wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 12.15.22
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Thanks to all who read my recap of Vice’s Vince McMahon documentary. You can find it here! Real quick I will reiterate that I was disappointed with the show because it ended up being a 2 hour show of recycled clips from various Dark Side of the Ring episodes. It seems a lot of people were happy they didn’t waste the two hours to watch. Now to Main Event were spoilers have been out that we are getting another NXT call-up debut. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped; Milwaukee, WI
Dana Brooke vs. Briana Ray
-Another round of Dana or Tamina against NXT call-up. Generally, the Dana matches have been the better ones, so lets see what we get here. Briana (formerly Kylie Rae) is another Booker T student and looks very happy to be here. Dana offers a handshake, but Briana opts to hooks a side headlock and takes it to the match. Dana powers her way out and gets a go behind before getting a take down. Back elbow missed by Ray and Brooke is pissed. Ray backs her into the corner and lands a forearm to the ribs. Ray mocks Dana about wanting to shake her hand. Dana gets a shoulder tackle followed by a hiptoss and then a cartwheel into a boot to the chest gets two. Ray uses the hair to pull Dana to the mat and that gets a two count. She gets the mount and pours down with right hands. She poses to mock Dana and actually draws some heat from the crowd. Suplex from Ray gets two and she follows that with a chinlock. Dana uses a jawbreaker to break and starts landing forearms. Clothesline is ducked and Brooke lands a few clotheslines. Handspring elbow in the corner followed by a bulldog and then a handspring into a back flip for two. Ray counters in the corner and lands a superkick to a seated Brooke. Na gets a small package for two. Uppercut in the corner from Ray, but she walks into a slam. Brooke heads up top but gets caught with a forearm to the jaw. Brooke fights off a superplex attempt and hits a Swanton Bomb for the pin at 6:13.
Winner: Dana Brooke via pin at 6:13
-This was okay and they were given more time than most openers on this sow get. Dana using the Swanton works. *1/2
-Backstage Edris Enofe and Malik Blade mark out over seeing the WWE Production Truck and then run into Cedric Alexander. They introduce themselves and are honored to be facing Cedric and Ali later. Cedric questions why Enofe isn’t wearing a shirt. Ali shows up and he doesn’t care about the NXT kids.
-Back to RAW two weeks ago as The Usos beat KO and Riddle. Following the match Solo destroys Riddle as a way to send him off to rehab for allegedly failing another drug test.
-Don’t Try This At Home or Anywhere!
-Hulu commercials!
-Back to SmackDown as we join The Usos defending their tag titles against Sheamus/Butch in progress. Fun match where the fans bought a few of the near falls, but the titles aren’t changing anytime soon. Sheamus and Solo get involved and Butch eats a 1D.
-Video package on Seth Rollins!
-Lacey Evans is still training with The Marines!
-Hulu commercials!
-Royal Rumble commercial!
-Back to RAW as we join Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss in progress. Winner becomes the new #1 contender for Bianca Belair and her Woman’s Title. We’ve seen a good bit of Bayley/Bianca and Bianca won that series rather decisively, so Bliss winning makes sense. After the match Bliss suckers Bianca into Sister Abigail, but snaps out of it before hitting the move. Bray Wyatt’s involvement is teased some more.
-Ali is in the back and explains to Cedric that he has been chasing The US Title on RAW and he hasn’t gotten a real opportunity because of Theory, Rollins, Lashley and Ziggler. Cedric understands and Ali asks if Cedric ever gets tired of doing the ring thing. He tells Cedric to do things his way and he will do things the way he wants to.
-Tribute to The Troops commercial!
-John Cena returns to SmackDown on Dec 30 in Tampa.
-Back to SmackDown as Kurt Angle brings back the milk truck in his hometown and it’s a bad night for Alpha Academy.
Edris Enofe and Malik Blade vs. Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali
-This should be fun and it’s cool to see Blade and Enofe in this spot after covering 205 Live/Level UP and seeing them work their way up. Blade and Cedric start off with a handshake. Blade was trained by Devon Dudley. Blade gets a roll-up which Cedric reverses for two. Cedric avoids a dropkick and they give each other props again. Ali has no time for this and tags himself into the match. He wants Edris and the crowd starts an Ali chant. Enofe uses his speed and snaps off a couple armdrags. He offers a handshake, but Ali isn’t having it as he pulls Enofe out to the floor and slams him back first into the security wall. Cedric yells at Ali, but I am with Ali here. It wasn’t illegal! We take our standard Main Event commercial break.
-Hulu commercials!
-Back with Ali holding a side headlock on Enofe. He lets go and tosses Edris into the corner. Tag made to Cedric who throws some chops in the corner. Tag back to Ali and Enofe ends up in the corner. He reverses a whip and catches Ali with a spinebuster. The crowd didn’t get the memo that Ali is supposed to be the heel here apparently. Hot tag to Blade and one made to Cedric as well. Blade gets a crossbody from the top and everyone gets involved. Cedric with a Michinoku Driver for two as Enofe makes the save. Everyone is down as the fans chant for Ali again. Ali and Enofe get dumped to the floor. Cedric hits a release German Suplex for two. Tag to Ali and he kicks Enofe off the apron. Blind tag made by Cedric and then a tag by Ali. Cedric with a brainbuster and Ali follows with a 450 for the win at 7:50.
Winners: Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander via pin at 7:50
-This was solid as expected though I was hoping we would get a little more. A few more minutes and I think they could have hit another gear. Ali and Cedric winning is the right call especially with Ali being on RAW, even if it’s just to get beat up by Lashley. **
-All four men shake hands after the match.
-Video package on Bobby Lashley!
-Royal Rumble commercial! I can’t wait to see what a HHH booked Rumble looks like.
-Hulu commercials including one for The NFL. Go Niners! Beat The Seahawks!
-Austin Theory hype video! They have done a great job rebuilding this man after getting the MITB briefcase off of him.
-Back to RAW two weeks ago as Lashley and Rollins brawl. Lashley accidentally spears WWE official, Petey Williams.
-Back to RAW as we join Lashley/Rollins in progress with the winner being next for Austin Theory and his US Title. The ref gets knocked out of the ring which costs Lashley and he is not happy. Rollins counters a spear with The Pedigree to get the win. Lashley puts his hands on the ref and elbows another ref in the head. That brings out Adam Pearce to let Lashley know he can’t keep touching officials. Lashley has no time for it and shoves Pearce away. Pearce drops a MF bomb (kind of) and fires Lashley as RAW goes off the air.
-Thanks for reading!
