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Csonka’s WWE Main Event Review 10.28.16

October 28, 2016 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Apollo Crews WWE Main Event
6.5
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Csonka’s WWE Main Event Review 10.28.16  

Csonka’s WWE Main Event Review 10.28.16

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– American Alpha defeated The Vaudevillains @ 4:10 via pin [**¾]
– Apollo Crews defeated Curt Hawkins @ 7:00 via pin [**¼]


American Alpha vs. The Vaudevillains: Aiden English did commentary last week and got to scout American Alpha. The Vaudevillains are hoping to get some wins to earn their way onto Smackdown’s Survivor Series tag team. Jordan and English to begin, Jordan used his amateur wrestling to take the early advantage. Gable tagged din, used his speed and then hit an overhead belly to belly and then an old school head scissors. Alpha took out Gotch and Gable then worked the hanging arm bar in the ropes, but Gotch returned and attacked, allowing the Vaudevillains to take the heat. They worked quick tags, and isolated Gable in their corner; nice and basic tag team wrestling here, and there is nothing wrong with that. Gable tried to make a comeback, which led to he and Gotch colliding center ring for the double down. Gotch managed to stop the tag, but Gable fought them off and got the hot tag. Jordan ran wild, dropkicks and suplexes for all! STRAPS DOWN. He hit corner spears, and then Gable tagged in, grand amplitude, and that is all. American Alpha defeated The Vaudevillains @ 4:10 via pin [**¾] That was a basic, but fun tag. They didn’t overstay their welcome, the crowd was involved, and it clicked. Given a little more time I am sure they could have had a better match, but this a quality little opener right here.

– We go back and see footage from the New Day vs. Sheamus and Cesaro non-title match from Raw. I am not a fan of doing the PPV match just days before the PPV, but this was a very good match. They all worked well together, they kept a great pace throughout, and while Cesaro and Sheamus worked better together, they were not magically friends all of the sudden. There are still issues there between Cesaro and Sheamus, which works for what they are doing. I wish that Cesaro and Sheamus could have gotten the victory over another team, but I really enjoyed the match here as they worked to their strengths. I hate that New Day has become all about the tag title record. You can read my WWE Raw Review right here!

– We then go back to see the Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte contract signing segment. I do not think that the segment came off all that well in terms of setting the stage and getting the ladies over for stepping into the match. There was emotion for sure, Foley discussing his issues was powerful, Charlotte was a great arrogant heel, but I felt that there were issues. Foley should have been forced into making this a HIAC match, instead he booked it to make history. And then for weeks he was completely nonchalant about things, constantly talking history, letting the ladies talk about history and never discussing the dangers of the match. And now that the match was announced and we had time to marinate on it, then he gets his crisis of conscience in regards to the women fighting in the cell. The other issue is that by the end of this, the crowd was more into Foley’s emotional tale of the cell destroying him, which really took away the focus from the ladies. There is a reason that many asked for a conflicted Foley hyping the dangers for weeks prior to finally relenting to the match. Instead he made it, we got the history making narrative, and then Foley gets super emotional and it takes away from the final segment for the ladies. And while I do not want the ladies to be instantly afraid about the match, I also felt that their attitudes were a bit too care free. Charlotte constantly smiling and wanting to cut off Foley for example; there should have been some hesitation, leading to Charlotte mocking Sasha, then getting fired up and then signing the contract out of hate. Go back and watch Triple H’s reactions to the reveal of Cactus Jack and then later the fact that they go to Hell in a Cell; the Game, the Cerebral Assassin, is pissing his pants. I don’t care how arrogant a heel you are, you have to sell the stipulation. The overall tone and way the story was told felt off to me, it’s like they forgot what they had written and what Foley had announced, realized that he needed to get serious and then threw it out there, which led to it all being more about him than the ladies involved in the actual match. I don’t think the segment was bad, just not properly focused. You can read my WWE Raw Review right here!

Curt Hawkins vs. Apollo Crews: These guys were going to face on Smackdown, but Crews hit Hawkins, and Hawkins left and cancelled the match. Hawkins backed off right away when Crews tried to attack. They finally locked up, with Crews getting a side headlock takedown. Hawkins escaped but ate a shoulder block. Crews then hit the drop down dropkick combo, which got 2. Crews worked the arm, trying to ground Hawkins. Hawkins managed to fight back, but Crews used his speed and hit some arm drags and Hawkins bailed to the floor. Crews then hit a moonsault off the apron, and we took a commercial break. Post break, Crews was in control until Hawkins scored with the cheap shot and then laid in some ground and pound. Hawkins hit a side Russian leg sweep, which got 2. Crews looked to fight back, but Hawkins tripped him up and then choked out Crews in the ropes. A suplex connected for Hawkins, and he again covered for 2. Crews caught Hawkins with a boot, but then Hawkins hit the Michinoku driver for the near fall. Crews then countered off the ropes with the jumping kick and both men were down. A superkick followed, and then a clothesline. Crews hit an enziguri and then the toss into the sit out powerbomb and that was that. Apollo Crews defeated Curt Hawkins @ 7:00 via pin [**¼] This was a solid, but unspectacular match overall. Hawkins is the exact same performer he was when he left WWE, a solid hand and nothing more. Crews continues to be just a guy on the roster, a guy with a great look and great athletic ability, but still a guy with no direction.

– Finally, we take a look back at Raw’s triple threat main event and after math. This was fine overall when it comes to the work, but it felt repetitive towards the end the fact that Rollins pinned BOTH guys was horrible booking. This was the perfect time for then to work 3 to 4 minutes, and then have Jericho and Owens beat the hell out of Rollins for the DQ, and then do the apron bomb spot to set the stage for Rollins as the injured underdog. The post match was the best part, by a mile. You can read my WWE Raw Review right here!

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”

6.5
The final score: review Average
The 411
The wrestling was again nothing you have to see, but was perfectly acceptable. Where these “B Shows” thrive is that if you want to skip Raw, you get to see the important stuff, almost in its entirety. If you’re someone who is sick of the three-hour Raw shows, these shows are your friend.
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