2/3 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Carrillo vs. Gulak and Ricochet vs. Garza

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 3, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Humberto Carrillo and Drew Gulak putting on a grappling clinic

(1) HUMBERTO CARRILLO vs. DREW GULAK

The wrestlers exchanged some fast-paced grappling to start. Gulak maneuvered Carrillo into a dual submission hold, wrenching on his shoulder and leg simultaneously. The first three minutes of the match was a showcase of innovative holds and exchanges.

They went into a traditional collar and elbow tie up, yet returned almost immediately to the mat for more grappling. Carrillo broke Gulak’s arm bar with a rope break. They tied up again, and Gulak brought Carrillo back to the canvas. He dropped an elbow across Carrillo’s back, then went back to work on Carrillo’s knee. Carrillo powered out but Gulak lifted and slammed Carrillo to the mat. He covered Carrillo for two.

Gulak went back to work, this time prying Carrillo’s arm backward while grinding an elbow into Carrillo’s ribs. Gulak laid in a series of swift kicks, then applied another arm bar. Carrillo rolled onto his back, allowing him to kick at Gulak from below. He got to his feet and finally leveled Gulak with a spinning kick. Carrillo climbed to the top turnbuckle and launched into a moonsault, landing square on Gulak. Carrillo covered for three.

WINNER: Humberto Carrillo by pinfall in 6:00.

Meyers’s Analysis: This match was interesting and looked nothing like your standard Main Event match. It was as if someone challenged the guys to “do nothing but rest holds, but make it interesting.” It’s fascinating to watch them transition between holds while passing the upper hand back and forth. The few strikes in this match were mere transitions between bouts of grappling. This is worth checking out.

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of McIntyre / Edge in-ring confrontation from Raw
• Replay of Miz TV, featuring Bad Bunny, from Raw
• Replay of Orton vs. Edge from Raw

(2) RICOCHET vs. ANGEL GARZA

As soon as the bell rang, Ricochet became your standard low-IQ babyface and turned his back on his opponent. Fittingly, Garza ran in and took control in the corner. The ref cleared them out, then Ricochet applied a side headlock. He wrenched on the hold, driving Garza to his knees. Ricochet ran the ropes and leveled Garza with a shoulder block, then planted him with a body slam. Ricochet slowly bounced off the ropes and dropped an elbow, then covered for one.

Ricochet laid in a chop to Garza’s chest in the corner. He drove Garza back into the corner with a European uppercut, then knocked Garza off the ring apron with a springboard drop kick off the middle rope. With Garza on the floor, Ricochet ran the ropes, then backflipped into a superhero pose in the middle of the ring while Garza cowered on the floor. We cut to break.

Tom welcomed us back into the “spectacular” Thunderdome where Garza now had control in the ring. He rained down with forearm strikes, then continued the same punishment in the corner. Garza tore off his warm up pants, then walked back to the corner and wrenched Ricochet’s knee against a rope. Ricochet slumped to the canvas. Garza dragged him to the middle of the ring and applied a shin lock / crossface combo.

Ricochet got to the bottom rope, so Garza relinquished the hold. Garza nailed Ricochet with a chop, hit three knee strikes in the corner. Ricochet turned the tide and stomped Garza’s chest in the same corner. He leveled Garza with a flying forearm, then landed a series of blows before whipping Garza off the ropes into an arm drag. Ricochet followed up with a spinning brainbuster, then covered for a believable near fall.

Ricochet climbed to the top rope, and jumped into a would-be 630 senton, but Garza moved out of the way. Seeing this on his launch, Ricochet improvised and rolled through his landing. Garza lifted Ricochet into the air and kicked his mid-section, then launched into a springboard moonsault off the middle rope. He covered Ricochet for two. Garza tried to set up for the Wing Clipper, but Ricochet fought free and rolled up Garza with a small package for a two-count. Ricochet hit a rising knee strike to Garza’s face, but Garza came back with a huge right cross. He covered Ricochet for another two-count.

Garza set up Ricochet with a double underhook hold, but Ricochet wriggled free and hit Garza with an enziguri Ricochet went for a Recoil, but Garza used high-level ring awareness to grab the top rope for leverage, allowing him to maintain an upright position while Ricochet landed flat on his back. Garza quickly pinned Ricochet and got the three-count, with the assistance of his own boots on the bottom rope.

WINNER: Garza by pinfall in 7:40.

Meyers’s Analysis: This match was a stark contrast to the show opener, but was of equal quality. High speed, high impact moves were seen throughout.

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.4

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: 1/27 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Hardy and Ricochet team up and Carrillo vs. Garza