Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 01.20.22

-Welcome back to another episode of Hulu’s WWE Main Event. Last night my countdown of every match on 205 Live from 2021 was posted. Check it out here. Now, to Main Event. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Akira Tozawa

-Sweet! More from the NXT OG call-ups! Tozawa is coming off a loss to Pete Dunne last week and Ciampa got a win over T-Bar. Saxton informs us these two have only faced off in a tag match in Japan. I appreciate that tidbit. Tozawa off to a fast start with some dropkicks but misses a charge as Ciampa drops low. Ciampa is proud of himself as he gives himself a pat on the back. Ciampa buries a knee in the stomach and stomps away in the corner. Running knee in the corner and Ciampa is enjoying himself out there. He gets a two count and then smiles as Tozawa tries to punch back. Backbreaker as Tozawa sells it like death. Ciampa tries to bury another knee, but Tozawa gets a roll-up for two and then another. Ciampa is not happy as he pounds away and fires off some chops. He grinds his forearm on Tozawa’s head, so Tozawa mans up and fights back. They trade blows in the center of the ring and Ciampa wins that exchange which gets him another two count. Ciampa goes to a chinlock on the mat, but Tozawa is able to fight his way out. He snaps off a head scissors take down and hits a running leg lariat. He heads up top and throws himself at Ciampa. He looks for a suplex, but Ciampa fights it off and hits a spinning right hand. A knee misses though and Tozawa ends up with a submission, but Ciampa gets out and hits the jumping knee for two. Good near fall there. Ciampa has had enough and Fairytale Ending finishes at 5:31.

Winner: Tomasso Ciampa via pin at 5:31
-This was a fun sprint as they build some decent drama and the final minute or so got really good. Ciampa winning is obviously the right call and this lasted as long as it needed to in this case. **1/2

-Don’t Try This Anywhere Commercial!

-Hulu Commercials!

-Back to SmackDown for the verbal showdown between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Seth makes sure to mention he has dominated Roman in Championship Matches. Roman doesn’t want to talk about the past because he is God Mode now. Seth makes sure to note that Roman was propped up by The Shield and even now needs The Bloodline to help him. Roman fires back that if he wanted a mega-star to face at The Royal Rumble he would have picked Seth’s wife. This was fun! The Usos try to attack, but Seth is prepared for it as he escapes easily.

-WrestleMania Dallas (you know, the city with the team that lost my 49ers) tickets still on sale!

-Hulu commercials!

-Last week on RAW, Doudrop earned a Title Shot at The Royal Rumble against Big Time Becks!

-Back to RAW this week as we get the tag match we expected: Becky and Doudrop vs Bianca and Liv. Doudrop gets the win while also taking out Becky to help build her up before the Title Match at The Rumble.

-Alexa Bliss is still in counseling!

-Hulu commercials!

Pete Dunne vs. T-Bar

-So, we just took the matches from last week and swapped opponents. Fair enough! So does that mean we get Dunne vs Ciampa next week? Probably not! Lockup to start and T-Bar shoves Dunne around which frustrates him. Another go as Dunne goes to work on the left arm, but T-Bar gets a scoop slam to break. Dunne again is frustrated! Dunne back to the arm and he looks for small joint manipulation. He lands a clothesline and gets a middle rope dropkick to the knee. Now we get small joint manipulation and a stomp on the elbow. T-Bar misses a boot and gets hung up on the top rope. Dunne snaps the fingers, but then runs right into a big boot. That sends us to our commercial break.

-Hulu commercials!

-Back with T-Bar as he hits a release vertical suplex for two and then he goes to ground and pound. T-Bar pounds away in the corner and lands a backbreaker for two. Count seemed a little weird there. T-Bar goes to a chinlock with the knee buried in the back as the crowd rallies Dunne. He elbows his way out, but gets goozled. Chokeslam is blocked with a kick to the head. Dunne drops a knee on T-Bar’s exposed arm and then stomps the fingers. Head kick next, but he gets caught coming off the top rope with a sit-out chokeslam for two. Really good near fall there! T-Bar tells Dunne he is just too small, so Dunne punches him in the face. T-Bar looks for a powerbomb, but Dunne transitions it into a kimura. T-Bar powers back into a move as he tells Dunne it is time to fly, but Dunne is able to turn his weight and gets a small package for the win at 8:23.

Winner: Pete Dunne via pin at 8:23
-They were hitting each other hard and this was getting good just as it ended. More from these two please! **1/2

-Awesome video package hyping up Brock (Amateur Wrestling, WWE, UFC, Streak Breaker) and Lashley (Amateur Wrestling, Armed Forces Champion, Bellator). This was great! HOSS FIGHT OF ALL HOSS FIGHTS!

-Royal Rumble commercial!

-Hulu Commercials!

-Next week on RAW Miz is throwing Maryse a birthday celebration and RK-Bro faces an Alpha Academy Academic Challenge. We also get Lashley/Brock weigh in.

-Back to RAW as Lashley and Rollins faced off and you knew you weren’t getting a winner because it makes no sense to have either man lose before The Rumble. Match was good and then the non-finish as The Hurt Business attacks Lashley. No worry though as Lashley destroys both men and puts them through a barricade. Meanwhile, The Usos hit the ring and take out Seth Rollins.

-Thanks for reading!

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

This was a solid show this week as the injection of Dunne and Ciampa has helped. The recap stuff is what it is, but the Brock/Lashley hype video was great. I can take a show like this every week!