Main Event – February 15, 2018: Worth the Wait?
Main Event
Date: February 16, 2018
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
The pay per view season is starting to pick up around here and that means we’re getting closer to the big show with Wrestlemania. Thankfully Main Event is now a show that actually hypes up both Raw and Smackdown, which has needed to be the case for a long time now. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Heath Slater vs. Curt Hawkins
Slater doesn’t waste time in shouldering him down a few times and hitting an atomic drop. Rhyno isn’t interested in punching Hawkins, who tries to draw a DQ. Slater follows him out and gets sent into the apron, allowing Curt to send him into the barricade. Back in and Curt gets two off a clothesline, only to have Slater grab a belly to back suplex. A running knee into a neckbreaker gets two but Hawkins grabs a Michinoku Driver for the same. Hawkins is ticked and goes up for a top rope elbow and another near fall. He’s so ticked off that Slater is able to roll him up for the pin at 4:58.
Rating: C+. The elbow near fall was good but you knew the losing streak wasn’t ending here. Hawkins is going to win a match one day (match #200 would make sense) and it’s going to be a nice little moment, but it’s pretty clear that the win is going to be the high point of his latest WWE run. Still though, nothing wrong with being a well paid loser.
From Raw.
The Miz vs. John Cena
Non-title. Miz covers for two and hammers away for two more as we take a break. Back with Miz hitting his top rope ax handle for two and putting a knee in the ribs for the same. Some rights and lefts to the ribs set up a sleeper for a good while, eventually taking us to a second break.
We come back again with Cena being put into the Figure Four, only to easily raise Miz’s leg for the break. That sets up the STF but Miz is quickly in the ropes. Instead Miz heads up top for a high crossbody, only to have Cena roll through into the AA. That’s countered as well with Miz grabbing a DDT for two. The AA hits on the second attempt but that’s only good for two as well.
Miz crotches him on top and we hit the Figure Four again, but Cena reverses into a Crossface of all things. After the rope is grabbed again, Miz grabs a quick Skull Crushing Finale for two more and frustration is setting in. The frustration is so strong that Miz takes Cena up top for a super Skull Crushing Finale, only to be reversed into the super AA to give Cena the pin at 16:04.
Rating: B. They did a good job of teasing an upset here and while that doesn’t make up for the fact that the Intercontinental Champion lost clean, it does make things a lot easier. Miz being in at #1 will help him a bit as he’ll lose the match but have taken such a beating that it doesn’t matter as much. Also, another good match from these two as that Wrestlemania match looks more and more like a fluke every time they’re out there.
From Smackdown.
Kevin Owens vs. Baron Corbin
The brawl is on to start with Corbin sending Kevin outside and sending him into the barricade, despite holding onto his banged up ribs. Back in and Owens scores with a shot to the ribs, only to get POPPED in the face for his efforts. They’re right back on the floor in short order with Corbin sending him into the barricade again. They head inside for the second time where Corbin’s slide underneath the ropes is cut off with a superkick to the ribs. The backsplash gets two and we take a break.
Back with Owens still on the ribs before grabbing a chinlock. Corbin fights up (perhaps pushed on by the RUSEV DAY chants) and hits a chokebreaker, followed by the slide under the ropes clothesline for two. Owens gets in another shot to the ribs but charges into Deep Six for two more. End of Days is enough to send Corbin to the pay per view at 10:42.
Rating: C. Well you knew that was coming, which is likely what I’ll say when Ziggler is added to the match as well. Corbin was wrestling as a face here and that made for a surprisingly good match. He’s a natural heel and I wouldn’t think a turn is the best idea in the world, but this showed that it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
And again.
Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler
Sami hides in the corner to start with Ziggler not being able to take him down. Instead he hits Sami in the head and nails the Stinger Splash in the corner. Zayn is right back up with forearms in the corner and a kick to the face as they’re not exactly speeding through the paces so far. Sami’s top rope dive for the sake of being dropkicked out of the air is dropkicked out of the air and we take a break.
Back with Sami in control until Ziggler’s DDT gets him out of trouble. The Fameasser gets two but Sami crotches him on top for a breather. Sami is right back up with a super exploder suplex (that looked awesome) for two and the shock is apparently. Back up and Sami misses the Helluva Kick, allowing Ziggler to grab the Zig Zag for two of his own. Sami sends him shoulder first into the post and does it again for good measure. Back up and the Helluva Kick is countered with a superkick to send Ziggler to the pay per view at 16:10.
Rating: B-. So Ziggler is back and a face again, just because…he is I guess. If that’s not enough for you, in the span of a week we’ve doubled the amount of challengers for AJ Styles at Fastlane. Why you ask? Well Raw added an extra challenger and it’s not like Smackdown can think of its own ideas. The match was good, with that super exploder looking awesome. Pretty predictable finish aside, it’s a nice main event.
Cedric Alexander vs. Ariya Daivari
Feeling out process to start, as you might expect in a barn burner from Daivari. Cedric gets shouldered down and Daivari poses, only to have Cedric pop back up and show him how it’s done. An armdrag into an armbar takes Daivari down but he fights up to knock Cedric outside as we take an early break.
Back with Daivari whipping him around the ring, getting as close to showing fire as he’s capable of doing. Reach for the stars man. A superkick sets up Daivari’s frog splash for two. The hammerlock lariat is broken up and Cedric easily reverses into the Lumbar Check to put Daivari away at 9:45.
Rating: C-. That’s all you can expect on Main Event as it’s not like a heel is going to win, especially against Cedric, who is on a roll as of late. I’d be surprised if he’s not at least in the tournament final at Wrestlemania, but stranger things have happened. I would say like Daivari being interesting, but that hasn’t happened as far as I’ve seen.
We’ll wrap it up here. From Raw again.
Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy vs. Apollo Crews vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
One fall to a finish and we’re joined in progress with Crews cleaning house until Balor sends him to the apron for a kick to the head. An Eye of the Hurricane gives Finn two on Bray but Matt has to break up Sister Abigail. Crews and Rollins head up top but it’s Bray breaking up a superplex. The release Rock Bottom into the backsplash is good for two on Crews and we take a break.
Back with Matt applauding Bray before hitting him with the Side Effect. It’s too early for the Twist of Fate though with Rollins making the save. A double Blockbuster takes Crews and Wyatt down, followed by a suicide dive on Wyatt. Back in and one heck of a clothesline gives Bray two on Rollins. The Sling Blade cuts Bray down but Rollins breaks up the Coup de Grace. Bray gets back up so Matt grabs a Twist of Fate for two of his own.
Rollins hits the Curb Stomp on Balor for two with Crews diving in for the save. A pop up Samoan drop into the standing moonsault gives Crews two on Rollins. The standing shooting star gets the same and frustration is setting in. Bray pulls Matt outside for Sister Abigail on the floor to knock him silly. Back in and Bray loads up a superplex on Crews, only to have it reversed into the Tower of Doom. Balor and Rollins cover Wyatt at the same time and it’s a double pin at 16:18.
Rating: B. Fun match and the ending is acceptable enough. I can get the idea that they’re going with of wanting the Wrestlemania moment, assuming you can ignore Cole saying it doesn’t get much bigger than this. You know, if you ignore the match they’re trying to get into for a shot at the bigger match. Anyway, this had a lot of good action and energy, though I’m getting a bit tired of having these free for all matches so often.
They argue and we fade out, with commentary not even saying good night.
Overall Rating: C-. There’s not much to this one as the big shows were all about setting things up for the pay per views by adding more people to the World Title matches. That’s not the most thrilling thing in the world and not something I needed to see again. The new wrestling was nothing great and that makes for a watchable but not exactly good show.
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