4/15 WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT: Santana Garrett makes Main Event debut against Liv Morgan, plus Shelton Benjamin vs. Humberto Carrillo
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST (ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)… PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents the Thursday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast with guest cohost PWTorch VIP analyst Todd Martin. Todd and Wade discuss Howard Finkel and what he represented as a great ring announcer but also how Vince McMahon treated him and what that says about McMahon. Todd then gives his strong view on WWE’s decision to release so many wrestlers yesterday during a pandemic just days before the next investor’s conference call. And much more.
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WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
APRIL 15, 2020
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips
REASONS TO WATCH…
-Santana Garrett makes Main Event debut
(1) LIV MORGAN vs. SANTANA GARRETT
Morgan controlled early on with an arm drag and a side headlock takedown. In the corner, Morgan leveraged off the top rope to execute a head scissor takedown. Morgan dodged a clothesline with a Matrix back bend, then rolled up Garrett for a two-count. Garrett elbowed her way out of a waistlock, then hit Morgan in the corner with a reverse handspring elbow. Garrett ran at the stunned Morgan, but Morgan pulled her down into the second rope with a drop toe hold. With Garrett strung up on the rope, Morgan hit a drop kick to Garrett’s back. Morgan covered for another two-count, then applied a straight jacket submission.
Garrett broke free by getting to her feet and reversing Morgan into the turnbuckles, but Morgan came back with a forearm shot and a hurricanrana. Garrett went on the offense, but Morgan came back and hammered Garrett with forearm shots, backing her up against the ropes. Garrett was able to roll through a sunset flip pin attempt by Morgan, but Morgan quickly struck again with a step-up enzuigiri. This had Garrett staggered against the ropes, allowing Morgan to hit the Flatliner off the middle rope. She covered Garrett for the three-count.
WINNER: Liv Morgan by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Standard match. Garrett has lost three singles matches since debuting on NXT TV in November of 2019.)
-Main Event recap session:
- Replay of Strowman vs. Nakamura from Smackdown
- Replay of Firefly Fun House from Smackdown
- Replay of Jax vs. Sane from Raw
- Replay of McIntyre vs. Andrade from Raw
(2) HUMBERTO CARRILLO vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN
The wrestlers had a quick lucha-style start to the match, culminating with a brief stand off, albeit with Benjamin staggered back against the ropes. The re-engaged, and Benjamin went inside and took Carrillo down with a northern lights suplex before applying an arm bar. Carrillo began to reverse out of the hold but Benjamin clubbed him in the back. Carrillo rolled up Benjamin for a two-count. Carrillo was first to his feet, allowing him to strike Benjamin with a drop kick. Carrillo ducked a 360 degree kick by Benjamin, and Benjamin ducked the same move from Carrillo, but Carrillo followed through for one more pass to level Benjamin with his boot. He covered Benjamin for two. In the corner, Benjamin hit Carrillo with a knee strike to the back, the hopped over the top rope to kick Carrillo in the face. With Carrillo stunned on the canvas, we cut to break.
Benjamin maintained control through the break, pinning Carrillo for two before applying a leg scissors / chinlock. Carrillo rolled toward the ropes and got to his feet, firing elbows into Benjamin’s midsection. Carrillo back-kicked Benjamin in the gut, then took Benjamin down with a springboard arm drag off the ropes. Carrillo went to the top rope and hit a big missle drop kick. With Benjamin lying on his back, Carrillo moved in and lined up for a standing moonsault. During Carrillo’s descent, Benjamin got his knees up to block Carrillo’s landing. Benjamin pinned the stunned Carrillo with a small package, but Carrillo kicked out.
Benjamin applied a waist lock and hit a German suplex. Maintaining the hold, he got to his feet, but Carrillo broke free. Carrillo sprung off the second rope to kick Benjamin in the face, then covered for a two-count. Carrillo slowly climbed back to the top rope, but Benjamin came alive and scrambled up to meet him. Carrillo dropped down to the ring apron while face-planting Benjamin against the top turnbuckle. Benjamin flopped back to the canvas back-first. Carrillo got back up to the top rope in the corner with his back to Benjamin. He launched into a majestic moonsault that hit its mark. Carrillo stayed on Benjamin for the three-count.
WINNER: Humberto Carrillo by pinfall.
(Meyers’s Analysis: Nice match. Benjamin is past his prime but still has the wherewithal to run with the youthful Carrillo.)
SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.4
FINAL THOUGHTS: Very, very average episode. Catch it if you are keeping track of Santana Garrett.
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