Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 8.27.20

-It’s THUNDERDOME time for Main Event as the E show gets their first taste of the WWE’s new state of the art arena. Previews have spoiled that an old face to Main Event is making his return this week. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton
-Taped: THUNDERDOME, Orlando, FL

Mustafa Ali vs. Arturo Ruas

-This could be kind of a clash of styles, but let’s see what they can do. Ruas nearly suckers Ali into a head kick. He then throws some leg kicks that miss. Ali fires off a dropkick and then a second sends Ruas to the mat. Ali charges and gets caught with a knee strike for two. Ruas throws a kick to the arm and goes to work on that joint with elbows. Cool! Ruas panders to the crowd and it looks much better with fans in the building (even virtual ones). Ali gets an armdrag and then a roll-up for two, but Ruas catches him with a flapjack for two. Back to the arm as Ruas gets a hammerlock into a modified armbar. Ali gets to the ropes to break but gets mauled in the corner. A charge from Ruas catches elbow and Ali follows with a dropkick to the shoulder. Ruas gets run down by a few clotheslines, but Ali can’t follow up due to the arm. Ruas misses another charge which leads to Ali getting a swank armbreaker. I’m cool with a story of each guy trying to break the other’s arm. Ali grounds Ruas with a crossface, but a well-placed foot on the bottom rope causes a break. Ali gets sent throat first into the middle rope, but for a third time Ruas misses a charge. This one sends him shoulder first into the post. Ali misses the 450, but rolls through. Ruas is right on him though with a takedown into an armbar, but Ali fights off and gets a roll-up for two. Ruas goes back to the arm, but Ali gets another roll-up while pinning the damaged arm for the pin at 5:42.

Winner: Mustafa Ali via pin at 5:42
-This was rather solid and much better than I expected. They told a good story with the arm work and it played in the finish. Ali played well to Ruas strength and each man has such a distinct style that this was different and better than what we usually get on this show. I kind of wanted to see it go a little longer, but this was perfectly acceptable wrestling. **1/2

-Back to SummerSlam as we get a highlight package of Drew/Orton. I still like the old school mentality of not showing the moves connecting as they apparently still want people to watch the show on the Network. In the old days it was because they wanted you to order the PPV replay. Drew retains with a wrestling hold in a wrestling match and people freaked out for some reason. I mean Savage/Steamboat ended with a small package and Flair/Savage with a roll-up.

-This past Monday on RAW Randy Orton was interrupted by Keith Lee and the internet lost it over his entrance music and attire. To his credit Keith downplayed the change. I am sure they will figure out better music. Lee challenges Orton to a match on RAW and we join that in progress. It was a just a teaser of things to come as Drew interferes to cause a DQ. After the match Orton delivers the punt to knock Drew out of the next PPV and that sets up Orton/Lee II at Payback.

-Back to SummerSlam as Asuka loses to Bayley, but regains the RAW Women’s Title from Sasha later in the show. Tension between The Golden Role Models!

-Back to RAW as Bayley gets her rematch in a Lumberjack match. Bayley tries to get involved with a chair, but Shayna stops that noise and Sasha taps out clean. The Golden Role Models will defend their Tag Titles against Nia and Shayna at Payback.

-Back to SummerSlam as The Fiend regains The Universal Title from Braun Strowman. The match started promising, but the fact that Strowman pulled out a box cutter and used it to cut up the canvas instead of the masked, crazy man lost the plot for me. The real story after the match though as Roman Reigns made his return and destroyed both men while talking trash to them. I can get behind that Roman Reigns! That sets up The Fiend defending against Strowman and Reigns in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat match. That could be a fun car wreck or just a car wreck.

Ricochet vs. Humberto Carrillo

-Ricochet has returned to Main Event, but at least this time it’s in THE THUNDERDOME! This could be fun. Handshake to start as you would expect with these two. Lockup to start and they trade wristlocks and counters. The pace picks up as Ricochet catches Carrillo with a head scissors that sends him to the floor. Ricochet teases a dive to play mind games which gets a smile from Carrillo so they shake hands again. Now Carrillo gets the head scissors that sends Ricochet to the floor and he does his own teasing of a dive. Ricochet smiles and gives Humberto a pound, but quickly punches him in the face as he doesn’t like to be shown up apparently. Ricochet tells Humberto it’s going to be a fight tonight as we take a break.

-Back with Carrillo getting a roll-up for two but Ricochet catches him with another right hand. Carrillo responds with a head kick to leave both men down. They start exchanging hands in the middle of the ring as that sportsmanship stuff went out the window. Jesse Ventura would be proud! Carrillo up top and he connects with a missile dropkick for two. Back to the top again, but Ricochet rolls to the apron. They fight out there and Ricochet eats another head kick that send him back into the ring. Carrillo gets a crossbody from the top that is rolled through for a two count. Ricochet gets the axe kick for two and then Recoil finishes at 7:56.

Winner: Ricochet via pin at 7:56
-I actually liked Ali/Ruas better which I wasn’t expecting coming into this show. The commercial ate up a good portion of this. The pre-commercial stuff was them mainly playing mind games and then it ended rather quickly after the break. It was fine and I liked seeing Ricochet lean heel. Ricochet getting the win was also the correct call. **

-Back to SummerSlam as Seth beats Dominick in his first match.

-Back to RAW as Seth/Murphy face The Mysterios in a tag match. That had to be a blast for Rey and I am sure he was beaming with pride. The lights flicker and Retribution hits the ring as the announcers, Seth and Murphy bail. Rey and Dominick get beatdown as Seth and Murphy watch from the ramp. At some point we will need some progression in this story as they can’t just beat people and destroy things every week.

-That wraps up this week’s show. Thanks for reading!

6.2

The final score: review Average

The 411

This would be the definition of a perfectly solid Main Event show. The ThunderDome presentation certainly helps after months being in The PC. Nothing must see here obviously, but Ruas/Ali was fun and Ricochet/Carrillo provided some flips and kicks.