wrestling / TV Reports
Leighty’s WWE Main Event Review 8.22.24
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-I have been breezing through 1990 as my review of The Royal Rumble can be found here. I have finishes Saturday Night’s Main Event, Clash of Champions, and Main Event III as well and they should all be dropping over the next week to 10 days. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Blake Howard and Brian James
-Taped: FLA Live Arena, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Lyra Valkyria vs. Lola Vice
-Vice getting her first show on the Main Roster and as a bonus it’s a homecoming. Lola starts fast and the crowd really likes her and really likes when she starts shaking her hips. Lyra gains arm control and into a roll up for two and then another. Lola gets a go behind and takes Lyra to the mat. The grapples continue as Lyra gets another two count. Lola lands the first strike with a kick, but misses a charge in the corner. Lyra heads up top, but Lola pulls her down and she lands back first on the top buckle. Ouch! Ax Kick to the back of the neck gets two. Combination strikes from Vice and she soaks in the cheers. Lola gets the running hip/ass attack in the corner and pulls Lyra out so she splats on he back for two. Lyra avoids a kick and gets a roll-up for two. Spinning back from Lola and she tries the hip attack again, but Lyra fires out and gets an enziguiri. Lyra starts to run wild and hits a series of strikes and a headbutt. Spinning heel kick sends Vice to the floor. Lyra gets a basement dropkick and then sends Lola back into the ring. She comes off top with a cross-body for two. Vice slides off Lyra’s shoulders, but gets caught a second time and Lyra gets the pin with her version of a Michinoku Driver at 5:40.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria via pin at 5:40
-This was a solid match and Vice looked like she belonged. You would think it’s only a matter of time before she gets the official call up, but I can live with her showing up every now and then on Main Event to get some seasoning. **
-Back to SmackDown as Roman Reigns continues his war with Solo and The New Bloodline. He BEATS THE PISS out of Tama Tonga with a chair as Solo watches from the entrance way.
-Damian Priest WWE 24 Special: My review is here!
-Hulu commercials!
-This Friday on SmackDown, LA Knight defends his US Title against Santos Escobar. -Also this Friday, The Bloodline defend their Tag Titles against The Street Profits.
-Back to SmackDown, Solo Sikoa calls out Roman Reigns and they start trading bombs. Reigns wins the exchange and takes out Tama Tonga again as well. Solo eats a Superman Punch and Spear and the crowd goes crazy as Roman reigns possession of the Ula Fala. It’s fleeting though as Jacob Fatu returns and we get the showdown we have been waiting for, but it’s all Fatu as he destroys Roman. Match is going to be a BANGER when we eventually get there. Roman gets put through the announce table with a Shield Powerbomb!
-Hulu commercials!
-Badd Blood is in Atlanta and tickets are on sale now!
-Back to RAW as CM Punk is heading to the ring and he STRAPPED! Punk challenges Drew to the match we all expected: A Strap Match. They are doing the touch the corners rules, which has had more bad matches than good, but Sting/Vader and Austin/Vega were both BANGERS and I think these two can deliver. Drew is out and accepts the challenge and it is on for Bash in Berlin.
-Next Saturday, Bash in Berlin!
-Hulu commercials!
-Bron Breakker hype video and it’s a good one going back to his NXT debut, NXT Title Win, and run on the main roster. The man really might be the future of the WWE.
-This Monday on RAW: Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed.
-Also, Uncle Howdy faces Chad Gable.
Dante Chen vs. Ilja Dragunov
-Nice to see Ilja back on my screen and in the ring. Chen keeps getting chances on this show and I wonder if that means they are wanting to bring him up soon. I worry his ceiling is NXT Gatekeeper, but won’t know unless the man is given a chance to prove himself. Chen with a side headlock, but Dragunov breaks with a belly to back suplex. Chen goes right back to the side headlock. They charge at each other and Dragunov gets a shoulder tackle. Another running of the ropes and Chen with the side headlock again. Dragunov out, but Chen hits a super kick. He tries a pump kick, but Dragunov blocks and gets a spinning back first. Running knee in the corner and a running boot to the face. That looked great as we take a take at 2:32.
-Lola Vice focused No Mercy commercial! Denver Colorado next Sunday.
-1:20 of Hulu commercials!
-Back at 4:40 with Ilja lighting up Chen’s chest with chops. “One more time,” from the crowd as James compares them to the crowd chanting for The Gladiators. Chen fires up and throws kicks and strikes as he tries to survive. Dragunov shakes it out and gets a German Suplex. “One More Time,” from the crowd again. Modified German Suplex with a bridge gets a two count. Sweet! Chen gets a backdrop and hits an enziguiri to buy him some time. Chops from Dante and to the corner for more chops. He tries one chop to many as Dragunov catches him and they start trading blows as the crowd cheers and boos. Running clothesline from Chen and a forearm. Inverted Atomic Drop, but the Pump Kick is blocked. Spinning back fist, but Chen fires up again and gets the Pump Kick. Sit-out chokeslam gets two as they are crushing it right now. Gentle Touch is blocked and Dragunov gets The Constantine Special. Powerbomb from Dragunov and Torpedo Moscow finishes at 9:39.
Winner: Ilja Dragunov via pin at 9:39
-This was a Main Event BANGER! This will likely end up Top 5 for Main Event Matches in 2024. Best match I have ever seen from Chen as he brought the fight. Ilja was doing Dragunv thinks because he is awesome. ***1/4
-Back to RAW as Randy Orton and GUNTHER have another verbal showdown. GUNTHER tells Randy he will leave him a bloody mess and prove he is a one trick pony. They start brawling, but Ludwig Kaiser is here to turn the tide.
-Hulu commercials!
-Back to RAW as Randy Orton gets a win over Ludwig Kaiser in the main event. Good match as you would expect. GUNTHER and Orton trade blows again and RAW goes off the air as they are still beating on each other. Cool!
-Thanks for reading!
