SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
OCTOBER 30, 2019
STREAMED ON HULU TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Byron Saxton, Dio Maddin, Mickie James
REASONS TO WATCH…
Roster changes lead to fresh blood for Main Event
(1) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN
Benjamin dominated early on, playing up the size differential between the two. The commentators even contributed, saying that Tozawa is accustomed to the 205 Live locker room and isn’t used to competition of this size. When Tozawa managed to get in a single forearm shot, he paused and backed away from Benjamin with a fearful look on his face.
Tozawa knocked Benjamin off the ring apron with an enzuigiri, and then ran the ropes and took a route that was obviously designed to fly through the ropes at his target at ringside, but when he approached the ropes, he slowed down and merely hopped over the top rope onto the apron. It turns out Benjamin had walked away from the landing zone, toward the corner of the ringside area. Tozawa recalibrated and ran along the apron and launched into a somersault senton, smashing Benjamin against the barricade.
In the ring, Tozawa began to set Benjamin up for a splash maneuver from the top turnbuckle, but Benjamin got to his feet and yanked Tozawa down onto the canvas. Benjamin hit Tozawa with a body slam, then pounded him with forearm strikes in the corner until Tozawa slumped down to the mat. Benjamin covered for a two-count, then applied a chinlock.
Tozawa was able to get to his feet by way of pumping his fist to mild audience clapping. Benjamin fired him into a corner, but Tozawa dodged Benjamin’s splash attempt. Tozawa hit a clothesline and another enzuigiri, both of which staggered Benjamin. He finally took Benjamin down with a hurricanrana. With Benjamin on his knees, Tozawa back into a corner, then sprinted in and delivered a shin strike to Benjamin’s face. He covered for a two-count.
Tozawa got to his feet and took a long time standing in the corner opposite Benjamin, looking out to the crowd for support. Benjamin had recovered and got to his feet, and Tozawa cut across the ring like a fine blade diagonally through a sandwich. Too long he had waited, though, and Benjamin knocked his head off with a big boot.
Benjamin dead lifted Tozawa high into the air and planted him with a powerbomb. Benjamin then executed the Paydirt (a modified bulldog) before pinning for the three-count.
WINNER: Shelton Benjamin by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: A refreshing, if not outright exciting match. Good to see some new movesets. Tozawa played up his fear of the 250-pounder too much, to the point of seeming pathetic. )
-Main Event recap session:
- Replay of Mysterio/Velasquez and Heyman/Lesnar promos from Smackdown
- Replay of the King’s Court w/ Rusev and Lana from Raw
- Video package for Strowman vs. Fury
- Match rundown for upcoming PPV Crown Jewel
- Replay of Rollins vs. Rowan falls count anywhere match from Raw
(2) CURT HAWKINS & ZACK RYDER vs. ERIC YOUNG & MOJO RAWLEY
Ryder opened the match by immediately drop kicking Rawley in the middle of the ring. He went for the quick pin, but to no avail. Rawley leveled Ryder with a shoulder block, then choked him against the middle rope. Rawley hit Ryder with a big splash against the turnbuckles, but then Ryder hit a surprise neckbreaker. Ryder backed Rawley into the corner and tagged in Hawkins, who took Rawley down with a big clothesline and a loud shriek.
Young tagged in, but Hawkins anticipated his charge and back body dropped him. Young rolled to ringside, and ran from Hawkins who was giving chase. Young went back into the ring and predictably knocked the foolish good guy off the ring apron. We cut to break.
Rawley was back in the match and flicked his sweat at Ryder before issuing more punishment to Hawkins, still the legal man. Rawley body slammed Hawkins and laid in a chinlock. Young tagged in and Hawkins defied physics by executing a two-for-one DDT against his opponents. This allowed Hawkins to make a leaping hot tag to Ryder.
Ryder went through the runaway train motions against his opponents before tagging Hawkins back in. Ryder set up Young and Rawley by baseball sliding under the bottom rope, stunning them both at ringside. Meanwhile, Hawkins scaled the top rope and landed an elbow drop to the duo before rolling Young back into the ring. When he pumped up and charged at Young, Young saw him coming and hoisted him into a fireman’s carry before slamming him to the mat.
Ryder made a blind tag in. Hawkins lifted Young onto his shoulders, and Ryder leaped from the middle rope to hit the Long Island Express. Ryder pinned Young for the victory.
WINNERS: Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: A forgettable tag match. Eric Young doesn’t seem to have a ton of chemistry with anyone, friend or foe. During his comeback, Ryder performed a missile drop kick against Young that was particularly airy.)
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.4
FINAL THOUGHTS: …The results are in, and Main Event decided to go back to its standard formula after last week’s standout segment with Rawley on the mic. Still, the episode gets a nominal bonus for showcasing Benjamin and Tozawa, but back to familiar territory with the tag match.
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