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On Raw, Michael Cole announced that Penta would defend the Intercontinental Championship in a WrestleMania ladder match. His opponents? Je’Von Evans, Rusev, JD McDonagh, and Dragon Lee — all winners of qualifying matches on Main Event.
But there was a catch: none of those matches had aired yet.
Confusion followed before spoilers from Main Event tapings held before Raw and last Friday’s SmackDown went viral. Even WWE’s website gave away the results without noting that the matches would air this Thursday.
Two hours before Main Event streamed on YouTube, WWE promoted the show on social media, prompting fans to point out the obvious.
“We already know who won,” one person wrote on X.
The hastily arranged and ultimately spoiled matches suggest a last-minute decision regarding WWE’s WrestleMania plans for the Intercontinental Championship.
Still, Main Event delivered a solid night of wrestling for those who tuned in despite the bungled promotion.
Results And Highlights
Dragon Lee defeated Grayson Waller with Operation Dragon after a heated strike exchange. An early highlight saw Lee avoid disaster on a Tope Con Hilo as Waller moved out of the way. Dragon caught his balance, only for Waller to level him with a clothesline.
JD McDonagh beat Akira Tozawa with a crisp moonsault in his first match since November, following hand surgery. He looked sharp throughout, channeling Mr. Perfect as he sold Tozawa’s offense. JD’s standout moment came when he cut off a dive with a dropkick to Tozawa’s legs, followed by a corkscrew splash from the apron.
In the match of the night, Je’Von Evans beat Rayo Americano with a Super OG Cutter. Evans faced constant interference from Rayo’s “amigo” Bravo. Late, Bravo tried to cut off a dive but got dropped by Evans, setting up an over-the-top rope dive by “The Young OG” that wiped out both Americanos.
In the final bout, Rusev tapped out Otis with the Accolade. This had the makings of a hoss fight, but after a mid-ring collision where neither man budged, Rusev took control with aggressive strikes and kicks. To his credit, Otis tossed “The Bulgarian Brute” around like a sack of laundry before running shoulder-first into the ring post, which spelled the end for Otis.
The Final Bell
Just before the show began, a fan in the chat said, “4 matches on Main Event? What a time to be alive.”
Indeed, this was the most matches the show had seen in some time, running just over 40 minutes alongside light promotion for WrestleMania and other WWE products.
Viewership climbed throughout the broadcast. Main Event opened at 8 p.m. ET with 1,344 viewers, jumped to 2,421 by the opening bell, and peaked at 7,604 by the end. The show had racked up over 200,000 views 12 hours after streaming. Main Event has averaged approximately 480,000 views since its debut on YouTube in January.
It will be interesting to see how this episode performs in the coming days, given the leaked results. This felt like a missed opportunity to spotlight a show that consistently delivers more action than fluff, especially with stakes tied to WWE’s biggest event of the year.
As for WrestleMania, announcer Vic Joseph said Raw GM Adam Pearce sought the best challengers for Penta and worked with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis to set up these qualifiers.
That nod lends credence to the rumors from WrestleVotes that WWE could add more stars to the match, possibly from SmackDown and lucha libre promotion AAA.
If so, more qualifiers — and more potential spoilers — may be on the way.
Even so, this week’s show remains worth watching. Rusev’s approach against Otis gave the Alpha Academy star credibility, making him look strong in defeat.
The same was true for Rayo Americano, who survived Evans’ frog splash from more than halfway across the ring. This was a great moment that made Rayo look tough ahead of his and Bravo’s bid for the NXT tag title match this Saturday at Stand & Deliver.
They say, “Life’s about the journey, not the destination.” That held true here, as even with the finishes spoiled, Main Event was still a fun stop on the road to WrestleMania.
