This week’s WWE Main Event was taped at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon before Monday’s episode of Raw.
All told, a fun show, but nothing was especially dazzling this week.
Bronson Reed defeated Javier Bernal (5:05)
This was all about how long Bernal could avoid the inevitable and it was fun while it lasted.
In a big man versus little man contest like this, you kind of know that it’s only a matter of time before the big man hits his move and wins. The fun of the chase and the potential for an upset is what keeps people watching. And this one was very much in that pattern.
Bernal was on the end of his second Main Event defeat here in his second appearance. He looked plucky enough but the crowd seem to be increasingly behind Reed, who hasn’t lost a TV taping bout since October.
The early going was Bernal ducking and weaving, avoiding the charges from Reed. He eventually got caught in a nerve hold but fought his way out, landing a couple of dropkicks to wobble Reed on his feet.
Reed then caught him off the top rope, nailing him with a DDT before they went to the finish.
The Tsunami is getting over with live crowds and it got Reed the win here, but longer term, its not going to be great on his body.
Duke Hudson defeated Myles Borne (6:06)
This lacked much excitement and dragged in the second half when the dreaded chin lock was brought out, but the ending was decent enough.
Hudson and Borne are still very new to main roster action and it showed a little bit in how safe and formulaic this match was. For Hudson, it was his fourth match on the show and only the second for Borne.
They did mat work in the first few minutes, exchanging headlocks and Hudson pushing his Chase U gimmick to the crowd. Before the break, Hudson missed a charge and Borne used a dropkick.
The highlight for Borne was the near fall he got from an Orton-esque scoop slam after having missed a dropkick and run into an elbow in the corner.
Hudson worked the whole match in his Chase U bib and did a full hulk up after that two count, stopping short at actually tearing his shirt.
In the end, the finish saw Hudson use a German and then his finisher - the scorpion death drop - to get the win. And, actually, as finishing moves go, its pretty cool.
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