Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 04.21.22

-My review of Barely Legal should be posted sometime this weekend and then I’ll have next week to get to WCW Spring Stampede 1997. Now to Main Event! Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped: Buffalo, NY

Apollo Crews (w/ Commander Azeez) vs. T-Bar

-T-Bar has a wrap on his knee from the match last week with Ciampa. No issue to start as T-Bar picks up Crews and buries a knee to the ribs. Backbreaker follows and an elbow drop gets a two count. Azeez distracts T-Bar and then lands a shot at the injured knee. Crews goes right after the knee as he stomps away in the corner. T-Bar fights back, but a dropkick to the knee ends that rally. Nice spot as Crews tries to stomp the knee near the ropes, but T-Bar uses the other leg to kick Crews over the top. T-Bar with a kick to the jaw and hits a release suplex. He continues to sell the knee thankfully. Crews tries to get a half crab, but T-Bar hits High Justice for two. Azeez tries to take a shot at the knee, but misses. It was enough of a distraction though as Crews hits a chop block and then hits the fall-a-way slam into the Samoan Drop for the win at roughly 4:30. My stopwatch stopped working.

Winner: Apollo Crews via pin
-This was fine. Apollo has won three straight matches on Main Event. Some decent power spots, heels cheating to win, and even some psychology and continuity with the knee injury from last week. **

-Ciampa vs. Cedric still to come!

-Back to RAW two weeks ago as The Usos challenged RK-Bro to unify the Tag Titles. The Street Profits want the smoke and we get The Usos vs The Profits with The Usos getting the win. Orton hits Ford with RKO after the match and The Usos hit a double superkick and stand tall.

-Back to SmackDown as RK-Bro invade The Usos’ show and have an answer. They accept the challenge and we get Riddle vs. Jimmy. Fun match with a great ending as Riddle hits the RKO out of mid air. Orton is so pumped by it he can’t help but jump around the ring even before the match is finished.

-Don’t Try This at Home or Anywhere!

-Hulu Commercials!

-Back to SmackDown as Drew Gulak interviews Charlotte and after mentioning Charlotte tapped at Mania, Charlotte kicks his ass and forces him to tap. Not a fan of this!

-Back to RAW as AJ Styles is interviewed in the locker room and accepts Edge’s challenge for another match at WrestleMania Backlash. The lights get spooky and then go out and as they come back up Edge and Damian Priest are there to lay the beat down on AJ. My dude needs some help. I continue to recommend Balor filling that role. Especially since he doesn’t have the US Title anymore.

-WrestleMania Hollywood: 2 Nights April 2023!

-Hulu Commercials!

-Back to RAW for more Soyna/Bianca build. Match happens this Monday on RAW. Perhaps someone returns and becomes Bianca’s PPV challenger.

-Back to RAW as we join Balor vs Theory in progress in a match for Balor’s US Title. One one hand it would have been nice to see this on PPV, but no matter where it happened, the result wasn’t in much doubt. It’s Theory’s time as he becomes the new US Champion. I appreciate them making it a big deal with the heel celebrating and then Vince coming out to celebrate as well.

-Hulu Commercials!

-Zayn vs McIntyre: Lumberjack Match on SmackDown this week!

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Cedric Alexander (w/ Shelton Benjamin)

-This has potential even if it’s just Main Event! Lockup to start and Ciampa controls with a side headlock. Crowd is behind Ciampa which is great to hear. Alexander lands a shot to the gut and talks some trash. He misses a crossbody and Ciampa laughs and pats himself on the back for ducking. A running knee sends Cedric to the floor. Ciampa looks to fly, but Shelton jumps on the apron to stop that. Ciampa shoves him in the face, so Benjamin jumps into the ring. The ref tosses him and Cedric waves goodbye which lets Cedric hang Ciampa throat first over the top and hit the STO on the apron. That sends us to our commercial break.

-WWE 2K22 commercial. I love the game so far. Haven’t the Rey Mysterio story yet as I am just enjoying having random matches and match types.

-Hulu commercials!

-Back with Cedric controlling with a headlock on the mat. Ciampa fights to his feet and gets a break in the corner. Cedric whips Ciampa across the ring and hard into the corner. Clubbing blows from Alexander. He chokes on the apron and then mock Ciampa by giving himself a pat on the back. Back to the chinlock as Cedric wants the ref to “ask him.” Ciampa fights back with right hands and chops. He hits a running clothesline and then a second. Running clothesline in the corner which is repeated two more times and then a diving clothesline as Ciampa is feeling it. Fairytale ending is blocked. Falcon Arrow escaped by Ciampa as he hits a neckbreaker for two. Running knee is missed. Ciampa gets a sunset flip for two and hits a kick to the face. Cedric back with a dropkick and Michinoku Driver for two. This is settling in nicely now! Alexander heads up, but Ciampa is out of the way. Knee to the face, but Cedric back with a kick to the face. Neuralizer is countered with a well placed kick to the face. That was sweet! Fairytale Ending finishes at 9:12.

Winner: Tommaso Ciampa via pin at 9:12
-This was rocking after the break and that closing stretch got really good. Best match on this show in quite some time. Definitely check this one out! ***

-Back to RAW last week as Cody beats Miz and then gets challenged by Rollins for a rematch at WrestleMania Backlash. Cody accepts!

-Back to RAW as Cody and Seth have a face to face and Seth challenges Cody to face a surprise opponent hand picked by him. Cody accepts!

-Hulu Commercials!

-Back to RAW as Seth naturally chooses his friend, Kevin Owens. Very good match between the two and after a hard battle KO opts to just walk about as he is tired of fighting Rollins’ battles. Seth is not happy!

-Thanks for reading!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Ciampa/Alexander made this a good show by itself and a solid Crews/T-Bar match only added to it. It's nice to finally get a good show for a change.