WWE Main Event returned to the ION Television airwaves last night (May 22, 2013) from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, featuring Alberto Del Rio vs. Big E. Langston and The Usos vs. 3MB.
If you missed the show, or just want t...
WWE Main Event returned to the ION Television airwaves last night (May 22, 2013) from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, featuring Alberto Del Rio vs. Big E. Langston and The Usos vs. 3MB.
If you missed the show, or just want to go back and read the live blog again, click here. That's enough with the appetizer, let's get to the main course.
One of the reasons Main Event is such a wonderful show is structure. You get a main event level match, a video replay from Raw, a mid-card level or jobber level match, then another video replay from Raw. It works. Sure, the replays can be annoying if you already watched Raw but they serve their purpose and create a natural show break, even for a program that only runs for an hour. Plus, we're still getting more wrestling than not and it's almost always good wrestling.
That includes last night's match between Big E. Langston and Alberto Del Rio. The storytelling was simple but effective: Big E. uses his power to overwhelm Del Rio for much of the match but the resilient babyface manages to make a comeback -- after teasing it a few times, of course -- to get the roll up pin. It was tough getting there, making Langston look good, but the comeback worked and the pinfall was clean, making Del Rio look good.
Seriously, why can't WWE book all of its matches like this? Is there something wrong with definitive outcomes? It's not like we're suddenly not going to buy into Langston anymore because he laid down for a three count for Del Rio. Although it's possible the flip side is just as true, that "ADR" won't get much juice on it if that's the case.
Big E. really needs to get to doing the five count gimmick.
The Usos may in fact be the future of the tag team division but hearing it stated expressly by the commentary team came off more like WWE trying to convince us other than letting us figure it out naturally. Hearing one of the two brothers literally shout that they are the tag team division was downright comical.
They aren't the tag team division, and they're probably not the future of it either.
Remember when Drew McIntyre was heavily hyped and the word around the water cooler was WWE was high on him for having such a great look? Now look at him. It's not even that he's fallen so far, it's that he was always up against it and never really stood a chance in an environment like this. If he ever decides he wants to be world champion one day, he should hit up TNA. They would have the belt on him by the end of the year.
Ryback may, in fact, rule. I absolutely love the idea of "Big Hungry" randomly driving into arenas during various matches, grabbing someone involved with the match, and tossing him into the ambulance before driving away again. It's far more interesting than having him stand on top of one and ramble on about how fat and stupid the WWE audience is in whatever town the promotion is running.
It should be noted, though, that Ryback has done this to two people and we shouldn't really be surprised who: Zack Ryder and Heath Slater, the two best jobbers on the roster. I guess the big man figured he should go back to smashing guys he can actually beat, since he hasn't won a match against a top level opponent since ... umm ... yeah. Stan Stansky and Benny Camer can eat their heart out.
The show was exactly as this show has always been and, hopefully, will always be. Good wrestling, very little fluff, and only two replays that act as solid breaks.
Grade: B
That's it from me, Cagesiders. Now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below with all your thoughts on last night's show.
