WWE 'Main Event' results and reactions from last night (Jan. 2): Opening the New Year with a bang!

WWE Main Event returned lat night (Jan. 2, 2013) to deliver a United States Championship match between the reigning champion, Antonio Cesaro, against the challenger, The Great Khali.

Additionally, Wade Barrett opened a Gauntlet Match challenge to the entire roster.

To the reactions!

• I'll open with the most important thing; Cesaro hit The Neutralizer on The Great Khali. That is what everyone came to this post to find out, so I am letting you know that it happened. It was ugly and awkward, but it cannot be denied that Cesaro did it. Major props to him.
• Cesaro is still running with the anti-American gimmick, and it was extremely odd to see Khali -- with Natalya and Hornswaggle by his side -- play the part of the American hero. I understand that this match happened simply for the spot, but I feel like there must be some better way to have played it off.
• It looks like The Miz will be taking over the role as the Uber-American moving forward, which works for him. He may be an arrogant, obnoxious jerk, but he's America's arrogant, obnoxious jerk. An "Us vs. Them" storyline may be the most played-out angle in all of pro wrestling, but something about it just works. It plays on people's deepest primal emotions. We cheer for our hero, because they can do what we cannot. They can protect our national integrity and deliver a can of whoop ass on those freedom-hating foreigners. It's stupid, one-dimensional, and every intellectual, liberal arts bone in my body knows I should hate it -- I just can't help myself, though -- I want to see an American hero kick the crap out of Cesaro.
• With that being said, Miz is just not the guy to do it. Cesaro needs to carry the strap all the way 'til WrestleMania 29. A win for America in New York is too big an opportunity to pass up, and his run has been too good for him to be jobbed out to a struggling midcarder. I'm not sure who I want to see beat him -- I'm sure you have plenty of great ideas, Cagesiders -- but I know it shouldn't be The Miz.
• Speaking of struggling midcarders, Wade Barrett opened up a Gauntlet Match -- Gauntlet Matches? -- for the entire roster. And it was a tour de force of unintentional comedy.
• Yoshi Tatsu was up first. He lasted about 10 seconds. I really hope WWE is paying that man well.
• JTG was next and did his normal JTG thing. In related news, JTG has been employed by WWE for 5 years and 234 days. In this economy, good for him.
• Then it was Justin Gabriel's turn, in what would turn out to be "the match of the night". It was a decent affair, but wasn't given the time or attention it deserved.
• Finally, Kofi Kingston picked up the win after landing his patented shoulder block, shoulder block, Boom Drop, Trouble in Paradise. Why Kofi picks up the pinfall on Wade is beyond me. In fact, this whole thing makes no sense. The face gets a cheap victory over the heel? Pro wrestling works when it is internally consistent. Taking advantage of a weakened opponent is a cheap tactic that should be saved for the bad guys. I don't understand why it happened, and -- what makes it worse -- is that the matches themselves were boring as hell. The WWE midcard continues to astound and depress me.

Main Event limped into 2013 with a severely below par episode. I try not to be negative about my pro wrestling, but this was just a bad episode. Outside of Cesaro's impressive spot, there was nothing of interest here.

Grade: D+

What about you, Cagesiders? How did you enjoy WWE's Wednesday night showing?