https://wrestlingrumors.net/breaking-news-amore-released/
I can’t say I’m surprised after everything that happened yesterday. This is different than your usual reasons for wanting to get rid of someone and you can’t blame WWE for getting rid of him. Maybe he comes back if the allegations are proven false (as was the case with Jerry Lawler in the 90s) but otherwise, that’s it for Enzo on the big stage. No word yet on what happens with the title.
Main Event
Date: January 18, 2018
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
It’s effectively the go home week for the Royal Rumble as next week is the big 25th Anniversary of Monday Night Raw. Smackdown could still offer a few changes, but at this point there isn’t much more to be done aside from adding a few names to the Rumble matches. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Curt Hawkins vs. Rhyno
Rhyno runs him over with a shoulder to start and does it again with a clothesline but Hawkins…lays down. He knows he’s going to lose anyway so let’s just get it out of the way. That’s a trick of course and the small package only gets two. The chase goes a bit better for Hawkins as he stomps away, only to have the chinlock fail him. A TKO gives Rhyno a breather but Hawkins is right back with a clothesline of his own for two. Hawkins charges straight into a spinebuster though and the losing streak continues at 5:33.
Rating: D. This is the latest Rhyno vs. Hawkins match. Hawkins might not be anything great but his intros are funny and it could be a nice plot development for someone to lose to him. Either that or he loses to the Brooklyn Brawler on Monday and rage quits, which would be amusing enough as well.
We look at Braun Strowman ripping the set down to crush Brock Lesnar and Kane.
We see all of Strowman’s rampage from Raw, packed into one set of videos. He was fired, then he beat people up, then he flipped over a production truck, then he launched Michael Cole off a stage, then Stephanie McMahon solved everything in ten seconds.
Royal Rumble card rundown.
We look at Tuesday’s semifinal matches in the US Title Tournament.
From Smackdown.
US Title: Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal
The title is vacant coming in, Roode’s ribs are banged up, there are no Singh Brothers and Shane McMahon/Daniel Bryan are at ringside. Feeling out process to start with Mahal’s cheap shot to the ribs being cut off. They head outside with Mahal driving the bad ribs into the barricade and getting in a few more shots as we take a break.
Back with Mahal bending the ribs around the post and then slapping on an abdominal stretch (take notes Mojo). Some knees to the ribs keep Roode down and Mahal puts a knee in the back. You can’t fault the psychology here but you can fault the fans being dead bored after this lame show.
Roode gets two off a sunset flip but a superkick gives Mahal the same to keep him in control. Bobby finally sends him outside for a clothesline from the apron as the crowd is just gone here. Back in and Mahal rolls through a high crossbody for two of his own, followed by a Blockbuster for the same. Roode’s spinebuster plants Mahal again and the Khallas is reversed into the Glorious DDT to make Roode the champion at 15:44.
Rating: C. This was as exciting as Mahal working the ribs for about thirteen minutes was going to be. Roode winning was the only way they could go here with the story they were telling though and it’s nice to see Mahal fall further down the card. This win gives Roode a big marquee thing on his resume, though you can probably pencil him in for a defense against Ziggler at the Rumble. The match was watchable, but they had killed the show a long time before.
The bosses present Roode with the title to end the show.
TJP vs. Mustafa Ali
We start fast with an exchange of takedowns and reversals with TJP countering everything to very little avail. Ali misses a big kick and TJP nips up, only to be taken back down with a springboard armdrag. A spinwheel kick (good one too) drops TJP for two but he sends Ali into the corner and goes with the simple stomping. Ali is sent into the barricade and we take a break.
Back with Ali coming back with a few headbutts and the rolling X Factor for two. Ali puts him on top but gets missile dropkicked in the knee for a clever counter. The kneebar goes on in the middle of the ring but Ali makes the rope to fulfill the kneebar requirements. TJP charges into the post though and gets rolled up for the pin at 8:47.
Rating: C. This was better than I was expecting with both guys working hard and putting on a decent match when no one was going to be paying attention to it in the first place. Ali is another guy who can do a lot of good things in the ring and TJP is a talented guy, though I’m really not sold on the current losing streak deal.
Goldberg Hall of Fame announcement.
From Raw.
Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins
Jordan, Gallows and Anderson are at ringside. Balor armbars him to start but gets armdragged away, followed by a kick to the back. Seth gets sent outside though and a kick to the chest puts him down as we take a break. Back (after a Raw moment of the 1-2-3 Kid pinning Razor Ramon in a huge upset) with Rollins hitting the Blockbuster but hurting his knee. It’s fine enough to try the suicide dive though and Balor is down again.
They get back inside with Rolling hitting a forearm to the back but having Balor slip out of the Falcon Arrow. The Sling Blade takes Rollins down, only to have Seth come back with his own. Balor gets in another Sling Blade but charges into a superkick for two. I really wouldn’t emphasize how they both use the same move like that but have it their way. The Wind-Up knee is countered with a forearm so Rollins enziguris him down. Seth has to roll through the Phoenix splash and gets caught with the shotgun dropkick in the corner.
The Coup de Grace is broken up with the superplex into the Falcon Arrow for two more and both guys are down. Seth’s frog splash hits the knees though and Balor rolls him up for….two apparently but here’s the Bar to interrupt. The brawl is on at ringside with Anderson and Gallows fighting the Bar until Balor hits a flip dive to take all four out. Another kick to the head sets up the Coup de Grace but Rollins rolls away. Cesaro’s distraction allows Jordan to trip Balor and Rollins hits the curb stomp (WHERE IN THE WORLD HAS THAT BEEN???) for the pin at 15:18.
Rating: C+. Seth’s eternally present knee selling issues aside, this was the kind of main event match that always works. They were pushing the idea of the messed up fall quite a bit here and that leads me to think we’re heading for a rematch. I’m really not sure about the idea of Balor losing so soon after his renewed push but that’s WWE for you.
Overall Rating: C+. The stuff from the week’s show was good and felt eventful while the original matches weren’t bad at all. As usual, this show is up and down every single week and it’s really a guess about whether or not the show is going to be good. At least there was something this time though and that’s more than you get most of the time.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
https://wrestlingrumors.net/1-moment-monday-night-raw-history/
Again?
So WWE has put together the top 100 moments in Raw history with the top 25 being voted on by the fans. This Monday a countdown video was released and the top five were:
5. The First Stunner to Vince
4. Chris Jericho Debuts
3. Occupy Raw
2. Pipe Bomb
1. Austin and the Beer Truck
I’m kind of stunned that the Pipe Bomb was allowed to be mentioned but it had to be on there. The beer truck….ok I guess, but it never struck me as being head and shoulders above everything. Actually it was the beer truck that was also voted the #1 moment at the ten year anniversary.
I’d have gone with Foley winning the title for the first time. It’s emotional, memorable, entertaining and FREAKING LOUD. That one sticks with a lot of people and almost every big name in the company is right there for it.
https://wrestlingrumors.net/rumor-roman-reigns-involved-steroid-distribution-ring-miami/
It’s way, WAY too early to know if this is going anywhere, but if it’s true I’d be stunned if he gets the title in New Orleans. With the TV deal coming up, I don’t think WWE would want to pull the trigger on something like this.
That of course brings up the major problem: what if they postpone THIS TIME FOR SURE until XXXV and make us waste another year on this nonsense? I don’t think I can take that again.
205 Live
Date: January 16, 2018
Location: Laredo Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph
Welcome to the shortened version of the show as we’re now down to just half an hour thanks to Mixed Match Challenge (I need to send that show a Christmas card.). We’re coming up on the Royal Rumble with Enzo Amore defending the Cruiserweight Title against Cedric Alexander (again) so let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
TJP vs. Gran Metalik
Rematch from last week where Metalik won and sent TJP into a tailspin. Thankfully Metalik is back to his normal look and out of the Black Panther style mask. TJP runs him over for a very fast one and it’s off to a front facelock. You know, wrestling. Back up and Metalik hits a very high angle springboard armdrag as we see Kalisto watching backstage.
TJP is sent outside for a top rope Asai moonsault as things are starting to speed up a bit. They head inside again with Metalik trying….something off the ropes, allowing TJP to dropkick him in the back and out of the air. That’s a very simple counter but it works exactly as it needs to. The slingshot hilo gives TJP two and we hit the chinlock (because of course we do).
With that not working, TJP ties him in the Tree of Woe, only to miss a baseball slide and hit the post. A superkick and a rope walk dropkick set up the rope walk elbow for a VERY close two. The Metalik Driver is countered but Metalik reverses the Detonation Kick into a rollup for the pin at 5:17.
Rating: C. I like both of these guys and I like the fact that they didn’t go with the 50/50 booking even more. There’s a chance this is leading to some kind of a turn for TJP but I’m wondering what they have in mind for Metalik. Of course on this show, it’s likely joining the Zo Train or nothing. At least they’re going somewhere though.
Post break, TJP is livid again in the back and might be crying.
We look back at Hideo Itami attacking Jack Gallagher with Jack’s own umbrella last week. As long as they don’t have Itami talk, he’ll be fine.
Gallagher has been hearing Brian Kendrick’s face being broken over and over but now he wants to hear Itami scream. He’ll find Itami’s weakness and exploit it because he is now the man with a plan. So his plan is to just hurt Itami somehow? That’s quite the broad plan.
Here are Cedric Alexander and Goldust for a chat. Goldust talks about how our lives are determined by opportunities. Some might say their friendship is curious but Cedric is a star on the cusp of a golden opportunity. Cedric digs that and Goldust calls him the DiCaprio to Goldust’s Scorsese. So neither of them are going to win for a really long time?
Cue Enzo Amore and the Zo Train to say they deserve an Academy Award for acting all buddy buddy. Goldust doesn’t appreciate being called funny because the only clown he sees is right in front of him looking like a swamp duck. Threats are issued but Enzo says Goldust has to beat the entire Zo Train first. Goldust says bring it on.
Goldust vs. Zo Train
Drew Gulak (along with Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese) starts for the team and slaps Goldust in the face. An early hip attack puts Gulak down and it’s off to Daivari, who is atomic dropped for his efforts. The numbers game offers a distraction though and Daivari hammers Goldust from behind.
Nese comes in for the choking in the corner, followed by a hard running forearm. We hit the neck crank for a bit, only to have Nese miss a charge into the corner. It’s back to Gulak who eats a quick bulldog, followed by the snap powerslam for two. Nese knocks Goldust to the floor but dives onto Daivari by mistake. Cedric dives onto Enzo and the Final Cut ends Gulak at 4:00.
Rating: D. So not only does the old heavyweight come onto the cruiserweight show and get treated like a big star straight out of the gate but he beats the heel goons clean in short order. I don’t want to hear about the Zo Train being anything more than lackeys ever again as this was even more destruction after they already lost almost all of their value in the first place. There is zero reason for Enzo to keep the title another day, which is why you can pencil him in for a title defense at Wrestlemania.
Overall Rating: C-. Words cannot describe how glad I am that Mixed Match Challenge is a thing for the next three months as it means this show is now half the length. This was WAY easier to sit through as they didn’t have time to waste on matches that didn’t need to go on as long as they did and offered nothing but filler. 205 Live would seem to be in some trouble now and I really, really hope the change is permanent even after the Mixed Match Challenge is over.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
Mixed Match Challenge Episode #1
Date: January 16, 2018
Location: Laredo Energy Arena, Laredo, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Beth Phoenix
This is a new concept for WWE as they’re airing on Facebook for the first time ever. In this case we have a tournament of mixed matches with the winners earning money for a charity. There will be twelve episodes with twelve teams vying for the money with one match a week. I have no idea what to expect here so let’s get to it.
No opening sequence here, which is quite the jarring difference.
Renee Young and Byron Saxton are on the floor as hosts.
We get quick vignettes from both teams, basically saying they’re going to win. They’re definitely assuming you’ve watched WWE before so this definitely isn’t treating the fans like a new audience.
We get some rapid fire vignettes from other teams, including Carmella eating pancakes and Nia Jax being presented with some lucky underwear.
First Round: Finn Balor/Sasha Banks vs. Shinsuke Nakamura/Natalya
Nakamura has an old Jim Neidhart Hart Foundation jacket, complete with the big shoulders. The women start things off and Natalya bails into the corner. It’s quickly off to the men and Phoenix is already coming off as the best analyst WWE has had in years. They fight over a technical sequence and it’s an early standoff as they’re playing this as even. Neither can get much control off an armbar so Nakamura tells him to COME ON.
That means another standoff and Balor throws up the Too Sweet sign. The women come in again and Sasha hits her pose before slapping Natalya in the face. Something like an atomic drop and a basement dropkick give Natalya two but Banks is right back with the double knees in the corner (haven’t seen that one in awhile). Natalya bails to the floor so Sasha dives onto…Nakamura, who calmly puts her back on the apron. The second dive takes Natalya down but Sasha walks into the discus forearm, followed by the chinlock.
Hang on a second though as we need to look at Sami Zayn and Becky Lynch talking about the show. We hit the abdominal stretch with Natalya lifting the foot off the mat for some bonus pressure. Eh she’s a Hart so she should know this stuff. Sasha flips her away without too much effort and brings Balor back in to speed things back up.
Nakamura kicks Balor in the head though and hits the running knee for two. Kinshasa is countered with the Sling Blade but Natalya breaks up the Coup de Grace. Sasha throws Natalya outside but Kinshasa is countered again, this time with Nakamura being sent into the post. Stereo basement dropkicks set up the Bank Statement to make Natalya tap at 12:48.
Rating: C. And that’s the problem: there’s no real animosity here and they’re just having matches for the sake of having a match. It doesn’t help that it’s not exactly a thrilling concept and the match wasn’t anything we haven’t seen done better before. Balor and Banks winning makes sense as they’re a more popular combination, mainly because Banks actually has some charisma.
Next week: Big E./Carmella vs. Asuka/The Miz.
New Day is fired up and Carmella is in a washing machine.
Miz speaks English and Asuka shouts in Japanese before they both speak English (BECAUSE ASUKA CAN FREAKING SPEAK ENGLISH!).
Overall Rating: C. I liked the show well enough, but I’m not sure how long of a shelf life this is going to have. It’s not the most thrilling thing in the world, though there might be some interesting matches going on later in the brackets. The fact that it’s only about twenty five minutes an episode will do it A LOT of favors though as it’s more like something to do on Tuesday instead of something really important. Not bad, but totally skippable.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
https://wrestlingrumors.net/breaking-confirmation-ricochet-mann/
So yeah, you knew this one was coming sooner or later. RIcochet is one of the best high fliers in the world and at just under thirty years old, there’s no reason to not come to the big show. He’s had some success in New Japan so now it’s time to go to WWE and see what he can do. Of course it’s in NXT first (as it should be), but I’m a bit scared of what we might be seeing over in WWE. That being said, Ricochet has the charisma and talking ability to make this work and could be a big star, assuming he’s not just thrown onto 205 Live and left to drown.
Main Event
Date: January 11, 2018
Location: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph
What does it say that we’re less than a week removed from the most recent episodes of Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live and I can barely remember what happened? We’re building towards two of the biggest shows of the year and I’m drawing blanks on what went down. That’s not a great sign for either show and hopefully it’s not one for this show too. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Dana Brooke vs. Alicia Fox
Now Brooke beat Mickie James last week, which more or less guarantees that she loses here, just for the sake of the dumbest result possible. They take turns slamming each other down by the hair before Brooke grabs a waistlock. Back up and Fox tries a flying shoulder but bounces off of Brooke, who of course hits the pose.
Brooke tries a charge of her own but gets kicked out to the floor so Fox can take over. We hit the chinlock for a few seconds before the bridging northern lights gives Fox two. Dana clotheslines her a few times and tries the handspring elbow, only to flip into two raised boots. The ax kick gives Fox the pin at 5:45.
Rating: D. Yeah I knew that. Somehow, I just knew that was going to be the case. Brooke really isn’t that great in the ring but I still like her for some reason that I just can’t quite place. If she could reach a level of plain competence, she could be a nice little midcard fixture. Fox is the same person she’s been for years, which is to say acceptable and not much more.
From Raw for the first time.
Here are Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar to talk about old school. The thing is, this is a progressive industry where you need fresh ways to present the ideas to the audience and the general public. They’ve gotten away from the old school way of promoting a Universal Title match (oh come on), which was all about finding a challenger who could possibly pin or tap out a champion.
Now the Universal Title is marketed as how could Brock survive this time. Even Lesnar thinks it sucks. At the Rumble, it’s Brock vs. monster #1 and monster #2 but the only cliffhanger is who Lesnar will pin. Heyman knows no one can beat this man and that’s all that matters. Lesnar goes up the ramp but here’s Kane for the fight.
They fight into the back where Braun Strowman shows up and runs them both over. Brock is thrown into a wall where a big case falls on him. Strowman throws another case onto Kane (that is some scary power) before pulling out….a grappling hook? He attaches it to a big old piece of the set and pulls it down onto both guys for a huge crash, sending Heyman and everyone else behind him into fits of screams. That was quite the set piece and my goodness it should have killed them both. Worry not though, as I’m sure Lesnar will be just fine to lose to Reigns in New Orleans.
I know that’s harped on but it’s the problem with the entire Universal Title picture. Why should I even possibly buy that Strowman, who Lesnar has already beaten, or Kane (because HA) is going to take the title at the Rumble? Even if they do, there’s no way they’re defending it at Wrestlemania because that’s Reigns’ spot and everyone knows it. I know it sounds lame but that’s what goes through my head every time I see anything related to the title.
Post break, Brock was taken out on a stretcher while Kane was allowed to walk away on his own. Well limp away but you get the idea. Lesnar didn’t want to go to the hospital but went anyway.
Recap of Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon’s recent issues on Smackdown.
From Smackdown.
AJ Styles/Shinsuke Nakamura/Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn
The threat of an RKO sends Owens bailing to the floor before coming back in for some right hands. It’s off to Sami vs. Nakamura as the announcers talk about the Freebird Rule for the potential of co-WWE Champions. A kick to the face sends Sami outside and an attempt at the Styles Clash sends the villains walking up the ramp.
Cue Shane, because we haven’t seen him enough tonight. The match is restarted (it never stopped) with no countouts. Back from a break with AJ fighting Owens off and hitting the fireman’s carry backbreaker. The hot tag brings in Orton for the snap powerslam on Zayn, followed by the hanging DDT. Orton loads up the RKO but Owens chairs him in the ribs for the DQ at….oh of course Shane comes out to say restart it with No DQ.
AJ knocks Owens up the ramp and into the back with a chair, leaving Sami trapped. The chase is on but Sami can’t quite make it over the barricade. Orton loads up the steps and then drops Sami back first onto the announcers’ table. Kinshasa drops Zayn and the RKO is good for the pin at 14:54.
Rating: D+. What do you want me to say here? The good guys had a big advantage and used that advantage to win, including a pair of restarts in the process. This was everything you would have guessed the match would be and really didn’t deviate from that premise. There’s not much these guys can do when EVERYTHING in this story has been about Shane vs. Bryan, which at the moment can’t be an actual match. I’m still begging for the big swerve where it’s Shane as the heel, but that’s getting more and more unlikely with each passing week for reasons I don’t want to understand.
Ariya Daivari/Drew Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali/Akira Tozawa
Gulak and Tozawa start things off with Drew demanding no chanting. Instead Tozawa kicks him down for the jumping backsplash and it’s off to the arm. Daivari makes a blind tag though and jumps Tozawa from behind as we take a break. Back with Daivari’s frog splash getting two on Ali. Everything breaks down in short order (without a hot tag either), allowing Tozawa to hit his suicide dive on Daivari. The 054 ends Gulak at 8:22.
Rating: C. I’m running out of ways to say “they did the same thing they always do” in these cruiserweight matches but that’s the case here again. This was every bit out of the old 205 Live playbook with a completely standard tag match (not a bad thing) and nothing we haven’t seen time after time. It could have been worse, which often times is the best thing that can be said about a match.
Quick look at the US Title tournament.
Royal Rumble rundown.
We see a little bit of Miz’s return on Raw.
From Raw to close things up.
Balor Club vs. Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins/Jason Jordan
Balor and Rollins start things off with Balor scoring off an early double stomp. It’s off to Anderson in a hurry but Reigns tags himself in so house can be cleaned in a hurry, including a double shoulder to Balor. Back from a break with Reigns working over Balor until a Sling Blade cuts him off. Gallows and Anderson take over in the corner with Luke grabbing a chinlock. Anderson drops a knee and puts on a chinlock of his own.
Back up and Reigns gets in a clothesline to drop Anderson but Gallows won’t give up the hot tag. The third chinlock goes on but Reigns no sells a big boot and scores with a Superman Punch. The hot tag brings in Rollins for the Blockbuster, followed by a Sling Blade on Anderson. Gallows breaks up the Wind-Up knee and Anderson’s spinebuster gets two.
Rollins makes the tag to Reigns but Jordan distracts the referee by mistake so Rollins stays legal. A Magic Killer plants Rollins so Reigns goes outside to fight two on one. Jordan tries to help Rollins up, allowing Balor to hit the shotgun dropkick. The Coup de Grace gives Balor the pin at 15:28.
Rating: C-. The chinlockery hurt this a lot but I’m not sure anyone was expecting this to be any more than another wedge between Jordan and company, which is all it needed to be. That team isn’t going to hold together that much longer and it makes sense to have them split up just in time for the Rumble.
Post match Miz and the Miztourage come in to attack Rollins, Jordan and Reigns. Roman takes a Skull Crushing Finale and the TripleBomb to end the show.
Overall Rating: D+. Yeah there’s a reason I didn’t remember anything from this week. This was a run of the mill show and the highlights really didn’t offer anything of note. That’s part of the problem with the build to the Rumble: once everything is set, there’s really not much to do other than sit around and wait on the show. Raw 25 will help that a lot, but it’s not like there’s anything overly interesting on this week’s shows.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/
And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:
205 Live
Date: January 9, 2018
Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
Another Raw (the show where the real cruiserweight stuff happens) has come and gone and Enzo Amore is STILL Cruiserweight Champion as he retained via countout last night. Enzo also came up with a bad ankle, which means we might wait even longer before getting the title off of him. Let’s get to it.
We open with a recap of last night’s title match with Amore injuring his ankle on a flip dive over the top, setting up the countout loss. You can probably pencil the rematch in for the Rumble and I think my head is going to explode if Enzo keeps the title any longer than that.
Opening sequence.
Earlier today, TJP came up to Gran Metalik and Kalisto in the back to brag about winning the Cruiserweight Classic. I love it when these grown men talk like thirteen year olds (albeit with the standard obsession with specific names and titles).
TJP vs. Gran Metalik
TJP returned last week and Metalik is back after his latest sabbatical for no apparent reason. Metalik now has a black mask which really doesn’t suit him very well. The early flip off goes in Metalik’s favor and a hard armdrag sets up an armbar on TJP. A basement dropkick has TJP in trouble as the announcers wonder if Metalik’s loss in the Cruiserweight Classic final is still bothering him. If he’s not over it in a year plus, he’s not getting over the thing.
Metalik misses a dive and gets caught with an uppercut on the floor. He’s fine enough to dive off the steps into a hurricanrana though and it’s time to head back inside. TJP kicks him in the ribs though and it’s off to the Tree of Woe. The running basement dropkick gets two and we hit the chinlock.
Back up and the springboard forearm gets two (minus the nipup, which TJP loaded up and then just didn’t do), followed by a belly to back suplex for the same. Metalik gets sent hard into the corner but is right back up with a sunset bomb off the post (cool looking move) to put both guys down. It’s Metalik up first though with the rope walking dropkick getting two. The double chickenwing gutbuster gives TJP two but Metalik slips out of the Detonation Kick. Instead he dropkicks TJP into the Metalik Driver for the pin at 9:04.
Rating: C. What was up with the booking here? TJP comes back last week and is losing clean to Metalik here? I like both guys quite a bit but TJP losing here makes no sense whatsoever. If Enzo’s booking has taught us anything, it’s that 205 Live needs star power more than ever. If that’s the case, keep TJP winning and find someone else for Metalik to beat. Or just keep doing what you’re doing and wonder why this show is death.
Post match TJP snaps and breaks a bunch of stuff, including the announcers’ area. It’s nice that they’re giving him something, but again STOP DOING IT RIGHT AFTER HE LOSES CLEAN!
We look at Nia Jax checking on Enzo Amore after his ankle injury on Raw.
A banged up Enzo says he’s thinking about getting the Ford logo tattooed on his back because he’s Ford tough. He’ll be back to take care of Alexander but here’s Tony Nese to say he wants back on the team. Not only that but he wants to be the top guy (the Bob to Enzo’s Joker if you will). Enzo likes the idea but doesn’t say yes. Egads can we get to the end of Enzo’s title reign so the heels can grow some spines again?
Here’s Jack Gallagher to talk about taking Hideo Itami out last week. Itami is out licking his wounds at the moment but as soon as he’s back, Gallagher has even more damage in store for him. Gallagher isn’t pleased with the fans not caring but shifts back to talks of torturing Itami. This of course brings out Itami, giving us an awesome sneer from Gallagher. The fight is on with Gallagher taking an umbrella shot to the head to send Jack running off. The fans didn’t quite react to this and Itami’s “COME ON” didn’t help matters. Just be the silent assassin because everything else isn’t working for him.
Cedric Alexander is ready to win tonight and Goldust comes in to compliment him on banging Enzo up last night. Alexander promises to hurt Enzo even worse next time and Goldust likes the idea. They almost have to be getting ready to have Goldust screw him out of the title right? I have no idea what that accomplishes but it wouldn’t shock me all that much. Whatever gives us more Amore right?
Tony Nese vs. Cedric Alexander
Enzo handles Nese’s entrance. After some long posing to start, Nese cranks on the wristlock (way too common of a start in WWE these days). Nese takes him down and makes sure to suck up to Enzo. Cedric is sent face first into the apron and then the barricade before we hit a neck crank back inside. Back up and Cedric’s chop doesn’t get him very far as a hard whip sends him into the corner. Nese misses a charge though and the slingshot Downward Spiral takes him down.
For some reason he thinks going outside is a good idea, apparently never having watched a Cedric match before. The running flip dive gives Cedric two more and the springboard clothesline is good for the same (at least both looked quite good). The Neuralizer is countered into a gutbuster and Nese takes over. Another fireman’s carry is escaped but Cedric hurts his knee. A very fast small package gives Cedric the pin at 8:56.
Rating: C-. Pretty standard 205 Live main event with Enzo running his mouth the whole time and taking away a lot of the focus that the wrestlers could have had. They’re doing a very good job of making me want to see him lose but knowing WWE, they won’t know when to pull the trigger and we’ll be stuck with Enzo bringing this show down until Wrestlemania or so.
Post match Cedric is perfectly fine (and pointing at his brain) as Enzo tells Nese to get out now. Cedric looks down at Enzo’s feet and kicks out the good ankle, followed by the Lumbar Check to end the show.
Overall Rating: D+. As is always the case with an Enzo era show, none of this stuff feels like it matters. TJP loses to Metalik and Gallagher vs. Itami continues? Good for them, but none of those four are likely to be near the Cruiserweight Title anytime soon (well maybe Itami) and fans seem to know it. With so much of the time going to Enzo, everyone else gets left in the dust and that’s going to be a problem when you don’t have Enzo on top anymore. But hey, at least 205 Live cracked the top ten WWE Network shows a few times right?
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Paige and Mark Henry have both retired, with the former due to injury and the latter seemingly just because he’s old enough to.
https://411mania.com/wrestling/paige-wrestling-wwe-ending/
https://411mania.com/wrestling/mark-henry-considered-retired-wwe-without-fanfare/
Henry leaving isn’t a big surprise as he hasn’t wrestled since Wrestlemania XXXIII and honestly, it’s not that big of a loss at this point. He was awesome in 2011 but aside from that, it was a lot of the same old stuff from him. He was a heck of a mainstay though, especially given how one note his character was for a long time.
Paige…egads. She’s 25, has a long resume and just came back after a long hiatus due to injury. I was really interested in seeing what was going to happen with the Absolution stable but now, I can’t imagine things going well for the other members. This is quite the shame and I’d have loved to see Paige against the newer women.