Main Event – April 5, 2018: I’m Ready
IMG Credit: WWE
Main Event
Date: April 5, 2018
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph
I’m not sure what to expect from a Main Event designed to make me want to see Wrestlemania. Odds are there’s going to be some time spent on original matches between people who won’t even make it into the battle royals, but that’s never stopped this show before. This should be recap heavy so let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Cedric Alexander/Mustafa Ali vs. Tony Nese/Ariya Daivari
Did I put in 205 Live by mistake? Of note, all of their name graphics point out that they are cruiserweights. Not 205 Live wrestlers, but cruiserweights. Nese whips Ali around to start but gets caught with a spinwheel kick for two. Daivari comes in and gets kicked in the face by Alexander for the same but the villains finally use some double teaming to send Ali face first into the apron.
Some stomping sets up a waistlock, followed by a running forearm for two. Another kick to the head allows the hot tag to Alexander though and it’s time to speed things up. Everything breaks down and a tornado DDT sets up the Lumbar Check to put Nese away at 5:45.
Rating: C-. Not enough time to do much here but well done on trying to use the Main Event time to actually set something up for Wrestlemania. It’s not much of a match and that’s all you could have expected, but at least they did something here. Ali vs. Alexander should be a rocking match too.
Quick clip of Cena challenging Undertaker from Raw.
Long recap of Daniel Bryan/Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn.
From Smackdown.
Here’s Daniel Bryan to open the show and shockingly enough, the fans seem into him. He wastes no time in bringing out Shane McMahon for the first time in a few weeks. Shane praises Bryan for having the courage to come back and get in this ring despite everyone telling him it would never happen. He brings up having diverticulitis and a hernia thanks to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn but just like Bryan, he’s medically cleared for Sunday.
Bryan has to apologize to Shane though, because Shane was right about Owens and Zayn all along. Shane says he was a little stubborn over the last six months. Bryan: “YOU? STUBBORN? NO!” Bryan wants a hug but Shane offers a handshake. That’s not working because they shook hands a few minutes ago and the people of Nashville want a HUG. The fans finally get their wish and Shane promises to get rid of Owens and Zayn once and for all.
From later in the night.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come through the crowd (with Owens in a KO-MANIA III shirt, thankfully continuing the trend of using the old Wrestlemania logos) onto the announcers’ table. No one is stopping them tonight so they’ve got some apologies of their own. Sami apologizes to Birdie and Brie Danielson for what’s going to happen to Bryan. A YOU DESERVE IT chant started by Sami doesn’t quite catch on but the mic is cut off anyway. Shane and Bryan come out, sending Owens and Zayn bailing into the crowd. Bryan says this is the last time they’ll be on Smackdown and Shane starts the Goodbye Song.
Wrestlemania rundown.
Anderson and Gallows vs. Revival
Remember a year ago at the Raw after Wrestlemania when SAY YEAH got a huge reaction? WWE certainly doesn’t. Anderson headlocks Dawson to start but a blind tag….doesn’t do much good for Dawson, who gets armdragged down for his efforts. Gallows comes in and charges into a knee and everything breaks down in a hurry. Revival gets sent outside and we take a break. Back with the Magic Killer being broken up and the Shatter Machine ending Gallows at 6:21. Too short to rate of course and not enough time to mean anything in the first place.
We see the end of the Stephanie McMahon/HHH/Kurt Angle/Ronda Rousey sitdown on Monday. Rousey’s line about making sure Stephanie can still sign her checks was great.
From Raw.
Here are Heyman and Lesnar with wrestlers guarding the entrance. Heyman doesn’t think much of Angle’s actions tonight, including failing as Rousey’s mentor. We hear about how this Sunday is a battle between the two men who have defeated Undertaker at Wrestlemania. People think that this is going to be Roman Reigns’ coronation and Heyman respects everything about Lesnar.
However, this Sunday, Lesnar is going to pin Reigns 1-2-3 after an F5. Should an act of God happen though and Reigns win, Heyman and Lesnar will never appear on Raw again. If they’re leaving though, Brock will say goodbye from UFC but Heyman needs to say something now. You know this aura that Heyman has built up since 2002 of Lesnar being above everyone else and that no one is worthy of polishing his boots? It’s all true, because no one in the locker room can hold his jock, let alone take his title.
If Reigns thinks he’s having a victory party, he’s going to have to go home to his family on Sunday night to say he got beat by Brock Lesnar. Heyman: “Roman Reigns, you’re just Brock Lesnar’s b****.” That’s enough to bring out Reigns, who asks why the full time talent is protecting Lesnar.
They give Reigns a path and it’s time for the in-ring staredown. The fans chant for Roman (remember he played college football in this town) but Lesnar bails to the floor. Lesnar grabs a chair but it gets Superman Punched into his face. Two more have Brock in trouble and a third puts him down. Reigns picks up the title and is promptly F5’d to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. This is a good example of “it was what it was”. The show was all about setting up Wrestlemania and it did that well enough, but it’s not like there was anything of note going on. It was mainly recaps and hype videos and really, that’s all it should have been. I’m excited for the show, but there’s a lot that could go wrong. This did its job well enough.
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