Bookmark this episode of WWE Main Event, as this week’s show saw rising stars Kali Armstrong and Layla Diggs show up and show out in the featured bout. Elsewhere, Alpha Academy’s Otis continued to look strong, and a Main Event rematch came with SmackDown implications.
Long-term Storytelling
The show kicked off with implications for SmackDown as Jordynne Grace and Kiana James met in a rematch from the June 4 episode of Main Event. That night, James came out on the losing end.
Her struggles continued the next night on SmackDown,
as James lost her Queen of the Ring tournament match when her so-called friend Giulia did nothing to break up the pin. An argument ensued, things turned physical, and James got pummeled.
Last week on Main Event, Giulia did what James couldn’t: beat Grace. The next night on SmackDown, the former friends came eye-to-eye backstage, and once again, it ended poorly for James.
This week, James got her heat back with a dirty win over Grace.
James did everything right by the heel playbook: jawing at the ref, taunting the crowd, and using tactics like hair pulling to control Grace. She took advantage of the referee’s poor positioning to claw at Grace’s eyes, then followed up with the 401k for the 1-2-3.
With the win, James looks like a dangerous threat to Giulia ahead of their feud.
As for Grace, she would do well to focus on her power game. She did some cutesy stuff at the start, including a clever roll-up, but got no pop. It wasn’t until she unloaded the heavy artillery, including a series of clotheslines, that the crowd came alive.
Otis Rolls On
Otis, with Akira Tozawa in his corner, defeated LFG and Evolve prospect Harlem Lewis following a Caterpillar splash. Otis’ charisma was on display as he got a rise out of fans just by jiggling his quad muscle.
For his part, Lewis didn’t look bad. But outside of a Samoan drop that got a reaction, he did very little between moves to stand out. Credit to announcer Vic Joseph for doing his best to put over the effectiveness of Lewis’ chinlock.
Recently, WWE has teased a reconciliation on Raw between Alpha Academy and Chad Gable as Gable continues his post-Grande Americano redemption tour. Should they mend fences, Gable’s surging momentum could be the tide that lifts them all to championship glory.
Stars in the Making
My interest in this week’s Main Event began Tuesday on NXT as Layla Diggs battled Arianna Grace. Corey Graves, referring to this match, which was taped Monday before Raw, put Diggs over, saying, “I think this young woman has a very, very bright future ahead of her.”
Immediately, Diggs and her partner, Kali Armstrong, the first-ever WWE Evolve Women’s Champion, made an impression during their entrance. They showed chemistry from the start, dancing at the top of the aisle before Diggs did a nice little move inside the ring to lean into her partner.
Their opponents were Lyra Valkyria and Bayley, who will challenge Paige and Brie Bella this coming Monday on Raw for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. That said, the outcome was never in question.
Still, the upstarts blew me away.
Diggs and Armstrong started hot, jumping the babyfaces before the bell. Once the action officially began, Armstrong baited Lyra, creating an opening for Diggs to choke Bayley behind the referee’s back. Together, they hit the multi-time women’s champ with a double suplex, then showed off with a double nip-up.
Combined, Diggs and Armstrong have less than five years of experience. Yet, they looked like longtime veterans and tag partners as they cut the ring in half and kept Bayley on their side of the ring.
Eventually, Lyra tagged in and cleaned house. As the action spilled to the floor, she went for a dropkick through the ropes, but neither Diggs nor Armstrong was there to receive it. In a show of her skills, Lyra landed on her feet and kept the action going.
After dropping Armstrong with Nightwing, Bayley finished things off with a Macho Man-inspired elbow for the win.
Though this was supposed to be a showcase for Bayley and Lyra, I cannot say enough good things about Diggs and Armstrong. I was leaning forward in my chair from start to finish. It kills me to report that mistimed spot because this was an otherwise flawless performance from two wrestlers with fewer than 200 matches between them.
Kudos to Bayley. As the star with the most cachet here, she could’ve hogged the spotlight. Instead, she took the beating while likely leading the match, then turned the spotlight to Lyra in the comeback.
Bravo to Lyra as well. Besides avoiding a mishap, she was a ball of fire. Great stuff, and a great look for her and Bayley ahead of their title bid on Monday night.
The Final Bell
I really enjoyed this episode of Main Event. I’m interested in the brewing showdown between Giulia and James, whenever it happens, and Otis — well, he’s Otis. It’s hard not to smile when he’s having fun.
But Diggs and Armstrong, wow.
I went back and watched their match again, this time with my wife, and pointed out everything they did well or that I appreciated. They not only look good together, but they also work well as a unit. As Lyra was surging, Diggs created a distraction that allowed Armstrong to score with a spinebuster for a near-fall. WWE has something with these two. I hope they remain a team.
When it was over, I left optimistic about women’s wrestling in WWE. They’re churning out some standouts who may go on to outshine the men, sooner rather than later.
