Matt Cardona is “alwayz ready.” Maxxine Dupri is always trying. Neither is ever winning.
Until now.
Cardona and Dupri ended their respective losing streaks this week on Main Event, but their matches played second fiddle to what was going on in the background. Meanwhile, Je’Von Evans kept up his winning ways, facing a prospect making their Thursday night debut.
Woo! Woo! Woo!
Matt Cardona won his first singles match since returning to WWE in January, beating Nathan Frazer of Fraxiom following a Rough Ryder. Cardona was
aggressive without fully crossing into heel territory. After the match, he helped Frazer to his feet, and the two shook hands.
As nice as all that was, announcers Blake Howard and Vic Joseph did Cardona no favors.
Howard tried to put a positive spin on Cardona’s last match, a loss to Ricky Saints on SmackDown two weeks ago, before Joseph added, “He would love, though, to start picking up some victories.”
Asked how Cardona was readjusting to WWE, Joseph said, “He’s maybe finding out it’s not the same sort of style it once was,” before adding that “he’s a little bit older.”
Sure, Howard and Joseph reminded viewers that Cardona was a former Intercontinental Champion. But for the most part, they essentially called him an old loser, albeit professionally.
Cardona’s struggles since coming back to WWE have been a recurring theme at Cageside Seats. Despite his efforts (read spin) to wash off the stench of his previous WWE run as Zack Ryder, which included rebuilding himself on the indie circuit, Cardona is seemingly no better off in WWE than when he was released in 2020.
“It’s getting harder to distinguish Cardona’s current booking in WWE from Zack Ryder’s many years ago,” wrote my colleague Cain A. Knight following Cardona’s loss to Saints.
If at First You Don’t Succeed
Talk about the definition of try, try again: Maxxine Dupri, ladies and gents. For the fourth time in six weeks, Dupri graced us with her presence on Main Event, this time facing Nikkita Lyons.
And guess what? She won this time! Like Cardona, this was Dupri’s first win in singles action since January. Oof!
The closing moments were quite entertaining. Lyons scored with a spinning roundhouse kick for a false finish. After Lyons charged in and collided shoulder-first with the ring post, Dupri hit a German suplex and then took to the sky with a flying bodypress for the win.
If only everything else hadn’t been so distracting.
For starters, there was Nikkita Lyons. Earlier this week, a clip from WWE LFG went viral after Booker T said Lyons “has perhaps more talent than anyone in that locker room,” while adding she needs to tone down the sex appeal because it distracts from where the focus should be.
Based on her entrance, Lyons forgot to heed Booker’s advice, as her theatrics were quite over the top, even by wrestling standards.
Then the bell rang.
After backing Dupri into the corner, Lyons did an odd little prance, which Dupri answered with a shove so weak it wouldn’t have budged a fly. Moments later, there was an awkward mid-ring collision that Dupri just kept running through.
All I could do was laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Young O.G. Meets Young Buck
Returning from the kitchen with a snack, I caught the match graphic for Je’Von Evans and, at first glance, what looked like a bulked-up Matt Jackson from A-E-Dub.
Fear not, though, sickos. It was just Harlem Lewis.
There’s not much to say about the match itself. I was surprised Evans worked such a high-risk style against Lewis, a second-year pro from WWE LFG and Evolve. We saw Evans’ signature dive to the floor, as well as his O.G. cutter, which he used to put Lewis away.
Still, it felt like a missed opportunity for Evans to scale back some of the riskier spots against a rookie and try something different.
The arena crowd seemed entertained, so I’m sure someone will tell me that’s all that matters.
As for Lewis, he showed he could do the moves and keep up, but he looks like what he is: a young up-and-comer. This is one of those instances where if the territories were around, he would benefit from occasionally getting some work on TV before disappearing and getting over as something else, then returning.
It’ll be interesting to see how he develops in the modern era.
The Final Bell
With Cardona and Dupri each back in the winner’s circle, one can only wonder if this is the start of a sustained push or a temporary stopgap before their next loss. For now, let’s all raise a protein smoothie in honor of their success.
As for Evans, he continues ticking up. Against Lewis, he did a bit too much grandstanding, but he also showed intensity. How WWE keeps him warm without putting a secondary title on him will be a challenge for Triple H and his creative team.
In total, Main Event clocked in at 30 minutes, the perfect length for an evening stroll with the superstars of WWE while marching on the treadmill.
