Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 06.30.22

-My Disney trip and now dealing with sickness has delayed my Great American Bash 97 Retro Review, but that is next up on my list. My plan is to at least do the rest of 1997 for WWF and WCW and then I will see what I want to do from there as far as Retro Reviews. Now for Main Event! Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped: Laredo, TX

T-Bar vs. Mustafa Ali

-T-Bar draws an imaginary line in the sand and dares Ali to cross it. Ali does and they go nose to nose which pops the crowd. T-Bar shoves him down to many boos as the crowd is into this one. Chops from Ali, but he gets whipped into the corner and T-Bar drops him with a sidewalk slam on the way out. Ali responds with kicks as a loud “Ali” chant breaks out. Again, sucks he is back on Main Event, but I’ll take watching him here. Spring off the bottom rope into a clothesline nearly takes Ali’s head off and gets two for T-Bar. Charge in the corner misses and Ali gets a head kick. He avoids a goozle and gets a head scissors followed by a Tornado DDT. Ali heads up but T-Bar avoids the 450 and then drills Ali with a big boot for two. Ali with the flip sell off the boot for good measure! They fight on top as T-Bar teases a chokeslam from up there, but Ali fights out and gets the sunset flip powerbomb. The 450 finishes at 4:57. Would have been cool if the match ended at 4:50 as well.

Winner: Mustafa Ali via pin at 4:57
-This was a fun sub 5 minute match which was expected from these two. Give me more of this please! **1/2

-John Cena returned on RAW. I was somewhere in WV trying to get home!

-Don’t Try This At Home Or Anywhere!

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to SmackDown 3 weeks ago when Nattie put Ronda in a Sharpshooter.

-Back to SmackDown last week as Nattie came out dressed as Ronda complete with a baby stroller. Baby Stroller we rented was much needed at Disney last week for our 5 year old. Made it much easier to get him around the park and gave him a place to sleep. Oh, Ronda comes and busts on Nattie for always having her rack out and mutilating her body to keep up with beauty standards. Nattie bails before things get too physical.

-Last Monday Bianca Belair called out Carmella as they continue the build to their match on Saturday. Carmella tries to get in a cheap shot, but Bianca catches her and lands a right hand.

-MITB in Vegas! This Saturday!

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to RAW as Lashley beats Alpha Academy in a handicap match. Theory, who was at ringside, attacks after the match and it’s a 3 on 1 beat down, until Lashley makes his own save. Theory avoids the spear to continue to tease us until Saturday.

-Back to RAW as John Cena arrives at the arena with the RAW roster and crew waiting to give him a standing ovation. Becky sitting and barely clapping was a nice touch! Also great to see Truth dressed as Cena and they have a small interaction.

-WWE and AE Bios are back starting with Taker on July 10. I mean, didn’t we have the definitive Taker Bio with the 5 part documentary I covered a few years back?

-MITB Ladder Match hype video narrated by Graves. I understand why it became it’s own PPV but I do miss having the match at WrestleMania. I still think Mania should be the Ladder Match where The US and IC Title are both hanging and take guys from RAW and SD and let them go at it. Either take the title they retrieve to their brand, or go to that title’s brand. Would get both titles on the show, get more guys on the show, and give us a fun car crash match every year.

Ciampa vs. Akira Tozawa

-I believe this is their third meeting on Main Event with Ciampa up 2-0. Lockup to start and Ciampa grabs an arm. Tozawa rolls to break and goes after a leg, but Ciampa gets to the ropes to break. Tozawa catches a boot before hitting one of his own and takes Ciampa to the ground with a side headlock. Ciampa reverses and then mocks Tozawa with a Crane Kick pose. Tozawa snaps off a rana and a dropkick. He heads up top, but Ciampa catches and crotches Tozawa on the buckle. He lands a running knee that sends Tozawa to the floor. Ciampa applauds his efforts and tells us “I’m the damn Main Event,” as we go to our commercial break.

-Hulu commercials!

-Back with Ciampa in control. Tozawa shows some life, but Ciampa drops him with a back elbow. More fight from Tozawa, but Ciampa smothers him and lands clubbing blows. He chokes Tozawa on the bottom rope with his boot and mocks the crowd for trying to rally Tozawa. I love this man! Ciampa goes to the eyes just because he can and calls Tozawa stupid. Catapult into the bottom buckle and Ciampa mocks the fans again. Man is getting heat (mixed with some cheers)! Tozawa again tries to fight back, but Ciampa hooks a chinlock. Tozawa gets to the ropes to break, so Ciampa just covers him for a one count. Ciampa back to the chinlock and Tozawa fights back again. He hits a head scissors and running knee. He gets two with the back elbow from the top, but Ciampa kicked out rather easily. Belly to back is blocked by Ciampa who then lands a heavy forearm. Tozawa gets a flash roll-up for two and then tries a sunset flip but Ciampa rolls and hits a knee to the jaw. Fairytale Ending finishes at 8:39.

Winner: Ciampa via pin at 8:39
-I enjoyed this one as well. I think this would have been better as the opener with Ali/T-Bar getting this spot, but I will take what we got here. Ciampa was great at bullying Tozawa and mocking the crowd which forced Tozawa to show some aggression. Not enough in the end though as Ciampa gets another win. **1/4

-John Cena video package! I can understand the case of him being the Greatest WWE SuperStar because that’s all he has been. Austin, Hogan are bigger stars, but they didn’t get a 20 year WWE run. If Vince could create another WWE Superstar in a lab, he is likely building John Cena again. Great video package. They may reuse this for his HOF induction one day soon.

-Ronda/Nattie MITB commercial!

-John Cena returns to RAW to celebrate his 20th anniversary of his WWE debut. He thanks the fans and praises them as the reason for him doing what he has done. They chant one more match and he promises it will be more than just one and that’s it. No hint of when that next match will be or anything like that. That’s fine as this was more about giving Cena the chance to celebrate 20 years and thank the fans.

-Thanks for reading!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This show was a breeze thanks to two good matches and the Cena stuff eating up most of the recap videos. Best show we have had in some time! I'm feeling generous tonight so I will call this one a good show.