WWE Main Event Review - December 27, 2016

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

​Titus O'Neil def. Curtis Axel

I'm glad Austin Aries acknowledged how Axel was a heel last week against Goldust yet was back to embracing the audience this week against O'Neil. He said Axel seemed to be "lost," and he could not have been any more accurate with that observation. The match was fine for what it was but ultimatley nothing out of the ordinary. Axel is inconsistent as a babyface and just doesn't connect with crowds, so it wasn't surprising they didn't get behind him here. It's such a shame to think he won the Intercontinental Championship in this same city (Chicago) three years ago and he's still spinning his wheels.


Lince Dorado def. Tony Nese

Although these two faced off last week, I actually liked this match more for a few reasons. Firstly, the commentators told the story that Dorado was trying to avenge the loss from last week. Secondly, the Chicago crowd was more engaged in the action this time around, especially down the stretch. Nese remains rather bland to me, but this was the most Dorado has impressed me since debuting on the main roster. This was a really nice match and I would not at all mind a rubber match on next week's show or on 205 Live.

Overall Show

Aries is excellent in the commentator role and definitely adds to my enjoyment of the program each week, so I hope he's a permanent fixture on Main Event until he is cleared to compete. At any rate, Axel vs. O'Neil was a bore of a bout, but I liked Dorado vs. Nese significantly more. Definitely seek out that matchup when you get the chance, and on the whole, this was a solid show to close out 2016.