

The finish made Jones looked a bit foolish: Lumis pushed him into the ropes and then ducked down behind him to quickly roll him up for the win.

Gargano and Lumis made out of there like bandits while Jones was left looking distraught.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this was a good show. Like a lot of WWE content this week, it has been about building to WrestleMania, but the two matches were perfectly fine here. Hopefully, after things settle again, we will return to some inset promos, backstage segments and dare I say some angles on this show in the near future.

WWE Main Event results: Charlie Dempsey returns, Nathan Frazer debuts

Posted on by James Cox

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, before Monday’s WWE Raw. This week featured a debut and a return from two NXT stars.

Bronson Reed defeated Nathan Frazer (4:31)

This was what you would expect with Reed absolutely dominating with Frazer managing to looked good in his main roster debut.

They gave the debutante an inset promo on his way to the ring. He told us to watch carefully because blink and we’d miss it. He certainly has time on his side. At the age of 24 and having been around NXT UK and then the main NXT roster the last year, Frazer has a great deal to offer.

It was all Reed in this one. Frazer could barely get him off his feet, but he finally did, getting some shine with a cool springboard dropkick that toppled him. A sweet standing moonsault got a two count, but that was about as much as Reed could take or Frazer could muster.

In the end, Frazer missed a charge and Reed nailed him with a power bomb. Reed then came off the top rope with his splash they they are now calling the Tsunami. I’m sure at some point that’s a name they’ll have to ban.

Shelton Benjamin (w/ Cedric Alexander & MVP) defeated Charlie Dempsey (7:24)

This was Dempsey’s first match back since a mid-January Main Event when he was defeated by Dexter Lumis.

Benjamin and Dempsey gelled well here and put together a really good match with some really creative spots.

This won’t be for everyone’s taste since it involved a lot of intricate mat work, but, for me, it was far more interesting than what we usually get on Main Event. Dempsey is a little bit special and certainly offers something different than most of the guys on the main roster do.

After Dempsey got the better of Benjamin in the first half, they came back from commercial with Dempsey clamping in a hammerlock on the mat. Benjamin kept rolling through trying to break it, but Dempsey kept changing the torque and reapplying pressure.

When Benjamin tried to power out of the submission hold with a gut-wrench powerbomb, Dempsey just hammered away, clubbing Benjamin’s left shoulder so he had to drop him.

Dempsey went for a very cool looking bridging pin, where even the ref sold how unusual it looked, taking a moment to realize it was a cover before he counted the two.

After Dempsey landed some European uppercuts, both men looked out on their feet. The veteran blocked another strike and hit Dempsey with a high knee before nailing him with Paydirt for the win.

Final Thoughts:

It was good to see a fresh face this week and even better to see Dempsey back in action on Main Event. They could do both of these matches again next week and I would be more than happy. Dempsey needs some careful handling as with the wrong person in gorilla, he could easily get buried. 

WWE Main Event results: Dante Chen, Trick Williams in action

Posted on by Josh Nason

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped before Raw in Providence, Rhode Island, and featured the main roster debut of Dante Chen. Spoiler alert: you didn’t miss anything from the show this week.

Cedric Alexander (w/ MVP and Shelton Benjamin) defeated Dante Chen

Chen got an inset promo where he said he is the first Singaporean to be in WWE and wanted to use tonight as an introduction for himself to Main Event.

Chen was in control early, working on Alexander’s arm. But he got distracted by Shelton Benjamin’s mere presence at ringside and Alexander took advantage, welcoming him in with a single arm DDT-like move.

Alexander worked over Chen’s arm for what felt like 30 minutes. Chen eventually rallied with a big pump kick, but Alexander countered an offensive setup with an arm ringer, setting up his Lumbar Check for the win. This was pretty lifeless.

Akira Tozawa defeated Trick Williams

Williams made his Main Event return and in a pretty good line during his inset promo, he said he’s what you get when you combine Michael Jordan, Michael B. Jordan and Mike Tyson.

Williams debuted on this show back in December with a loss to Cedric Alexander and was looking for his first main roster win. Tozawa took a loss to Williams’ pal Carmelo Hayes last week on Main Event, so there was motivation on both sides here.

Williams hit a pop-up punch (remember Anthony Ogogo?) to get the advantage going into the break and was rolling afterward, using a plodding style with plenty of talk. 

Tozawa countered two pop-up attempts with a downward spiral to get things going. A shining wizard and top rope shoulder block were only able to get him near falls.

After some back and forth, Tozawa got the win after a big senton off the top rope, sending Williams back to NXT.

WWE Main Event Results: Anderson & Gallows, Carmelo Hayes in action

Posted on by James Cox

This past week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, before Monday’s episode of Raw.

Carmelo Hayes defeated Akira Tozawa (5:42)

This was a good match between two extremely talented and athletic workers. Tozawa is always so good in this spot and Hayes showed what an exciting talent he is.

Hayes cut an inset promo as he made his way to the ring, pointing out that he was now the number one contender to the NXT title and that tonight, Tozawa would just end up as another name on a t-shirt.

Hayes is impressive and after Tozawa took the first minute or so, they did a nice spot where he suplexed Tozawa over the top rope and then hung his legs over the bottom rope and did some sit-ups. That, and an absolutely beautiful springboard clothesline where he pretty flew across half the ring, showed off what he can do.

Tozawa got the hope, culminating in a top rope back elbow for two. They then traded near falls before Hayes rolled out of the way of a top rope senton.

Hayes went up top himself and connected with a leg drop to the back of Tozawa’s neck for the win. This was very much like the move John Cena used to do and the crowd seemed to appreciate the acknowledgement given that Cena was in the building.

The OC (w/ Michin) defeated Maximum Male Models w/ Maxine Dupree) (5:59)

There wasn’t much to this one, but they gave the right team the win in front of an expectant Boston crowd.

Although both Mansoor and Mace have worked Main Event before, this was their first appearance as a tag team. It’s a horrible gimmick, but they made me chuckle as they walked to the ring. In their body language and gait, they seem to be channeling Serge from Beverly Hills Cop. If you know, you know.

Maximum Male Models are pretty easy to hate and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson had no issue getting over with this audience. Without the injured AJ Styles, they are essentially treading water for now which must be frustrating after they returned to the company in the fall of last year.

They did some early comedy and quick tags, which led to Anderson getting distracted by Maxine who got up on the apron and tried to scout him for her agency. This led to Gallows getting taken out and Michin and Dupree arguing outside as we went to the break.

When we got back, Mansoor was in control of Anderson, slowing things down. They built to giving Gallows the hot tag and he ran wild, destroying both Mansoor and Mace. Anderson then recovered and they hit Mansoor with the Magic Killer for the win.

Final Thoughts:

This was a mediocre show made better by a strong, quick opener and a hot crowd. As a show, it didn’t translate that well on screen, but to get your crowd pumped for Raw, I’m sure it made sense in the building.

WWE Main Event results: Alexander & Benjamin vs. Enofe & Blade

Posted on by James Cox

This past week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before last Monday’s WWE Raw.

Michin defeated Tamina (5:17)

This was fine for what it was. They worked well together, but it felt like an opening match by numbers.

Last week on Main Event, these two were teaming together at the top of the show. This week, Yim fully became Michin in both her graphics and how the announcers talked about her. It’s been a slow transition. Saxton told us that she had requested the match against Tamina, but didn’t say why.

After some early work with Michin outsmarting Tamina, the match was a slow, methodical beatdown from Tamina. She used a suplex, a charge to the corner, and a chinlock to take the pace out of the match.

Michin hit a flapjack for two as she got the hope, as a people were still filing in to their seats for Raw. She tried to rally the crowd behind here but walked into a power slam from Tamina and kicked out at two.

Finally, a dropkick from Michin allowed her to hit the Eat Defeat to get the win. Tamina sold the finisher like it really slayed her.

Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin (w/ MVP) defeated Edris Enofe & Malik Blade (5:40)

This was a very good tag match with both teams looking good. In only their second Main Event appearance, Enofe and Blade looked completely at home.

They gave Enofe and Blade an inset promo on their way to the ring. They referenced that they were back on Main Event but that their match against the Hurt Business might be their toughest test to date.

Blade and Alexander worked together well to start with some really intricate moves before Benjamin tagged in, sized up Enofe, and beat him up. Alexander took out Enofe on the apron with a Rock Bottom as we went to the break.

The second half of the match saw Alexander and Benjamin cut the ring in half to build to the hot tag for Blade. He ran wild when it finally came but walked into a Michinoku driver from Alexander for a near fall.

At the finish, Enofe got dragged outside by Alexander and thrown into the dasherboards, while Benjamin hit Blade with a high knee to the corner. Alexander then tagged in and they hit Blade with a double team that saw Benjamin launch Blade into the air and onto Alexander’s knee.

Final Thoughts:

A good tag match and a perfectly fine women’s match as the opener made for a good show this week. With all the Raw storylines and road to WrestleMania features to cover, they have stopped doing any backstage stuff on Main Event over the past few weeks. Hopefully, they bring these back soon as it gives the talent something else to develop their characters and also allows for storylines to unfold.

WWE Main Event results: Candice LeRae & Mia Yim vs. Tamina & Dana Brooke

Posted on by James Cox

This week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, before last Monday’s Raw with Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton on the call.

Cedric Alexander (w/ MVP & Shelton Benjamin) defeated Akira Tozawa (4:59)

This was a solid opener and the Hurt Business seems to be back.

They aired some footage from two weeks ago on Raw where Alexander and  Benjamin got a win over Alpha Academy with MVP in their corner. Patrick and Saxton speculated that things had gotten back to normal with the Hurt Business now.

Benjamin and MVP didn’t really involve themselves, but the crowd were into them being there and their presence gave this a feel of a more important match. Still, it seemed pointless having Benjamin there in his ring gear if they aren’t going to have him work a match.

Alexander and Tozawa have had countless Main Event matches and always work well together. They didn’t get long enough here to do what they are capable of, but this was what we’ve come to expect from them.

After Alexander taking the opening and Tozawa rallying, Tozawa kicked out of the Michinoku Driver, missed a spinning kick, and ate the Lumbar Check to give Alexander the victory.

Candice LeRae & Mia “Michin” Yim defeated Dana Brooke & Tamina (7:22)

This felt like early 1990s WWF when Vince McMahon would talk all over matches between random opponents to build up a match that was upcoming or to recap an angle that he was more interested in.

They replayed Brooke’s loss against Wendy Choo last week and discussed how Tamina and Brooke would work together. Taking on fresh faces has mainly been the job for Brooke and Tamina of late, so it seemed somehow fitting that they should tag up at some point.

As Yim came to the ring, they replayed Piper Niven’s win over her from Raw last week. And, finally, as LeRae made her entrance, they showed how Nikki Cross has been stalking her over the last few weeks. With all that being recapped, we were able to get this thing started.

The match marked both the Main Event debut for LaRae and a return for Yim as this was her first time here in over two years when she was Reckoning. It wasn’t much of a return as she spent most of it being beaten up or stuck in a chin lock.

After what felt like an age, LeRae got the hot tag and hit a top rope missile dropkick on Tamina and then used her as a battering ram to take out Brooke. She tagged in Yim who hit Eat Defeat on Tamina to leave her prone for LeRae to hit a springboard moonsault for the win.

Final Thoughts:

This was a forgettable show compared to the last year or so of episodes where we have seen fresh faces galore. Since WWE was in Canada, perhaps it meant that talent couldn’t travel, so hopefully things will return to normal next week.

WWE Main Event results: Bron Breakker, Wendy Choo in action

Posted on by James Cox

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, before Monday’s Raw.

Bron Breakker defeated Akira Tozawa (3:43)

This was fine, but nothing special. Even though the match length suggests a squash, Tozawa showed more fight than that.

The WWE NXT Champion had an inset promo challenging whomever he faced on Main Event to get ready because they were going to feel like they had been shot out of a cannon.

Tozawa was typically plucky here and got in plenty of offense, including a top rope dropkick and a couple of near falls. The crowd was into Breakker who smiled and postured a lot in the early going.

Breakker slowed things down on a few occasions with chin locks, but would spring into action as soon as he was challenged. He landed a standing moonsault and a spinebuster in the build up to the finish.

Tozawa went up top, but Breakker ran up to meet him and threw him off the top rope on to his back. He then finished him off with his military press powerslam to get his second ever solo win on a main roster show.

Wendy Choo defeated Dana Brooke (6:23)

This was a little too wacky for my taste, but that’s how it goes sometimes. Choo again showed that she was able to topple more experienced opponents through sheer timing and a little bit of fluke luck on her side. 

As Choo made her entrance, they replayed her last outing on Main Event from November 2022 where she scored a win against Tamina after dodging a charge to the corner and rolling her up. Brooke was impatient at how long her ring entrance took, clapping her hands and shouting, “Come on! Let’s go!”

Despite this being Choo’s home crowd, they weren’t much into what was going on. She offered Brooke a drink out of her cup and when Brooke checked with the crowd whether she should accept, there was zero reaction.

They did some comedy with Choo offering Brooke a sleep mask before Brooke locked in a rest hold leading into the commercial.

After the ads, Choo fired up with a sequence ending in a second rope crossbody for two. Brooke countered with a springboard splash for two before she went up top.

As Brooke was steadying herself on the top rope, Choo grabbed her fluffy pink pillow and pretended to go to sleep. Brooke then repositioned her, but Choo again rolled away. They then had a tug of war with the pillow before Choo rolled Brooke up for the win.

There was a very light reaction to the shock result and Brooke just smiled and shook her head, saying, “Ok, you got me.” They shook hands before Brooke made her way to the back.

Final Thoughts:

The matches were the wrong way round this week which affected the overall feel of the show. Breakker and Tozawa should have had longer and the Brooke vs. Choo match could have been done in half the time and still achieved the same effect. 

As always, credit goes to Tozawa and Brooke for being good opponents for fresh faces on main roster television.

WWE Main Event results: The Creed Brothers vs. Gallows & Anderson

Posted on by James Cox

Last week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, before Monday’s Raw.

Dana Brooke defeated Indi Hartwell (5:13)

This was fine and while it gave Hartwell lots of time, it didn’t really allow her to show off what she can do. Thus, the match was fairly basic.

Hartwell had an inset promo as she headed to the ring, saying that fresh off appearing in her first Royal Rumble match, she was now ticking off another thing on her bucket list: competing in a match on Main Event.

Hartwell is only 25 and seems to be destined to make a run at the main roster soon. The Rumble appearance and now working here are certainly encouraging signs for the Australian.

She and Brooke had a very friendly encounter with lots of smiles, especially in the early exchanges. But it was an uncomplicated match-up with a couple of rear chin locks thrown in for good measure.

Hartwell had a couple of spots, including a spinebuster, but it ran slightly longer than the usual Main Event opener with Brooke finishing her opponent off with a spinning neckbreaker for the win.

Much like they have done with other babyfaces on Main Event in past weeks, Brooke helped Hartwell to her feet and raised her hand as a show of respect.

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated The Creed Brothers (w/ Ivy Nile) (7:29)

This was great in the last few minutes with lots of broken up pin attempts and both teams trying everything to get the win. I give huge credit to Gallows & Anderson who really made the Creeds look excellent here.

Before the match, they aired a backstage segment where Gallows & Anderson were joking around with the Creeds. Ivy Nile interrupted and told them it was time to get serious. Julius and Brutus left first before Nile glared at them both as she left. Anderson joked to Gallows that he thought she liked him.

Gallows & Anderson had a run where they were essentially Main Event regulars back in 2020, so it must feel a little unnerving to have been brought back to the company to end up here again. But, at least their opponents were fresh and interesting here and The Good Brothers were certainly the perfect match to help get the real-life brothers over.

Early on, Julius and Brutus cut the ring in half, working over Anderson to get the heat. Eventually, Gallows broke it up with a blind tag and the pair worked together to send the Creed brothers to the outside as we went to a break.

After the commercials, it was Gallows and Anderson’s turn to dominate as they worked over Brutus to build for the hot tag for Julius. Julius was animated on the apron, jumping up and down, desperate to get in the ring.

When it came, the hot tag was definitely the highlight. Julius was able to show off his speed and strength with Anderson bumping all over for him and giving him loads of offense. The pair built to a false finish where Brutus had Anderson in a piledriver position and Julius leapt over the top of him to nail Anderson with a sliding leg lariat. Anderson barely kicked out before three.

Then, things got completely chaotic and the live crowd loved it. The crux of what happened was Gallows & Anderson looked to be going for the Magic Killer, but Julius fought his way out and dispatched Anderson to the outside. He and Brutus then hit consecutive standing moonsaults, but  Anderson broke up the pin attempt.

The finish saw Julius get posted by Gallows so that he and Anderson could finally hit the Magic Killer and get the win while they had the stronger man neutralised and targeted the weaker man. The earlier backstage stuff with Nile never played into anything.

They all shook hands after the replays so that the Creeds could get their hands raised, too. This was good house show stuff.

Final Thoughts:

Another set of fresh faces on Main Event this week made for a very watchable show. I really enjoyed the tag match and would be more than happy for them to do it again next week. The Creeds looked perfectly at home here and a feud with Alpha Academy would be the next obvious move if they stay around the main roster.