Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 12.07.23

-Announce Team: Byron Saxton and Wade Barrett
-Taped: MVP Arena, Albany, NY

Gigi Dolin vs. Elektra Lopez

-I will continue to pound the drum for Lopez to be paired with Santos on SmackDown. It just makes too much sense and needs to happen. More of my NXT/Level Up kids! Lockup up to start and they trade exchanges and holds until Lopez gets arm control. Dolin counters with a side headlock. They run the rope and Dolin gets a right hand and hits a dropkick to the back while Lopez was tied in the ropes. She follows with a basement dropkick for two. Lopez back with a chop to the neck and she gets an elbow in the corner. The crowd starts a chant for Gigi while Lopez gets a two count. Heavy chop from Lopez and she chokes Gigi in the ropes. Basement dropkick from Lopez as she lets us know this is too easy. Modified Million Dollar Dream from Lopez, but Dolin escapes. Lopez takes her down again and gets another two count. Neckbreaker is blocked and Dolin gets a backslide for two. She then avoids an elbow and they start trading shots. Dolin wins the exchange and gets the STO into a pin for two. Lopez counters for another two count. Lopez gets a roll-up for two, but gets caught with a kick and The Gigi Driver finishes at 4:58.

Winner: Gigi Dolin via pin at 4:58
-This was about what you would see from these two on Level Up. Not saying that as a bad thing. It’s just a simple match to get them both out in front of a larger audience than they are used to. *1/4

-Hulu commercials!

-Bash in Berlin: Aug 31, 2024! SmackDown the night before in Berlin! Should be a fun show with a hot crowd.

-Back to SmackDown as Randy Orton has to decide to sign with SmackDown or RAW. Paul Heyman is here and notes The Bloodline will make the decision for him. Solo and Jimmy Uso hit the ring and Orton is screwed until LA Knight makes the save with a big pop. Jimmy eats the RKO and plays dead for the rest of the night. Randy signs with SmackDown as expected. He gives Nick Aldis the RKO as well just to let him know.

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to RAW as Drew McIntyre brings up that people come back to the company after years away and are instantly forgive. Crowd: “CM Punk.” Drew: “I can be talking about anybody.” Drew continues to air his grievances and here comes Sami Zayn to offer his two cents. Sami notes they both have been screwed by The Bloodline. Drew notes that Sami deserved it because he was in The Bloodline and screwed them over, so he deserves what was coming to him. Man has a point! Sami basically says he didn’t become a whiner when he lost in Montreal and got redemption. “Do you think you are making your family proud?” That wasn’t smart to say and Drew is pissed! 

-We jump ahead to the match between the two. This may sound shocking, but they a darn fine match. Amazing, I know! Sami hurts his knee and Drew attacks to get the advantage and Claymore finishes for the win. 

-Later Jackie Redmond tries to get an update on Sami, but Drew is still pissed about the family remark and beats the piss out of Sami. He stomps the bad knee before officials and refs can get Drew away.

-Royal Rumble commercial! Not sure if they can top last year, but it should be fun to see them try.

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to SmackDown as Logan Paul announces a Tournament to see who faces him for his US Title next. 

-SmackDown This Friday: 1st Round Matches: Dragon Lee vs. Santos Escobar; Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross! Plus Charlotte vs. Asuka! Plus Plus CM Punk makes his first appearance on SmackDown in over 10 years.

Apollo Crews vs. Javier Bernal

-Crews vs. NXT continues! Big Body Javie! Bernal with a slam and he celebrates by dancing around the ring. Lockup and now Crews gets a slam followed by a series of arm-drags. He gets arm control and gets Bernal on the mat. Bernal with a shot to the back of the head and he hooks a side headlock. They hit the ropes and after a leap frog, Crews gets a dropkick. To the corner for the 10 count mounted punches and as always it gets the crowd going. Gorilla Press Slam, but Bernal slides off and gets a basement dropkick to the knee. He knocks Crews off the apron and that sends us to a break at 2:42.

-SmackDown commercial! Tribute to The Troops! Also, CM PUNK!

-Hulu commercials (1:25)

-Back at 4:58 with Bernal stomping away in the corner. Crews fights back with right hands, but gets caught with a knee and Bernal gets a suplex for two. Neckbreaker from Bernal gets a two count! Lashley fights from off his back again, but gets caught with a knee to the gut for a second time. Javie hooks a head scissors on the mat as the crowd starts rolling behind Crews. Crews is able to break and ends up with Javie on his shoulders. Bernal punches his way out, but gets caught with a backdrop. Stinger Splash in the corner from Crews followed by a clothesline. He hits a pump kick and then a leaping clothesline. This time The Gorilla Press connects and Crews gets a standing moonsault for two. He heads up top, but nobody home. Crews rolls through and gets caught with an elbow in the corner. Bernal off the middle ropes, but gets caught. He then counters into a Tornado DDT for two. Nice! Bernal goes back for a neckbreaker, but Crews escapes and gets another pump kick. The Frog Splash finishes for real this time at 9:57.

Winner: Apollo Crews via pin at 9:57
-This was a solid match and they just kept working until they sucked the crowd in. The winner was never in doubt, but the Tornado DDT near fall was pretty strong. Crews continues to win over the NXT kids. **1/2

-Video package on Jey Uso and everything he has been through. 

-Hulu commercials!

-95 Million Views for CM Punk return on all WWE social media platforms.

-Video package on Punk’s return and how everyone online reacted. Trust me, I went and watched them all in the days after Survivor Series. Again, shout-out to In The Clutch. Those boys are great!

-CM Punk returns to RAW this Monday! Also, Cody vs. Nakamura!

-Back to RAW for Seth Rollins defending his World Title against Jey Uso! Another very good match on RAW, as they had a strong in ring show, and Seth gets the clean win. Here comes Drew and he destroys Jey Uso. Seth can’t mind his own business and gets dropped as well. Drew stands tall to close the show!

-Thanks for reading!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Just a normal episode of Main Event which is fine. They have started having the match for the women involved two NXT stars, which is fine, but I enjoyed seeing one the NXT kids in there with a main roster star. Crews is becoming the Gatekeeper for this show and I am okay with watching him every week.