205 Live – December 20, 2019 (Best Of 2019 Part 1): Their Sweet Spot
IMG Credit: WWE
205 Live
Date: December 20, 2019
Hosts: Aiden English, Tom Phillips
It’s the end of the year and that means it’s time to look back at the Best of 2019, which will be the case for the next two shows. I know that might sound like a joke but there has been a lot of good things for 205 Live this year, at least as far as in ring work goes. That has never been a big weakness for 205 Live so this is kind of perfect for the show. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
Note that since this is a Best Of show, I’m going to be copying and pasting the full versions of the matches. There is a chance that the matches shown are going to be clipped so what you read might not match up entirely with what you see.
The hosts welcome us to the show and introduce the concept: the top eight matches of the year. Simple enough.
8. Royal Rumble
Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Title: Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Kalisto vs. Hideo Itami
Murphy is defending and it’s one fall to a finish. Everyone goes for rollups to start but can’t get anywhere so Tozawa puts Murphy in a Black Widow. Kalisto makes a save and snaps off a hurricanrana to send Murphy outside. Itami starts cleaning house and wins a strike off with Murphy, followed by knocking Kalisto outside.
Tozawa’s dive takes Murphy out but Kalisto gets back in to clean house, including monkey flipping Tozawa off the apron onto Murphy. This time it’s Tozawa heading back inside to take over, capped off by the suicide headbutt on Itami. Buddy is back up with the running flip dive to the floor onto all three. Kalisto is up first with a hurricanrana driver for two on Murphy as the all over the place offense continues.
Murphy powerbombs Kalisto out of the corner for the same with Tozawa having to make a save. The Salida Del Sol gets a VERY close two on Itami but Murphy takes over again. It’s Itami hitting an enziguri on Murphy so Tozawa and Kalisto break it up with stereo superkicks. Murphy is right back up and countering whatever Itami’s finisher is supposed to be, setting up Murphy’s Law to retain at 12:07.
Rating: C+. This was exactly what it was supposed to be with a bunch of spots and all kinds of entertainment going on. It didn’t need to be anything more than a fast paced spotfest and that’s what they did here. Murphy retaining is fine and I liked the match well enough. It also didn’t overstay its welcome, which is often a problem with a match like this. Good stuff here.
7. Elimination Chamber
Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Title: Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa
Murphy is defending and they start fast with a battle over the wristlock. The fight heads outside with Tozawa ducking a chop to send Murphy’s hand into the post. Murphy is fine enough to drop him on the floor for an eight count and let’s go to the back for an interview with Kofi Kingston. Well actually with Xavier Woods and Big E. as Kofi is undergoing a maple syrup massage.
Tozawa gets caught in a backbreaker and a chinlock as Xavier talks about Kofi being a legend before the three of them ever got together. Dancing ensues and we go back to a full screen with Tozawa hiptossing his way out of an abdominal stretch. A running boot in the corner hits the champ, followed by a Shining Wizard for two. Murphy gets caught on top and what looks like a super gorilla press is countered into a super hurricanrana for the second near fall.
Tozawa gets pulled into a fireman’s carry facebuster, followed by a hard knee to the face to give Murphy two of his own. They chop it out until Tozawa’s bridging German suplex gets two more. A kick to the face sets up a middle rope inverted hurricanrana to send Murphy outside. That means a pair of suicide headbutts, followed by Murphy getting caught in the rope for the top rope backsplash to the back. Tozawa’s Iron Octopus has Murphy in trouble so he muscles it up into Murphy’s Law to retain at 13:21.
Rating: B-. The extra time helped this one a lot and that’s a good sign for the division. Tozawa was little more than the challenger of the month but he made the most of it and that’s the best thing possible. Murphy is almost destined for a major title match at Wrestlemania, though I’m not sure who could serve in that role.
6. Wrestlemania XXXV
Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Title: Tony Nese vs. Buddy Murphy
Nese is challenging after winning a tournament and wastes no time in trying a jumping knee. Murphy gets sent outside but is fine enough to drop Nese ribs first onto the turnbuckle as we go split screen for an ad. Well at least they didn’t do this during the TV build. Back to full with Nese fighting out of a chinlock and suplexing the champ into the corner. Murphy gets tied in the ropes for a Lionsault but catches Nese with a superkick. A spinning faceplant gets two and some knees to the face have Nese in more trouble.
Nese is fine enough to hit a reverse hurricanrana and they trade a series of strikes to the face. Nese’s kneeling over the back piledriver gets two, followed by the 450 for the same. Murphy is right back up with Murphy’s Law but Nese gets a foot on the rope. With nothing else working, Murphy tries Nese’s running knee in the corner but walks into a superkick. A German suplex into the corner sets up the real running knee to give Nese the pin and the title at 10:43.
Rating: C+. Pretty good stuff here, even if I can’t imagine Nese holding the title very long. He’s the New York guy so it makes sense to have him win the title for a feel good moment. It wasn’t the most surprising thing in the world but it’s a good idea to open the night with a mostly short but effective match. Not bad at all, though Nese is a short term champion at best.
5. May 7
Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Kanellis
No DQ. Tozawa wastes no time in taking it to the floor and sending Mike into the set on the stage. The Black Widow on the floor has Kanellis in more trouble but the fall doesn’t count out there. What does count is Kanellis escaping and side slamming Tozawa onto the stage. It’s time for some weapons, including three chairs and a table this time around. Mike sets up a table on the floor, slams Tozawa down, and puts a second table next to the first.
Back in and Tozawa snaps off a hurricanrana to send Mike right back to the floor, but the suicide headbutt is superkicked out of the air. Now it’s time for the chairs with Kanellis setting up two face to face, but after nine reversals in a row, Tozawa hits the suplex to drive Kanellis through the chairs. The Shining Wizard sends Kanellis outside and a whip sends him over the announcers’ table as things are getting more violent.
In a rather stupid move, Tozawa puts a trashcan over Kanellis’ head and hits the suicide headbutt, knocking himself silly in the process. Back in and Tozawa grabs a Samoan driver through a trashcan and they’re both down again. They chop it out with Tozawa hitting the right hand, setting up an exchange of kicks to the face. A snap German suplex gives Tozawa two more as the fans want tables. I love the Dudleys but I want to smack both of them for making that a thing.
Tozawa gets in another German suplex on the apron and now it’s time for the tables. Kanellis rolls off before Tozawa can launch the top rope backsplash and scores with a superkick. That lets Mike go up top but Tozawa pops up and snaps off the super hurricanrana to drive Kanellis through the tables instead. Back in and Tozawa piles the chairs onto him, setting up the top rope backsplash for the pin at 16:05.
Rating: B. The thing that got my attention here was how the fans went from not caring at the start to actually being into the match by the end. That’s a very impressive accomplishment and they pulled it off here. Both guys worked hard here and the match was violent enough to validate the gimmick. Rather good match that felt like the blowoff the feud needed.
Maria and Kendrick come out to check on the people you would expect them to check on to end the show.
The hosts wrap it up.
Overall Rating: B-. I never know how to rate something like this, but one thing jumped out at me: three of the four matches took place on Kickoff Shows, as they couldn’t even make the main shows. The Cruiserweight Title has never meant a thing in WWE and they never even hid it. I was lucky enough to be in the crowd for the No DQ match though and that is more than worthy on this list. It was a heck of a match and the fact that almost no one saw it is as telling as you can get. Good show here, but it tells you a lot about where the show is right now.
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