wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 5.18.23
Image Credit: WWE
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-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Dana Brooke vs. Emma


-No RAW vs. NXT here as it’s RAW on RAW! Emma gets an insert promo and notes before The 4 Horsewomen it, it was Emma and she will remind everyone who is the pioneer in the division. Lockup to start and Emma controls with arm and then into a side headlock. She takes Brooke over and gives her a noggie for fun. KP admits he has had his share of noggies in his day. We go again and Emma tries a hiptoss, but Dana counters with a backslide for two. Byron mentions that Dana and Emma were once tag team partners. Dana offers a handshake, but Emma kicks her in the gut and then gets a slam. She yells about disrespect and starts kicking Dana around the ring. Dana slips out of a slam and gets a slam of her own and then a cartwheel into a boot to the face. Headscissors sends Emma to the corner and Dana gets a handspring elbow. She gets caught with a modified German Suplex trying a roll-up and that gets two for Emma. Next she hooks a cravat and works that for a bit as the crowd tries to rally Dana. She is able to break the hold and gets a double leg into a roll-up for two, but Emma cuts her off with a clothesline. Emma sends Dana head first into the buckle and repeats in another corner, but gets blocked trying a third time. Brooke fights back, but gets caught with a splash in the corner. Running basement crossbody splash in the corner gets two as Emma is getting frustrated. She complains some more about disrespect and gets caught with a small package for the pin at 5:40.
Winner: Dana Brooke via pin at 5:40
-This was solid as Dana continues to work hard on this show and improves with each match. Emma is solid as well and this was a decent little match. **
-Teegan Nox vs. Nikki Cross is our Main Event this week!
-Back to SmackDown where AJ Styles pins Edge to win his Triple Threat Match that also included Rey Mysterio. Later, Bobby Lashley pinned Theory to win his match that also featured Sheamus. Both winners advanced to the World Title semi-finals and we we will highlights from that match later.
-Don’t Try This at Home or Anywhere!
-Hulu Commercials!
-Back to SmackDown as Roman Reigns returned and he demanded an apology from The Usos for losing. He shoves Jimmy in the face and he is ready to throw down, but Jey apologizes as he has been through the shit with Roman and knows better. Roman then becomes an even dick as he has Heyman announce that Roman and Solo win become Tag Champions instead of The Usos at Night of Champions.
-Back to SmackDown as AJ Styles got the win over Lashley to punch his ticket to The Finals of The World Title Tournament and waiting for him at Night of Champions will be Seth Rollins.
-Night of Champions: Brock/Cody commercial!
-Hulu Commercials!
-Back to RAW for the battle royal to determine GUNTHER’S next victim. It was a fun little battle royal once it settled down and the crowd was into it. Riddle gets screwed over by Imperium as I suspect we get Riddle vs. GUNTHER at some point and it could be awesome! Ricochet and Bronson Reed battle on the apron which lets Ali knock them both off for the win. Ali vs. GUNTHER could end up being a low key BANGER before Ali gets wrecked.
-Later Ali runs into Imperium backstage and GUNTHER is a proper sportsman and congratulates Ali on his win. He feels bad for him though as he will travel halfway around the world just to lose and take a beating. They shake hands and Ali makes GUNTHER smile with his positivity.
-JD McDonagh vignette. They seem to have some high hopes for him.
-Hulu Commercials!
-Back to RAW as Sami Zayn is annoyed that Roman wants the Tag Titles now too and calls Roman a psycho and manipulator.
-KO and Sami come face to face with Roman and Solo tomorrow on SmackDown! Also Pretty Deadly vs. The Brawling Brutes and The Usos vs. LWO. Also, AJ Styles is the first guest on The Grayson Waller Effect!
Tegan Nox vs. Nikki Cross
-Tegan gets an insert promo as she is going to beat people up and enjoy doing it. Lockup to start as they jockey for position. Nox offers a clean break in the corner, but they get into a shoving match and then lockup again. Saxton brings all the facts as he notes these two last faced off in England in 2014. I will see after all the injuries it is cool seeing Nox working on the main roster. Nox sends Cross to the apron, but walks into a right hand. Cross heads up but Nox knocks her off to the apron and then hits a dropkick that sends Cross to. The floor. We take out break at 1:52.
-Hulu Commercials!
-Back at 3:26 with Nox in control. She drops Cross on her face and gets a two count. Nox gets top position and fires away with right hands to boos from the crowd. She mocks Nikki as she stomps away in the corner. She hits a super kick and delivers a kick to the spine! She talks some more trash and hooks a chinlock. Cross ducks a clothesline and gets a dropkick to the knee and then another. She should target the knee! Tornado DDT, but Nox blocks a suplex and lands a headbutt. They start trading blows in the middle of the ring as the crowd responds to each strike. Cross ends up getting a Victory Roll, but Nox is out at two. Cross ends up hitting her spinning neckbreaker for the win at 7:19.
Winner: Nikki Cross via pin at 7:19
-I enjoyed the opener more than this one, but it was fine for a Main Event match where they don’t get much time. I still prefer the NXT vs. RAW format, but I guess they want the new draft picks to get some ring time. *1/4
-Card rundown for Night of Champions!
-Night of Champions commercial: AJ vs. Seth!
-Hulu Commercials!
-Brock and Cody will both be on RAW this week! Brock putting in work during this run! Also, Trish and Becky sign a contract. Also, Also, KO and Sami find a mystery partner to take on Imperium!
-Back to RAW as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn took on Damian Priest and Finn Balor in a non-title match. Good stuff here as it was something out of ECW with a bunch of storylines meeting up leading to cameos from Prison Dom, Xavier Woods, Rhea Ripley, Paul Heyman, and Imperium. GUNTHER trips up Sami which lets Balor gain the advantage and get the win. Again, I love Heyman throwing threat after threat at KO/Sami to ultimately benefit Roman.
-Thanks for reading!
