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Csonka’s WWE Main Event Review 3.24.17
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Csonka’s WWE Main Event Review 3.24.17
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Jinder Mahal defeated Curtis Axel @ 3:45 via pin [*½]
– Jack Gallagher & Gran Metalik defeated Ariya Daivari & Noam Dar @ via [**¾]
– Main Event reviews are back, I am sure all 7 that care of you are thrilled (I love you if you actually take time to read these).
Jinder Mahal vs. Curtis Axel: The mainstays of main event collide as Axel takes control early, causing Mahal to take a powder. Axel cut him off as he entered the ring but Mahal hit the stun gun off the ropes and the knee strike for a near fall. The basement dropkick followed, and a clothesline got the near fall. Mahal then grounded Axel for a bit, but Axel fought back, avoiding a charge. Axel delivered clotheslines, the corner spear and Hennig neck flip for the near fall. Mounted punches by Axel, but Mahal stunned him off the ropes again and hit the cobra clutch slam for the win. Jinder Mahal defeated Curtis Axel @ 3:45 via pin [*½] It was another Jinder Mahal vs. Curtis Axel match, I wouldn’t say it was bad but they did nothing to make me care or to get me interested.
– We go to Raw and the show opening promo segment. Foley is out in sweats, Cactus Jack shirt and flannel. He then reads a prepared statement, thanking Triple H & Stephanie forgiving him an opportunity. He then apologized and fell into buzzwords hyping Mania, before announcing is leave of absence. He then ripped up the index cards, and was not amused that he had to be scripted. Foley looked to rant, but they kept cutting his mic. Stephanie then made her way out to the ring; she lights into Foley and says that it has always been about Foley and the fact that he needs to be loved, not about what has been best for business. Stephanie then fires Foley. She looks to banish him to the back, but Stephanie’s favorite Sami Zayn arrives. Sami is not pleased with the treatment of Foley and says she’s made a lot of wrong choices, but no one has had the guts to say it. He also says that she should be ashamed of herself. Stephanie said Sami wasn’t even good enough to talk to her and banished him to the back, but Sami decided to stay and says he should leave, but he needs to do the right thing. This brought out Samoa Joseph, and he was not in a good mood. Stephanie books the match for right now, so Sami hits a dive as we go to beak. It’s a good opening segment to play off of last week’s closing angle; the thing that bothers me is that we’re again dedicating all of this time to Mick & Stephanie this close to Mania. You’d think they were booked in a major match at the show. The performances are good and I love seeing Sami some spotlight, but the use of the show’s time feels off. Stephanie vs. Foley feels better built than Triple H vs. Rollins and most mania programs, which is unfortunate. You can read my Raw Review at this link.
– Back to Raw, this time for Michael Cole’s interview with Triple H. Triple H is asked about Rollins’ diagnosis, he’s disappointed because he wanted the fight. But now Rollins will miss Mania again. He is insulted that Cole things he has fault in this, but it is all on Rollins for not listening to him and listening to the crowd. He has never needed the cheers of the crowd, but Rollins is insecure and needed it. The crowd once again ruined things for Foley. Triple H blames Foley’s physical condition on the crowd; the crowd needed a hero and Rollins wanted to be that hero. But last week, Triple H ended that all in 30-seconds. We see the footage from last week, and Triple H again blamed the crowd. Triple H said he thought Rollins was the future, he showed him the way, he gave him the blue print. But just like all these millenials, when Rollins got knocked down, Rollins cried and blamed others. He made things too easy; he was a crutch or Rollins and then beat him down with a crutch. H claims to be done with Rollins, and gives Cole some free tickets to Mania for Rollins, but they aren’t front row. Triple takes the tickets back and then proposes a hold harmless agreement for a non-sanctioned match so that he can end Rollins’ career, and so Rollins can’t sue anyone. If they want it, he will draw up the papers, they will face at Mania. Really good work by Triple H here, and the non-sanctioned match seems like the best way to go not only to play off of the angle but also to allow them all of the smoke and mirrors to have a (hopefully) great match. You can read my Raw Review at this link.
– I wonder if Alicia ever misses DJ Gabriel…
Jack Gallagher & Gran Metalik vs. Ariya Daivari & Noam Dar w/Alicia Fooooooooooooooooox: Hey guys, Gran Metalik is alive. Gallagher and Dar to begin, with Gallagher taking control early by grounding Dar. Dar counters out for a but, but Gallagher escapes and rolls him up for 2. Daivari tags in, but accidentally hits Dar, allowing Gallagher to tag in Metalik. Metalik picks up the pace, lucha arm drag follows and then the dropkick to send Dar to the floor. Metalik then hits a moonsault off of the post to wipe out Dar & Daivari. Post break, Metalik hits a springboard elbow drop for the near fall. Dar cuts off Metalik as he goes to the ropes, allowing Daivari to lay the boots to him. He tags in Dar, who works the arm and then he and Daivari work quick tags to isolate Metalik in their corner. Solid control by the heels here, Metalik walks the ropes and hits the dropkick to take Daivari down. Hot tag to Gallagher, he runs wild with dropkicks and then a gut wrench suplex on Dar for the near fall. Metalik flies in to take out Daivari with the dropkick. Dar tosses Metalik to the floor, but that accidentally takes out Daivari. Head butt by Gallagher and then the shotgun dropkick finish Dar. Jack Gallagher & Gran Metalik defeated Ariya Daivari & Noam Dar [**¾] This was pretty good overall, easily better than the opener. Metalik looked more comfortable here, and the closing stretch was a lot of fun.
– Back to Raw for the main event segment (BRAUN vs. Reigns). Reigns attacked at the bell, and they brawled back and forth with Reigns kicking BRAUN to the floor. BRAUN cut off the drive by kick, and then slowly beat down Reigns in the ring. BRAUN then worked a chinlock as they slowed things down and are doing the opposite of what has made recent BRAUN matches good. After about an hour, Reigns escaped the chinlock and fought back. BRAUN then ran him over with a lariat. The crowd chants for taker because they’ve had enough of this shit. BRAUN eventually posted himself, Reigns unloaded with strikes and hit the Samoan drop, but BRAUN survived. Reigns hit the drive by, but then got slammed to the steps. BRAUN tossed some steps in the ring, BRAUN looked to smash him with the steps but ran into a superman punch. BRAUN blocked the second but Reigns then hit it countering BRAUN. THE DONG SOUNDS and Taker appears in the ring. Taker get a great reaction, and then chokeslams BRAUN. Taker realizes he done fucked up and Reigns then cuts him in half with the spear to stand tall. This was nowhere near as good as their Fastlane match; it felt like a neutered version of it to get us to Taker. It was ok. The best part of the entire final segment was taker realizing he was fucked because he attacked BRAUN and took his eyes off of Reigns, and then ate the spear. You can read my Raw Review at this link.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”
Main Event could be and should be so much more. In the past the show has had matches that you should go out of your way to see, and there is no reason not to shoot some low-level Raw angles on this show to set up some mid-card angles for Raw, which would possibly take some of that bullshit filler and turn it into something meaningful. Shoot an angle on Main Event, show a video recap on Raw (Example: Michael Cole shoots to a video package and says, “did you guys realize that [insert wrestler here] won his last six matches on Main Event? Let's take a look at his recent run of dominance…), and then continue it there. You’ve then made Main Event appear as something people need to use and help Raw as well.
Or you could go another direction, and I wrote about this before and will repeat it again; Main Event should be a showcase for the Cruiserweights, NXT and UK lads that aren’t being utilized. Adjust the Full Sail taping schedule here and there, bring in a few UK guys and tape extra matches in front of the Full Sail faithful for Main Event and even for NXT; that crowd will make it feel as if people care, you can use guys that do not make NXT or 205 live and it’s no as if you’re taking any star power from the show and you can still do all of your Raw highlights. I’d just like to see something that feels exciting or fresh.
As for this show, it really means more if you missed Raw; they continue to cherry pick the best/most important things but the wrestling continues to come off as filler.
