Philadelphia — The City of Brotherly Love hosted an action-packed episode of WWE Main Event featuring Team Hell No defending the WWE Tag Team Titles against Team Rhodes Scholars in a rematch from last month. Also, The Prime Time Players continued their quest for tag team dominance and faced Zack Ryder & Santino Marella.
WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No def. Team Rhodes Scholars ( PHOTOS | WATCH)
Last month on WWE Main Event, Team Rhodes Scholars battled Team Hell No in a fast-paced battle that saw Cody Rhodes suffer a concussion and shoulder injury. Following a full recovery and sporting a new ’stache, Rhodes rejoined his tag team partner Damien Sandow and sought revenge by once again challenging Team Hell No for the WWE Tag Team Championships on WWE Main Event. Despite the injury and absence from active competition, the rivalry between Team Hell No and Team Rhodes Scholars has continued to brew — Sandow and Rhodes believing they are indeed much more civilized than the combustible WWE Tag Team Champions.
Nevertheless, the only way to prove which team is supreme is inside the squared circle and the WWE Universe in Philly was treated to the high stakes rematch between the duos. As the match got underway, it was abundantly clear there was more than just animosity between the respective teams competing on ION Television. Rhodes was set to start the match against Daniel Bryan, but the son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes demanded Kane be tagged in to begin the contest.
Kane and Rhodes exchanged blows, but The Big Red Monster maintained the edge over his opponent — revenge no doubt clouding Rhodes’ strategy — ultimately forcing him to tag in Sandow. Team Hell No maintained clear momentum over the challengers, however, and the WWE Universe’s support was strong for the champions, chanting “Yes!” whenever Bryan would scream “No!”
Teamwork was the key to Team Hell No’s domination throughout much of the contest. Though Sandow took the brunt of the punishment, he managed to tag in Rhodes but Kane maintained the advantage. With their outlook grim for capturing the Tag Team Titles, Team Rhodes Scholars adjusted their strategy. Rhodes feigned an injury, allowing Sandow to distract The Big Red Monster as Rhodes threw him into the steel steps.
The nefarious tactics proved to be effective as Sandow and Rhodes displayed teamwork of their own, keeping Kane reeling and — more importantly — away from tagging in Bryan. Avoiding an all-out slugfest with The Big Red Monster, Team Rhodes Scholars made sure to tag in and out frequently, not allowing Kane to adjust his bearings with respect to who he faced inside the ring. But the experience and the resilience of the former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion enabled him to make the tag, resulting in Bryan regaining momentum for the champions.
Momentum shifted back and forth, both duos continued to display teamwork in an effort to prove why the championships belong on their waists. Though Team Rhodes Scholars nearly accomplished their goal, Team Hell No continued to fight. As Rhodes and Kane battled once again in the center of the ring, the second-generation Superstar missed a moonsault, giving his rival an opening to deliver a devastating Chokeslam. The maneuver was followed by Bryan’s flying headbutt, allowing Team Hell No to pick up the victory and retain the WWE Tag Team Championships.
The Prime Time Players def. Zack Ryder & Santino Marella ( PHOTOS | WATCH)
The second contest on WWE Main Event featured another high-octane tag team battle between The Prime Time Players and Zack Ryder & Santino Marella. Both duos would like nothing more than to challenge for the Tag Team Titles and both had the opportunity to prove to the WWE Universe that they should be next in line. That alone was motivation enough for each team to work together and seek the perfect opportunity to send a message to Team Hell No. The chemistry and raw power of The Prime Time Players proved to be too much for Ryder and Santino, however. While it seemed as though Long Island Iced-Z would steal the victory, the impressive speed and strength of Titus O’Neil ended Ryder’s momentum and sealed the win for The Prime Time Players.