SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
DECEMBER 23, 2020
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe
REASONS TO WATCH…
- Main Event reverts to two-match format
- What’s up with Nikki Cross’s entrance music
FULL REVIEW
(1) NIKKI CROSS vs. RECKONING (w/ Retribution)
Reckoning repeatedly fondled her mask before the match started. Cross had the upper hand with an early pin and arm drags into an arm bar. Reckoning exploded with speed and leveled Cross with a clothesline. She laid in a series of kicks to Cross in the corner while Ali yelled instructions to Reckoning, who covered Cross for two.
Reckoning used her knee to choke Cross against the bottom rope, but Cross pinned Reckoning with a surprise roll-up and one-count. Reckoning came right back with a drop kick and a pin attempt of her own. Reckoning planted both knees in Cross’s back and rolled her back into a bow-and-arrow submission. Cross flipped out of the hold into another brief pin attempt.
Cross took control of Reckoning’s arm and leveled her with short clotheslines before landing a seated senton. She charged at Reckoning in the corner and hit a cross body against the turnbuckles. She pinned Reckoning for a two-count. Cross climbed to the top rope and jumped, leapfrogging Reckoning who was running in. Reckoning took advantage of Cross’s momentum and knocked her down with another drop kick. She took control of Cross’s arm between her legs, then dropped back-first to the canvas such that her knee was driven into the side of Cross’s face. This move was good for the three-count.
WINNER: Reckoning by pinfall in 5:00.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Decent match, nothing special. Reckoning’s finisher is cool. Ali was definitely cast as the leader, both by the commentators and his actions. He appeared heavily invested in the match, and looked genuinely happy with its outcome as Reckoning looked to him for approval. Also, Cross has new entrance music – a southern rock / country tune with female lead vocals. Doesn’t seem fitting for the quirky pro wrestler from Scotland.)
-Main Event recap session:
- Replay of Asuka & Charlotte vs. Royce & Evans from Raw
- Replay of Orton / Bliss in-ring segment from Raw
- Replay of McIntyre, & Sheamus, Lee vs. Styles, Miz, & Morrison from Raw
(2) LINCE DORADO (w/ Gran Metalik) vs. AKIRA TOZAWA
During the match’s opening, the commentators talked about how both wrestlers have had run-ins with Jaxson Ryker recently. Dorado had control early with a wristlock, but Tozawa broke free with a right cross to Dorado’s jaw. He applied a wristlock of his own, but Dorado escaped with a snap mare and hurricanrana. Dorado caught Tozawa with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Tozawa remained on his feet, but stunned. Dorado dropped to one knee and delivered a cool-looking elbow to the gut / back-fist to the face combination that Tom compared to “something out of a Bruce Lee movie!” Dorado ran and performed a handspring bounce off the ropes, but Tozawa recovered and intercepted Dorado on the rebound with knees to his back. Dorado rolled out to ringside and we cut to break.
Tozawa had control through the break. He chopped Dorado’s chest in two different corners, then stacked him up for a two-count. He fired Dorado off the ropes and leveled him with a reverse elbow, then applied a chinlock. Dorado broke free and launched into a springboard moonsault off the center rope, leveling Tozawa and covering for two. Dorado went for another hurricanrana but Tozawa put on the brakes and reversed the move into an “iron octopus,” as Tom called it. The move lasted a few seconds before Dorado slammed Tozawa face-first to the apron.
Dorado went on the offense, knocking Tozawa down twice before executing a sitout facebuster. Dorado climbed to the top and hit a high cross body, then covered for a believable near fall. Dorado charged at Tozawa in the corner, but Tozawa dodged the attack. This allowed Tozawa to deliver a hurricanrana of his own, flipping Dorado onto his back. Tozawa took to the top rope and hit a flying reverse elbow, then covered for another two-count. Tozawa climbed to the top of a different corner and jumped, but this time Dorado moved out the way. Tozawa landed on his feet and rolled through the landing, but Dorado had time to catch him with a superkick. Tozawa fell to the mat, and Dorado went upstairs once more, this time launching into a shooting star press, good for the victory.
WINNER: Lince Dorado by pinfall in 7:10.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Decent match! Dorado’s airborne style was highlighted, with both his high cross body and shooting star press receiving deserved video replays.)
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.4
Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42
“Reckoning”/Mia Yim’s finisher is called “sole food,” or “eat defeat!”