I was looking forward to this week’s episode of Main Event after seeing the lineup the day before. But once the bell rang, I quickly lost interest.
In the ring, the effort was there. But the logic? Eh, not so much.
You Had One Job, Angel
The opener was a rematch from the April 11, 2025, edition of SmackDown between Rey Fenix and Berto. That match started and ended hot but dragged in the middle, though it still had some great spots. With less time here, I figured they’d tighten it up and let it fly.
Instead, this felt pretty
pedestrian by lucha standards. Fenix did blast Berto with a nasty superkick late before finishing him with a Mexican Muscle Buster, but the real story was Angel Garza at ringside backing up his cousin.
Early on, Angel took a cheap shot at Fenix while the ref wasn’t looking, setting up the idea that Fenix would have to overcome both men. Instead, that was it. Angel did nothing once Fenix started rolling. He might as well have been waiting for a bus at ringside. Too bad the only trip taken was Berto heading straight to Loserville.
The Original Was Better
Next was another rematch as Maxxine Dupri looked to bounce back from a tough loss to Raquel Rodriguez three weeks ago on Main Event.
What stood out most was Dupri’s overly theatrical entrance. Her posing and smiling reminded me that she was once a cheerleader. I guess the days of being a Dungeon-trained badass are officially over.
The match itself mirrored much of their first meeting, except this time, Rodriguez had Roxanne Perez at ringside. Midway through, Dupri accidentally dropkicked Perez on the floor. Perez gave her a receipt when the ref wasn’t looking. Rodriguez eventually finished Dupri with a Tejana Bomb that saw Dupri take a rough landing.
Not bad, not good, just there. Their first encounter was better, though the highlight here came after the match.
Like last time, a fan reached out for Rodriguez, only this time it was a kid. Rodriguez raised her arm to bait the child into reaching higher before walking away.
Cold.
An Official Problem
The featured bout saw Ivy Nile take on Lyra Valkyria, with Bayley in Valkyria’s corner. Like the rest of the card, this was also a rematch, as the two previously met on Main Event in January, where Valkyria scored the “W.”
This was Nile’s first match after winning a bodybuilding competition just over a week ago, and she looked great, especially hitting a fierce double biceps pose. Unfortunately, she leaned on it too much, stopping multiple times to kiss her bicep during the match.
Meanwhile, Valkyria channeled Jey Uso during her entrance, getting fans to “Woo” along with her music. The entrance went on for so long that I half expected her to run it back like Jey. To her credit, though, the crowd was into it, and they popped when she put Nile down with Nightwing.
What really stood out, though, was referee Jeremy Marcus. Early, as Valkyria went for Nightwing, Nile clawed long and deep at her eyes. Meanwhile, Marcus just stood there behind them, slack-jawed, as Nile took over, reacting like, “Did something happen? I didn’t see it.”
Of course, he didn’t see it because his positioning was awful. It also highlighted how often WWE referees stay out of the action, pacing in the background, opposite the hard cam, to avoid getting in the shot or blocking the ringsiders’ view.
I get it. Everyone knows this is a show. Still, there’s nothing wrong with referees being visible if it adds authenticity to the presentation. WWE is so focused on blurring the lines between real and Unreal that it undermines something that should feel real: the referee’s role.
Instead of being officials, they’re often glorified background extras.
The Final Bell
From one viewer to another, if you’re pressed for time, this week’s Main Event is skippable. I’ll reiterate what I said about the Rodriguez-Dupri match, as it also applies to this overall episode: Not bad, not good, just there.
I will give credit to announcer Blake Howard for the “Dad Joke of the Night.” After bird lady Lyra scored the pin, he said, “Another feather collected in victory.”
Get it? Feather? Because she has wings?
Fozzy Bear would be proud. Wocka, wocka.
