205 Live – November 7, 2018: England Suits Them
IMG Credit: WWE
205 Live
Date: November 7, 2018
Location: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
We’re across the pond this week with another show as we now have a new #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title. Speaking of champion Buddy Murphy, he’ll be facing Mark Andrews tonight as a little bit of an international showdown. Other than that, it’s hard to say what we might be seeing around here but lately, that’s not the worst thing in the world. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Drake Maverick praises Mustafa Ali for becoming #1 contender and previews tonight’s show.
Opening sequence.
TJP/Mike Kanellis vs. Lucha House Party
Kalisto and Dorado for the House Party here. Dorado and TJP lock up to start with TJP going straight for the mask. Instead it’s off to Kalisto for some dancing and an armdrag. The fast pace continues with Dorado coming in for a splash and it’s off to Kanellis. The villains are sent outside and we get some double bicep poses from the masked guys. Back in and Dorado dropkicks Kanellis into an armdrag but it’s a cheap shot from TJP to take over.
Some running corner clotheslines keep Kanellis in control until TJP comes in and misses a running knee in the corner. The diving tag brings in Kalisto and it’s time to speed things up in a hurry. Kanellis comes in off a blind tag though and pulls Kalisto to the floor for a Russian legsweep into the barricade (with what has to be his third heard spot call of the match). Back in and the rib work continues but Kalisto reverses a waistlock into a DDT to bring in Dorado.
House is cleaned and a moonsault gets two on TJP. A double Golden Rewind cuts off the villains and it’s the stereo moonsaults to the floor for the big crash. TJP is fine enough to grab the very fast kneebar with Kalisto having to make the save. With Kalisto back outside, TJP pulls off the mask and celebrates, even though Dorado’s second mask is visible the second the first one comes off. A little dancing and a hurricanrana finish TJP at 10:07.
Rating: C. Not too bad here and it’s a good sign that TJP took the fall. Kanellis is still new around here and there’s no need to have him take a loss this early with TJP around. If nothing else it gives the House Party a win back after all the losses as the feud with TJP continues. The luchadors are still the right choice to open this show and that’s not the biggest surprise in the world. It’s a good act and the fans have fun with them so they’ll likely be around for awhile.
Post match TJP and Kanellis are ready to keep going but Maria says she’s got this.
Cedric Alexander was training at the Performance Center (with Steve Corino) when Lio Rush came in to mock Alexander for his losing streak. A match is made for next week.
Lio Rush vs. Josh Morrell
Morrell tells him to bring it and scores with an early enziguri. He heads up top so Rush shows him how to really hit one of those things, knocking Morrell out to the floor. A pretty hard Cannonball sets up the Final Hour for the pin on Morrell at 2:04. Rush getting ticked off because someone got in a shot on him is a good way to go and shows you how well he can do when the cockiness is knocked away.
Post match Rush talks about Alexander going back to the Performance Center and how hard he’s been working. That’s fine, but no one works harder than Rush. Next week, the Age of Alexander meets its final hour. Nice promo from Rush here as he was more serious than usual.
Video on Mark Andrews.
Mustafa Ali says he used to be called a baby but now he’s called the heart and soul of 205 Live. At Wrestlemania, he had a chance to be called champion and since then, he’s been fighting to get another chance. That’s the chance he has now and he’ll be called champion. I want to see him win and that’s not a feeling I often have.
Buddy Murphy vs. Mark Andrews
Non-title. The much bigger Murphy powers him into the corner so Andrews gets smart by slipping out and armdragging him down. The standing moonsault misses and that’s an early standoff. A quick run around the ring lets Andrews get two off a sunset flip back inside and Murphy gets kicked to the floor. Andrews hits a flip dive into a hurricanrana but gets lawn darted into the middle buckle back inside. A backbreaker makes things even worse for Andrews and the armbar goes on.
Andrews jawbreaks his way to freedom and hits a sick looking reverse hurricanrana (Murphy landed on top of his head) to send the champ outside. That means another shot to knock him over the announcers’ table and a diving forearm over the table keeps Murphy in trouble. Andres nails a flip dive off the steps and a standing corkscrew moonsault gets two. A moonsault into a tornado DDT is countered into a sitout powerbomb and Murphy is looking much better. Stundog Millionaire makes things a little worse but the shooting star hits raised knees. Murphy’s Law gives Murphy the pin at 10:58.
Rating: C+. Pretty good match here with Andrews getting to showcase himself a lot. There’s nothing wrong with losing to the champ, who gets a nice win here as well. They’re setting Murphy up for the big showdown with Ali and it’s a good idea to remind people that he really is good at what he does.
Overall Rating: C+. England suits this show well with a good night of action for the most part. This was a more story advancing show and that’s all well and good with the title match at Survivor Series and a big match set for next week as well. Above all else though I want to see Ali win the title and that’s a good way to get you invested in the next few shows. Nice stuff tonight, which isn’t much of a surprise.
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