WWE Main Event - July 21, 2015
by Scrooge McSuck
- Taped from the University of Nebraska. Michael Cole (filling in for Jerry Lawler) and Rich Brennan are on hand to call the action, unless otherwise noted. Lawler is out, mourning the death of his older brother.
R-Truth vs. Bo Dallas:
No more King What’s Up nonsense. TL Hopper’s plunger can go back in the WWE Hall of Shame display case. Truth’s pre-match rapping is interrupted by Bo Dallas, who offers to free-style and show Truth how to do it. Somebody push this man! The bell rings and Truth just can’t contain his laughter. “This isn’t a joke, I just schooled you” and we get a bitch-slap fight, won by Truth. Whip to the ropes and a deep arm drag, followed by a leg drop. Truth with mounted punches (and count-a-long) for a near fall. Is it me, or has that spot come back after a lengthy absence? Dallas takes over, sending Truth shoulder-first to the post. We return from a break, with Dallas in control of a chin-lock. Knee drop across the chest, followed by choking. Back suplex gets two, then back to the chin-lock. Truth escapes with rights, but runs into an elbow. Dallas grabs another chin-lock, screaming at Truth to give up. Has anyone ever tapped to a chin-lock? Truth teases another comeback until missing a charge to the corner. Dallas with a knee across the throat for two. Truth from out of nowhere with a jumping heel kick. Dallas avoids the Scissors Kick and drives a knee to the midsection. Neck breaker gets two. Dallas pounds away and does a victory lap in the ring, allowing Truth to roll him up for a cheap three count at 8:41. **1/4 Decent work until the lame finish. If there’s one finish I can’t stand, its cheap roll-ups.- This Past Week on Monday Night Raw… John Cena and Seth Rollins have an exchange of words over who is a great Champion and who is a crummy Champion, setting the table for what will likely be a Champion vs. Champion Match at SummerSlam. When ratings are down and Vince is in a panic, put the belt… whoops, sorry, Championship, on Cena.
- Also This Past Week on Monday Night Raw… The Undertaker came back to cost Brock Lesnar the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and made his intentions known that he wants revenge for his WrestleMania loss. Taker vs. Lesnar at SummerSlam! Later in the show, following your typical awesome promo from Paul Heyman, we got one of the best segments in a LONG time when they engaged in a wild brawl, forcing the entire roster (sans the really important guys) to break it up. In a great touch, Lesnar left the ring to run around to the other side and continue the fight. Another nice touch: the announcers jumping ship at the site of a sprinting Lesnar, having learned the lesson from the night after WrestleMania 31. You couldn’t have asked for a better 10-minutes than what we got here.
- Jojo is backstage to interview the Lucha Dragons. They finally found someone to make Kalisto look tall. They will be facing the New Day in the Main Event of… uh… Main Event.
The Lucha Dragons vs. The New Day:
(Kalisto & Sin Cara vs. Kofi Kingston & Big E.)As usual, Xavier Woods is the outside man, and considering his abilities to troll opponents and run his mouth endlessly, that is always the best move. Anyone else get a kick out of Big E’s over-the-top enthusiasm when clapping? Just thinking about it… as baby-faces I couldn’t get into this act, but as heels, it’s awesome. The Dragons have some Bret Hart inspired outfits tonight. Kalisto and Kofi start. Lockup and they trade wrist-locks. Whip to the ropes, and a long criss-cross ends with a Kalisto arm drag and spinning head scissors, sending Kofi to the floor. We take a break as Woods is screaming at the crowd to not chant for the Lucha stuff.
We return with Sin Cara and Big E locking up in the corner. Sin Cara avoids a double-team with a take-down and puts the boots to Kofi. He hits a rolling cannonball in the corner for a near fall. Whip to the ropes and Kalisto a diving back elbow to both Big E. and Kofi. He springs off the ropes for a body press, but Big E. counters with a back breaker. Woods endlessly taunting Sin Cara is just gold. Kofi puts the boots to him and grabs a chin-lock. Sin Cara snapmares to escape, but Kofi recovers with a drop-kick. Big E. with the abdominal stretch, but he’s too far out of position to cheat! Sin Cara dumps Big E over the top and tags out to Kalisto. He springs in with a body press and cork-screw press on Kofi. Kalisto Kick and a Tornado DDT to Kofi, followed by a basement dropkick and head-scissors smash on Big E. Lucha Dragons tease a double-dive, but the New Day avoid it. They follow them out anyway, with Sin Cara launching Kalisto on top of Kofi and Xavier as we take another break.
We’re back with Kalisto working the arm of Kofi. Woods with a cheap shot to interrupt a handspring attack, allowing Kofi to recover and send him to the floor. Big E takes advantage, ramming Kalisto at full speed into the security wall. Back inside, Kofi and Big E take turns stomping a mud-hole in Kalisto. He escapes a chin-lock, but Kofi snaps him back with a handful of mask. Whip to the ropes and Big E. with a bear-hug. He goes for an over-head belly-to-belly suplex, but Kalisto lands on his feet and tags out! Sin Cara in with a body press and springboard moonsault for two. Whip to the corner, Sin Cara avoids a charge, connects with a jumping front kick, and comes off the top with a senton for two! Kalisto dumps Kofi, Sin Cara clotheslines Big E to the floor, and they follow them out with a pair of tope’s. Big E and Sin Cara fight to the top, with Sin Cara somehow connecting with a top rope rolling senton! Kalisto goes for an Asai Moonsault, but Kofi clips him. Big E takes Sin Cara out from behind, and the Midnight Hour finishes at 12:59. *** Good back and forth match featuring some decent action. Clean finishes are always a plus, and Xavier Woods’ ringside antics are always gravy.
Final Thoughts: Smackdown taped with a thinner roster than usual, limiting Main Event to two matches instead of the usual four they’ve been having lately. In a way, that was a good thing, allowing the two matches to have more time than usual. To go along with two solid under-card matches, two good recaps of the best angles from Raw, including the epic pull-apart brawl between Lesnar and the Undertaker. Overall a very fun show this week.
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