Main Event
Date: November 26, 2020
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe
It’s the holiday edition of the show and that is not likely to mean a single thing around here. Main Event continues to be a show that just kind of floats around, though in this case the show is going to be Raw only as Survivor Series has come and gone. Therefore Smackdown ceases to exist for this week, which could be a good thing. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
We open with MizTV with , Miz and Morrison doing their usual intro by plugging everything. With that out of the way, it’s time to bring out their guests: Retribution. Miz and Morrison enjoy Retribution’s theme song as I try to figure out what in the world I’m watching. Morrison asks what’s up with their weird names, which Mustafa Ali doesn’t care to hear.
Ali talks about being mocked for his name his entire life and now that is all changing. Reckoning says she gave everything out here and wasn’t respected even when she bled, meaning everyone’s reckoning is coming. Mace says imagine someone looking like him and being put in the Performance Center for years. Then there’s Shatter, who is a weapon for Retribution. T-Bar talks about all of the betrayals and promises to make everyone pay for their sins. Cue R-Truth with the Gobbledy Gooker giving chase, so Morrison wants to know where Gooker’s big farewell was on Sunday. Retribution leaves the Gooker laying.
We look at Drew McIntyre regaining the WWE Title.
We look at the setup of the three qualifying matches to set up the #1 contenders match.
From Raw.
Riddle vs. Sheamus
They talk trash to start and Riddle takes him down by the arm. Sheamus fights up and grabs an armbar of his own, which is broken up with some right hands to the face. A hard clothesline out of the corner drops Riddle again but he sends Sheamus outside with some more shots to the face. That’s enough to frustrate Sheamus, who comes back in with a shot to the face. Riddle slugs right back but gets taken to the mat for some arm cranking from Sheamus.
They head outside again with Sheamus getting caught in an exploder suplex and the Broton gets two back inside. Sheamus catches Riddle on the apron though and that means ten forearms to the chest. The Irish Curse gets two but Sheamus misses a charge into the post. Riddle kicks away at the chest but Sheamus is back with an Alabama Slam as we take a break.
Back with Sheamus hitting a pump knee for two, only to have Riddle knock him to the floor. The springboard Floating Bro drops Sheamus again but he catches Riddle’s high crossbody back inside. A spinning release Rock Bottom gets two and we hit the Cloverleaf to stay on Riddle’s back. The rope is grabbed so Sheamus tries another ten forearms to the chest.
This set is countered into an armbar over the ropes and Sheamus’ throat is snapped across the top as well. Sheamus is right back with a heel hook and they forearm it out on the mat with the hold still on. Riddle uses the good leg to kick his way to freedom and the knee is fine enough to hit the Final Flash for two more.
Sheamus catches him on top though and it’s a super White Noise for a rather near fall. The Brogue Kick misses, but it’s mainly due to Riddle collapsing. Riddle manages a headbutt and a kick to the head, setting up a victory roll, but Sheamus reverses into the Cloverleaf again. That’s reversed as well though and Riddle rolls him up for the pin at 20:50.
Result: Matt Riddle b. Sheamus – Rollup (20:50)
They know how to fight:
From Raw.
Keith Lee vs. Bobby Lashley
Non-title and the winner goes on to the triple threat. Lashley’s headlock is countered into one from Lee and they fight over a top wristlock. That’s broken up as well so Lashley hits a running shoulder, earning himself a glare from Lashley. Lee hits the Grizzly Magnum in the corner but Lashley is back with a running clothesline. This time Lee growls at him but Lashley grabs the Downward Spiral for one.
The Hurt Lock is blocked and Lee clotheslines him out to the floor instead. Lee loads up a dive but gets blocked by MVP, meaning it’s time to give chase. Lashley gets in a cheap shot and drives him into the barricade. A fireman’s carry looks to drive Lee into the post, but it looks more like Lashley’s head gets crushed between Lee and the post as we take a break. Back with Lashley cranking on the arm and then grabbing a chinlock to change it up. Lee fights up with a clothesline but Lashley manages a suplex.
The Hurt Lock is broken up again and Lee slugs him down without much trouble. There’s the Pounce to send Lashley outside and Lee hits a running crossbody. MVP posts Lee behind the referee’s back but Lee still beats the count. Back in and Lee’s arms are too big for the Hurt Lock so Lee gets on his back. That’s broken up with Lee dropping back on him….which draws in MVP for the DQ at 12:37.
Result: Keith Lee b. Bobby Lashley via DQ when MVP interfered (12:37)
The monster is unleashed:
Jeff Hardy vs. Ricochet
The bell rings and here’s Elias on the stage, because this show is actually doing something for a change. Elias starts playing Amen as Hardy slaps on a headlock to start. Ricochet flips out and hits a headscissors into a dropkick before sending Hardy outside. A dive misses though and Hardy scores with a clothesline off the apron.
We take a break and come back with Ricochet fighting out of the chinlock as the song continues. Hardy snapmares him into a dropkick to the back of the head with Elias singing about how Hardy tried to kill him. Ricochet hits another dropkick and a springboard clothesline into the running shooting star gets two. Now it’s Hardy’s turn for a comeback with a basement dropkick into a splash for his own near fall. The Whisper in the Wind gets two more but the Twist of Fate is countered into a backslide to give Ricochet the quick pin at 10:44.
Result: Ricochet b. Jeff Hardy – Backslide (10:44)
We get the Undertaker tribute video from Survivor Series.
He deserves it:
From Raw.
Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles
For the final spot in the triple threat match. AJ goes straight for the rollup at the bell but Orton is back up so they can circle each other again. Orton sends him into the corner but AJ comes out with a shot to the throat for a breather. They head outside with AJ getting knocked up against the barricade, with Omos picking him up and back onto the apron. AJ hits a running kick to Orton’s face and then drops him onto the announcers’ table as we take a break.
Back with AJ hitting a chop block to take the knee out and put Orton down again. The leg cranking is on again but it’s too early for the Calf Crusher, as Orton rolls out and kicks him in the chest. Orton can’t hit a suplex but he can hit the backbreaker for two. AJ is right back with the Calf Crusher though, with Orton making it over to the rope after a lot of screaming.
The leg is fine enough to hit the snap powerslam for two on AJ but the RKO is blocked. Orton rolls to the floor….and we have Fiend lights. The lights come back up and Orton gets back inside, where he counters the Phenomenal Forearm and hits the hanging DDT. The RKO is loaded up and now the Fiend appears behind Orton, who looks terrified. Then the Fiend disappears and it’s the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin at 12:47.
Result: AJ Styles b. Randy Orton – Phenomenal Forearm (12:47)
One more to go:
Fiend’s laughter ends the show.
Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books. Get the latest and greatest in professional wrestling news by signing up for our daily email newsletter. Just look below for “GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES” to sign up. Thank you for reading!