IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 11, 2019
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things are getting a little more interesting around here as there is a small army ready to challenge Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Title. This could set up a variety of title matches at Stomping Grounds, which could certainly use the extra help. Other than that we have Drake Maverick chasing R-Truth, because that’s what General Managers mean around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Maverick opens the show and addresses the criticisms against him for chasing the 24/7 Title. Therefore, tonight he’s made a fatal four way match to crown a new #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title at Stomping Grounds. See? He can do his job and be obsessed over the comedy title at the same time.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Chad Gable

Gable is a surprise addition to the roster. Gallagher takes him to the mat to start and puts on a leglock, but throws in a little smile to show it’s ok. That’s escaped with a roll out and Gable spins to his feet for a standoff. The handstand walk gets Gallagher out of a headlock (that’s always cool) so they fight over a test of strength, giving us the exchange of monkey flips into the stereo neck bridges.

Back up and Gable tries to take out the legs but gets rolled over, allowing Gallagher to dropkick him to the floor. A whip sends Gallagher into the steps and seems more than pleased with a countout. That’s only good for a nine though so Gallagher starts bending the fingers back (English: “Don’t let an Englishman get a hold of your fingers!!!”). Gallagher’s rather delayed vertical suplex gets two but Gable whips him hard into the corner.

Some rolling belly to belly suplexes into a dragon suplex gets two on Gallagher and we hit the ankle lock. That’s reversed into a loose Fujiwara armbar from Gallagher, which is reversed into a tiger driver for two. Back up and Gallagher blasts him with a clothesline and they’re both down. Gable gets sent outside but catches a suicide dive and hits a heck of a release German suplex. Gallagher gets up at seven, falls down at eight, and can’t dive back inside in time for the countout at 11:55.

Rating: B-. The ending was a little weird as it seemed that Gallagher messed up the timing a bit. If nothing else it’s strange to have Gable debut and win via countout, but the point was proven. What mattered most here was to make Gable look like a different kind of cruiserweight and that’s what they did. He’s tailor made for this show and he could easily become a top star around here in a hurry. Why it took them this long is beyond me, but at least it’s finally happened.

Mike and Maria Kanellis come in and rant to Maverick about how Mike should have faced Gable instead of Gallagher. Maverick is tired of their whining so Maria hints that Maverick might be losing his job.

We look back at Drew Gulak attacking Noam Dar last week and taking his spot in a match.

Dar doesn’t feel safe working here and wants to be in NXT UK permanently.

Singh Brothers vs. Dos Locales

They’re Sacramento’s Best Luchadors, but more importantly, the Singh Brothers have won the Boscar, which may or may not be an award the two of them invented. Sumir starts with we’ll say #1 but stops for some dancing. Sunil comes in and dances with #1 before getting dropkicked down. #2 comes in and gets kicked in the face but we need to stop for some dancing. Stomping in the corner sets up a superkick and the Bollywood Blast (Demolition Decapitator from the top) is good for the pin on #2 at 3:25.

Rating: D. The Singh Brothers are fine for a tag team around here, though they need some other teams to feud against. The Lucha House Party is going to be fine for part of that, but the Brothers need more than one team. Then again 205 Live specials in figuring out how to make the most out of a small roster so they can figure something out for everyone involved.

Tony Nese would be happy to face any of the four people in tonight’s #1 contenders match, though Drew Gulak seems to intrigue him more than anyone else.

Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Oney Lorcan

One fall to a finish and the winner gets the Cruiserweight Title shot against Nese at Stomping Grounds. Gulak dropkicks Carrillo at the bell and it’s Gulak and Lorcan catching a springboarding Carrillo for good measure. Carrillo is right back up to knock Tozawa down and hit a standing moonsault for an early two. Tozawa fights out of the half and half and hits a release F5 on Lorcan.

A sitout version hits Carrillo and, after a shot to the face, it’s another sitout version to Gulak. It’s Lorcan back up with the running uppercuts though, followed by a standing version to knock Carrillo out of the air. Gulak puts Tozawa in a torture rack and tosses him into an uppercut to the back of the head as we get the soon to be broken alliance. Indeed, it lasts all of ten seconds before they start fighting each other but Carrillo breaks it up.

Gulak German suplexes Carrillo for two with Tozawa making the save. Another suplex gets another two on Carrillo and it’s off to the neck crank. Gulak has to roll out of a half and half suplex attempt so Carrillo superkicks him instead. Tozawa and Lorcan double hiptoss Carrillo into Gulak in the corner but then get in the required argument over who can have the pin. Carrillo’s Gory Bomb is countered into a rollup for two and it’s a superkick each for Carrillo and Gulak.

Lorcan breaks up the top rope backsplash though, followed by a half and half to Castillo onto Gulak. It’s Tozawa breaking up the cover with a top rope backsplash though and all four are down. Everyone winds up on the apron and this is just dangerous. Carrillo is the only one who doesn’t get knocked to the floor so that means a big running flip dive onto Lorcan. Back in and Lorcan hits a double running Blockbuster on Castillo and Tozawa to send them outside again.

That leaves us with a Lorcan vs. Gulak showdown, which is actually quite the moment. They chop the heck out of each other but Lorcan dives onto the other two at ringside instead. Cue Ariya Daivari to chair Lorcan down though, leaving Tozawa to hit Trouble in Paradise on Carrillo. The top rope backsplash is broken up again though, only to have Gulak shove Carrillo to the floor. Gulak actually hits a top rope superplex on Tozawa but they lock their legs and it’s a double pin at 13:34.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match and the ending should set up either a singles match next week or a triple threat match at the pay per view, either of which should be good. The four of them all worked very hard here and while I’m not overly interested in Lorcan vs. Daivari again (though their first match was good), they set up a bunch of stuff in one match here, which is quite impressive. Very well done here.

The referees argue as Maverick comes out to see what’s going on. There is no winner announced (Fans: “ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!”) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The Singh Brothers match didn’t help things here but 205 Live continues to become one of the best shows WWE puts on every week. It’s very light on the storylines but you’re guaranteed at least one if not two very good matches and that’s a lot more than you’re going to get on the big shows. How interesting is it that this, NXT and NXT UK are all rolling right now while Raw and Smackdown are just disasters? Funny how that works, no?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 4, 2019
Location: Sames Auto Arena, Laredo, Texas
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

I don’t even know what to make of this show anymore. It seems like they’re trying to turn Tony Nese into the next big thing around here but I’m not sure that’s going to work. At the same time though, they have the General Manager running around chasing R-Truth and the 24/7 Title on the same show. Hopefully things settle down this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick gives us the opening preview, which is an idea that they didn’t really need to stray from.

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. Noam Dar

Hang on though as Drew Gulak jumps Dar from behind and takes out his leg. Dar says that it’s broken and Maverick comes out to say that you can’t start 205 Live like this. Yeah you wait until half an hour into the show to break someone’s leg. Maverick swaps in Gulak and we have a replacement.

Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak

Drew is in basic black trunks this time and his hair looks more slicked back. Tozawa puts Gulak down with chops to start and drops the backsplash for an early two. Gulak comes back with some shots out of the corner and a fall away slam for a bit of a change of pace from Gulak’s usual stuff. The cravate goes on but Tozawa slaps out and tries the Black Widow, which is reversed into a suplex.

It’s off to a chinlock as the match slows down quite a bit. That’s broken up as well so Gulak goes with the jumping elbows for two as the announcers talk about him using a different style. The neck crank goes on (Aiden: “The Drew Gulak of old would be grabbing a hold.”) before switching back to a chinlock, which apparently is no longer a hold.

Now it’s a double arm crank as Gulak is certainly mixing up the holds (or whatever Aiden thinks they are). Tozawa fights up and kicks him to the floor, setting up a running flip dive off the apron. The regular suicide dive connects and Gulak is knocked over the announcers’ table. Back in and Tozawa’s missile dropkick gets two, followed by the Black Widow. The hold breaks down but Gulak manages to get his foot on the rope for the break. Now it’s Gulak’s turn to take him down, this time for a Texas Cloverleaf.

That’s broken up as well so they slug it out with Gulak getting the better of it off a hard clothesline. A gutwrench faceplant gets two and it’s off to the nerve hold. Tozawa fights up with a basement dropkick as we hear a producer in a voice probably not meant for us. Gulak counters the top rope backsplash with a superplex and a torture rack neckbreaker finishes Tozawa at 13:39.

Rating: B-. That one actually surprised me as I would have bet on Tozawa getting the pin. Having Gulak in his new, intense style and then lose would have been incredibly stupid but they threw a curve here. The ending is also a little questionable as Tozawa has been set up as the next challenger for a few weeks now. A triple threat is possible and that’s not something we’ve seen for the title very often, so it could work well.

Mike and Maria Kanellis don’t like the idea that Mike isn’t the best. It’s not because he hasn’t been on TV enough because he’s been the best since he debuted here two years ago. He deserves a chance because he’s not complacent. It’s time for Drake Maverick to pay attention to him instead of chasing the 24/7 Title (amen brother) so send him the best competition.

Tony Nese saw what happened in the first match and while he gets that Drake is busy, he’ll listen to whatever decision Drake comes to.

The Lucha House Party is ready for Lars Sullivan and they’ll be ready for the Singh Brothers too.

Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari

Lorcan takes him into the corner to start to go after the banged up ear, which Daivari grabs in pain. The test of strength goes to Daivari (that’s a bit surprising) but Lorcan fights up (that’s not a bit surprising) and grabs a double arm crank. Daivari reverses into one of his own and the hold stays on for a good while, almost as if they’re trying to stretch the match out to fill in the show.

Lorcan finally flips out and tries the early half and half, which is blocked without much trouble. A middle rope crossbody gives Lorcan two and it’s so quiet that we can hear fans talking in the background. Lorcan works on the arm and tries a cross armbreaker, sending Daivari feet first into the rope. They take turns on the floor and inviting the other to fight, though Lorcan is smart enough to dodge an elbow drop. Daivari is fine enough to get a neckbreaker out of the corner but the elbow is banged up again.

A hard clothesline gets the same and another one cuts off Lorcan’s chops. An Iconoclasm of all things connects for two but Daivari’s frog splash misses. One heck of a running uppercut drops Daivari and the running Blockbuster gets two. The half and half is countered into a superkick but Lorcan is right back with a DDT on the arm. A missed charge lets Daivari get the Million Dollar Dream and Lorcan is down. Now the frog splash can connect but it hurts the arm again. The delay lets Lorcan grab a crucifix for the pin at 15:38.

Rating: B. Lorcan is quite the battling face and Daivari is a lot better in the ring than he is with any kind of character stuff. The arm even played into the finish for a rare surprise. I had a good time with this and it was one of those matches that you only get on 205 Live: entertaining, long and it might actually mean something in the future.

Post match Daivari misses a charge and gets low bridged to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. As usual, 205 Live works best when they focus on wrestling with only minimal storyline advancement. They’re setting up a bunch of people to challenge Nese and that’s the best thing they can do at the moment. None of the challengers are far ahead of the others so let one of them earn it or have Nese fight them at once. Either way, it’s an interesting idea and hopefully they make it work, which might actually happen around here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 28, 2019
Location: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We seem to be getting ready for Akira Tozawa to challenge for the Cruiserweight Title against Tony Nese, which is certainly an upgrade over Ariya Daivari. I’m not sure what we should expect with the rest of the show but this has become one of the better series around as of late, which says a lot about where things are in WWE these days. Let’s get to it.

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

Jack Gallagher is watching last week’s match when Humberto Carrillo comes in. They both enjoyed beating up the Singh Brothers but there is still an uneasiness between them. Gallagher needs to know that he can beat Carrillo so he’ll have a chance tonight.

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick vs. Mike Kanellis

Kendrick rushes him to start but misses a big boot. Instead it’s an early Captain’s Hook attempt with Kanellis bailing to the floor. Kendrick follows him outside though and Kanellis’ chop hits the post. Kanellis is fine enough to hit a suplex into the barricade, followed by a regular one for two back inside.

The chinlock sets up a spinebuster for two on Kendrick with the kickout stopping Maria’s proud strut. Kanellis puts him on top for some chops and shoves off a leg lariat after Kendrick gets back down. Kendrick is right back with the Captain’s Hook but Kanellis gets over to the rope in a hurry. They head outside with Kendrick suplexing him off the steps for a nasty looking landing.

Back in and Sliced Bread #2 is broken up so it’s right back to the Captain’s Hook. Kanellis fights up again and gets in a Samoan driver for a needed breather. They slug it out and trade superkicks before a pair of clotheslines give us a double knockdown. Kendrick is up first and now Sliced Bread connects with a delayed cover getting two. Kanellis hits another Samoan driver into the rolling cutter for the pin at 9:47.

Rating: C+. Kanellis is starting to get better but he needs something better than the rolling cutter for a finisher. That and a personality might do him a lot of good. Getting a clean win is a positive sign for him though and a match down the line against Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Champion could be a nice match.

Nese comes in to see Drake Maverick when Tozawa comes in. The champ offers Tozawa a title match and makes a formal request but Maverick says he’s only taking it under consideration.

Ariya Daivari yells at his barber and says he’s still coming for the Cruiserweight Title. Before he gets there though, he’s going to get even with Oney Lorcan for cutting his ear open last week.

Noam Dar vs. Mike Karma

Feeling out process to start with Dar not really taking Karma all that seriously. Dar throws him outside and poses, with a chant of EASY. Another toss to the floor keeps Karma down but he comes back in for some forearms. Dar isn’t having any of that and kicks the leg out, setting up the Nova Roller for the pin at 2:22. Just a squash.

Post match Dar says he’s back despite the jet lag from performing in NXT UK. Oh and Oklahoma sucks.

Maverick talks about the potential Cruiserweight Title match….but then chases after R-Truth and the 24/7 Title. He’s the boss of a show and he’s literally in a chase scene.

Oney Lorcan thinks Ariya Daivari is looking unbalanced after last week so he’ll bust open Daivari’s other ear to even things out.

Jack Gallagher vs. Humberto Carrillo

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher spinning out of an early wristlock in that very British way. Gallagher gets in a hammerlock with his leg and pulls back on the other arm, eventually getting it behind his back to bend back onto the mat (FREAKING OW MAN!). That’s broken up to avoid the death of Carrillo’s arm and he cranks on Gallagher’s foot for some near falls. A headlock keeps Jack in trouble until he walks on his hands to escape. An armdrag into an armbar has Gallagher frustrated again and it works so well that Carrillo does it again.

Gallagher is back up with his handstand in the corner so Carrillo mirrors him in the opposite corner. With that (hand) stand off over, Carrillo gets another armdrag into a dropkick but Gallagher sends him outside. That means a whip into the barricade, followed by a kick to the head back inside as Gallagher gets a lot more aggressive. We hit the chinlock and Gallagher pulls him back down to prevent an escape. It’s off to a reverse chinlock for a real change of pace, followed by the regular chinlock again.

The holds are finally broken until a dropkick puts Carrillo down again. That doesn’t last long as Carrillo hits the springboard spinning crossbody to send Gallagher to the floor. That means the suicide dive with Carrillo coming up holding his arm. The arm is fine enough for a standing moonsault, followed by a Disaster kick for two. Carrillo gets caught up top and it’s a belly to back superplex, meaning both of them head outside for a breather.

Gallagher charges into a hiptoss into the barricade. They head to the apron with Carrillo hitting a missile dropkick to the back to keep Gallagher in trouble. The top rope moonsault hits raised boots though and Gallagher hits the running dropkick to put him on the floor. That means a dive from Gallagher but Carrillo gets a rollup for two back inside. A double clothesline gives us a double knockdown and a quick breather. Gallagher is up first for a delayed vertical suplex, which is reversed into a hard DDT. A twisting 450 gives Carrillo the pin at 16:04.

Rating: B. This was your usual long but quality main event around here as Carrillo continues to be built up. He has the look and ability to make a run around here at the moment and that’s a good idea. The finisher helps too as they haven’t had a traditional high flying face in a little while.

Post match they shake hands and hug with Gallagher leaving.

Overall Rating: B. Another good show here, assuming you don’t mind the fact that a lot of the stars on the show aren’t the most interesting in the world. They’re starting to build up some people for the next generation, but there are things that still need to be done to make the show more interesting. At least the wrestling was good though, which is better than you get a lot of the time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 21, 2019
Location: Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back stateside now and we’re past Money in the Bank, meaning it’s time to start finding the next challenger to the Cruiserweight Title as Tony Nese defeated Ariya Daivari. It’s time to find someone new and odds are we’re going to be slowly getting there over the next few weeks. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Nese retaining on Sunday.

Opening sequence.

Here are the Singh Brothers for a match but first, they declare it BOLLYWOOD TIME. Therefore, it’s NOT Lucha Time, partially because Lars Sullivan has destroyed the Lucha House Party twice in a row. Therefore, they’ll take the forfeit win. Instead here’s Drake Maverick to say we have some replacements.

Singh Brothers vs. Jack Gallagher/Humberto Carrillo

Sunil shoulders Carrillo down to start and let’s hit that dancing. Back up and Carrillo flips over Sunil and knocks him into the ropes. The springboard spinning headbutt from Carrillo gives Gallagher one and it’s time to work on the arm. Jack ties up Sunil’s arms and legs (Sumir: “THAT’S MY BROTHER!”) and sits on his back as the psychological games/comedy are in full swing.

Back up and a blind tag brings in Sumir so Carrillo can get double stomped in the corner. The chinlock goes on for a bit with Carrillo quickly fighting up, earning himself a dropkick. A reversed whip sends Sumir into the buckle and Gallagher comes in to clean house (Aiden: “Gallagher like a well dressed tiger!”).

The very delayed vertical suplex gets two on Sumir but another blind tag lets Sunil come back in. A double superkick gets two with Carrillo making the save as everything breaks down. Sunil’s spinwheel kick is good for two more but Gallagher escapes a double suplex and brings in Carrillo. A very quick Aztec Press finishes Sumir at 8:41.

Rating: C. This felt longer than it actually was and I’m not sure what that means. Gallagher and Carrillo as an oddball tag team could be fine, though I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do. That’s the problem with tag teams on this show: they just move on from one mini feud to another, which is fine enough but it gets a little repetitive without them being able to move up to anything else.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are ready for the fatal five way as a means to get on track after the No DQ match against Akira Tozawa. It’s time to prove that he is better than the best.

Oney Lorcan sees tonight as a way to prove he should get a Cruiserweight Title shot. He pauses so long that Vic starts hyping up the match before Lorcan keeps going.

Ariya Daivari calls Money in the Bank a fluke and doesn’t like being stuck in this five way to prove his greatness again.

Akira Tozawa vs. Oney Lorcan vs. Mike Kanellis vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Ariya Daivari

One fall to a finish and Maria is at ringside. Kanellis heads straight to the floor and it’s Lorcan vs. Daivari to start. They’re knocked to the floor and it’s the friendly showdown between Kendrick and Tozawa. Kanellis is right back in so Tozawa and Kendrick take out all three others in a row without much trouble. That gives us Kendrick vs. Tozawa, with the latter not shaking hands. Daivari and Kanellis come back in to break that up again though and the villains take over for a bit.

Lorcan gets back up and low bridges Kanellis to the floor before chopping away at Daivari. That’s fine with Daivari who takes him to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Tozawa hits the right hand to Daivari, who is fine enough to superkick a returning Lorcan. Kendrick is back with a Captain’s Hook on Daivari but has to flip out of Lorcan’s half and half suplex. That means the Captain’s Hook on Lorcan with Kanellis making the save this time, setting up a superkick for two on Lorcan.

Since people don’t stay down long in these matches, Lorcan pops up for a chop off with Kanellis. The spinebuster gives Kanellis two but Lorcan is right back up again with the half and half on Kendrick. A double Blockbuster takes down Daivari and Kanellis, followed by the running flip dive to drop them again. Tozawa adds a dive of his own and there’s the missile dropkick to Daivari back inside. The German suplex gives Tozawa two as everyone else comes back in.

Kanellis catches Kendrick on top and the Tower of Doom is launched with Kendrick getting the worst of it. Daivari nails the Persian Lion splash for two on Kendrick but Tozawa sends him outside. Tozawa grabs the Octopus Hold on Kanellis so Maria gets on the apron for some LOUD screaming. Daivari takes Kanellis’ place so Tozawa kicks him in the chest. The top rope backsplash is broken up and it’s a lot of spot calling until Tozawa can break up a superplex attempt.

Tozawa has to deal with Kanellis, who takes a German suplex on the apron (THUD). Daivari gets punched in the face and the top rope backsplash gives Tozawa two with Kendrick making the save. Kendrick offers an apology but gets into a slugout with Tozawa instead. Stereo crossbodies put both of them down until Kendrick can get up for a Sliced Bread. The parade of finishers is on with Daivari hitting a heck of a hammerlock lariat on Lorcan, only to have Tozawa roll him up for the pin at 16:33.

Rating: C+. This was firmly in the “two in, three out” system for a long time and that’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. Tozawa winning is the best option they had as he’s by far the most charismatic on the show and could give Nese a heck of a match (if not take the title). After that No DQ win a few weeks ago, this was the only real option they had.

A bunch of highlights wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B-. Tozawa is a breath of fresh air here and that’s the best thing that could happen on this show. Nese is someone who could become a player for the long term in WWE and a match against someone like Tozawa is only going to help that. They need some more help around here though and having most of the bigger names on the roster in the main event didn’t exactly prove to be the most positive showcase. Good show overall, but I’m not sure how bright their future is.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 14, 2019
Location: 02 Arena, London, England
Commentators: Aiden English, Byron Saxton, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for Money in the Bank, meaning it’s time for the final push towards Tony Nese defending against Ariya Daivari. Tonight is a special show though as we have NXT vs. the UK with some guest stars from NXT UK filling in some of the spots. That could be interesting, but you never know around here. Let’s get to it.

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

General Manager Drake Maverick introduces the show and runs down the two matches.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. James Drake vs. Mark Andrews

Drake bails straight to the floor so it’s a triple headlock from the other three, even though there are only two headlocks included. A standoff sets up a series of dropkicks for some near falls with Drake’s attempt to steal one not going well. Drake gets caught back inside with Andrews chopping away and doing the slide on his knees to send Drake right back to the floor. That leaves Carrillo to hit his really high springboard spinning crossbody on Gallagher.

Drake pulls Andrews to the floor for a reverse powerbomb onto the apron as the pace picks up. Back in and Drake kicks Carrillo in the face to put him down in the corner. With the other two on the floor, a snap suplex gets two on Carrillo and Drake even has the time for a chinlock. Gallagher gets back on the apron for an exchange of forearms with Drake but a hard one puts him on the floor again. Carrillo sends Drake outside as well for the big flip dive to leave the ring empty.

Andrews grabs a running hurricanrana off the apron to Carrillo, followed by a spinning DDT to plant Drake on the floor. With everyone else down, Gallagher busts out William the umbrella for the Mary Poppins dive off the top. Just to show off some more, Gallagher grabs a very delayed vertical suplex on Andrews to the delight of his home country crowd. Drake catches Gallagher on top but takes too long going up, allowing Andrews to snap off a top rope hurricanrana.

Gallagher gets in a headbutt, followed by Carrillo hitting Twisted Bliss for two with Gallagher and Andrews making a save. Stundog Millionaire hits Carrillo and the moonsault kick to the head takes both Carrillo and Gallagher down. Gallagher is back up with a headbutt to Andrews, but knocks himself silly, allowing Carrillo to grab a rollup pin at 9:48.

Rating: B. It was cool to see Gallagher this fired up and inspired again. I know his character would suggest that he is fairly one note but there is some charisma inside there and it can come out at times. Carrillo getting a big win is nice, though Drake or Andrews winning wouldn’t have made a bit of sense.

Post match Carrillo and Gallagher shake hands.

Ariya Daivari, in a tanning bed, thinks Tony Nese is intimidated by him. Now Nese is flying eight hours for a match he doesn’t need to be in. Daivari will be fresh and massaged for Money in the Bank and have no problem beating a tired champion.

Nese is wrestling tonight because it’s right rather than smart. Yeah he could be in a tanning bed or training, but he’s a champion and got there by working hard.

Video on Ligero. It’s rather strange hearing him talk.

Lucha House Party accepts the Singh Brothers’ challenge to a rematch for next week.

Tony Nese vs. Ligero

Non-title. They battle over arm control to start with Ligero flipping around quite a bit, earning a drive into the corner from Nese. Ligero ties himself up in a ball on the mat and rolls Nese up as he comes near, setting up a long pinfall reversal sequence. That’s good for a handshake, plus one for the referee for keeping up with them. You don’t see that one every day.

Nese gets two off a rollup, followed by Ligero snapping off a hurricanrana for the same. Back up and Nese moonsaults over him before ducking a clothesline with a nipup. A kick to the ribs sends Ligero to the floor but he catches Nese with a pump kick. The running dive is cut off by an elbow to the face to give Nese two more though and it’s off to the waistlock.

Ligero uses a rollup to block the running knee in the corner so Nese goes back to the bodyscissors. This time Ligero fights up with a tilt-a-whirl into a crossbody but it bangs up the ribs again. With the wrestling not working so well, Nese goes with the shots to the face, including a spinwheel kick for two. The springboard moonsault misses so Ligero nails a springboard splash, which only hurts his ribs again.

Nese bails to the floor and you just don’t do that against a luchador, meaning it’s a big flip dive to take him down again. Back in and a super hurricanrana drops Ligero again, followed by the 450….for two. Nese’s stunned face gets superkicked but C4L is countered into a powerbomb into the corner. The running knee finishes Ligero at 14:20.

Rating: B. The lack of drama didn’t help things here as you can only do so much to convince people that the champ is going to lose five days before the title match. Ligero looked good here though and could easily hang on a show like this full time. Nese is rapidly settling in but he needs a far more interesting challenger than Daivari to make the title reign feel more important.

Post match Nese raises Ligero’s hand but Daivari runs in to beat both of them down. They’re trying so hard to make this work but there’s a limit to what can be done given the circumstances.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a one off show with two rather good matches and that made for one of the best shows they’ve had in a long time. The title angle still isn’t working but it certainly isn’t for a lack of trying, which I can always respect. It’s one of the best shows they’ve had, even if it means nothing in the long term.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 7, 2019
Location: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re still building towards Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Title for reasons that I don’t quite understand. They really need some fresh talent to go after the title and we might be able to get somewhere close to that with Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Kanellis in a No DQ match tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

I was in the arena for this show, looking straight at the Titantron. The amount of people who left after Smackdown ended made me feel bad for everyone performing on this show. They’re working hard and probably ¾ of the audience walks out as their show starts.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are ready to show us a changing of the guard in the cruiserweight division because Mike is better than the best. Beating a former Cruiserweight Champion is a great way to get to that goal and with Brian Kendrick barred from ringside, it can be a fair fight.

Kendrick can’t wait to see Tozawa beat Kanellis once and for all. Whether Kendrick is out there or not, Tozawa is ready to be as violent as he needs to be and Mike is screwed.

Opening sequence.

We see Ariya Daivari getting in Tony Nese’s face last week, saying he could have taken Nese out at any time last week. He didn’t, but he could have.

Ariya Daivari vs. Noam Dar

Tony Nese comes out for commentary and there is no hiding the empty seats this week. The traditional exchange of wristlocks goes nowhere so Daivari punches him down in the corner for some more success. Dar gets one off a very spinny backslide and a running dropkick sends Daivari outside. An argument with Nese wakes Daivari up a bit as he sends Dar face first into the announcers’ table to take over.

Back in and we hit the variety pack of stomps before it’s off to the Million Dollar Dream to bring Dar to his knees. Dar flips back to break it up but Daivari kicks him to the floor again. Another argument with Nese lets Dar get two off a small package. A northern lights suplex gets the same and Daivari has to kick out of the ankle lock in a hurry. Dar slaps it on again though and gets it broken up again, this time with a superkick cutting him off. The frog splash sets up the hammerlock lariat to finish Dar at 8:44.

Rating: C. This made did more for Dar than Daivari, who still doesn’t show me anything that makes me want to watch him in a high profile match. The finishing sequence looked good but it doesn’t change the fact that Daivari still isn’t interesting and is as generic of a villain as you can get.

Post match Daivari motions that he wants the belt so Nese gets in the ring to scare him. Nese says the same thing that Daivari said to him last week: he could have taken Daivari out, but he didn’t.

Oney Lorcan promises to work harder and earn the Cruiserweight Title one day. He says this with his hands behind his back and sounds like he’s giving a speech in school.

Singh Brothers vs. David Kauffman/Kevin Lee

They’re still officially the Singh Brothers but they’re the Bollywood Boys again, even down to having film strips on their Titantron video. Sumir punches Lee in the face and it’s Sunil coming in for a double suplex as we’re firmly in squash territory here. Hang on though as we need some dancing. Kauffman gets knocked off the apron and it’s something like the Demolition Decapitator for the pin at 1:43.

Post match the Singhs complain about the Lucha House Party ending their undefeated streak last week, but it was more because of the 1.3 billion citizens of India cheering them on. They want a rematch in the future. Isn’t this booked a little backwards? They do the undefeated thing, lose, and then win to set up a rematch? Shouldn’t it be win, win, lose, rematch?

Mike and Maria compliment Drake Maverick for barring Kendrick from the main event. Hang on though as Maria is barred as well. Mike isn’t happy with this use of logic but it’s now one on one.

Next week: Jack Gallagher vs. James Drake vs. Mark Andrews vs. Humberto Carrillo.

Gallagher is ready to win the match, when Humberto comes in to say he’ll win instead. Jack says Humberto can try and they shake hands with the tension at a high level.

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.

Overall Rating: B-. Less interesting talent to start the show aside, this was a rather good show that managed to draw me in by the end. The violent match made for a better finish to the show and it made for a good show overall. Daivari vs. Nese is still a chore to sit through (though the effort is there) but they need some more interesting names in a hurry.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

Worlds Collide: Battle Royals
Date: May 1, 2019
Location: Pier 12, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Yes it’s a fourth one of these things and no I don’t get it either. As the name suggests, we’re looking at a pair of battle royals here (one for the men and one for the women) with almost everyone from the previous three shows plus a few bonus entrants. Your guess is as good as mine as to why we need to see this nearly a month after Wrestlemania. Let’s get to it.

The audio commentary is really low here for some reason.

Women’s Battle Royal

Bianca Belair, Taynara Conti, Kacy Catanzaro, Deonna Purrazzo, Io Shirai, Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke, Jesse, Lacey Lane, Xia Li, Kavita Devi, Kay Lee Ray, Mia Yim, Piper Niven, Reina Gonzalez, Vanessa Borne, Aliyah, Toni Storm

Everyone gets an entrance, which I’ll certainly take over having to go through all the entrance in a big group shot. We start the same way most battle royals start, with a variety of teased eliminations and people saving themselves. Lane tries a double springboard due to reasons of not seeming that bright and gets kicked out, as she should be. Shafir and Duke get together again to eliminate Jesse and it’s back to more brawling on the ropes.

Niven dumps Ray, who seems to swear revenge. Conti gets knocked off the top but hangs onto the post and gets back in for this match’s Kofi Kingston save. Purrazzo gets rid of Li and Kacy does a crazy handstand on the top into a headscissors on Reina, who forearms her out a second later. Shirai tosses Purrazzo as the ring is starting to clear a lot. Gonzalez and Storm slug it out as Niven drops Conti with a hard forearm.

Devi and Gonzalez do the hoss fight with Devi getting kicked out. Almost everyone but Gonzalez is down for a bit until Niven and Storm get together, only to fail to eliminated Conti. Shafir accidentally knocks Duke out and then intentionally tosses Yim. Shirai sends Conti to the apron and dropkicks her out as the field is clearing out a lot. Belair forearms Shafir out and we’re down to Belair, Storm, Shirai, Aliyah, Niven, Gonzalez and Borne.

Niven Hulks Up on Borne and Aliyah but misses a charge and gets tossed. Excessive celebration lets Shirai and Storm get rid of Borne and Aliyah and we’re down to four. Niven chases the two of them out as Belair and Gonzalez’s alliance lasts all of fourteen seconds. Gonzalez sends Belair and Storm into the same corner for shoulders to the ribs. Shirai sends Gonzalez to the apron and forearms her out to get us down to three.

Belair fireman’s carries Storm and swings her into Shirai before dumping her out. We’re down to Belair vs. Shirai with a hard forearm knocking Shirai down. A headscissors sends both of them to the apron but Belair slides back in and avoids a springboard dropkick. The gorilla press toss eliminates Shirai to give Belair the win at 18:27.

Rating: D+. Well that was long. Belair winning is fine, though it doesn’t make her any better or fix any of the problems that have held her back so far. There isn’t much to say about something like this because it’s a bunch of standing around until the finish, which is always the case in battle royals. Gonzalez and Conti looked good here, but they’re more people who aren’t getting much of a chance anywhere.

Men’s Battle Royal

Ariya Daivari, Brian Kendrick, Dave Mastiff, Drew Gulak, Fabian Aichner, Eric Bugenhagen, Humberto Carrillo, Joe Coffey, Mark Coffey, Dominik Dijakovic, Ligero, Matt Riddle, Rinku Singh, Saurav Gurjar, Roderick Strong, Wesley Blake, Steve Cutler, Akira Tozawa, Travis Banks, Tyler Bate

It’s a brawl to start with Bugenhagen and Riddle heading outside for a jam sessions which makes way more sense than it should. Back in and it’s another standard battle royal opening as we wait on the ring to clear out a bit. Dijakovic sends Aichner to the apron and superkicks him out, followed by a toss to get rid of Tozawa. High levels of confidence allow Dijakovic to stop and pose, meaning it’s a group beatdown but so many split off that Dijakovic is able to shove everyone else away.

The cyclone boot eliminates Carrillo and Bugenhagen tosses Daivari for excessive jamming. Gurjar dumps Bugenhagen and you can feel the energy go out of the arena. The Forgotten Sons gets together to eliminate Ligero and Kendrick saves Gulak for no logical reason. There goes Banks as the ring is still rather full. Gulak and Riddle grapple on the mat and wind up on the apron but come back in after realizing they’re wasting their time. Mark Coffey is out and Riddle gives Dijakovic a GTS for another elimination.

Mastiff eliminates Gulak and Cutler but Kendrick (still in the leather jacket) saves himself. Riddle and Mastiff chop it out and Gurjar gets rid of Singh. Kendrick eliminates Blake but tries Sliced Bread on Coffey, earning himself his own elimination. We’re down to Riddle, Joe Coffey, Mastiff, Strong, Bate and Gurjar. Riddle unloads on Mastiff in the corner and knees him out but the backsplash hits Coffey’s knees.

Bate hits the rebound lariat to get rid of Coffey and it’s a four way staredown. Gurjar fights off all three of them with a good side slam planting Riddle. That’s enough to send Riddle to the apron and a big boot gets rid of him in a heck of an upset. Bate uses raw strength to get rid of Gurjar and the fans are very appreciative. Strong and Bate slug it out with Bate hitting an exploder suplex into the nip up. The Tyler Driver 97 is countered into a jumping knee to the face so Bate comes right back with the airplane spin.

Rating: C+. The ending sequence alone made it better than the first match but this was another example of a long match with very little going on until we got to the finish. There were so many people in there until the ending and while the final grouping was pretty strong, there is only so much you can get out of waiting around to get there for half of the match.

Overall Rating: C-. The show was fine, though spending the better part of twenty minutes on entrances alone was kind of a stretch. The biggest thing I got from this was how many people WWE has down in developmental who aren’t likely to get a major push ever. Can you picture the Coffeys on the main roster? Or Xia Li?

They’re talented, but WWE would pick a lot of others before them and it’s just bloating the roster more and more. NXT UK has helped, but there are so many people under the WWE banner that they can run shows like this and still have a ton of roster members left over. That’s probably not good, but neither is running these four shows for the sake of adding content to the Network. We can have this but not Legends With JBL or Royal Rumble Rewind or more round table shows? Anyway, not bad, but really don’t waste your time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 30, 2019
Location: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Aiden English, David Otunga

We’re actually on the road to Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese, which is the kind of thing you always hear about but never think you’ll actually see. Other than that we have the continuing issues between Drew Gulak and Humberto Carrillo, plus Mike Kanellis vs. Akira Tozawa. Hopefully the execution is better than it sounds. Let’s get to it.

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

Tony Nese handles our opening recap/preview and is ready to face Drew Gulak in a non-title match tonight.

Gulak says his plans for a better 205 Live can continue with a win tonight.

Opening sequence.

Yes we now have a FOUR MAN BOOTH on this show. Three is too many and we’re approaching having the same amount of people in the booth as wrestle on the show.

Lucha House Party vs. Singh Brothers

Before the match, the Singhs talk about being back to fix the division and dance a lot. They’ve been around the world for the last two years taking on World Champions and they’re the only undefeated team around here. Lince and Sumir dance at each other to start and it’s already time to work on Sumir’s arm. The announcers debate Bollywood movies as Sunil comes in and gets chopped in the corner.

A Sumir distraction lets Sunil get in a knee to the back to take over and a double suplex gets two on Dorado. Hang on though as we need to stop for more dancing. Something close to a dancing Demolition Decapitator gets no count as Dorado’s arm is underneath the rope so it’s off to the chinlock (with Sumir turning around to look at the camera in that never natural looking style).

Sunil comes back in for a chinlock of his own until more dancing is required. Back up and the Golden Rewind is enough to set up the hot tag to Gran Metalik. The rope walk dropkick into the reverse Sling Blade gets two and it’s Dorado coming back in off a blind tag. The Brothers aren’t fooled though and hit him with a double superkick but Metalik is right back in to take over. A rope walk elbow sets up the shooting star press to finish Sumir at 9:36.

Rating: C+. Nice formula match here and while the Singh Brothers aren’t great with Mahal, they’re right at home here. This is the place they should have been a long time ago as their run with Mahal was only known for them taking ridiculous bumps. They can be great cannon fodder here, but giving them a push as a team isn’t the worst idea in the world.

Humberto Carrillo comes in to see Drake Maverick, who suggests that Humberto steer clear of Drew Gulak. Jack Gallagher comes in and says he’ll be medically cleared in two weeks, when they happen to be in London. He offers a handshake to Carrillo in a rather polite challenge for a match at some point in the future.

Brian Kendrick comes out for a match but here’s Mike Kanellis to jump him from behind. Akira Tozawa runs in for the save and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of this in the future.

Ariya Daivari talks about being undefeated this year, which has put him in line for a Cruiserweight Title shot. Tonight, he’s going to enjoy seeing Gulak stretch Nese.

Next week: Tozawa vs. Kanellis in a no disqualification match.

Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese

Non-title. Nese takes him down by the arm to start but Gulak pulls him down into a pinfall reversal sequence for a few near falls. Back up and Nese starts firing off the strikes for two more, sending Gulak bailing outside for a breather. That means the big Fosbury Flop to drop Gulak for two back inside as it’s almost all Nese in the early going. They get back inside where Drew can start pulling on the arm but a knee to the face gets the champ out of trouble.

It’s too early for the running knee in the corner though so Gulak takes him outside for a slam onto the apron to bang up the back. A backbreaker gives Gulak two as it’s time to start picking Nese apart piece by piece. Gulak’s hammerlock is broken up though and Nese sets him on top for a running palm strike.

There’s a jumping hurricanrana to bring Gulak back down and they’re both in need of a breather with Nese favoring his knee. Nese scores with a spinwheel kick into a Lionsault for two, meaning frustration has begun. The Gulock is broken up and they fall to the floor for a double knockdown. Nese sends him into various things and hits a suplex to make it even worse. Back in and the pumphandle driver gives Nese two so he heads up.

Gulak catches him up there though, setting up a super gutbuster (Perhaps a tribute to the recently gone Dean Malenko?) for two more. A slugout goes to the champ but the 450 only hits mat. Now the Gulock can go on full but Nese manages to slip his head out. A hard running clothesline gives Gulak two more and it’s time for another Gulak. This one never even goes on as Nese pops up with a superkick into a German suplex into the corner. The running knee gives Nese the pin at 17:21.

Rating: B. This was a very strong back and forth match with Nese looking like the star the show wants him to be. However, the lack of energy and sizzle was very showing as the fans just did not care. That’s a big part of the problem with the show in general: there is nothing to get overly excited about and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

Overall Rating: B. Another quality but uninspiring show, which is looking like the standard operating procedure around here these days. You can’t expect much from these less than interesting stars but they’re having some awesome matches week to week. Just find someone that gets the fans’ attention and the show can get that much better.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 23, 2019
Location: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, David Otunga

Things aren’t in the best place around here at the moment with some of the biggest stars in the show (both currently an in its history) moving up to the main roster in last week’s Superstar Shakeup. That means it’s time to build things up again but the materials might not be there this time around. Maybe tonight will prove me wrong. Let’s get to it.

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

Drew Gulak, behind his podium, welcomes us to the show and tells us about how confusing things are in 205 Live at the moment, with Ariya Daivari and Oney Lorcan facing off for the #1 contendership. Not that it matters as he’ll be the champion one day anyway. As for tonight though, Gulak has to deal with his former student Humberto Carrillo.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo

No Jack Gallagher with Gulak after their incident last week. We even get an Instagram video from Gallagher, who is missing tonight due to getting stitches in his mustache. He headbutted Gulak last week because Gulak has never done anything for him while using Gallagher to further his own goals. After we hear about how handsome Carrillo is, Gulak takes him to the mat with a headlock takeover.

A rollup gives Gulak two and it’s already time for the mockery. Carrillo gets two of his own off a crucifix and it’s Gulak looking all flustered. They head outside with Carrillo climbing up the post and standing on top, telling Gulak to come up. Gulak tells him to come down but eventually climbs in. Carrillo runs him over and grabs a chinlock, which you don’t often see from a face. That’s released and Gulak breaks up a springboard to take over.

The leglock goes on to take away the flying ability so Carrillo slaps him in the face. Gulak goes to his own chinlock before switching into a modified surfboard. That’s a little too much though so it’s back to the chinlock. Carrillo gets up again and hits a handspring elbow, followed by a great looking spinning high crossbody for two.

A missile dropkick is good for the same and they slug it out until Gulak knocks him down again. The ankle lock has Carrillo in trouble but the good foot gets Carrillo out of trouble. With nothing else working, Gulak tries a superplex (Vic: “That’s not on the ground!”) but gets powerbombed down. Carrillo’s Aztec Press (handstand into a springboard moonsault) gets the pin at 15:08.

Rating: B. That’s the best thing that could have happened as Carrillo has been needing a big win for a long time now. He’s one of the better prospects around but there is only so much he can get out of dealing with Gulak and Gallagher, who are pretty much the rite of passage on this show. Good battle of styles here, which isn’t a big surprise.

Oney Lorcan likes the idea of Ariya Daivari being a hard hitter.

Daivari says he’s a different man since he got his head on straight. He’s coming for the title and beating Lorcan to get there.

Drake Maverick doesn’t like Maria Kanellis interfering last week. Brian Kendrick comes in to say the same because Maria cost Akira Tozawa a win. Mike Kanellis tells him to leave, which Kendrick willingly does. Kendrick: “I was just a distraction anyway.” Tozawa jumps Mike from behind until referees break it up.

Ariya Daivari vs. Oney Lorcan

#1 contenders match so here’s Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese to watch. Daivari starts fast and tries the hammerlock lariat but gets sent outside off the counter. Back in and Daivari drives him into the ropes and we actually get a clean break for a change. Oney goes with a headlock to grind Daivari down and some rollups get two.

They fall out to the floor in a heap with Lorcan getting the worse of it, meaning Daivari can send him into the corner a few times. Some chops just fire Lorcan up so Daivari grabs a reverse DDT to take him down. Back up and Lorcan misses a charge to fall out to the floor so Daivari rips at the face. Just to complete the boring formula, Daivari slaps on a Million Dollar Dream to take Lorcan down.

Lorcan goes Bret Hart by climbing the ropes and flipping back for two, followed by a suplex for the same. A dropkick puts Daivari on the floor and an uppercut knocks him out of the air (great visual). The running Blockbuster gets two but Daivari is right back with a superkick into another Million Dollar Dream.

Lorcan powers up again and nails a running uppercut. The super half and half suplex is broken up but Daivari misses his frog splash. Another superkick connects for Daivari though and the second frog splash works just fine. The hammerlock lariat gives Daivari the title shot at 15:10.

Rating: B-. It was a good, hard hitting match with Lorcan doing everything he could, but there’s only so much you can do against someone as uninspiring as Daivari. His new demeanor is an upgrade but he’s still one of the least interesting people on the roster. I know they’ve lost a lot of talent lately, but there has to be a better option than this.

Post match Daivari turns down a handshake with Nese and says he wants the Cruiserweight Title. Nese says try to take it and poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The wresting was good, but we’re building towards Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Title. I can’t get my head around that one and I can’t help but shake my head over what we’re going to have to watch coming up. The wrestling will be good because both guys have gotten better. The problem is I have no reason to care about either of these two and they come off like the bottom of the barrel of a show that is already at the bottom of the WWE ladder. It’s going to be fine, but the build is going to be the least inspiring that I can remember in a long time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 9, 2019
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re past Wrestlemania and in this case that means we have a new Cruiserweight Champion in Tony Nese. I’m not sure how long he’s going to hold the title but you can imagine that Buddy Murphy is going to be coming for it, at least while he’s still on this show. Other than that it’s hard to say what we’ll be getting here, as 205 Live doesn’t always treat this show as anything special. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Nese winning the title and a look back at everything he’s gone through to get here. Well done.

Opening sequence.

Tonight: Murphy gets his rematch.

Jack Gallagher vs. Humberto Carrillo

Drew Gulak joins commentary. Gallagher’s wristlock is countered into an armbar so Gallagher switches over to an ankle hold instead. They go into the exchange of monkey flips with Carrillo landing on his feet for a big smile. A neck snap across the top rope puts Carrillo down and Gallagher sends him head first into the corner for a bonus. Carrillo reverses a suplex into a small package for two but Gallagher knocks him right back down with ease.

Jack misses the running corner dropkick though and gets high crossbodied down. There’s a dropkick to send Gallagher outside for a running flip dive (Gulak: “Kid don’t learn.”). Back in and Carrillo hits a missile dropkick to the back of Gallagher’s head, followed by a handspring armdrag to pull Gallagher off the mat (that’s a new one). Carrillo heads up again but this time Gulak shoves him down for the DQ at 8:12.

Rating: C. Carrillo’s offense continues to look great, but at the same time you can only do this same high flying vs. evil mat wrestling story so many times before the impact goes away. It feels like something we’ve seen way too many times now. At least the match we got was good enough while it lasted, even if it’s designed to keep the story going.

Post match Gulak stays on Carrillo but Gallagher knocks Drew down for the save.

Murphy says he’s getting the title back tonight.

Nese says no he isn’t.

Oney Lorcan is in Drake Maverick’s office when Cedric Alexander interrupts. Cedric says the rematch better be next week and Drake confirms that it is. That’s fine with Lorcan, because Cedric told him that Oney was the future of the division. Next week, he’s getting rid of Alexander.

Cruiserweight Title: Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese

Nese is defending after winning the title two days earlier. They take turns shoving each other around until Murphy goes with a headlock for the most basic of advantages. That goes nowhere so Nese shoves him down and gets two off a knee lift. Another toss into the corner has Buddy holding his knee so the referee holds Nese back. And yes, it is in fact goldbricking as Nese gets sent into the post to put him in trouble.

Murphy throws him over the announcers’ table and a knee to the head gets two on the champ. After a suplex gets two, Nese fights back with left hands but gets backdropped out to the floor. One heck of a running flip dive takes Nese down again and it’s off to the chinlock. Nese drives him into the corner for the save and knocks Murphy off the top into the barricade for a heck of a crash. That means a running flip dive from Nese and some more trips into the barricade.

Back in and a super hurricanrana gives the champ two and the springboard moonsault with Murphy in the ropes is good for the same. A sitout pumphandle powerslam gets a third two but Murphy is right back with a superkick to catch Nese in the corner. That means a heck of a sitout powerbomb but the knee is countered into a suplex to send Murphy into the corner this time. They fight to the apron with Murphy hitting his own knee to the face, leaving Nese mostly dead.

Murphy goes for a powerbomb but has to break the count, allowing Nese to backdrop him onto the announcers’ table (which contains a pancake). That’s still not enough for a countout as Murphy slides back in and hits a powerbomb faceplant for two more. Murphy’s Law gets the same and Murphy is stunned, as he should be. A pair of knees to Nese’s face just fires him up enough to hit a reverse hurricanrana, setting up a pair of running knees to finish Murphy at 20:03.

Rating: B. This felt like the epic match that they were going for but more importantly, it feels like Murphy’s goodbye to the show. There is no reason for him to stick around here and with the Superstar Shakeup coming next week, it would make all the sense in the world to move him up here. Nese looked good here and can have these longer form matches, though I have no idea how they think he has the character stuff to back them up.

A bunch of replays wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B+. It wasn’t quite some blow away episode but the main event felt big and important, which is more than they usually offer most weeks. There will likely be some changes in next week’s Shakeup, mainly in the form of Murphy, though I wonder if anyone is going to be sent here, either from NXT or the main shows. They’re doing well at the moment though and that’s a nice way to wrap up the week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6