Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 7.13.23

-Happy 10th Anniversary to my wife! Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Kevin Patrick and Byron Saxton
-Taped: Buffalo, NY

Natalya vs. Xia Li

-Byron lets us know that this is Nattie’s 1517th televised match! Li apparently doesn’t care as she lands the first shot to drop Nattie. She responds with a double leg take down, so Li bails to the floor. Natalya follows with a baseball slide as the crowd is popping for everything. Li lands a boot to the face as Nattie crawls back into the ring. More boos for Li! She uses her knee to choke Nattie on the ropes and gets a clunky cover for two. Then another cover and another with both getting two. To the corner where Li lands some strikes and then hits an overhead suplex for two. Modified chinlock followed from Li and then she gets a two count after slamming Nattie back down on her head and back. Nattie breaks the chinlock and lands a kick to the gut. She throws some strikes and lands a discus clothesline for two. Sharpshooter is blocked and Li gets a step-up enziguiri for two. Li misses sa knee in the corner and now Nattie gets the Sharpshooter for the tap at 5:19.

Winner: Natalya via submission at 5:19
-This was a little clunky and not much to it as Li’s offense was kind of bland. The crowd was into it though. *

-Hulu commercials!

-Bianca Belair gets her rematch this Friday for the WWE Women’s Title against Asuka!

-Back to the SmackDown for the amazing Tribal Court of Roman Reigns segment! This did a monster rating that hit over 3 million viewers at one point and apparently was the reason SmackDown became the first wrestling show to ever top network TV for the entire week. It was fantastic and captivating for the entire 40 minutes. Everyone was perfect and MSG was losing it for a lei being taken off, Roman taking off his Title, and kneeling before the ball shot. They loved Solo as well as the seeds were planted for Reigns vs. Solo somewhere down the line. Jimmy Uso gets destroyed and leaves the building in an ambulance. Later in the show, Jey returns and takes out Solo with a chair as he goes Austin at Mania X-Seven on him. He challenges Roman and that would seem to set up on SummerSlam Main Event. Great stuff!

-Back to RAW a week ago as Cowboy Brock returns and gets into a brawl with Cody. There’s another match for SummerSlam and I am all for the rumored bull rope match.

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to RAW where Cody Rhodes addresses Brock Lesnar and says everyone has a Brock Lesnar in their life. He wants a rubber match with Brock at SummerSlam because he is next line and beating him lets Cody be next in line.

-Brock Lesnar returns this Monday!

-Video package on Seth Rollins and his issues with Judgment Day! Balor seemingly costs Priest a chance to cash in as the issues between Judgment Day continue.

-Hulu commercials!

-Fastlane in in Indy on Saturday, Oct 7! Hey, don’t forget Payback is in Pittsburgh the month before and my plan is to be there.

Dana Brooke vs. Indi Hartwell (w/ Candice LeRae)

-Lockup to start and Indi gets a side headlock. Dana shoves off and Indi runs her down with a shoulder. She lifts Dana off the mat, but runs into a hip-toss. Dana with a cartwheel into a kick for two and then gets a sunset flip for two. Head scissors from Dana. She charges in the corner, but gets put on the apron. Hartwell lands an uppercut and a boot sends Dana to the floor as we take a break at 1:21.

-Hulu commercials for 1:20

-Indus Sher vigenette!

-Back at 3:52 with Indi dropping some elbows for a two count. Indi goes to another cover for two and then another for two. Modified Snake Eyes in the corner followed by a sidewalk slam gets two. Kevin Nash would be proud! Dana escapes a headlock but gets run down with a clothesline for two. I appreciate Indi keeps going for the pin as the point is to win a match. Suplex gets another two count! Candice offers from advice from the apron and she tells Indi to wear her down. Indi hooks a chinlock and the crowd isn’t into this one as much as the opener but I think it’s because neither woman is a heel. Dana is able to get to her feet and gets a sleeper, but Brooke breaks by running her into the corner. She preps Dana for a superplex, but Dana fights out and comes off the top with a crossbody that leaves both women down. Indi up first, but misses an elbow. Dana lands an elbow and catches Indi with a boot to the face. She goes crazy with strikes in the corner and gets the handspring elbow. Dana tries a sunset flip, but Indi shifts her weight, drops to her knees and gets the pin at 9:17.

Winner: Indi Hartwell via pin at 9:17
-Went a bit longer than I think they could handle, but it was better than the opener. What hurt was the crowd wasn’t into it. Dana fighting from underneath against the bigger Indi was the right idea, but she couldn’t build any sympathy as the fans like Indi and Candice. *1/2

-Back to RAW as Seth Rollins vs. Dirty Dom doesn’t happen as Judgment Day attack Rollins from behind. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn run down to make the save and we have a 6 Man Tag set for RAW’s Main Event.

-SummerSlam! Detroit! Ford Field!

-Rundown for RAW as Riddle gets to be mauled by GUNTHER again. Also The Women’s Tag Titles will be defended and VIKING RULES MATCH returns with Alpha Academy taking on The Viking Raiders. Let them go crazy with that one!

-Back to RAW for our 6 Man Tag Main Event. We get the final five minutes of the match and apparently they weren’t all on the same page and it led to issues after the match, but my thoughts are sometimes it just a bad bad at the office. If nobody ended up injured, you talk it out, and move on. Balor gets the pin on Sami as The Judgment Day seem to be back on the same page. I assume we get some combination of these six men at SummerSlam. My guess is Balor/Rollins II as there isn’t another viable challenger three weeks out and Dom/Priest challenging for the Tag Titles. They could do Balor/Priest challenging KO/Sami as well with Dom facing Rollins since they match didn’t happen on RAW as well.

-Thanks for reading!

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

The string of good shows ends here, but it's still an easy watch for those that want caught up on the week that was. For people just wanting the in ring matches, fast forward is your friend as well. Nothing of note with either match, but it's nice to see Li and Indi getting some ring time in front of a crowd.