WWE Main Event results: The Revival vs. Ryder & Hawkins

  • James Cox
  • By 

The Big Takeaways:

– SmackDown tag team champions The Revival notched a win against Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins.

– Cesaro stood out like a sore thumb in a loss to Cedric Alexander.

– Byron Saxton (in place of the absent Vic Joseph) led the commentary team alongside Dio Maddin and Mickie James. 

**********

SmackDown Tag Champions The Revival defeated Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins (5:13)

Although Ryder and Hawkins currently find themselves undrafted, The Revival returned to the SmackDown roster on Friday, along with their tag team titles. Yet, they were on Main Event. For tag team titleholders, the company hardly view them as the ‘Top Guys’ they claim on their trunks.

The match was an excellent example of a tag team working smoothly together to cut the ring in half and take out their opponent. But it wasn’t that classic heel team doing slow and methodical as there were lots of tricks and sneaky double-teams here.

The Revival took all of the match until Hawkins got a hot tag in the last minute. It was short-lived and ended in Ryder being sent outside so that Dawson and Wilder could combine to hit Hawkins with the Shatter Machine for the win. 

Cedrick Alexander defeated Cesaro (7:15)

Cesaro is great every time he’s on television and he’s an absolute master in the ring. Watching him over the last few weeks on this show cements the fact that he’s being utterly wasted at the moment. Cesaro in New Japan or AEW would make an intriguing prospect.

Working this short of style where high spots are followed by mat work or rest holds doesn’t really suit either of these performers. The headlock and abdominal stretch spots here were met with disinterest at best.

Cesaro took the majority of the match and even resorted to just bullying and shoving Alexander who couldn’t offer anything more by the end of the match. So when Alexander won, it came against the run of play. Alexander hit a rather sloppy Lumbar Check to snatch the win from the jaws of defeat. 

It’s results like this on shows like this – and after becoming a ‘free agent’ on Friday – that mean that at the age of 38, Cesaro probably ought to be considering his options.