wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 4.06.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped: Crypton.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
-We start with the highlight package from WrestleMania Night One and Night Two. As I mentioned in my brief review during RAW Talk, I thought it was an amazing show. Just an absolute spectacle and everything delivered something. The IC Triple Threat was my favorite match of the two shows, though the drama and emotion from the 2 matches that closed the shows were off the charts. Rhea/Charlotte brought all the goods and did all they could to steal the show. Logan Paul is a freak! The Men’s 4 Way Tag Team Match was straight fire as they made the most of every second they were given. Bianca/Asuka was wonderful and Hell In A Cell is what it needed to be. Brock/Omos was what I thought it would be and the crowd dug the idea of seeing Brock facing a giant. I wasn’t as upset as others with Roman winning though I fell on my face when it happened. This seemed like a missed opportunity, but WWE has been doing that a big as we were all sure Roman was beating Brock the first two Manias they met and it didn’t happen. I assume we get Cody/Roman II at SummerSlam but maybe Roman will still be on this run when I go to Mania in Philadelphia next week. Okay, it’s time for Main Event. Let’s get to it!
Rick Boogs vs. Cedric Alexander (w/ Shelton Benjamin)
-No MVP with Cedric and Shelton this week and Byron picks up on that as well. Boogs screams before they lockup. Boogs lifts Cedric like a child and tosses him across the ring. Cedric isn’t one to be upstaged, so he flexes. Boogs puts him down again and then gives his own flex. Another go and Cedric grabs an armlock. Boogs gets a Gorilla Press, but Cedric slides down to get a waistlock. Boogs counters and does curls with Cedric in a fun spot. The crowd counts along and Boogs tosses Cedric over his head on the 10th curl. That was kind of cool! Cedric to Shelton: “Yo, my back!” Shelton tells Cedric they don’t need this and wants him to walk. Boogs gives chase and gets caught on the apron as Shelton offers a brief distraction. Cedric hangs Boogs up on the top rope and drops him on the apron. Boogs beats the count out eight, so Cedric goes to work on the ribs and then hooks a modified abdominal stretch. Boogs fights to break and tosses Cedric across the ring again. Cedric throws forearms, but Boogs is too strong and reverses a whip. He hits a running clothesline in one corner and then the other. He brings Cedric out with a running faceplant and then pulls down the straps. Boogs Cruise is countered and Cedric gets a superkick. Neuralizer is countered into Gorilla Press into World’s Strongest Slam for the pin at 6:13.
Winner: Rick Boogs via pin at 6:13
-This was a fun little match that was given more time than most opening matches on Main Event. Boogs doing curls with Cedric was a fun spot. Boogs is a dude that has charisma to keep him over with the crowd and he just seems like a good guy. **1/4
-Back to RAW as Cody interrupts Roman Reigns and is tired of The Solo Factor. He wants a rematch as he notes he had Roman at Mania. Heyman tells Cody no, so Cody wants a match against Roman and Solo. They tell him to find a partner that worked at Mania and whoever stands by Cody can never have a shot at Roman’s Championship. Brock answers the call because he has nothing to lose.
-Hulu commercials!
-Hall of Fame Ceremony video package. My review can be found here.
-Back to RAW as Rey loses to Austin Theory thanks to interference from Prison Dom. Dom beats up Rey after the match and then gets into it with Bad Bunny (sitting in the front row). Bunny gives Dom a punch to the mouth, which has Priest attacking Bunny and putting him through the announce table. We obviously are going to have a Tag Match in Puerto Rico and the heat for it should be off the charts. Good bump from Bunny and props to him as he obviously has enough money that he doesn’t need to do this.
-Back to Mania as we get a video package on the Tag Title Match that closed the show. It was the ending we all deserved as KO and Sami become Tag Team Champions. You could just feel the emotion in this match. Props to all four men, and Cole/Graves on commentary.
-Hulu commercials!
-Press Coverage about how great WrestleMania was!
-Back to RAW as The Street Profits challenge Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. KO and Sami are down for it.
-We join the match in progress and it was a solid tag match and the best we got the entire show as far as an in ring match. KO and Sami get the win.
-Hulu commercials!
Bronson Reed vs. Dexter Lumis
-We get video of Dexter getting a win over Odyssey Jones last week on this show. Reed with a shoulder tackle, but Lumis kips up and stares him down. Lumis with a running clothesline, but it doesn’t affect Reed. Lumis tries a belly to back, but Reed blocks and gets a headbutt. Reed misses a charge in the corner and Lumis gets the 10 count punch in the corner. Lumis tries a sunset flip, but Reed just sits out and flattens him. Lumis rolls to the floor and Reed follows with a shoulder block off the apron as we take out break at 2:14.
-Backlash Commercial!
-Hulu commercials!
-Back at 4:02 with Reed still in control. He fires Dexter into the corner and then hooks a neck crank. He releases and tries a Senton Backsplash, but Dexter avoids. Lumis makes his comeback and gets a running clothesline in the corner. This time he connects with the belly to back suplex which pops the crowd. Another kip up and a legdrop gets two. Lumis crawls around and looks for his submission, but Reed shoves out. Reed gets another shoulder tackle followed by an elbow drop. That puts Dexter in the right position for THE TSUNAMI and that obviously finishes at 6:51. That finish is a killer and gets a big reaction. Nobody ever needs to kick of that thing.
Winner: Bronson Reed via pin at 6:51
-This was okay as they hit each other hard and Reed gets another win. The important thing is the finisher and beating as many people as possible with it. **
-Hulu commercials!
-SNOOP DOGG PEOPLE’S ELBOW! It is still insane that Vince, HHH, and Shane have all torn their quads on either a PPV or Televised show for us all to see.
-Back to RAW as Miz bitches about Snoop Dogg booking him in matches with Pat McAfee (w/ George Kittle. GO NINERS), and then Shane. Miz taking credit for Shane’s injury is glorious. Miz is done with surprises and that brings back the returning Matt Riddle.
-Matt Riddle and The Miz meet on RAW next week. Yes, the graphic and Saxton referred to him as “Matt Riddle,” so that hasn’t changed.
-Back to RAW for our dream tag match that we all should have known wasn’t going to happen because Brock doesn’t work TV matches and Roman isn’t working about going 30 minutes the previous night. Brock lays a hellacious beating on Cody to give us what should be our Main Event for Puerto Rico since Roman won’t be there. Brock in Puerto Rico just seems right actually!
-Thanks for reading!
