Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 02.23.23

-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped: Ottawa, Canada

Akira Tozawa vs. Cedric Alexander (w/ Shelton Benjamin and MVP)

-HURT BUSINESS! This should be fine, but I do appreciate the recent NXT vs. RAW matches we have been getting. Fist bump to start as a show of respect. Cedric gets an early takedown with a waistlock, but Tozawa is able to escape. The crowd starts a MVP chant. Tozawa gets an arm-drag, a second and tries a third, but Cedric blocks. Tozawa does get head scissors takedown off the middle rope. He tries to fly, but gets backdropped onto the apron and Cedric plants him with a uranage on the apron which gets two back in the ring. Kick to the back gets two and then Cedric gets a grounded chinlock. The crowd rallies Tozawa who punches his way out and then he snaps off a rana. Running knee from Tozawa and he heads up top. He throws his body at Cedric with a back elbow and that gets two. Cedric elbows out of a fireman’s carry and fires off some chops. Tozawa responds with his own chops and then an open hand to the face. Cedric gets a Michinoku Driver for two as he catches Tozawa charging in. Lumbar Check countered and Tozawa gets a roll-up for two. Tozawa misses a spinning kick and this time Cedric hits The Lumbar Check for the pin at 4:57.

Winner: Cedric Alexander via pin at 4:57
-Solid match with a hot crowd. I expected nothing less and you know if they were given free reign and 10-12 minutes they could tear the house down. **1/4

-Back to Elimination Chamber for highlights of the greatness that was Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn. We didn’t get the Jey Uso turn we expected as they are still playing the long game, but as expected, Roman retains and rips the hearts out of everyone in Montreal. Kevin Owens saves Zayn AFTER the match and the stuff with Heyman trying to punch KO was great. Some were annoyed KO showed up after the match, and thankfully that was addressed.

-WWE Community commercial!

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to RAW as Sami Zayn brings out Kevin Owens and wants him to join him in taking down The Bloodline. Sami tries to makes amends, but KO doesn’t forget. He saved Sami to save Sami’s wife from seeing him get destroyed like his family saw him get destroyed at Royal Rumble and Sami stood there and let it happen. There it is, they tied up the loose end from Elimination Chamber. KO didn’t care about Sami winning and was just there to protect Sami’s family. He tells Sami he is done with him as this will continue to play out. Great stuff and wonderful character continuity from Owens.

-Roman/Cody at WrestleMania!

-Back to RAW as Cody puts over Roman, but it doesn’t matter as he HAS TO FINISH THE STORY!

-WrestleMania Hollywood commercial! The generic one and not a new movie trailer.

-Hulu commercials including XFL Commercial. More football is never a bad thing. Actually, I’m all for more of any sport.

-Back to Elimination Chamber as Asuka wins The Women’s EC Match without breaking much of a sweat. I mean, it was pretty clear she was running away with that one once you realized Becky or Bayley weren’t being added.

-Bianca/Asuka and Charlotte/Rhea both set for Mania and both should be good.

-Back to RAW for the (RAW) debut of Ding Dong Hello. Becky Lynch and Lita interrupt and they end up talking their way into a Women’s Tag Title Match against Damage CTRL next week. I am still not sure where this is leaving all of them for WrestleMania, but we have time.

-RAW next week: Carmella vs. Asuka and Damage CTRL defending their Tag Titles against Becky/Lita plus Miz is hosting a WrestleMania edition of Miz TV.

-Dana Brooke and Tamina vs. Candice LeRae and Mia Yim up next!

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to SmackDown as Bray Wyatt has his eyes set on the winner of Lashley/Lesnar.

-Back to Elimination Chamber as Lashley gets the win by DQ as Brock kicked him in the balls and then destroyed him after the match. Well, that’s an interesting way to get to Bray/Lashley, I guess. Also, that seems totally pulled out of thin air.

-Back to RAW as Lashley destroys ELIAS.

-On SmackDown this week:” Firefly Fun House returns, Rey vs. Kross, and Rhea and Charlotte come face to face.

Dana Brooke and Tamina vs. Candice LeRae and Mia Yim

-They cover all the stories: Dana losing last week, Mia losing to Piper, and Nikki Cross stalking Candice. That should catch everyone up. Mia and Dana start and Dana gets a head scissors takedown. They each trade for covers and no count for either. Tamina tags herself in much to the chagrin of Dana. Tamina powers Mi down, but Mia gets her own headscissors takedown. Flapjack for Dana and one for Tamina. Candice in and we get stereo dropkicks to send Tamina and Dana to the floor. We take our standard break.

-Jake Roberts gets the bio treatment this Sunday on A&E and Rivals will cover Taker/Mankind. My recap of Rivals: Hogan/Andre can be found here!

-Hulu commercials! Disney Patrick Mahomes/Chiefs Super Bowl commercial. Boo! My Niners were denied because BC Brock got injured.

-Back with Mia working Tamina over in the corner with punches. Tamina lands a superkick out of the corner and then a slam. Wouldn’t Candice be better as the one taking the beating for the face team? Dana in and she pounds away for a bit and brings Tamina back into the match. Tamina hooks a chinlock, which this match really didn’t need. Tamina pulls Mia down by the hair as she makes a brief comeback. Brooke back into the match and she hits the handspring elbow followed by a bulldog for two. Mia lands a punch and then a drop down kick. The race is on and Mia makes the hot tag to Candice who is finally in the match legally for the first time. Missile Dropkick to Tamina, who was tagged back in. Candice sends Tamina into Dana which sends her to the floor. Step-up Senton times two! She lands a series of kicks and tries a crossbody, but gets caught. Mia, who got the tag, comes in with a neckbreaker. Eat Defeat from Mia and then a Springboard Moonsault from Candice finishes at 8:54.

Winners: Candice LeRae and Mia Yim via pin at 8:54
-Not a fan of this one as I didn’t like the dynamic of Mia being the one taking the beating. Candice would have been much better at getting sympathy. Just not for me. 1/2*

-Back to Elimination Chamber as Austin Theory retains thanks to interference from Logan Paul. Then Edge accepts Theory’s US Title Open Challenge during the EC Press Conference.

-Seth Rollins Joker and Becky Lynch Batman WrestleMania commercial! Awesome!

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to Elimination Chamber as Edge and Beth Phoenix get a win over Balor and Rhea. SHATTER MACHINE. REVIVAL CONFIRMED TO BE RETURNING. Again, that’s how this works, right?

-Back to RAW as we join Edge challenging Austin Theory for the US Title in progress. Good match which shouldn’t shock anyone. Balor is here and he kicks Edge in the head leading to A Town Down and Theory gets another win. Balor then attacks Edge after the match as they will blow their issues off at WrestleMania. Perhaps we get that long rumored Hell in a Cell Match between the two.

-Thanks for reading!

4.5

The final score: review Poor

The 411

I assume no NXT kids this week since they were in Canada and didn't feel like bringing a couple of them. Opener was fine and the Main Event wasn't my cup of tea.