Order has been restored in the WWE Universe.
After a break from the norm, Main Event returned with three solid matches, highlighted by an opener with a formulaic finish starring the one and only Matt Cardona.
Never Go Full Ryder
I don’t remember when I first noticed it, but during Matt Cardona’s
previous WWE run as Zack Ryder, a pattern emerged in nearly all his matches.Within 90 seconds of hitting the Broski Boot, Cardona would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. On Thursday, he went full Ryder against Ricky Saints
with time to spare.
Just 52 seconds after connecting with the boot, Cardona was staring at the lights. Saints avoided a Rough Ryder, sent Cardona throat-first into the top rope, followed with a tornado DDT, and sealed the win with a Rochambeau.
This was a fun match that deserved TV time. Saints was in rare form, hamming it up during his entrance and soaking in the crowd’s boos. He also took a fantastic clothesline over the ropes, crashing into the apron before bouncing to the floor.
Vic Joseph mentioned that Saints has what it takes to be the face of either Raw or SmackDown. Whatever his ceiling is, Saints is fun to watch because of what he does between moves. His antics either annoy you or make you laugh. Either way, he gets a reaction.
For me, it’s the latter.
As for Cardona, he’s been clear that his goal is to win the WWE Championship, but aside from new music and eternal optimism, the results aren’t any different from his Zack Ryder days.
Maybe he’s trolling the fans. Maybe it’s all part of the gimmick. Or maybe he genuinely believes a world title is still within reach. I’m not ready to count him out, but I’ll have my stopwatch ready after every Broski Boot.
Class Is in Session
Ivy Nile continued her version of summer school for a second straight week, this time against Thea Hail.
Kudos to the former Chase University student who put on a show. Hail mixed in some lucha-inspired offense to keep Nile off balance early, then surprised her with a Kimura. Later, she countered a Dragon Sleeper with a headscissors.
But when Hail went after Nile’s arm again, Nile trapped her under the top rope and violently yanked her into it. I gasped at how nasty it looked. “The Pit Bull” followed up with a spinning ura nage slam for the win.
After defeating Lizzy Rain last week, I predicted that Nile would pick up another victory before eventually doing the honors in her next match. Will WWE turn Nile’s winning streak into something meaningful? Or is she warm enough to put someone else over?
Stay tuned.
Upset Alert
DarkState’s debut on Main Event ended in an upset as the LWO’s Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro beat Cutler James and Osiris Griffin.
Given the size difference, I thought this would’ve been a slam dunk for the boys from NXT. Instead, it was a surprise ending that saw Wilde hit a moonsault, followed by a Phoenix Splash by Del Toro onto Cutler for the three-count.
Between Cutler and Griffin, Griffin seems like the more natural performer. After wiping out Wilde with a shoulder block, Griffin dusted his hands and his boots off, drawing jeers from the fans. To James’ credit, he showed some solid moves, including a nasty gut wrench into a gut buster.
But as I mentioned earlier about Ricky Saints, it’s about what one does between moves that matters. Griffin has physical charisma and presence. I’d keep my eye on him as a potential breakout from DarkState.
The Final Bell
This week’s return to a three-match format was a welcome treat. When Main Event only has two matches, it feels like the show ends abruptly. Three bouts feels like the sweet spot, and this week’s runtime of just under 30 minutes flew by thanks to the brisk pace.
Following last week’s ho-hum episode, my faith in Main Event was restored. While I thought Cardona and Saints should have closed the show, opening with them helped set the tone. They delivered an enjoyable match, bolstered by the entertaining performance from Saints.
