9/6 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: T-Bar vs. Cedric Alexander, Reggie vs. Benjamin, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

WWE Main Event Announcers: Byron Saxton, Kevin Patrick

REASONS TO WATCH…

• Reggie still exists in Triple H era
• Rare run-in on Main Event

(1) REGGIE vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

The men shook hands to start the match. Reggie dodged away from Benjamin in the corner. Benjamin won a one-hand test of strength, but Reggie transitioned it into an enziguri. Benjamin came back with a knee lift to Reggie’s abdomen. Benjamin wound up and went for a big clothesline and a reverse hand strike, but Reggie dodged both with acrobat flips, then nailed Benjamin with two drop kicks. Benjamin returned fire with three consecutive body slams. Reggie rolled out to ringside to recover.

Benjamin joined him on the floor and landed a punch before rolling him back into the ring. Benjamin followed behind him and Reggie hit a forward-flip guillotine leg drop while Benjamin was on all fours. Reggie covered for one. Reggie landed a few forearm strikes, then Benjamin hit a spinning heel kick. He covered Reggie for two, then applied a chin lock.

Reggie got to his feet with some elbow shots. He ran the ropes but caught a big front kick to the face from Benjamin, who covered for two. Benjamin took Reggie to the mat with a standard suplex. He lifted Reggie to his feet and moved him into a corner. Benjamin landed two strikes, then whipped Reggie into the opposite corner. Benjamin ran in after Reggie, but Reggie side stepped, causing Benjamin to crash into the turnbuckles. Reggie, trying to capitalize on his stunned opponent, climbed to the top rope. Benjamin recovered and ran up to meet Reggie. He tossed Reggie from the top turnbuckle but Reggie rolled through the landing in spectacular fashion. Benjamin missed a clothesline, then trapped Reggie in the corner with a knee strike. Reggie ran the ropes and hit a high cross body. He skipped the cover and climbed to the top rope, and jumped into a 450 splash. Benjamin rolled out of the way, and Reggie reacted by rolling through his landing and getting to his feet. Benjamin hit a step-up knee to Reggie’s jaw, then followed up with Paydirt and cover for the three-count.

WINNER: Shelton Benjamin by pinfall in 6:05.

(Meyers’s Analysis: A standard Reggie match, which has to include a bit of his acrobat routine. During the match, Jimmy described Benjamin’s biceps as “bigger than your head.” He added, “And I don’t mean that as an insult, Byron – they’re bigger than anybody’s head!” Byron must have been elated to have a broadcast partner be polite to him.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of 8-man tag match from Raw, featuring Strowman’s return
• Replay of Mysterio vs. Priest from Raw
• Replay of Rousey / Pearce in-ring segment from Smackdown
• Replay of Damage CTRL / Belair segment from Raw
• Replay of Miz vs. Lashley steel cage match from Raw

(2) T-BAR vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER

T-Bar opened with a barrage of strikes and kicks in the corner. He stomped Alexander into the mat and had to be backed off by the ref for using the ropes for leverage. T-Bar hit a running elbow in the corner, then tossed Alexander to the mat and covered for two. Alexander landed two chops to T-Bar’s chest, which T-Bar sold for some reason. T-Bar hit a backbreaker and covered for another two-count.

T-Bar kicked a prone Alexander, then held his fists up to the crowd who hardly reacted. T-Bar hoisted Alexander onto the top turnbuckle, then climbed up with him and lifted Alexander with a fireman’s carry. Alexander slithered downward and slammed T-Bar to the mat with a sit out powerbomb. We cut to break with both men on the mat.

Alexander had some momentum coming back from break. He hit two running forearm strikes in the corner, then took T-Bar down for the first time with a springboard Neuralyzer. He covered T-Bar for two. Alexander slowly got to his feet and set up T-Bar for a suplex, but T-Bar blocked and shoved Alexander into a corner. Alexander kicked T-Bar in the face, then caught a big boot to his own face. T-Bar covered for two. Alexander dodged a charging T-Bar by the ropes, causing T-Bar to land on the ringside floor. Alexander dove at him through the ropes, but T-Bar caught him by his throat and choke slammed Alexander onto the ring apron. T-Bar climbed to the top rope and nailed Alexander with a flying elbow drop. T-Bar covered for two.

Both men lingered on the mat; T-Bar shook his head in disbelief. T-Bar set up for High Justice but Alexander countered and rolled up T-Bar for a two-count. Alexander pressed on and hit a Michinoku driver and another two-count cover. T-Bar reversed out of a suplex and raked Alexander’s eyes. He hoisted Alexander onto his shoulders in a torture rack position, then flipped him over the top and hit a knee lift to Alexander’s face on the way down. T-Bar covered for the three-count and victory.

WINNER: T-Bar by pinfall in 6:45.

-T-Bar lifted his stunned opponent by the throat, but Mustafa Ali’s music hit. Ali sprinted down the ramp and T-Bar abandoned ship and laughed at Ali from the floor.

(Meyers’s Analysis: This match was pretty good, but man, the audience sure didn’t care. T-Bar’s savage flurry of offense to start the match was eye-opening, as was the finishing sequence. It’s also shocking to see anything resembling a storyline on Main Event, and we got that with Ali’s run in to bail out Alexander. Expect Ali vs. T-Bar next week.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 8.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

CATCH-UP: 8/31 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: T-Bar vs. Cedric Alexander, R-Truth vs. Benjamin, more