205 Live – December 10, 2021: They’re Already There

205 Live
Date: December 10, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re in a weird place with this show as WWE has actually realized that this show has little to do with the cruiserweight division and hasn’t been live in years. It might actually be time to change things up a bit and that is long overdue. Granted the show has already changed everything but the name, so maybe now it’s time to complete the ordeal. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Amari Miller vs. Lash Legend

I’ll take this over Legend talking. Legend shoves her down to start but Miller isn’t impressed. A dropkick staggers Legend but she blocks an armdrag without much effort. There’s an overhead suplex into a nipup as Miller is in trouble early. A release fall away slam sets up a big boot to the chest but Miller avoids a charge in the corner. Miller is back with a springboard Codebreaker into a cradle for two of her own, only to have Legend shrug it off. Something like a torture rack (over Legend’s back instead of the shoulders) spun into a faceplant finishes Miller at 3:30.

Rating: C-. This was a fine near squash for Legend, but those Lashing Out segments have completely destroyed any interest I could have in her. She is a bit bigger than a lot of the division and has the power to back it up, but that is going to go sailing out of the window when the next talking segment starts up. Miller is becoming a regular around here and is starting to look more comfortable in the ring, so there might be a future there.

Andre Chase vs. Guru Raaj

They go technical to start, with Chase working on the arm. A monkey flip out of the corner gets Raaj out of trouble but Chase pulls him down by the hair in a hurry. The stomps with the pointing at the student section ensue and we hit the cross arm choke. Raaj fights up with some kicks and a backsplash, setting up a bulldog out of the corner for two. Back up and Chase hits a running big boot into an arm trap Downward Spiral to finish Raaj at 4:59.

Rating: C. Chase has a dead end gimmick and Raaj is little more than a jobber so this is about as good as it could have been. Giving Chase a win doesn’t give him anything but it will make him mean a little bit more before he gets to put someone else over in the future. That has worked for years before and it can work here, even with the whole ridiculous university deal.

We recap Joe Gacy falling to Roderick Strong at WarGames, but now he is ready to change the 205 name for the sake of….whatever Gacy is on about this week.

Malik Blade vs. Solo Sikoa

Sikoa shoves him down to start so Blade is back up with an armbar. It actually lasts a bit longer than you might have guessed, probably marking the longest offense Blade has ever had around here. Back up and a heck of a clothesline blasts Blade, setting up Sikoa’s armbar for a change.

Some dropkicks don’t do Blade much good as Sikoa spinwheel kicks him right back into the armbar. Another escape works better for Blade and he hits a running clothesline in the corner. Sikoa superkicks him out of the air and a spinning fist to the head finishes Blade off at 7:44.

Rating: D+. This was another match like some previous 205 Live main events, as they spent a good while getting to the ending. It felt like they were just killing time until the finish, which is never a good feeling. Sikoa needs the ring time though and Blade is someone who seems capable of hanging in there for a bit, but I need more than long form armbars.

Overall Rating: C-. This show is already starting to get stuck in a rut, as it is more about the young up and comers in NXT, which doesn’t exactly make for an exciting night. I can imagine the new name might breathe some life into the place for a few weeks, but it isn’t like there is any reason to believe that it will last. It’s a show that WWE doesn’t care about and that doesn’t make for the easiest watch every week.

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