WWE Main Event Report 1/20: Neville vs. Breeze, Tag Team Action‏

by Matt Storm

The Royal Rumble draws near! Tonight three of four teams who will compete for spots in the Rumble match itself are in action. Plus an old NXT rivalry is renewed!

At ringside calling the action are Rich Brennan and Jerry “The King” Lawler.

1. The Ascension (Konnor& Viktor) vs.Mark Henry& Jack Swagger

This is a return match from last week’s feature bout as well as the third match between these teams. Swagger& Henry are 2-0 against the longest reigning NXT Tag Team Champions. They will meet again on the Royal Rumble Kickoff show in the aforementioned qualifying Fatal Four Way.

Viktor and Henry start off the match and engage in an intense lock up. When neither gains an advantage, Henry simply sends Viktor flying backwards with a powerful shove. Viktor fumes but opts out of the ring by tagging in Konnor. Konnor tells Henry he’s nothing so Henry urges him to show him something. Konnor throws a chop but Henry is unfazed and delivers a headbutt. He drives Konnor into his corner, lays into him with battering rams.

Swagger gets the tag, whips Henry into a corner splash then follows in with a running knee to the midsection. Swagger covers for a nearfall. Swagger bounces Konnor’s head of the turnbuckle and lays into him with right hands. Konnor fires out of the corner, barreling into Swagger and driving him into his corner near Viktor.

The Ascension go to town with some stereo clubbering. Viktor briefly tags in and out after delivering punches in the corner. Back in, Konnor kicks Swagger in the midsection. He takes a moment to talk smack at Henry before hitting a corner clothesline.

Konnor with a bodyslam and cover for a one count. Konnor grinds his knuckles into the side of the head while prying Swagger’s face until the referee’s count reaches four. A hard right hand rocks Swagger back into the corner, but he recovers and catches Konnor charging in with a boot to the face. Swagger nails Viktor off the apron and goes for the Swagger Bomb; Konnor gets a boot up but it’s blocked and Swagger twists him over into the Patriot Lock.

Sensing his partner may tap, Viktor draws Henry in closer from the apron forcing the referee’s attention onto him. Viktor then catches Swagger in the face with a flying knee to free Konnor.

With Swagger out of it, we head to commercial.

The action resumes as Viktor drops Swagger with a knee to the midsection. Viktor applies a front facelock. Swagger fights to his feet and powers his way toward Henry. He lifts up Viktor and tries to dump him off but on the way over, Viktor grabs onto his hand and prevents the tag. Konnor tags in and nails Swagger with a spinebuster off a Viktor slingshot for a nearfall.

Konnor applies a reverse chinlock and flattens Swagger out when he attempts an escape. Swagger eventually gets to his feet, absorbs a knee to the midsection. Konnor pushes Swagger into the ropes, Swagger coming off into a sunset flip. Unfortunately, Viktor’s made the blind tag and kicks Swagger in the back of the head as he completes the move.

Viktor with a stomp and a flying fist drop for a nearfall. Swagger fights out of another chinlock but is quickly cut off and driven into the corner. Konnor tags in and takes Swagger to the mat with a side headlock. Swagger breaks free with shots to the midsection and tosses Konnor through the ropes as he rushes at him.

The big man recovers quickly, slides back into the ring, and decks Henry to stop a tag from being made. Konnor looks to send Swagger back into Ascension territory but he has other plans in mind; he smashes into Viktor with a forearm, sending him to the floor. Swagger connects with a leaping neckbreaker to Konnor. Both men make it to their partners and make simultaneous tags.

Henry nails Viktor with clotheslines then splashes him in the corner. Henry hits a powerslam for a nearfall, Konnor kicking him in the head for the save. Konnor tries to catch Swagger coming in but he’s instead sent into the post. Henry and Swagger share a “We The People”, an incoming Konnor met with a Swagger powerslam. Viktor jumps Henry and comes off the ropes with a crossbody. Henry catches him and delivers the World’s Strongest Slam for the pinfall.

Winners: Jack Swagger& Mark Henry

Analysis: Good match though it followed the familiar formula of the previous matches; Swagger takes a beating and Henry plays cleanup before getting the win. At least this round had Royal Rumble implications. I see Henry& Swagger as the favorites to win at the Kickoff.

Backstage: Jojo begins to introduce The Social Outcasts but the rowdy foursome enter before she can finish. Heath Slater says they need no introduction because everyone knows who they are and that they’re the hottest group in WWE going today. Adam Rose hands out compliments: Slater is like a shark, Bo Dallas is like tiger, and Curtis Axel.. well he’s like a snowflake. Axel isn’t too keen on the comparison so Bo talks up the idea they’re four best friends with the same goal.And on Sunday, that goal is to win the Royal Rumble and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship together. Slater reminds everyone it’s every man for himself and the man taking the gold is him! They start to bicker to Jojo directs their attention to their match later on with The Dudley Boyz. How will their new union fare against the veteran duo? Slater declares they’re taking the Dudleys down and will once again trend world wide. The Outcasts seemingly disperse but Bo steps back in to remind everyone to BOlieve.

Ahead of the break, Rich hypes up Neville vs. Tyler Breeze coming up next.

2. Neville vs. Tyler Breeze

Neville is quite anxious to get things going but the referee steps in as he advances towards Breeze. A lock up sees both men struggle to gain an upperhand and Breeze is backed into the corner. He thumbs Neville in the eye as the referee tries to separate them.

Breeze hits the Supermodel Kick for a nearfall. He isn’t too thrilled with that not ending the match early and the referee gets some static about it. Breeze traps Neville in a front facelock. Neville fights to his feet and hits a suplex to break free. Neville lands a roundhouse kick to the ribs and begins his strong style kick sequence. He comes off the ropes looking for a sliding dropkick to the side of the head but Breeze avoids it. Neville catches Breeze with a stun gun.

Neville puts Breeze onto his shoulders and swings him into an X-Factor. Neville connects with the sliding dropkick for a nearfall. Neville heads up top but is forced to come back to the mat when Breeze rolls across the ring. Neville catches Breeze in the corner with a forearm then sends him across the ring. Breeze catches Neville with a boot to the face then applies a reverse chinlock. Neville powers up and has Breeze in the Electric Chair position and deposits him to the mat. Breeze lands on his feet and knocks Neville loopy with an Enzugiri.

Breeze stacks Neville up for a nearfall. Frustrated, Breeze keeps Neville trapped on the canvas for some ground& pound. Breeze picks Neville up and is rocked with a forearm smash. Neville stumbles into the corner and catches Breeze coming in with a back elbow. Neville heads up top but is knocked off balance by dropkick. Breeze pulls himself to his feet and heads up to attempt a top rope Hurricanrana. Neville blocks it and he crashes to the canvas. Neville flies off into the Red Arrow for the pinfall.

Winner :Neville

Analysis: Very good match. However it spotlighted a real issue with today’s WWE mindset. These two should be focal points of Raw with their matches hyped and stories placed behind them. Instead, they’re slotted here simply because there are no plans of any significance for either. It begs the question if those in NXT are doomed rather than off to the races once called up.

The Royal Rumble Match is hyped and we see the “By The Numbers” video package.

3. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray& D-Von) vs. The Social Outcasts (Heath Slater& Curtis Axel w/Bo Dallas and Adam Rose)

D-Von and Slater start off our feature match. Slater breaks D-Von’s grip on a waistlock and switches into a waistlock of his own. He mockingly slaps D-Von on the back and gyrates. That prompts a pair of clotheslines from D-Von. Slater reverses a whip and goes for a hip toss, D-Von reversing into a hip toss.

D-Von leaves his feet for a rare dropkick. Slater is sent into The Dudleyz’ corner where he misses a swing at Bubba. From the apron, Bubba sends Slater into the ropes and D-Von hits a powerslam for a nearfall. Bubba goes up top, gets a tag, and comes off with an ax handle to Slater’s extended arm. Bubba with a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall. Bubba chops Slater in the corner then whips him across the ring. Bubba follows in with a headbutt to the chest. Bubba rams Salter into the turnbuckle and delivers an elbow to the top of the head. Bubba comes off the ropes for an elbow but Slater is able to roll out of the way.

Axel tags in and he’s quickly nailed with a back elbow. Bubba works an arm wringer, tags in D-Von. D-Von lands a shot to the arm then takes Axel over with a side headlock. D-Von drops a leg across the bad arm.

Bubba tags back in, The Dudleys delivering 2D (back suplex/neckbreaker combination) on Axel. Slater runs in and gets tossed through the ropes. Rose and Dallas rush over to check on their comrades as we head to commercial.

When the action picks back up, Axel is kicking away at Bubba in the corner. Slater tags in and The Outcasts clubber away at Bubba. Bubba fights back with alternating forearms and chops Ambrose style to Slater. Bubba hits a bionic elbow on Slater and nails an incoming Axel with a back elbow. D-Von tags in. The Dudleyz deliver a double flapjack to Slater.

Outside the ring, Rose and Dallas pull out a table,hoping to do a little psyche number on the Dudleyz. The act does distract them long enough for Axel and Slater to jump them from behind. Axel throws Bubba through the ropes. Dallas beckons them to join he and Rose on the floor and a Victory Lap train commences.

Slater slides back into the ring and levels D-Von with a clothesline. D-Von fights out of an armbar with punches, Slater cutting him off by ramming his head into the turnbuckle. Axel tags in, talks trash in -D-Von’s face while Slater cranks on his neck. Axel whips D-Von into the ropes and connects with a dropkick.

D-Von attempts a comeback, throwing punches into Axel’s gut. Axel fakes him out with a clothesline and levels him in the back of the head for a nearfall. Axel wears D-Von down with a chinlock. D-Von fights up and breaks free with elbows to the midsection. D-Von comes off the ropes but he’s caught with a back elbow for an Axel nearfall. Axel grinds his forearm across the face.

Slater tags in and stomps away. He takes a moment to drew the ire of Bubba before delivering more stomps. D-Von catches Slater off the ropes with a spinebuster. Bubba and Axel get the tags in. Bubba unloads with a pair of clotheslines. Axel’s sent into the corner but gets a boot up as Bubba follows in. Axel goes up top, Bubba chops him and does a press slam.

Bubba drops Axel with a boot. Slater tries to surprise him with a clothesline but he ducks and lands several jabs. Slater stops a bionic elbow with a boot to the midsection but his mocking of the Hooke Em’ horns allows Bubba to deliver one anyway. Bubba hits a Uranage on Axel for a nearfall. Axel rolls to the floor and Slater is once again caught coming in with a bodyslam. Dudleyz connect with the Wazz Up on Slater. Bubba tells D-Von to get the tables and he obliges in spite of the match being a standard affair.

Rose and Dallas surround D-Von as Bubba looks on. Suddenly Axel rolls Bubba up for the surprise pinfall.

Winners: The Social Outcasts

The show fades to black as Slater and company celebrate their biggest win to date.

Analysis: Pretty good feature match with something of an upset. Clearly WWE see The Dudleyz as the on the road teachers to new talent and the credible duo to give the new acts a rub on their way up. I’ll admit to not being too keen on the Outcasts when they first formed but they’re all hard workers and have made the most out of this latest opportunity. I hope for more regarding Bubba Ray in the form of a singles run eventually. For now though he and D-Von are perfect for their current roles.

Final Thoughts: A standard but good show this week. Nothing super but also nothing too horrible either as far as in-ring action went. Breeze vs. Neville is the match most worth checking out.

Hit me up on Twitter (@RandomStormGuy) or Rainmaker5685@gmail.com with your thoughts or questions!