Main Event – January 12, 2017: A Show With a Plan
Main Event
Date: January 12, 2017
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Austin Aries
The more I watch this show, the more I like the concept. Yeah it’s a short show that doesn’t offer anything special but at least it’s a place where some names can get attention they wouldn’t have otherwise. Sometimes you even get a good match out of it to go with all the highlights. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Brian Kendrick vs. Mustafa Ali
Feeling out process to start until Ali tries a springboard, allowing Kendrick to shake the ropes and bring him down. A hard forearm puts Ali down again and we hit something like a dragon sleeper without the hands being locked. Ali gets back up and turns up the speed with a tornado DDT to put both guys down. Kendrick misses a charge in the corner and Ali rolls forward into a neckbreaker for two, only to get kicked in the face. The Captain’s Hook makes Ali tap at 4:55.
Rating: C-. They didn’t have a lot of time here but they managed to fit in a story with the neck work to set up the Captain’s Hook. I like Ali more every time I see him and Kendrick, although boring, is still good enough to be a bigger name in the division than most others. Nothing special to the match or anything but they tried.
From Raw.
Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman
Braun doesn’t waste time and cleans house immediately crushes Seth in the corner. Rollins can’t get anything in as Braun pulls him away from the ropes. A neck snap across the top rope staggers the monster but he knocks Rollins off the apron with ease to send us to a break. Back with Rollins hitting a suicide dive and running knee to the face.
A low superkick gets two and the springboard knee to the face only has a limited effect. Seth knocks him off the top (which freaks Byron out way too much considering it was the second time in the match) and a frog splash gets two. One more trip to the top goes a bit worse though as Rollins crashes into the barricade. Braun is fine with just watching him for the double countout at 11:36.
Rating: C-. It’s interesting that they didn’t have Braun get the win here as he still doesn’t really have a major victory to his name (save for maybe last week over Sami but I’m not sure if that’s major). That being said, beating Rollins might be a bit too much for him at this point. At least they had him look good though and that’s what matters.
Seth holds Braun off with a chair.
From Raw again.
Here’s Foley to request Undertaker come out, making it sound like he’s summoning the Candyman (not Brad Armstrong for you old school fans). The lights go out….and here’s Stephanie to rip on Foley for being unable to produce the Undertaker. Stephanie talks about all the issues Foley has created, including putting the Cruiserweight division on the line, creating the monster Braun Strowman and above all else: ALLOWING SMACKDOWN TO BEAT RAW IN THE RATINGS.
Before I can elaborate on how stupid that is, Undertaker cuts them off and makes his big appearance. After a very long entrance (duh), Undertaker says he goes where he wants, when he wants and no one (as he gets in Stephanie’s face) tells him what to do. He’ll be in the Royal Rumble and has dug 29 holes for 29 souls so he can be in the main event of Wrestlemania. If anyone stands in his way, they will REST IN PEACE.
Sin Cara/Darren Young vs. Shining Stars
Epico and Cara trade some rollups to start as Aries talks about how good the bananas are at the Shining Star Resort. Some arm work doesn’t have much effect on Epico but Cara suplexing his partner onto Primo works a bit better. Young goes shoulder first into the post though and we take a break. Back with Young still in trouble but escaping a chinlock. What might have been a poke to the eye keeps Young slow until he avoids a charge in the corner and brings Cara back in. A Lionsault press gets two on Epico but Primo grabs a rollup for the pin at 9:44.
Rating: D+. Just a tag match here as Young continues to be on the show for the sake of being on the show with random partners. The Shining Stars are passable at best though and that’s not the best thing for a main roster show. At least they’re just on Main Event this week and not doing a bad comedy sketch on the big show.
One more from Raw to wrap it up.
US Title: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho
Reigns is defending and is smart enough to lock Jericho in the shark cage, only to have Owens make a last second save. The champ is thrown against the cage, which falls down off the stage in a quieter than expected crash. Another shove sends Reigns into the steps as we’re waiting on the opening bell. The challengers have to tag here so Owens starts out for the team.
Jericho comes in and grabs the chinlock, only to have Roman, whose arm is banged up, come back with clotheslines. The Superman Punch misses Jericho and a Lionsault gets two. A Pop-Up Codebreaker is countered with back to back Superman Punches but Owens gets in a superkick from the floor. Reigns blocks the apron powerbomb though and scores with the apron dropkick. The Codebreaker slows Roman down though and now Owens hits the powerbomb on the apron. Back in and another Codebreaker gives Jericho the pin and the title at 8:19.
Rating: C-. What does it say that it took two World Champions to get the US Title off of Reigns? Like, couldn’t they have done the EXACT SAME THING by having Owens interfere and cost Reigns the title in one of their many matches? Nah, that might imply that Reigns isn’t invincible and therefore make things a bit more interesting. It’s not like this was some big major screwjob or anything as they just beat Reigns and that was it. I’m glad Jericho won the title though as Reigns certainly didn’t need it.
Overall Rating: C-. Nothing to go out of your way to see here and that’s the standard for this show. Main Event continues to be a good way to get the highlights of Raw (or at least the top stories) in a quick version, but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to clip some of those matches down and give us some more stuff.
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