WWE Live Event Results From Knoxville (7/12): Roman Reigns Vs. Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins Defends

Thanks to WrestlingINC.com reader Wade for sending in this report for tonight's WWE live event in Knoxville:

The show opened with Lilian singing the Star Spangled Banner in spectacular fashion and then hyping up the crowd which didn't need much to get it going. This venue (Knoxville Civic Coliseum) is hallowed ground in Southeastern wrestling and has seen legendary matches during its run. The crowd here creates an atmosphere that is definitely head and shoulders above that of the larger arena that WWE usually comes to in Knoxville when it is Raw or Smackdown.

* Kane jerked the curtain to a huge pop from the crowd for the hometown boy. The only thing that would have made the crowd louder would have been if he had come out in full Unabomb character from Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Kane has had some epic matches in the Civic Coliseum.

The match went back and forth with the crowd split as to who to cheer for. The kids were definitely into Cesaro, and the older fans, while not hostile to Cesaro, were definitely on Kane's side. Cesaro finally won on an awkward roll-up that started in a standing leg drop bulldog position and ended in what looked like an Oklahoma Roll. It was an interesting combination but Kane was too big for Cesaro to really pull it off cleanly, and it looked like Kane took a pretty nasty looking bump to his head and neck in the process but did not act as if he were hurt afterward.

* Adam Rose comes out next interrupting Lillian as she is introducing the next match and really starts letting the crowd have it resulting in a "WHAT" chant from the crowd which he handles well. Rose then introduces his new tag team partner, the Miz. The Miz continues the taunting of the crowd with cheap pops about hillbillies and Tennessee football being bad and is definitely getting a response from the fans.

Their opponents are the Megapowers, Macho Mandow and AxelMania who come out to a good reception, especially from the kids. The match was unremarkable as to wrestling but the crowd enjoyed the comedy. The Megapowers picked up the win.

A Bray Wyatt promo is shown on a video screen that is smaller than the one in my living room.

* Jack Swagger v. Fandango is next. After the match begins, Fandango spends about two minutes outside the ring cutting a promo about his body which resulted in a chant of "count him out" which the ref, of course, never does. Swagger cinches in the ankle lock in impressive fashion by popping Fandango up in the air as Fandango came off the ropes and locking it in. Fandango taps.

* Next up is Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns. Roman enters through the crowd from the opposite side of the ramp-side of the floor because there is no access from the balcony seating to the floor. The match has a slow pace throughout and was a bit of a throwback to what a match on tv used to be like with headlocks and holds that Roman let the crowd build him out of naturally instead of hurrying the comeback. Wyatt went for the Sister Abigail which Roman reversed into a schoolboy for the pin. Wyatt promptly attacks Roman after the 3-count but misses with the chair shots he attempted.

* First up after intermission is the Divas Battle Royal. Nattie Neidhart comes out first to a great response from the crowd followed by Emma with new music that sounded like a dance remix to her bubbly theme. Other participants were Cameron, Layla, Summer Rae, and Alicia Fox. At the end were Nattie, Summer Rae, and Alicia Fox. Fox and Summer Rae double team Nattie but Fox eventually double crossed Summer Rae and eliminates her. Nattie eliminated Fox for the win.

* Lucha Dragons then took on The Ascension. The match was a good mix of traditional wrestling, lucha, and brawling. Surprisingly, The Ascension may have used more traditional wrestling moves than anyone else tonight, but it was overshadowed by the overt brawling style they have. The Lucha Dragons went over with the salida del sol and swanton bomb on Viktor.

* The Main Event for the evening was Dean Ambrose versus Seth Rollins for the heavyweight championship in a no holds barred street fight. Rollins had the advantage early hitting Ambrose with the microphone he had previously been cutting a promo on Ambrose with while Ambrose was down. Rollins next took off his belt and seemed to really be laying in some shots across Ambrose's back. Ambrose comes back, takes the belt away and wildly beats Rollins with it. Next up in the weapons department (sorry JBL, I will not call them "toys,") is the kendo stick that Ambrose brings out from under the ring. Both will continue to use the kendo stick throughout the match. Rollins retakes the advantage hits Ambrose with some jabbing chair shots and a pedigree which results in a false finish. Ambrose brings out a table, but Rollins is able to use it against him by throwing Ambrose into the corner where the table is set. A second table is eventually brought out which Ambrose drives Rollins through with an elbow drop off the top rope. With the win seemingly in hand, Bray Wyatt runs in, Sister Abigails Ambrose and Rollins gets the 1-2-3. Reigns comes in and he and Ambrose clean house.

Despite going through two tables and working the hardest of anyone tonight, Ambrose takes pictures and signs posters for at least five minutes after the match. Class act.

All in all, an entertaining show with a great crowd. I didn't see a single camera at ringside so it's unfortunate that the higher ups at WWE won't see what a Knoxville crowd is capable of in one of the best wrestling venues in the Southeast.