Main Event – May 28, 2020: How Far Can You Fall?
IMG Credit: WWE
Main Event
Date: May 28, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, MVP
We’re on the way to Backlash and I’m not sure what they’re going to do to get us ready here. The show is mostly set up already and I’m not exactly thrilled with what we’re going to be seeing as far as original content on this one. It’s just hard to get fired up for this show and that’s the case every week. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Opening sequence.
Hey it’s the 400th episode. This is not likely to mean anything whatsoever.
Bianca Belair vs. Ruby Riott
Ruby goes for the arm to start but gets whipped hard into the corner for a shoulder to the ribs. A tilt-a-whirl gutbuster gives Belair two and we hit the neck crank. Back up and Belair flips over Riott out of the corner, setting up a dropkick back into the corner. Belair misses a hard charge into the post (that sounded horrible) and Ruby stomps her down. An STO gives Ruby two but Belair double chickenwings her onto the turnbuckle. The KOD finishes Riott at 5:45.
Rating: C-. Just a match here with Riott continuing to fall further and further down the mountain. That has been the case with her since she came back (and before) and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Belair has already cooled off a lot, but it might be more due to the fact that the Street Profits are playing golf instead of wrestling.
We recap the first round of the Intercontinental Title tournament.
From Smackdown.
We open with the Dirt Sheet, where John Morrison’s abs are now certified social media influencers. Miz can’t believe that Otis is Mr. Money in the Bank and goes on a rant about how Braun Strowman teamed together. Miz: “It just makes no sense.” Morrison: “Like Becky Lynch choosing to have a child with Seth Rollins.” Morrison can’t believe that the Universal Champion is the one that Bray Wyatt replaced with puppet animals. Miz: “Bray Wyatt had the choice between Braun Strowman and stuffed animals. HE PICKED STUFFED ANIMALS!”
We have a special feature tonight: rejected Firefly Fun House puppets, all of whom don’t think much of Strowman. One of which is Mandyquin Rose, whose power is to whisper plans into Otis’ ears. Mandyquin: “Not everything about Braun is a monster.” Morrison: “TOO FAR!”
Cue Strowman to say the show isn’t half bad. Now ask him about Bray’s puppets at Money in the Bank. Miz can’t believe that Strowman thinks Bray is done with him. Miz fought Bray Wyatt and it spiraled into the lowest point of his life (and it only took him about a week to bounce back) but Morrison was there to help him. Morrison doesn’t think much of Strowman and manages to get him a match against Miz next.
Miz vs. Braun Strowman
Non-title. Miz slugs away to start and is knocked down with a single forearm to the chest. The running shoulder puts Miz down again and the dominance is on. A low bridge puts Strowman on the floor and Morrison adds a Flying Chuck. Strowman posts himself by mistake and Miz kicks him in the head. The short DDT is blocked though and Miz is driven into the corner. There’s the big toss and the running powerslam finishes Miz at 3:45.
Rating: C-. Miz got some stuff in here but he and Morrison, even combined, shouldn’t be any real threat to Strowman at this point. It’s not a very good match but that wasn’t the point of something like this. Odds are we get Morrison vs. Strowman next week and that’s the end of it as Bray comes back for the PPV title match.
Post match, Morrison challenges Strowman to a handicap match for the title at Backlash. Strowman says it’s on.
From Raw.
Edge talks about how Randy Orton woke him up last week. Now he has to prove that he still has it, which he has learned over the years from people like Kurt Angle, Mr. Perfect, British Bulldog, Eddie Guerrero and Christian. He was a five tool workhorse for this company but everything he said was in the past tense. Maybe he can’t do those things anymore but he’s going to dig into his soul at Backlash because that’s all a man can do.
Akira Tozawa vs. Shelton Benjamin
Tozawa runs the ropes to start and slips away to hit an enziguri. Shelton is right back with a knockdown into an armbar but Tozawa hurricanranas him to the floor. The suicide dive sends us to a break and we come back with Shelton kneeing him in the face. Shelton gets two off a suplex and we hit the chinlock.
Tozawa’s back is bent over Shelton’s knee but he pops up for the Octopus. That’s broken up in a hurry so Tozawa nails the Shining Wizard. A missile dropkick gives Tozawa two but Shelton rolls into the ankle lock. That’s reversed into a rollup for two and Tozawa kicks him in the head. The top rope backsplash is broken up though and Shelton hits a belly to belly superplex. Paydirt finishes Tozawa at 9:36.
Rating: C. What in the world does it say when you’re losing to Shelton Benjamin on Main Event in 2020? Remember when Tozawa was this close to a title match in the Cruiserweight Title tournament? Like, last week or so? Well now he’s here losing to Benjamin, who hasn’t meant a thing in years. I don’t get it, but at least the match was ok.
From Raw.
It’s time for the VIP Lounge with MVP talking about how no one can offer this kind of star power. His guest this week is Drew McIntyre, who is soon to be the former WWE Champion. Drew wastes no time in asking where Bobby Lashley is but MVP says don’t worry because we’ll save that for Backlash. MVP remembers taking a Claymore kick and he knew McIntyre would win the WWE Title, but MVP would have a hand in him losing it.
Lashley has a title shot after thirteen years, but Drew took nineteen years to get here. Then he was in the main event of WrestleMania and beat Brock Lesnar in five minutes. Drew doesn’t need anyone talking or fighting for him and Lashley is going to have to pry the title from his cold dead hands. MVP: “That could be arranged.” Cue Lashley so Drew Claymores MVP just in case. McIntyre is ready for him and tells Lashley to get in. The half conscious MVP holds Lashley back and gets him up the ramp.
From Raw again, after the show’s main event.
Post match here’s McIntyre for the brawl but since there is no security, some NXT wrestlers come in for the failed save. Lashley spears McIntyre down but the brawl continues. Even more wrestlers fail to break it up so here’s another batch to finally separate them to end the show. They’ve got something pretty good here with this feud as I want to see these two fight.
Overall Rating: D+. Yeah this didn’t work out so well and that’s not exactly surprising. We’re in that post Money in the Bank lull as we wait around to see what happens at Backlash, which isn’t exactly a top level show in the first place. Hopefully that show winds up being something good, but you never can tell these days. Either way, at least they had a crowd here, even if it didn’t save the show.
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