2/17 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: T-Bar vs. Gulak, Ryker vs. Carrillo, and more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 17, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe

REASONS TO WATCH…

• T-Bar and Ryker framed as major powerhouses.

(1) T-BAR vs. DREW GULAK

As the match got underway, the commentators hinted that while the rest of Retribution is not at ringside with T-Bar, their presence is still felt in the Thunderdome. Gulak backed T-Bar into a corner, but T-Bar hammered his way out with a right cross to Gulak’s chin. Gulak attempted to exchange blows but T-Bar maintained the upper hand, knocking Gulak down with a forearm shot. T-Bar held Gulak in a suspended vertical suplex position from which Gulak escaped and slipped down to the mat. Gulak tried to leverage T-Bar to the mat but T-Bar remained upright with a show of strength. Gulak got to his feet and landed a few shots and a clothesline, but T-Bar wouldn’t go down. T-Bar came back with a big clothesline of his own, then covered for two.

T-Bar laid in some hard elbows to Gulak in the corner, then delivered a backbreaker. With Gulak on the mat, Gulak mounted the middle rope and did a half spin into a splash before covering for two. T-Bar leveled Gulak again with a cyclone boot to the face. He hoisted Gulak onto his shoulders and spun him downward into the Eyes Wide Shut (formerly Feast Your Eyes), a knee strike to the face. This was good for the three-count.

WINNER: T-Bar by pinfall in 4:00.

Meyers’s Analysis: Even by Main Event’s standards, this was a brief squash match. Gulak’s minimal offense was truly token as T-Bar dominated the entire affair. It’s a shame to see Gulak dismissed so quickly after his fascinating match with Carrillo two weeks prior.

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Cesaro & Bryan vs. Ziggler & Roode from Smackdown
• Replay of Miz vs. Kofi from Raw
• Match rundown for upcoming PPV Elimination Chamber
• Replay of McIntyre vs. Sheamus (gauntlet match finale) from Raw

(2) HUMBERTO CARRILLO vs. JAXSON RYKER (w/ Elias)

Ryker controlled Carrillo early with a wrist lock, driving him down to the canvas. Carrillo flipped to his feet and applied a side headlock. Ryker fired him off and leveled Carrillo with a shoulder block. Carrillo returned fire with a springboard cross body off the middle rope. While controlling Ryker’s wrist, Carrillo bounded off the ropes into an arm drag that sent Ryker rolling out to ringside. Ryker kicked the ring steps in frustration, then hopped up onto the apron. Carrillo was waiting, and knocked Ryker back to the floor with a springboard drop kick off the middle rope. Carrillo followed up by running and leaping over the top rope, leveling Ryker on the floor with a high cross body. We cut to break.

Ryker was in control after the break. He dropped Carrillo with a spinebuster and a sidewalk slam, then applied a chin lock. Elias was offering encouragement and orders from ringside. Carrillo turned the tide by hitting a charging Ryker with a reverse elbow and a drop kick from the middle turnbuckle. Ryker ran again at Carrillo, but Carrillo yanked a rope down, causing Ryker to topple out to the floor. Ryker quickly got back in the ring but caught a jawbreaker for his trouble. Carrillo hit a springboard back elbow, again leveling Ryker. He caught Ryker with a spinning kick to the chin, then hit a standing moonsault and a cover for two.

Carrillo spring-boarded once more off the middle rope with a kick to Ryker’s face. Carrillo ran the ropes but Ryker was ready and knocked Carrillo to the mat with a double axe handle to the chest. He drove Carrillo into the mat with a belly-to-belly suplex, then covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Ryker by pinfall in 6:40.

Meyers’s Analysis: After seeing Ryker make his entrance side-by-side with Elias, it’s apparent that Ryker is simply an Elias build with tattoo upgrades. The match itself was your basic Main Event formula – back and forth action and a coin flip winner.

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 6.4

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S MAIN EVENT REPORT: 2/10 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Ricochet vs. Humberto Carrillo and Brooke vs. Royce