Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 7.18.24

-Got the news a few days ago that I am heading to SummerSlam in Cleveland. I am pretty excited about this and I just need to get to a Survivor Series to complete The Big Four. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Brian James
-Taped: Nutter Center, Dayton, OH

Joaquin Wilde vs. Luca Crusifino

-Back to the RAW vs. NXT format for this match. It’s been a bit since we’ve had that. Luca was last on Main Event back in January. Both of these guys are from Pittsburgh, which I knew about Luca, but didn’t know that about Wilde. Cool! Speaking of Pittsburgh, Paul Skenes rules and they should already be building a statue of him outside PNC Park. I checked and Wilde went to WVU. BOOO! Oh, to the match as the yinzers are doing battle. Wilde blocks a charge in the corner and gets a head scissors around the ropes to pop the crowd. Springboard dropkick from Wilde! Loud chop and Wilde tries to run the ropes, but Luca stops that noise. He hits a clothesline and goes to the ground and pound for a two count. Whip to the corner and again as Wilde is just bouncing all over the place. Nice vertical suplex gets a two count and Crusifino hooks a chinlock. Wilde tries to elbow out, but gets slugged down. Wilde grabs the ropes to avoid a whip and lands a back elbow. Wilde starts his comeback and hits the X factor. Wilde jumps and gets a flying armbar. Wilde misses a springboard moonsault and Luca catches him with a Codebreaker for two. More ground and pound as the crowd is into this one. Good for these two! Luca misses a charge in the corner and Wilde springs in with a Tornado DDT. Wilde heads up top and hits the 450 for the pin at 5:16.

Winner: Joaquin Wilde via pin at 5:16
-Solid little match here as they kept things simple and got the crowd into it before getting to the finish. **1/2

-Video package covering the awesome Rhea/Liv/Dom storyline. This is the story that has saved and made Liv’s career as she has knocked it out of the park.

-Hulu commercials!

-Jelly Roll has the official theme for SummerSlam!

-Back to RAW as Rhea Ripley speaks for the first time since her return. She will handle Dom later, but wants her Women’s World Title back. Prison Dom is out and he has black roses. A romantic! Rhea turns her back on him, but before we get too far, Liv pops up on the screen. Liv notes that while Mami may be home, Liv is on top. Dom tries to apologize again, but that’s not happening right now. Rhea and Liv agree to a match at SummerSlam.

-Back to SmackDown as LA Knight has a contract in his hands to face Logan Paul at SummerSlam for the US Title. He signs and has to get Paul to sign.

-Logan Paul will be on SmackDown this Friday! Also, Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes!

-Hulu commercials!

-GUNTHER video package! Good stuff!

-Back to RAW as GUNTHER and Damian Priest have a verbal exchange to hype their SummerSlam match and it was darn effective. Leaning into Priest as the “face” in this one is smart. I think he is toast at SummerSlam, but HHH likes he long title reigns. Since I am going to SummerSlam now, I would like to see GUNTHER win the World Title. Braun Strowman interrupts as he has a match with Damian Priest.

-We join the match in progress and Damian gets a win over a giant to give him momentum heading into SummerSlam. Effective use of Braun here! GUNTHER and Priest brawl after the match and Priest hits a clothesline to win this first battle.

-SummerSlam! Cleveland! I’ll be there!

-Hulu commercials!

-Back to SmackDown as Cody agrees to a match with Solo Sikoa at SummerSlam, though Aldis has to make it official. The Bloodline attack and Randy Orton is out for the save. The numbers are too great and Cody gets tied in the ropes and is forced to watch as Randy gets put through the announce table with a Triple Powerbomb. I assume Roman returns to set the Bloodline Wars off while Cody does his own thing with Orton in the Fall.

Malik Blade vs. Pete Dunne

-Blade is one of my Level Up kids that has gotten more time on NXT and now gets another match on Main Event. This is his first singles match on Main Event as usually it’s tag matches with Edris Enofe. Lockup to start and Dunne immediately gets Blade to the mat. Blade kips up and gets arm control. Dunne with a chop and he stomps the arm and shoulder. Blade cartwheels to avoid a backdrop and gets a series of arm-drags. Crazy elevation on a dropkick! Dunne runs him down with a back elbow. Dunne hooks the arm and starts bending the fingers. SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION! Dunne stomps the elbow again as we take a break at 2:02.

-NXT Great American Bash starts Aug 6th on SyFy. Props to SyFy for running a Twilight Zone marathon on The Fourth of July this year. That’s how I got hooked on the show and I was bummed when they stopped doing it.

-1:30 of Hulu commercials!

-Back at 4:02 with Dunne still in control. He gouges the face while tying up Blade’s knees and stomping on them. Now he works the arm and more SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION. Boot to the face followed by a chop. He slaps Blade in the face and paint brushes him a little. Blade fires up and gets his own slap. He gets a Blockbuster and heads up top. He gets two off a cross-body! Again, great height there! Dunne blocks a powerbomb attempt and gets a enziguiri. Malik comes off the top with a Blockbuster for two. He heads up again, but Dunne catches him with a punch to the face. More Small Joint Manipulation from Dunne and then he finishes with The Bitter End at 7:01.

Winner: Pete Dunne via pin at 7:01
-Solid match as Dunne gave Blade some shine before putting him away. They were able to get the crowd into the match which is nice to see when they have the NXT kids up. Dunne continues to win on Main Event. **1/2

-Cody Rhodes sits in a car to hype Bad Blood!

-Hulu commercials!

-CM Punk will be on RAW this Monday!

-Back to RAW as Sami Zayn defends the IC Title against DRAGUNOV! We are all patiently waiting for the GUNTHER/DRAGUNOV wars to resume! Hard hitting match between these two as one would expect. Bron Breaker is out and sees both men on the floor, so he sprints down and we get Bron-Cam as he SPEARS Dragunov. Sami can’t escape though and gets speared inside the ring. I would take a Triple Threat at SummerSlam!

-Thanks for reading!

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

Two solid matches made this a perfectly acceptable episode of Main Event this week. Dunne continues to carry this show even with Bate being out injured, and I have enjoyed the LWO guys being introduced as well.