By Jon
COMMENTATORS: Tom Phillips & Byron Saxton
Main Event has a little bit for everyone this week. Want to see some big meaty men slapping meat? Check out Titus O’Neil taking on Erik of the Viking Raiders. Want some flippy-dos? Then check out Humberto Carrillo taking on Lucha House Party’s Lince Dorado. Want recaps of other main roster shows? Then watch the damn thing because I’m not recapping that here.
LINEUP
- Titus O’Neil vs. Erik (*1/2)
- Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado (***)
*****
Titus O’Neil vs. Erik
Erik’s partner Ivar is out due to injury so he’s dicking around in the singles ranks until the Viking Raiders can reunite. His arm looks like it’s covered in heavy padding and he’s wrestling in a t-shirt so I can’t imagine he’s super healthy either.
O’Neil escapes a waistlock and connects with a shoulderblock. Erik ducks a clothesline and connects with a leg lariat, taking off the t-shirt as this match is now SRS business. Erik tells O’Neil to fight him, clobbers him with a running forearm to the back of the neck. Both men clobber each other, O’Neil slams Erik who pops RIGHT BACK UP and connects with a clothesline from behind. Erik cinches in a front facelock, O’Neil counters with a backdrop. Erik charges, O’Neil connects with a big boot but runs into a knee strike. Erik charges again, O’Neil with CLASH OF THE TITUS for the 1…2…3.
Titus O’Neil defeated Erik via pinfall (5:05)
- A little slow but a unique matchup so I can’t complain too much. Hoss fights are my weakness and this was an okay version of that. I like this new serious Titus O’Neil a lot, I hope he’s getting some play on RAW. (*1/2)
Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado [w/ Gran Metalik]
Dorado controls things early with a side headlock, Carrillo counters into one of his own, Dorado with a drop toehold and back into a side headlock. Carrillo counters into a hammerlock, Dorado escapes with a snapmare but gets dropped with a shoulderblock. Carrillo flips through a headscissors attempt, Dorado flips through a springboard armdrag attempt, Carrillo with a couple of armdrags into an armbar. Fun exchange. Carrillo tries a springboard, Dorado sends him rolling to the floor with a dropkick to the spine as the show goes to commercial.
Back to the match, Dorado controlling Carrillo with a double armbar, his foot buried into the spine. Carrillo counters into a rollup for a two-count, Dorado misses a top rope splash and Carrillo rolls to the apron to create further separation. Sunset flip back in, Dorado rolls through, Carrillo hits a series of kicks and a dropkick. Carrillo heads to the top, MISSILE DROPKICK for the 1…2…Dorado gets the shoulder up. Carrillo with a Kidman counter to a powerbomb, kick to the head, TOP ROPE SPLASH halfway across the ring for the 1…2…Carrillo barely manages to kick out. Dorado’s nose is busted but he continues attacking Carrillo, Carrillo with a crossbody for the 1…2…kickout. Dorado counters another powerbomb with a sunset flip for the 1…2…Carrillo kicks out. Dorado goes for a kick, Carrillo catches him and hits a sit-out faceslam on the possibly broken nose for the 1…2…3.
Humberto Carrillo defeated Lince Dorado via pinfall (7:09 shown)
- Great match full of some fun spots, nearfalls, and even a little blood. I dug it a lot, glad they decided to go out and have a real match instead of go half-speed because it’s Main Event. (***)
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Good episode of Main Event, with a legit banger-ish in Carrillo/Dorado and a fun pairing of O’Neil and Erik. Time well spent.
