By Jon
COMMENTATORS: Tom Phillips & Byron Saxton
This week’s Main Event features Titus O’ Neil taking on Drew Gulak and Humberto Carrillo facing off against Akira Tozawa. Also a bunch of recaps of the other shows but we’re skipping that noise.
LINEUP
- Titus O’ Neil vs. Drew Gulak (**1/4)
- Humberto Carrillo vs. Akira Tozawa (**3/4)
*****
Titus O’Neil vs. Drew Gulak
O’Neil is wrestling in street clothes now I guess, his eyes opened following his RAW Underground stint. Like one of those Project Mayhem guys in Fight Club.
O’Neil has the height and weight advantage here and puts it to good use, clobbering Gulak with loud shots and throwing him around the ring. Gulak responds by trying to chop his foe down, dropkicking him in the knee and keeping him locked in various submission holds, refusing to let go no matter how many times O’Neil tries to twist out. O’Neil eventually throws Gulak off of him and connects with a sidewalk slam, big boot, and finally the Clash of the Titus for the 1…2…3.
Titus O’Neil defeated Drew Gulak via pinfall (5:47)
- Good match here, O’Neil’s new look also influencing his new wrestling style. About goddamn time they let him do something different. Gulak rules all day every day and made O’Neil look good here while also wrestling a smart match. Just didn’t pan out for him. (**1/4)
Humberto Carrillo vs. Akira Tozawa
Once again Tozawa comes out alone, his ninja clan nowhere to be found and OH MY GOD I FEEL WEIRD TYPING THAT. Carrillo appears to be growing out a beard, is a heel turn coming?
Tozawa and Carrillo fight to a stalemate, reversing and countering each other before resetting. Carrillo hits a springboard armdrag, Tozawa tries a crossbody off the apron but gets caught and dropped across the hardest part of the riiiiiiing. Tozawa counters a top rope attempt by knocking Carrillo off the buckles as the show goes to commercial.
Back live and Tozawa is still in control, faking Carrillo out and hitting him with a rabbit punch to the jaw. Awesome. Tozawa off the top with his cannonball-ish move for the 1…2..not yet. Tozawa locks in the Octopus in the center of the ring, Carrillo escapes and connects with a spin kick to the face after missing his first few. Carrillo keeps the momentum going, hitting a roll-up moonsault for the 1…2…Tozawa kicks out (and the ref slapped the mat three times but whatever, it happens). They fight on the buckles, Carrillo kicks Tozawa off, Tozawa rolls him up for the 1…2…not yet. Carrillo ducks a spin kick and connects with a Torture Rack into a sit-out faceslam, debuting a new finisher, for the 1…2..3..
Humberto Carrillo defeated Akira Tozawa via pinfall (7:53 shown)
- Fun match. I’m a sucker for multiple counters/pinfall attempts ending in stand-off. Also fun to see Carrillo debut a new finishing move on a show that probably only I’m watching. It’s like he did it just for me! Entertaining stuff also Tozawa deserves better also he makes more money than I’ll ever see so he’s fine. (**3/4)
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Good Main Event this week, both matches delivered to the extent WWE will let them deliver on a C-show. I appreciated how interesting these two pairing were, and also for O’Neil changing up his character and Carrillo changing up his move set. Not a bad way to kill about 15 mins total if you skip the recap stuff.
