411’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII Preview

Hello folx and welcome to 411’s Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII Preview! Tonight we are at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., for the 42nd Saturday Night’s Main Event! John Cena’s final year has been a bumpy one.

Despite questionable booking, he has had some great matches with old rivals like CM Punk, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton. He also put on a good match with Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. He finally won the Intercontinental Championship. And that’s it. Oh, wait! He did do one other thing. He beat Ric Flair’s record for most World Championship wins at WrestleMania.

The Never Seen 17’s time has come, and chances are high it will end in defeat at the hands of Gunther.

Tonight, we will see John Cena’s handpicked NXT vs WWE exhibition matches: AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs Je’von Evans and Leon Slater, Sol Ruca vs Baley, and Oba Femi vs Cody Rhodes. And, for the last time, John Cena will enter the ring as he takes on the winner of the Last Time is Now Tournament, Gunther!

WWE World Tag Team Champions
AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs Je’Von Evans & Leon Slater

Image Credit: WWE

To steal AJ Styles’ old phrase, “Get ready to fly!” This match is going to be filled with a lot of fun spots and high-flying action. Lee has had a much better second half of the year. His appearances in AAA reminded us all of what he is capable of. And he has done more in a couple of months with Styles than the entire time he was in LWO. (Is he still in the LWO? There hasn’t been any mention of them lately.)

Styles is working hard to go out on a high note, and I think Cena’s recent comments about him are so accurate. He makes hard things look effortless, and that comes with over two decades of working to be one of the best.

Evans has had a great year, even if he has failed to win when it mattered. He has been showcased heavily on all WWE-branded shows. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. Evans is a future World Champion. He might need to add a bit more muscle, but aside from that, he has everything you need to be a main event player.

Slater is the current TNA X-Division Champion, and like Evans, he has a lot of potential to be a main event player. He is smooth and crisp in the ring, and if he can stay healthy, he has a lot of upside in front of him.

I think this will be a showcase for Evans and Slater; they will get to show why they are the future of this business as they take the Raw Tag Team Champions to the limit. Ultimately, I am going to give this one to Styles & Lee, though. They are the current champions, and Evans & Slater can look strong even in defeat. Plus, they can play the respect angle, where Styles & Lee decide to give them a title shot, because Evans & Slater earned their respect.

Winners and still WWE World Tag Team Champions: AJ Styles & Dragon Lee

Sol Ruca vs Bayley

Image Credit: WWE

Like Evans, Ruca has had a great year in NXT. She has had a slightly better year, because she actually won both the Women’s Speed Championship and the NXT Women’s North American Championship. I’ve been impressed with Ruca every time I’ve seen her, and I don’t expect any less here.

Bayley has had a more up-and-down year, getting taken out of WrestleMania and having a bit of a losing streak. She seems to have developed some sort of dissociative disorder gimmick recently. Going from supportive to abusive without warning. Regardless of her, in character, mental health, she continues to be one of the best women to ever do it.

I expect this to be a bit of a show stealer. Like I already said, Ruca has had a great year and continues to get better every time she steps in the ring. And Bayley is one of the best in the business. Together, they should be able to give us a hard-hitting match with some high-flying mixed in.

Ruca’s issues with Zaria could lead to a loss for Ruca here. But I also have the feeling this is where they give NXT a win, so they don’t go 0-3 for the night. Ruca is ready to move up to the main roster, so a win here can help give her a boost going into the Royal Rumble.

Winner: Sol Ruca

Oba Femi vs Cody Rhodes

Image Credit: WWE

While I don’t like Saints losing the title so soon, this match was probably the better option. Rhodes works well against guys who can believably get heat on him. Femi is the kind of guy who fans can buy into beating Rhodes just on sheer power. I expect Femi to get an extended beatdown on Rhodes, building that fan empathy for the comeback.

Femi should have already been called up, but if this is going to be his introduction to the main roster, it’s a great place to start. I don’t think he is going to get the win here, but he is going to come out of the match looking like a total monster. Rhodes will barely squeak out a win after multiple Cross Rhodes. And Femi is set for a great run.

Of course, Femi winning here would set him up even more. But I don’t think he needs to win; he just needs to push Cody to the limit. No one will fault him for losing to the current WWE Champion. And after tonight, he can show up at the Royal Rumble and play the mid-match ring clearer.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

Gunther vs John Cena

Image Credit: WWE

This is actually probably going on first. That way, there is plenty of time for Cena to say his final words post-match. But it is the biggest match of the night, so I’m saving it for last. Gunther is a great choice for this match. He is a proven name, and his style looks killer but is pretty safe. Also like Cody Rhodes, Cena has always worked great against people who can believably dominate him.

I expect this one to be the reverse of Femi vs Rhodes, though. Cena is going to come out swinging and might rock Gunther a bit. But then, during the Five Moves of Doom, Gunther will light Cena up with a chop instead of going for a clothesline. And then from there, they can do a little back and forth. But it will mainly be Gunther.

A powerbomb and a sleeper will end the match, putting Gunther in rare company as the fifth man to make Cena tap, and the first since Kurt Angle in 2004. And that will do it for Cena’s career as a wrestler. Will he show up again? I’m pretty sure yes. Will he wrestle again? I’m actually going to side with no. He doesn’t need the money, and there isn’t anything left for him to do.

Winner: Gunther