Mojo Rawley vs Chad Gable (WWE, 5-17-2018)

WWE Main Event, London, England

I think the WWE Network dates are a day off on Main Event, at least compared to the Hulu dates, but I’ll go with those anyway. I just felt like watching a Gable match and here’s this one.

Knuckle lock to start, Gable trips him down quickly and gets a one count. Gable spins out of a knuckle lock, another leg trip and a toehold. Rawley reaching up, but can’t get there. Gable off the ropes, runs into a potential spinebuster, but Gable scissors him over, trips him down again, and grabs an armbar.

Mojo finally gets some offense, kicking Gable in the breadbasket in another knuckle lock. Rawley sends Gable off the ropes, Gable goes behind and takes Rawley down handily with a waistlock. Back to the armbar.

Northern lights with a bridge, Mojo kicks at two. Boy the crowd is PISTOL HOT for this match, I tell ya. Armbar again from Gable. Big forearm shiver from Mojo, sends Gable off the ropes, Gable hangs on, Mojo charges and misses, going to the floor. Gable on the apron, lazy crossbody gets caught, but Gable goes behind to a sleephold. Mojo rolls him off, then pounces him into the barricade!

After a don’t try this at home break, we’re back and Mojo is in control in the ring with another forearm. Rawley with a chinlock. Gable with rights to the gut to get out, but he gets yanked over the knee of Rawley for two. Commentary talking about Seth Rollins, who recently had done a mini-banger with Mojo on RAW.

Mojo with another exciting chinlock, thrilling all of London. He’s yelling about Gable being an Olympian, and everyone is, like, “oh this American trash talk is too much, mate.” Mojo with another cover for two.

Boy does this stink.

Kick to the gut from Rawley. Headbutt from Rawley. Gable back with a European uppercut, then another. And a third. Mojo won’t fall because he is a giant, and he ragdolls Gable into the corner a few times, then talks more trash. Gable with a cross armbreaker over the top rope, but it has to be broken quickly, of course.

Gable on the second rope. He catches Mojo with a kick, then hops away. Mojo misses a charge in the corner, Gable ducks a couple shots running the ropes, and hits a flying forearm. Overhead belly-to-belly from Gable for two.

Gable charges the corner, meets a boot and gets stomped down. Mojo goes for a slam, Gable rolls through and gets a two count, then Gable lands a rolling kick and a German with a bridge for two.

Gable to the top rope, moonsault misses but he lands on his feet, then gets launched into the corner, where he’s open for Mojo’s running forearm for the finish.

Rating: 1.5/5. Dead crowd, mostly dead match. Gable’s suplexes are nice and I’d like to see him work somewhere that isn’t WWE. Rawley to this day comes off as a guy more playing a wrestler on TV than being a wrestler, and he’s been at it too long for that to still be the case. He’s a guy I’d cut if I were WWE, but I’m not, and he knows Rob Gronkowski, and maybe someday they’ll have Gronk wrestle as a result, and gosh won’t that be something? Big Gronk doing bad shoulder tackles and shaking with nervous energy, a real Kevin Greene throwback.