Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 4.2.26

-Written: 04.02.26
-Source: YouTube
-Run Time: 40:20

-Plug: Evolve

-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Vic Joseph

IC Ladder Match Qualifier: Grayson Waller vs. Dragon Lee

-Remember how Michael Cole mentioned the participants in the IC Ladder Match won qualifying matches on Main Event? Well, I guess this is the start of that. So, the winners of these upcoming matches have been spoiled. Waller attacks before the bell and the ref makes his wait until Lee is up to his feet and then we get the opening bell. Waller runs Lee over with a shoulder tackle. Lee back with a head scissors and then a running kick in the corner. Sling shot back into the ring with another kick in the corner. Lee ducks a clothesline and hits a dropkick. He sends Waller to the floor and hits a superkick as Waller tried to block being tossed into the apron. Lee looks to fly, but Waller moves and then runs Dragon over with a clothesline on the floor. Waller with the Rolling Thunder from Down Under and it did not connect very well. Still gets two! Waller steps on Lee’s face. Lee counters off the shoulders with a rana. He picks up the pace, but Waller avoids a charge in the corner and hits a double stomp. Waller up top, but Lee trips him up and hits a head kick. That sends Waller into The Tree of Woe and Dragon hits his own Double Stomp. Operation Dragon is countered and they start trading knee strikes. Snap German Suplex from Lee, but Waller hits him with a forearm. Lee with one of his own and Operation Dragon finishes at 4:43.

Winner: Dragon Lee via pin at 4:43
-Solid match given the time, but no drama for the viewer as we knew who was winning. The crowd didn’t but they also had no clue the match had WrestleMania stakes. **1/2

-WWE Live commercial!

-CM Punk/Roman Reigns WrestleMania commercial!

IC Ladder Match Qualifier: JD McDonagh vs. Akira Tozawa

-I would have popped had they not announced the winners and Tozawa ended up getting the nod here. The crowd would have been all in on him at Mania. JD controls with a side headlock, but Tozawa counters on the mat. JD rolls to a one count and then counters to a hammerlock. Howard notes this is the first single’s match for JD in four months. Tozawa throws kicks to the back of the leg. He gets a head scissors off the middle ropes and then a dropkick sends JD to the floor. He goes to fly, but JD leaps to the apron and cuts him off. Sling shot twisting plancha from JD. He buries a knee to the gut and follows with a belly-to-back suplex for two. Tozawa fights out of a chinlock and snaps off a rana after being tossed in the air. Shining Wizard! JD knocked to the floor and this time Tozawa hits the suicide dive. Back in the ring, Tozwa comes off the top with a missile dropkick for two. JD throws elbows to get off the shoulders and hits a Standing Spanish Fly for two. Tozawa rolls over to get his own two. Roundhouse kick from Tozawa and he tears the shirt as TOZAWA-MANIA is running wild. Tozawa up top but JD gets the knees up to block the Senton. Devil Inside connects and a top rope moonsault finishes at 5:40.

Winner: JD McDonagh via pin at 5:40
-The crowd seemed more invested in this one, but that’s because they love Tozawa. Again, the winner was spoiled but it was still a fine little match. **1/2

-WWE Hall of Fame: tickets on sale now! Again, I will have live coverage for on here. Midnight Eastern for me. Last year we had a ball as the show ran until 4 AM or so.

-WWE2K26 commercial! I still don’t have it as my time has been spent on Resident Evil Requiem. Game gives me some good jump scares.

IC Ladder Match Qualifier: Rayo Americano (w/ Bravo Americano) vs. Je’Von Evans

-I just noticed this match was taped before RAW at MSG. I didn’t notice where the other matches were taped. Fast start as Evans hits a dropkick a followed by a suplex. He bounces off the ropes and get a head scissors that sends Rayo to the floor. Bravo gets involved to stop a dive. Evans avoids Rayo, but Bravo lands a cheap shot to turn the tide. Rayo goes to work on the arm and hooks a submission as he puts pressure on the arm and neck. Evans elbows his way out and lands a right hand. Rayo does a Penta strut and hits a basement dropkick. SLAP from Rayo and another. That fires up Evans who hits a superkick and he springs off the ropes with a clothesline. He gets bouncy off the ropes and hits that twisting kick. He goes to fly and again, Bravo blocks. Evans punches him and then clears the top rope with the tope on both Americanos. Evans back up top and Evans flies across the ring with a Frog Splash for two. Evans up top again, but Rayo cuts him off. Super German Suplex, but Evans lands on his feet. Rayo responds with a dropkick. He goes for the flying headbutt, but gets caught with a knee. Springboard kick to the back and the Super OG Cutter gets the pin at 5:00.

Winner: Je’Von Evans via pin at 5:00
-Another short, but solid match as we are getting all the qualifying matches this week. I have been an Evans fans since he showed up on Level Up, so it’s cool to see him get a Mania spot his first time out on the main roster. I am both excited and kind of nervous about what he may try to do at Mania. **1/2

-WWE Shop commercial!

-Another Hall of Fame Plug!

IC Ladder Match Qualifier: Otis vs. RUSEV

-HOSS FIGHT! This match was also taped before RAW in MSG. Vic wonders about either man climbing a ladder and I remember him winning MITB in 2020. Blake then brings up the same point. Rusev Day chant from the MSG crowd. Otis with a running shoulder tackle. Rusev goes to leap over, but Otis catches him and gets a slam. Cool! Rusev blocks a charge in the corner and starts throwing kicks at the legs. Spinning heel kick from Rusev gets two. We get a replay of the kick and come back to Rusev throwing forearms to the face and chest. Standing dropkick from Rusev, but Otis just eats that and runs Rusev down with a shoulder. Spinning back fist! Otis with a slam and he tears his shirt as it’s OTIS-MANIA. Rusev rolls to the apron to avoid the caterpillar. Otis brings him back into the ring with a suplex. Otis charges, but hits post in the corner. MACHKA KICK! Accolade and Otis taps at 3:40.

Winner: Rusev via pin at 3:40
-Really short, but they hit each other hard for the few minutes they had. Rusev is going to play the monster/power guy in the match and good for him getting another Mania moment so many years after his last one. Give them more time and they would have delivered a solid HOSS FIGHT. Only so mych you can in less than four minutes. *1/2

-Thanks for reading!

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

This qualifies as an historic Main Event episode. We had four matches for the first time in my six year run of reviewing and we had matches that had real stakes. Of course, it would have worked better if they announced the stakes before and didn't ruin who won, but I guess we are making progress. Since we had four matches, none of them were given much time, but they all did what they could to provide a solid 40-minute show. Normally this would qualify as an average show, but throw in the fact the results meant something and that gives it a little bump. I feel generous because they threw the D show a bone even if it was in a weird way.