WWE Main Event continues to find its groove on YouTube. For the second time in its three-week run on the platform, the show came in well under 45 minutes, with this week’s episode featuring three enjoyable matches, highlighted by a standout encounter between Akira Tozawa and Grayson Waller.
The Joy of Tozawa
After my wife and I finished watching a movie on Netflix, I put on Main Event as a palate cleanser. She planned to head to bed after the opening match between Nathan Frazer and Rey Fenix, but after I talked up
how fun Akira Tozawa is to watch, she stuck around to see if the hype was deserved.
It was.
From the moment Tozawa arrived — backed by Otis — he wore the expression of a man here to win a real fight.
Speaking of presentation, Waller, flanked by The New Day, came dressed in tights instead of his usual baggy shorts. The Logan Paul–inspired look suits him.
Once the bell rang, the story was simple and effective: underdog babyface versus smug heel. Shot in Belfast during WWE’s Raw visit, the crowd rallied hard behind Alpha Academy’s silent scrapper, fueled by a pair of comedy spots with purpose.
Early on, Waller scored a takedown and followed with disrespectful slaps to the back of Tozawa’s head. Tozawa answered with a takedown of his own and a well-earned receipt. Later, after a series of chops, Tozawa pump-faked and cracked Waller with a jab that drew a big pop.
To his credit, Waller was a true dirtbag, shoving Tozawa’s headband down his tights before tossing it aside. Tozawa kept fighting, his comebacks repeatedly cut off but his determination never fading. After dropping Waller with a kick, Tozawa climbed the ropes, looking to finish.
Enter The New Day.
Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston blindsided Otis, sending him into the steps. Tozawa responded with a suicide dive that wiped them out. That proved costly as Waller capitalized, dropping Tozawa throat-first on the top rope and following with an Overdrive from the second rope for the win.
Despite a few momentum stalls, this was an enjoyable match. Waller’s closing sequence might have landed harder with a quick one-two combination, as his finisher required a bit too much setup.
Still, Tozawa’s plucky spirit kept the crowd engaged and amplified Waller’s heat. If someone wandered into the room, this is exactly the kind of match you’d want them to catch.
Best of the Rest
Rey Fenix defeated Nathan Frazer in the opener with a Mexican Muscle Buster. Unlike Tozawa vs. Waller, where the cruiserweight spots served the story, the athleticism here sometimes felt like it was there just to show off.
Frazer dodged Fenix’s offense with a series of backflips, including one from the top rope. When Fenix pushed him off, Frazer flipped again, though the shove should have sent him face-first.
In the end, both men shook hands in a sign of respect.
Lyra Valkyria picked up a win over Ivy Nile in the show’s main event after scoring with Nightwing.
I’m not sure what it will take for WWE to elevate her to the next level, but Nile has an eye-catching look, and her facial expressions are perfect for a mean-spirited heel.
Despite this being in Lyra’s home country, fans opted to serenade Bayley, who stood ringside for the bout. Props to the former Women’s Champion, who tried to redirect the support back to her tag team partner.
The Final Bell
Admittedly, I tuned into WWE Main Event as light fare before bed. But for the second week in a row, the show impressed me in its new home on YouTube.
Last week’s episode flew by with two solid matches in under 30 minutes. This week delivered three matches in just over 35 minutes and offered just a few promotional spots. Nothing here advanced any storylines, but the matches were enjoyable and helped build momentum for Fenix, Waller, and Lyra.
If you only have time for one match, Tozawa vs. Waller is a must-watch. It’s classic good guy vs. bad guy in modern form, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and played well with the Belfast crowd — a full two thumbs up.
