205 Live – October 11, 2019: Contractual Obligations
IMG Credit: WWE
205 Live
Date: October 11, 2019
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Aiden English
So we’re back to this show after a week off and…I’m really not sure how much it matters. The Cruiserweight Title is now defended on NXT so how much importance is there going to be in having a show that takes place after the biggest show of the week? I’m sure the show will be watchable enough, but I don’t know how long it’s going to stick around. Let’s get to it.
Here are the previous show’s results if you need a recap.
We open with a recap of Lio Rush beating Drew Gulak to become Cruiserweight Champion on NXT.
Opening sequence.
Drew Gulak/Tony Nese vs. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch
I know it’s almost Halloween but there are far too many people dressed up as empty seats already. Nese headlocks Lorcan down to start but it’s off to Burch in a hurry. A series of kicks take Lorcan and Burch down at the same time with Burch being dragged into the corner. Nese slams Lorcan down but can’t hit a belly to back suplex as Lorcan backflips out and brings in Burch off an ice cold tag.
That doesn’t last long either as Nese takes him into the corner and hammers away, setting up a quick chinlock. A spinning kick to the face gives Nese two and it’s a reverse chinlock this time around. That lets commentary go into a history of Nese always siding with someone who can help him at the moment, which is an interesting path to take. Gulak comes back in and works on a wristlock but Burch shoves him away and rolls over for the tag.
The running uppercuts rock Nese and Lorcan hits a top rope flip dive onto both of them. Back in and Gulak gets DDTed for two, followed by Burch’s powerbomb into a jackknife cover for the same. Nese comes back in and hits a rolling right hand to Lorcan, who is fine enough to dive in with a headbutt to save Burch. That fast paced sequence receives…..less enthusiastic applause than your average college golf match. Nese’s 450 gets two as everything breaks down. Nese gets knocked outside and the assisted elevated DDT finishes Gulak at 11:46.
Rating: C. I feel so bad for these guys as they are out there working hard and the fans just do not care. It’s a situation where they are fighting a battle they can’t win because this isn’t what the fans paid to see. This is the bonus show at the end where most fans don’t watch it in the first place and they don’t want to see the show. That’s a shame, but it’s a situation where the wrestlers can’t win, which is just sad to see.
Video on Isaiah Swerve Scott.
After losing the title on Wednesday, Gulak says that change is the rule and he is the law.
Lio Rush had his first photo shoot and can’t believe he’s here. Everything has been worth it.
Ariya Daivari vs. Chris Bey
Daivari runs his mouth about being a high roller in Las Vegas who gets to come and go while everyone else is stuck here. After he beats up this local jabroni, he’s going to triple his money at the craps tables. Bey gets punched in the face to start and a backdrop puts him on the floor. Back in and the Iconoclasm connects, allowing Daivari to chill on top for a bit. Bey gets in some left hands and a knee to the face, only to walk into a release Rock Bottom. The hammerlock lariat finishes Bey at 2:33. The announcers kept trying to get Daivari Dinero over as a new name and….yeah sure. As long as it’s Daivari, it won’t matter.
Lucha House Party has been drafted to Smackdown.
Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Kendrick
No DQ. They stare at each other to start until Tozawa punches him out to the floor. That means it’s time to grab a kendo stick each with Tozawa getting in the first shots. A right hand to the face drops Kendrick again and Tozawa kicks him in the head. With that not working, Kendrick heads outside again and grabs a chair to pelt at Tozawa’s head to block a suicide dive.
A DDT onto the chair gets two and it’s time to duct tape Tozawa’s wrists to the top rope. That means some free shots with the kendo stick before Kendrick grabs more chairs. Two of them are set up but Tozawa gets out and drops Kendrick back first onto said chairs. Here are even more chairs, bringing the total to about ten or so. They fight over a suplex, with Tozawa finally dropping him onto them. Nice spot, though it was better when Tozawa and Mike Kanellis did it back in May onto the open chairs.
A table is brought out and gets the pop of the show but Kendrick kicks him down and hammers away with the stick. Tozawa kicks him in the face though and the backsplash from the apron puts Kendrick through the table. Back in and Tozawa puts Kendrick on more chairs but here’s Mike Kanellis to lay Tozawa out. Some kendo stick shots onto the chair onto Tozawa knock him silly and Kendrick is dragged on top for the pin at 12:43.
Rating: C. Some of the spots were good and the duct tape torture deal always works but at the same time, it feels like nothing we haven’t seen before. These guys have been dealing with each other for years and while it is still quality stuff, it isn’t something that is going to spark a lot of interest.
Kendrick and Kanellis hug to end the show.
Overall Rating: C-. It’s like this show’s soul has died. Maybe it’s all of the big changes or maybe it’s the talent at the moment, but the interest that this show had has just died for me. What are you expecting from a show that feels like it’s a contractual obligation more than anything else? The show just does not feel important and with the Cruiserweight Title going to NXT, what is the point of this show? It’s not a bad show, but it doesn’t seem like anyone cares.
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