IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: January 29, 2019
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness

We’re done with the Royal Rumble and that means Buddy Murphy is in need of a new #1 contender. Murphy retained the title in a four way match on Sunday, meaning we might not be seeing the title defended for a little while now. Then again maybe they’ll actually pick up the pace for a change, which would be rather nice. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick recaps Murphy retaining the title and previews the show.

Opening sequence.

Kalisto vs. Mike Kanellis

The Lucha House Party and Maria are at ringside. During the entrances, Kalisto puts a mini sombrero on Nigel’s head, yet he somehow manages to not erupt. He’s getting better at this anger management stuff. Maria even sits in on commentary for a bonus. Mike goes after the ribs to start but gets headscissored out to the floor. Back in and Kalisto hammers away as Maria talks about all the things that she and Mike have done for a fair chance.

Aiden points out that the two of them haven’t accomplished anything in WWE yet and Maria isn’t pleased, even as Mike takes over again with a sliding dropkick. A whip sends Kalisto into the barricade (Maria: “Poor baby!”) and it’s some shots to the mask back inside. Kalisto gets in a kick to the face, followed by the hurricanrana driver for two. The Salida Del Sol is countered as Mike rolls outside, only to have him shove the suicide dive attempt into the barricade.

Back in and the required tornado DDT plants Mike for two, followed by a kick to the head to stagger Mike on top. Mike is fine enough for a super sitout Rock Bottom for a near fall of his own with Maria getting annoyed at the kickout. Three straight suplexes set up a Backpack Stunner for two more as Kalisto has to go with a foot on the rope. Mike grabs a gutwrench but Kalisto rolls him up for the quick pin at 11:01.

Rating: C. I’ve always liked Kalisto but this was a nice showcase for Mike, who got to show off a little bit. The problem is that he almost never gets on TV and isn’t the most defined character. Maria is a great talker though and really made herself sound like someone you wanted to see get what was coming to her. They didn’t play up the Power of Love thing here either and that’s a step in the right direction, assuming the two of them are sticking around.

The announcers talk about the Worlds Collide tournament. I really need to watch that.

Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak are behind a podium and think there is potential in Humberto Carrillo. All he needs is the right guidance, which the two of them can provide. They’ll be in his corner for his next match.

Ariya Daivari says Hideo Itami is ready to prove that he’s the most destructive force around here, at Akira Tozawa’s expense.

Earlier today, Tony Nese and Noam Dar got in a fight in the parking lot until Drake and some wrestlers broke it up.

Nese has been suspended for starting the fight. Buddy Murphy isn’t happy with the suspension but isn’t upset about what he did. He retained at the Royal Rumble and now he’ll knock down his next challenger.

Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami

Brian Kendrick and Ariya Daivari are at ringside. Itami hides in the corner for some early stalling as there’s no contact in the first minute. Some shots to the ribs stagger Tozawa but Itami goes over to Daivari for some advice (Perhaps “don’t sign an extension”?), allowing Tozawa to get in a few kicks of his own. The surprise right hand gives Tozawa two but it’s way too early for the top rope backsplash.

Instead he tries the middle rope version but only hits raised knees. Itami starts in with the kicks to the RESPECT ME chest. English even gets in some Shakespeare to talk about how Itami might be desperate, even as he drops a middle rope knee to the back of the head for two (Nigel: “Itami, Itami, wherefore art thou Itami?”). We hit the chinlock as the eerie silence continues. A few neckbreakers give Itami two and it’s right back to the chinlock. Tozawa fights up and grabs a quickly broken Octopus Hold, followed by the Shining Wizard for a knockdown.

The missile dropkick sends Itami outside for the suicide headbutt but Tozawa can’t follow up. Back in and the tornado DDT onto the top rope sets up the top rope clothesline for two. Tozawa gets in another kick but Daivari gets up on the apron AGAIN, allowing Itami to get two of his own off a discus lariat. The Falcon Arrow is good for the same but Itami’s running dropkick hits Daivari by mistake. That’s enough for a snap German suplex into the top rope backsplash to finish Itami at 14:55.

Rating: B-. That’s it for Itami and I can’t say I blame him. It hasn’t worked in WWE and that’s been the case for a variety of reasons. Let him go back to Japan where he’s going to be a much bigger star and most likely happier. There’s nothing wrong with that as not everyone is cut out for/needs WWE. Itami tried his best but it just wasn’t clicking, and that’s ok.

Post match Daivari picks Itami up….and lays him out with a clothesline. Might as well get some heat out of Itami leaving.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty good show here with two solid enough matches and some story advancement. You can probably pencil in Tozawa for his title shot at Elimination Chamber, which is a good sign for his future. Tozawa is still a fun guy with a ton of charisma and while he might not be #1 contender, that’s about as clear of an indication as you can get. Nice show here, especially considering the lack of top stars on the show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: January 22, 2019
Location: Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

As usual, the go home show for a pay per view is a little weird for this show as there’s only one match to build towards on Sunday. Thankfully it involves four people at once so there’s a lot to cover tonight. One such match will see all three challengers fight in a triple threat, though you can almost guarantee that the winner won’t be leaving the Rumble with the title. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick runs down the card, which sounds rather good.

Opening sequence.

Aiden English is introduced as the new announcer. It’s not like he’s doing anything else.

Humberto Carrillo vs. Gran Metalik

Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far off a wristlock. They exchange flips before an exchange of stereo dropkicks set up another flip off. Carrillo flips out of the corner until a heck of a wristdrag out of the corner sends Metalik outside. A big running flip dive takes Metalik down again but he’s fine enough to raise his feet up to block a moonsault. Metalik gets two off a reverse Sling Blade and the rope walk dropkick is good for the same. A chinlock doesn’t last long as it’s a spinning kick to the head to drop Metalik for two.

Metalik stumbles to the apron so Carrillo goes up top and hits a kind of bulldog onto the apron for a double knockdown. Carrillo gets back up onto the apron so Metalik gets a running start for a hurricanrana over the top and down to the floor again. Back in and a very high springboard Swanton gives Metalik two more. Carrillo blocks a superplex though and scores with a missile dropkick, followed by a handstand in the corner into a springboard moonsault (cool) for the pin at 10:32.

Rating: B. Now this was the kind of match that I was hoping for, with two luchadors flying around and showing off how good they can be. That’s exactly what it should have been and both guys looked great. Metalik is underrated and Carrillo continues to look awesome every time he’s out there. I liked this one a lot and I have a feeling that’s going to be the case going forward with either of them.

Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher are in Maverick’s office to say they aren’t happy with Carrillo. Before they can actually say anything though, Gulak leaves in frustration. Tony Nese comes in and says he wants a rematch with Noam Dar. It’s one win apiece so Maverick says he’ll consider it. That’s not cool with Nese, who threatens violence against Dar if he doesn’t get a match.

Akira Tozawa and Brian Kendrick say the title match doesn’t matter because Tozawa is winning the title on Sunday.

Lince Dorado and Kalisto are ready for a big year for the Lucha House Party. Kalisto suggests that if he wins the title, all three of them are champion.

Ariya Daivari promises that Hideo Itami will make an example of his opponents tonight and win the title at the Royal Rumble.

Kalisto vs Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami

Buddy Murphy is out for commentary. Hideo jumps both of them from behind to start but Kalisto picks up the pace with some dropkicks. Tozawa is right back up with a missile dropkick to send Kalisto outside, setting up a suicide dive. The fight goes over the announcers’ table with Murphy getting taken out, meaning he’ll move off to the side to watch instead.

Some kicks have Itami back in control and we hit the chinlock on Tozawa. That goes nowhere so it’s more dropkicks, including one to knock Kalisto out of the air. The cover is broken up though and everyone is down. That means the three way slugout with Tozawa’s hard right hands getting the better of it, followed by Kalisto catching Itami with a kick to the head. Everyone heads to a corner but it’s Murphy coming in to shove all of them down. Murphy goes after all three until Kalisto kicks him away and they fight back.

The Salida Del Sol sends him outside so Tozawa can add the suicide dive. The match is still going (remember No DQ) with Itami hitting a Falcon Arrow for two on Tozawa. Kalisto catches Tozawa on top and knocks Itami to the floor but Tozawa blocks a super hurricanrana attempt. Tozawa misses the top rope backsplash but Itami is back in for the spinning knee to the face to finish Tozawa at 12:21.

Rating: C+. This was good though not great, with the Murphy part making sense but not really going anywhere. Itami winning is fine as any of the three could have gotten the win here, though he’s not exactly thrilling (hence his future departure). It did a nice enough job to set up the title match on Sunday and was as logical of a move as they had, so I can’t quite complain all that much.

A bunch of replays end the show. Of course I finally get the idea of Itami’s finisher as he’s leaving. It’s still not good, but at least it makes sense.

Overall Rating: B-. Well done again here with a pair of entertaining matches as Carrillo gets a showcase and the title match gets some hype. What more could you want from a forty five minute show? They’re starting to find the sweet spot around here and while it’s not getting the most attention in the world, the quality is still high and that’s a good thing. Just keep it up.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: January 15, 2019
Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

We’re back on Tuesdays because….I have no idea really. I guess the solution to the show’s problems was to have the LIVE part actually be correct, even if it makes way more sense to have this on Wednesdays and taped before Smackdown. Tonight we’re featuring an Open Challenge for a non-title match against Buddy Murphy. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap and preview.

Opening sequence.

Lio Rush vs. Lince Dorado

Dorado has Gran Metalik and Kalisto with him. Before the match, Rush welcomes us to Lio 5 Live and says he thinks Lince has some misconceptions about why we’re here. Rush is here to win and you can see that in Bobby Lashley, the new Intercontinental Champion. Two weeks from now, Rush was supposed to be the Cruiserweight Champion so now it’s time for Lince to feel the rush.

Lio isn’t happy about having the rest of the Lucha House Party out here so Dorado throws a shirt at him. A cheap shot from behind lets Lio take over before the bell, earning himself a spinwheel kick to the face. Dorado charges into some boots in the corner, followed by a slap to the face and trash talking from Rush. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker puts Rush down but it’s way too early for the shooting star. Instead Dorado gets sent into the post with Rush following him to the floor with a bottom rope Asai moonsault.

Back in and Rush hits a sliding kick to the side of the head and it’s off to a chinlock with a bodyscissors. That’s broken up by a jawbreaker into a bulldog but Rush rolls over for a kick to the head. Dorado gets in a few shots of his own from the apron and a high crossbody puts Rush down. A rolling kick to the head sends Rush outside this time and there’s the suicide shove. Back in and Dorado’s moonsault gets two, followed by the Golden Rewind for two. Dorado misses a charge into the post though and the Final Hour gives Rush the pin at 10:35.

Rating: C+. Rush needed a win like this and the Final Hour always looks good. Now that he’s managing the Intercontinental Champion over on Raw, it makes a lot more sense to have him become a bigger deal on this show. Dorado continues to be a value asset around here as he can have a good match but doesn’t need to win much of anything because he’s over. Nice match here, with the right results.

Post match Rush goes after him again but Gran Metalik and Kalisto run in for the save. Dorado might be hurt.

Noam Dar doesn’t like Tony Nese acting like he’s better than everyone. Nese comes in to say Dar got lucky last week because he dominated the match. Dar: “But you lost.” The rubber match is set.

TJP is told that Buddy Murphy’s open challenge has been answered and walks out, though he never actually said that’s why he was there.

Kalisto says the Lucha House Party was created to spread lucha around the world so he’ll win the Cruiserweight Title to show how great it can be.

Brian Kendrick is teaching Akira Tozawa every dirty trick he can think of for the Rumble. Tozawa: “What he said.”

Ariya Daivari says Hideo Itami is hungry. A hungry man doesn’t see right or wrong, but rather food, like the Cruiserweight Championship.

Next week: the three of them are in a triple threat match.

Buddy Murphy vs. ???

Non-title and an open challenge. Before the match, Murphy says he’s the best cruiserweight of all time and, don’t what him, he’s not worried about his title match at the Rumble. Instead he’s worried about tonight’s open challenge. So who wants the shot? It’s….Humberto Carrillo from NXT taking the challenge and becoming a full time member of the roster. Carrillo has had some very good performances down in NXT so this should work well.

Murphy circles him to start and we get a bit of a sarcastic handshake. Some kicks in the corner set up an armbar to put Carrillo in some early trouble. Back up and they both miss some strikes with Murphy falling into the corner. Carrillo offers a handshake this time and Murphy doesn’t seem happy. Some armdrags set up a springboard armdrag to put Murphy on the floor. Carrillo moonsaults over him but Murphy grabs slams him head first onto the ramp to take over. Back in and we hit the chinlock with Percy actually offering some nice analysis about Murphy trying to keep the faster Carrillo grounded. When did Percy get smart?

Carrillo gets up and knocks Murphy to the floor again, though this time a suicide dive misses. Back in again and Murphy stomps him down in the corner before taking it to the apron. Carrillo manages a backdrop to put Murphy on the floor and there’s a springboard kick to the head. A high crossbody gives Carrillo two and he gets two off a missile dropkick to the back. Murphy punches away and heads up but has to block a pair of top rope superplex attempts.

Carrillo is staggered so it’s a Batista Bomb for two as Murphy can’t put him away. They fight over a suplex until Murphy slips over the back, only to jam his knee. That means a delay as another referee comes out to check on him with the fans not exactly being convinced. Of course Murphy is faking but Carrillo knocks him to the floor for a suicide dive over the announcers’ table. Back in and Carrillo springboards into a knee to the face, setting up Murphy’s Law for the pin at 15:27.

Rating: B-. For a main roster debut against a dominant champion, they did rather well here. This wasn’t as good as Carrillo has done down in NXT but he more than showed that he can hang with the big names. Murphy dominated a bit too much but he was selling very well for Carrillo by the end, which is exactly what they were going for.

Murphy leaves and Carrillo gets a quick moment alone in the ring to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. 205 Live has always had that weird issue where they only build to one major match at a time. In this case they’re doing well with it and therefore the show has been good as a result. We had two nice TV matches here and a new character introduced. It’s a very easy show to watch, though the post Smackdown aspect seems to have made the fans leave in droves again. That’s a shame, but you knew it was coming.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: January 9, 2019
Location: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

It’s time to find out who gets the final spot in the four way at the Royal Rumble. This week we have Cedric Alexander vs. Hideo Itami with the winner moving on to the title match. That’s about all there is of note this week, which should be about all you need. It’s probably too early to have any of the new faces show up but you never know. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s qualifying matches and a preview of this week’s qualifying match.

Opening sequence.

Noam Dar vs. Tony Nese

Before the match, Nese says he’s tired of Dar’s complaining and will win because he’s the better man. You can’t get much more to the point than that. A headlock takeover puts Nese down until he reverses into a headscissors. Dar starts in on the arm but Nese drives him into the corner. A moonsault goes sailing over Dar, who trips Nese straight down. Back up and Dar loads up a backslide, which gets two after he spins Nese around several times. Nese gets serious with a running elbow to the face and it’s off to the bodyscissors.

Some forearms to the face keep Dar in trouble and we hit the neck crank. Dar finally goes with the speed by ducking a running shoulder A running forearm in the corner sets up a northern lights suplex for two but Dar can’t follow up. With the covers not working, Dar slaps on a guillotine until Nese drives him into the corner for the break.

The double springboard moonsault gives Nese two but Dar blocks a suplex and fires off kicks to the head. Nese misses some kicks of his own and it’s another guillotine choke. That’s reversed with another suplex for two more but Dar just starts slugging away, which isn’t his nature. It’s so unnatural for him that Nese catches him with a pumphandle powerslam. There’s no follow up though as Nese would rather try the running knee, allowing Dar to roll him up for the pin at 12:39.

Rating: C+. Nese was doing his best here and that made for a pretty good match. I’m not wild on either of them but at least we got an energetic and long match with Dar, who has a bigger future, getting the win. If Murphy retains the title at the Rumble, Dar wouldn’t be a bad choice for a next challenger. Giving him a win like this helps that process and maybe WWE thinks the same.

Akira Tozawa isn’t here tonight so Brian Kendrick is reading a letter from him. Tozawa is competing in Japan to get ready for the Rumble and won’t let this opportunity slip by. The HAH’s are included but Kendrick doesn’t read them all. Kendrick isn’t sure why they’re friends, but he’s going to help Tozawa win the title.

Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher come in to see Drake Maverick and offer him a list of potential people to hire for the show. Maverick promises to read their suggestions and drops them on the floor after they leave. Mike and Maria Kanellis come in, wanting to know why Mike hasn’t wrestled in five weeks. Maria doesn’t like that much time being wasted and thinks they just haven’t been fighting the right way. Why is Maverick bringing in all these new people when he doesn’t have time for who he already has? Fair point actually. Anyway, they better be ready to fight like her.

Lio Rush thinks Kalisto only beat him because of the Lucha House Party. Therefore, the trio is going to feel the Rush. How many people can those three tick off while still being faces?

Cedric Alexander vs. Hideo Itami

The winner is the fourth person in the Rumble four way and Itami has Ariya Daivari in his corner. They’re rather slow to start with no contact until nearly a minute in. Alexander’s takedown attempt doesn’t get him very far so he chops Itami down instead. It’s not the best idea to get into a strike off with Itami, who kicks away at the chest to take over. Alexander takes him down again but comes up holding his chest, which isn’t something you see injured very often.

The way too early Lumbar Check attempt sends Itami bailing to the floor with Cedric going after him, only to have Daivari get in a quick clothesline. Alexander gets sent into the barricade and it’s time for more kicks back inside. Some kicks to the chest keep Alexander in trouble and another set of them cut off his comeback bid. The chinlock goes on for a bit with Alexander fighting up and hitting a few dropkicks. The springboard flatliner gets two but Itami blocks a Neuralizer with a kick of his own.

A top rope clothesline gives Itami two and he’s getting annoyed at Alexander kicking out again. Alexander scores with the Neuralizer for two of his own and now it’s Itami in trouble. He’s fine enough to grab the rope to block the Lumbar Check and head outside, so Cedric dives onto both villains.

Another Daivari distraction lets Itami punch Cedric in the face to break up a springboard and a Falcon Arrow off the apron drops him HARD on the floor. Cool spot with a sick landing. That’s only good for a nine and you can hear the fans being into the near count out. Back in and Cedric gets a very close two off a rollup but it’s that spinning knee to the face to finish Alexander at 17:05.

Rating: B. Itami is still hit or miss in the ring but Cedric being one of the most consistent performers on the show is exactly the kind of thing to keep him straight. He still needs a MUCH better finisher though as I’m not even always sure what it’s supposed to do half the time. Cedric is going to be fine despite the loss as there’s a great value in being the consistent performer on the show.

Buddy Murphy is pleased with the result but wants competition before the Rumble. Therefore, next week is an open challenge for a non-title match. I don’t see that ending well.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show about setting up the Rumble title match and that’s a fine place to go. The opener seemed to be setting things up for the future, which is a perfect way to use the other half of the show. That open challenge could be a great way to bring in some of the fresh talent, which could mean multiple people. Good show here, which is almost always the case anymore.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: January 2, 2019
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

The title is the focus this week as Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy needs some challengers at the Royal Rumble. He actually needs three of them as Drake Maverick has put him in a fatal four way. That means we’ll be seeing two of three qualifying matches tonight, with the third taking place next week to find the three challengers. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Gene Okerlund.

Drake Maverick hypes up tonight’s qualifying matches and promises a big surprise at some point.

Opening sequence.

Kalisto vs. Lio Rush

The winner goes to the four way. The fans aren’t happy with Rush to start and it’s already time to run the ropes rather quickly. Kalisto’s handstand into a double backflip sends Rush bailing to the floor as Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese watch in the back. Rush comes back in for a slap to the mask and you can see Kalisto getting more serious. The chase is on with Rush swinging around the post so Kalisto uses them as a launch pad to get around the ring faster. A handspring kick to the head knocks Kalisto off the apron and that means a suicide dive as we actually get to the contact.

Back in and Rush snaps off a suplex before a knee to the back gets two. The reverse chinlock goes on for a good while until the cocky Rush sends him outside, setting up a quick rest on the top rope. A running elbow to the face cuts Kalisto down again and Rush snaps off the rapid fire strikes. Kalisto finally stops him with a raised boot in the corner, setting up a springboard flip dive to the floor.

Back in and Rush hits a spinning kick to the face and a second one….doesn’t get anything as Rush heads up top instead. That allows Kalisto a kick to the face of his own and a middle rope fall away slam backflipped into a World’s Strongest Slam (cool) gets two. They take their time getting up and the Salida Del Sol is countered into a spinning Unprettier for two more. Back up and the springboard spinning crossbody barely hits Rush, who kicks Kalisto in the face again.

A TKO onto the top rope sends Kalisto outside for a nine count and Rush’s frustration sets in. Rush loads up the Final Hour but Metalik and Dorado load up the noisemakers for a distraction. For some reason Rush is dumb enough to go after them and the Salida Del Sol sends Kalisto to the Royal Rumble at 14:19.

Rating: C+. The ending was a bit of a stretch but Kalisto winning is always a good idea. He comes off as one of the biggest stars around here and he’s going to make any match better. I wasn’t wild on Rush losing the way he did but he’s got enough going on over on Raw to make up for it. Nice match with a not great ending.

Nigel being annoyed at Kalisto winning is rather amusing.

We look back at last week’s street fight with Akira Tozawa and Brian Kendrick defeating Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak.

Gulak doesn’t consider himself an underdog against Tozawa tonight because he’s a realist. Tonight isn’t about weapons because it’s a wrestling match.

Drake Maverick promises new faces coming around here in the near year. That may or may not be interesting.

Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak

The winner goes to the Rumble and there are no seconds here. Feeling out process to start with Gulak taking him down in a headlock. Tozawa grabs one of his own but misses a big kick to the face. That seems to make Gulak a bit more serious so he goes after Tozawa’s ear and asks HOW DARE YOU. The quick right hand to the face drops Gulak and we get a Tozawa scream. They head outside with Gulak kicking him into the barricade and slamming the weakened back onto the floor.

We hit the double arm crank with a knee in Tozawa’s back before Gulak switches to a regular chinlock. That doesn’t go far so Tozawa is back up with a spinning kick to the head for two. Gulak gets draped over the middle rope for a Fameasser but Tozawa’s back is banged up again. The delay lets Gulak powerbomb him into the corner and hit a heck of a lariat for two more. Tozawa wins a slugout though and it’s a Black Widow on Gulak, who reverses into a Brock Lock of all things.

The rope breaks the hold and Tozawa is fine enough for a backdrop diver. Tozawa’s knee gives out on top though and he gets pulled down into the Gulock. The hold lasts for more than a few seconds, meaning of course Tozawa can roll over to the ropes for the break. Gulak bails outside and there’s the big suicide dive that you knew was coming. It’s too early for the top rope backsplash though as Gulak is fine enough to crotch him on top. Gulak can’t superplex him from the middle rope and the top rope version is broken up with a headbutt. Now the top rope backsplash can send Tozawa to the Rumble at 17:13.

Rating: B. I liked this more than I was hoping as the old guard of the division continues to roar back. Tozawa is the kind of guy you can move up to the next level anytime you need to and that’s what they did here. Gulak’s fall continues as he never recovered from losing the Cruiserweight Title shots last year. Still though, good match as you almost always get from Gulak.

Brian Kendrick comes in to celebrate as Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese aren’t exactly impressed.

Cedric Alexander isn’t scared of Hideo Itami in next week’s final qualifying match.

Hideo Itami and Ariya Daivari demand RESPECT next week.

Overall Rating: B. This was a wrestling show and that’s where 205 Live tends to shine. They did things well here and made two of the necessary big steps towards the pay per view title match. If they have another great match next week to set up the entire thing, the four way is going to be a blast. I’m also interested in seeing where those new names are going to go. That could be a variety of people either from NXT or elsewhere, and that can shake things up around here, which is often a good idea. Anyway, strong match here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: December 26, 2018
Hosts: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time for a Best of 2018 show and, in a statement I never thought I’d say about any non-NXT show, where do you begin? There was some outstanding material on 205 Live over the last year and a lot of that could be packed into this show. You could have your pick of the matches here and that’s not something I’d have bet on a year ago. Let’s get to it.

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

The hosts welcome us to the show and talk about Drake Maverick arriving to set up the Cruiserweight Title tournament.

From Wrestlemania.

Kickoff Show: Cruiserweight Title: Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali

The title is vacant coming in, Drake Maverick is at ringside and Ali is SubZero for some reason. Cedric shouts a lot and they shake hands for the sake of good sportsmanship. An exchange of shoulders goes to Cedric so Ali snaps off a hurricanrana for our first standoff. Back up and Cedric flips away to grab a headscissors, followed by a dropkick for two. Ali gets sent to the floor and taken down by a big flip dive but there’s no commercial, despite the announcers sounding like they were sending us to one. Nice change of pace for once.

Back in and we hit a waistlock to keep Ali down and a high backdrop gives Cedric two. Another waistlock and a knee to the ribs keep Cedric on target as he certainly has a game plan. Cedric plants him with a Spanish Fly and counters a tornado DDT by crotching Ali on top. With Ali stunned, Cedric goes up as well but gets caught in a super Spanish Fly, which even impresses Cena. The 054 is broken up with a shove to the floor and now we go to the inset ad for Rousey’s debut. At least they didn’t show this in the stadium, which would have almost been just as annoying as showing the whole thing.

Back with Cedric getting caught in a reverse hurricanrana and now the tornado DDT connects. The 054 hits this time but Cedric gets his foot on the ropes. Another 054 attempt misses and Alexander elbows him in the head. Ali gets elbowed down again and the Lumbar Check gives him the title at 12:18.

Rating: B-. This was a lot less competitive than I remember it being as Alexander dominated from the beginning and ran over Ali save for a little flurry near the end. Alexander winning is the right call and I’m glad neither of them went heel here. They both looked good but Ali was a step behind what he usually does here. I had a good time with it and Cedric winning is a feel good moment. That’s all you could ask for here.

Cedric talks about how special that was because his family, including his daughter, got to see it. Winning the title was amazing but it hurt even more to lose it at Super Show-Down.

Time for some New Year’s Resolutions.

Hideo Itami: respect me or he’ll break your face.

Akira Tozawa wants the Cruiserweight Title back.

TJP is going to get Drake Maverick fired.

Noam Dar wants a nice, stable relationship with anyone not named Alicia Fox.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are going to use the power of love to ruin lives.

Video on Lucha House Party.

Video on Buddy Murphy.

From Super Show-Down.

Cruiserweight Title: Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy

Alexander is defending but Murphy is the hometown boy. The confident Murphy shoves him in the face and gets two off an early knee. Cedric has to bail to the floor so Murphy hits a huge flip dive over the top. Back in and a top rope Meteora gets two more as Alexander is writhing in pain. A kick to the arm gets two more and we hit the chinlock.

The fans are entirely behind Murphy (well duh), even as he puts Alexander on top but charges into a running Michinoku Driver for two. The springboard spinning Downward Spiral (third time in one form or another tonight) sends Murphy to the floor with Alexander hitting his own running flip dive.

Back in and Cedric puts him on top but gets caught in a sitout powerbomb for two more. A jumping knee to the face looks to set up Murphy’s Law but Alexander reverses into a rollup for two. The Lumbar Check gets two, which is one of the only times that’s ever happened (Alexander’s bugged out eyes are a great touch). The springboard clothesline is countered with another knee to the face and Murphy’s Law is enough for the pin and the title at 10:30.

Rating: B-. That was the only option they had here as there was no reason to not change the title. Alexander has held the title for months now and isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire. They can switch the title back if they really want to, but this was the only choice they had and thankfully they figured that out.

Murphy says he isn’t losing this title so he might as well retire as champion. If you don’t like that, do something about it.

Top Ten Moments of 2018:

10. Tony Nese powerbombs Lio Rush to the floor.

9. Roderick Strong’s debut.

8. Mike and Maria Kanellis’ debut.

7. Cedric Alexander suplexes Drew Gulak to the floor.

6. Noam Dar returns.

5. Lio Rush’s debut.

4. Akira Tozawa’s top rope backsplash to break up a surfboard.

3. TJP steals Lucha House Party’s masks.

2. Drew Gulak turns on Brian Kendrick.

1. Mustafa Ali’s 450 through Hideo Itami through a table.

Drew Gulak wants to fix 205 Live from glorified stuntmen.

We look at Mustafa Ali becoming #1 contender on October 31.

From Survivor Series.

Cruiserweight Title: Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy

Murphy is defending. Ali hits him in the face a few times but gets tossed into the corner. That just earns Murphy a hurricanrana to the floor, meaning it’s a big flip dive to take him down. Ali goes up top again but Murphy shoves him all the way into the barricade for a great looking crash.

Back in and Murphy hammers away at the head and we hit the chinlock. Ali fights up and hits a dropkick but the rolling X Factor is countered with a big toss to the floor. That means the running flip dive from Murphy but Ali is right back with a spinwheel kick to drop Murphy. Now a hanging DDT can connect for two on the champ but the 054 is countered with a shove off the top.

Murphy loads up the announcers’ table but Ali is right there with a Spanish Fly off the table to the floor. That gets a rather hearty 205 chant and Murphy keeps the fans’ interest with back to back powerbombs. Murphy’s Law is countered so Murphy knees him in the face, setting up Murphy’s Law to retain at 12:20.

Rating: B. This was the usually awesome Ali match but the loss took away so much of the energy they had built up. I’m really not sure what the point was in having Ali lose again here but that’s been the case for him every single time. It’s a shame that he’s stuck on 205 Live where no one gets to see how good he really is.

Ali credits 205 Live with sending him to Smackdown. The brands have changed but the flight doesn’t. He might be back one day though.

Maverick needs to announce a new #1 contender and he has an idea. There will be three qualifying matches over the next two weeks with the winners advancing to a fatal four way title match at the Royal Rumble. Next week it’s Kalisto vs. Lio Rush and Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak, followed by Cedric Alexander vs. Hideo Itami in two weeks.

Overall Rating: B. It’s kind of amazing that the Best of 205 Live doesn’t feature any 205 Live. That being said, the stuff we got was outstanding as the big matches from this division are as entertaining as you can find at the moment. They crank up the action every time they’re on the card and the matches have gotten better and better every time. There’s some great stuff here and the Best of format is a better choice than the weekly shows. Really fun show here, which is the point of something like this.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: December 19, 2018
Location: Save Mart Center, Fresno, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Well with the most recently title match out of the way, things are starting to get back to normal around here. That doesn’t mean we don’t have anything big planned for tonight though, with a street fight between Akira Tozawa/Brian Kendrick vs. Jack Gallagher/Drew Gulak. Tozawa and Kendrick had a great street fight last year and this has the potential to be incredible as well. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Buddy Murphy retaining the Cruiserweight Title over Cedric Alexander at TLC. This leads into the regular preview of tonight’s show.

Opening sequence.

Here are Hideo Itami and Ariya Daivari for a chat. Daivari is extra serious tonight as he tells everyone to SHUT THEIR MOUTHS and show Hideo respect. He can’t sit idly by while a legend like Itami is ignored around here. Itami hasn’t had any real competition for two months so until that is changed, this show is canceled. Cue Drake Maverick to threaten Daivari with a suspension but Noam Dar interrupts as well. After a quick chat, the match is on. Good thing the McMahons decree has nothing to do with 205 Live. Do they know this show exists?

Noam Dar vs. Hideo Itami

Dar slugs away in the corner to start and hits a running dropkick to send him outside. Back in and Itami takes over with the kicks and drops Dar ribs first onto the top rope. A Fameasser knocks him right back off the ropes for two and we hit the chinlock. Dar gets up and slugs away to block some kicks but can’t fend them all off and gets knocked down again.

The second chinlock goes on but this time Dar is up even faster for a dropkick to the knee. A running shot to the face has Itami in more trouble and a northern lights suplex gets two. Itami misses a running kick and gets his leg kicked out from underneath him, followed by a shot to knock Daivari off the apron. Dar gets sent into the corner for a running dropkick and the spinning knee to the face gives Itami the pin at 6:56.

Rating: C-. I’m not big on either guy here but the match was perfectly fine. They got in some good offense each and Dar has a rematch if he wants one. Itami and Daivari isn’t exactly going to go anywhere but at least they’re doing something other than having Itami yell RESPECT ME over and over, which hasn’t worked and isn’t going to no matter how long they try it.

We look at Murphy retaining over Alexander again.

Murphy talks to Maverick about the times he was supposed to lose and then retained anyway. He wants a special challenger next time so Maverick says give him a few days. The new opponent will be announced next week.

Lio Rush vs. Aaron Solow

Solow is Bayley’s fiance. Lio talks some trash before slugging away but gets taken down with a few right hands. That’s it from Solow, as Rush takes him down and hits the Final Hour. Rush won’t cover though as he hammers away instead, followed by a second Final Hour for the pin at 1:05. Rush almost looked too dominant here as it didn’t even have any impact to have him win that fast.

Alexander is down from his loss but he’s still coming for the title.

Next week is a Best Of show. Makes sense.

Jack Gallagher/Drew Gulak vs. Brian Kendrick/Akira Tozawa

Gallagher and Gulak are both in suits. Kendrick has shaved off his beard and looks to be about 21 years old again. The good guys take over in the aisle and head inside to start the actual fighting. It’s already time for a table because they’re not wasting time this week. Gallagher and Gulak aren’t interested in that though and put the table back underneath the ring, making them even less popular. With that one not being an option, Tozawa and Kendrick take off the top of the announcers’ table and use it to drop both of them.

Gallagher gets punched in the face and Tozawa uses Kendrick as a launch pad for a backsplash. Gulak and Gallagher are right back up with trashcan shots to take over, allowing Gulak to put a can over Tozawa and beat it with a broom. Now it’s time for a mop bucket but first, Gulak needs to hit Kendrick with the mop itself. Kendrick gets in a few shots on Gulak as Gallagher armbars Tozawa inside.

Gulak busts out a bungee cord and fishhooks Kendrick’s mouth in a painful looking visual. A clothesline gives Gulak two as Tozawa is nowhere to be seen. Kendrick counters a double suplex into a double DDT so everyone is down at the same time. With Tozawa on the floor, Gulak goes outside and mocks the AH AH shouts but Tozawa blocks a punch with a chair.

The fans want tables but have to settle for Gulak being tied to the post with the cords for some alternating chops. Gallagher makes a save and brings over one of the announcers’ chairs, with Tozawa being put in it for a running dropkick. Back in and Gallagher gets an Indian deathlock on Kendrick, only to have Tozawa come in with a dragon sleeper.

Gulak makes a save with the Gulock so Kendrick slams Gallagher onto both of them for the break. Gallagher is right back on the knee with another deathlock and thankfully the referee doesn’t break it up for a grab of the rope. The top rope backsplash gives Tozawa a save and a near fall but his suicide dive hits a raised trashcan. That leaves Kendrick to hit a super Sliced Bread #2 to finish Gallagher at 17:01.

Rating: C+. It was good but this never hit the level that you would expect them to reach in a big gimmick match. It’s not exactly an upset either as you would expect Tozawa and Kendrick to be more at home in a street fight. The match was good enough, though I was looking for something a little bit more intense than this.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: December 12, 2018
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re in an interesting place here as we have a Cruiserweight Title match set for Sunday, and that means we need something to fill in the gap before then. There’s a good chance that we’ll get a hard sell for the title match so whatever else we get could be rather interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick introduces the show and explains tonight’s matches: Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander will be facing wrestlers Maverick has chosen. Murphy will face Gran Metalik while Alexander will face Tony Nese.

Buddy Murphy vs. Gran Metalik

Non-title. Kalisto and Lince Dorado are here, complete with pinatas. Murphy takes him straight down by the arm without much effort and gets reversed even faster. A few pulls of the mask keep Metalik down but he nips back up and scares Murphy into the corner. With Murphy knocked out to the floor, it’s a flip dive to put him in even more trouble.

A hurricanrana gives Metalik two but another flip dive off the middle rope is countered into a running suplex. The chinlock goes on (duh) for a few moments until Metalik fights up and drives Murphy into the corner for the eventual break. The rope walk dropkick gives Metalik two, followed by a superkick into the Metalik Driver for the same.

Murphy rolls away before Metalik can come off the to and it’s Metalik going hard into the announcers’ table. Back in and a top rope Meteora gives Murphy two but he charges into a superkick. Metalik’s moonsault misses and a Batista Bomb (that’s becoming popular around here) is good for another near fall. Murphy’s Law is countered into a rollup for two but Metalik springboards into a successful second attempt for the pin at 12:01.

Rating: B. Yeah this worked and served as a great way to showcase what Murphy can do. A lot of the time champions’ skills are forgotten due to them hiding behind the title but that wasn’t the case here, which made for a heck of a performance. Metalik more than did his part too and is quite great in his own right. Just get him away from the Lucha House Party shenanigans every now and then and those talents will show off even more.

We look back at Drew Gulak attacking Brian Kendrick last week.

Maverick tells Kendrick and Akira Tozawa that they’re going to be in a street fight with Gulak and Jack Gallagher next week. Kendrick talks about manipulating a lot of people and no one more than Tozawa. Now though, he’s a changed man. Tozawa agrees that he’s a changed man, but he looks the same. There seems to be an idea at hand.

Gulak and Gallagher say they attacked Kendrick in an attempt to save him. That will continue in the street fight.

We look back at the newly aggressive Ariya Daivari.

Daivari is tired of all the flash and no fight around here. Hideo Itami comes in to say he approves. That explanation has been used by WAY too many characters as of late.

Tony Nese vs. Cedric Alexander

Cedric backs him into the corner to start and we hit a quick pose with Alexander showing off his own muscles. An exchange of wristlocks doesn’t get either of them very far as it would seem that they have a lot of time here. Nese goes after the foot but Cedric headscissors him over, right onto his feet. Cedric scores with a dropkick and sends him outside but gets smacked in the face as he goes up top.

A neck snap across the top rope sets up a springboard moonsault for two on Cedric. The bodyscissors stays on the ribs but Cedric fights out, only to get taken down into a chinlock with a knee in his back. Cedric fights up and this time avoids the shot to the face in the corner, setting up the springboard Downward Spiral. A knee to the jaw in the corner and a springboard clothesline give Cedric two and Nese is rocked.

Nese starts striking away until Cedric kicks him hard in the head for another near fall. Alexander gets rocked by a forearm to the face and a running crossbody for two, with Nigel swearing over how close it was. Cedric is right back with a spinning elbow to the face but the Neutralizer is countered into a somewhat messed up Samoan drop for two more.

With Alexander on the floor, Nese hits a heck of a Fosbury Flop dive to take him out again. Back in and Nese misses the 450, allowing Alexander to snap off a Michinoku Driver for two of his own. Nese flips out of the Lumbar Check so Alexander Neuralizes him into the Lumbar Check for the pin at 13:53.

Rating: B. Another good performance from both guys here as Nese has gotten a lot better over the course of the year. Alexander has been great all along and there’s a reason he’s getting this kind of a push even after his long title reign. The match on Sunday should be very solid, and if you throw in Ali, who you know isn’t done.

Post match Murphy runs in, gets sent to the floor and taken out with a flip dive, and poses with the title on the stage to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Well let’s see. Two very good matches and a strong build towards the only match they have on Sunday with a match being set up for next week as well. The title scene is starting to heat up and if the rest of the show can live up to it, they’ve got something very special around here. Check this one out if you want to see a really strong show and what 205 Live can pull off when they’re focused.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: December 5, 2018
Location: Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Last week saw Cedric Alexander pin Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy in a tag match, which should set him up as the next challenger to the title. With a pay per view coming up, the timing couldn’t be much better. As for tonight, we have the Lucha House Party vs. Mike Kanellis and TJP in a Texas Tornado match. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick previews the show, which works very well every week.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak vs. Brian Kendrick

Jack Gallagher and Akira Tozawa are at ringside. The empty seats are AWFUL this week with far more red seats than people visible, meaning we start with the lower camera angles. Nice idea, but it just shows how bad the problem is around the arena. Gulak takes him to the mat to start but can’t get him anywhere. More grappling gives us a stalemate so Gulak nails him with a clothesline to take over.

A modified half crab (with Gulak pulling back on the foot instead of wrapping his arm around) starts in on Kendrick’s knee and Gulak takes him down by the leg for good measure. Kendrick tries a full nelson of all things, followed by a tiger suplex of all things for two. That just earns him a powerbomb into a regular half crab as Gulak’s logical moveset continues. It’s off to a headlock as Gulak moves towards the neck for a change.

With that not being as weakened, Kendrick fights up so it’s another leg hold to cut him down again. A front facelock keeps Kendrick in trouble but he flips out into the Captain’s Hook. That means a crawl over to the ropes for the break so Kendrick goes with a dragon suplex for two instead. A quick trip to the floor goes nowhere but Gallagher sends Tozawa into the post for a distraction. The rollup gives Gulak two and Sliced Bread #2 gives Kendrick the same as Gallagher comes in for the DQ at 8:49.

Rating: C. Technically fine but I still have no reason to care about what these people do. The feud has been going on for weeks now and it seems like they’re in about the same places they were before. That’s the case with the opening match around here most of the time, but it doesn’t make things any more interesting.

Gallagher and Gulak destroy Tozawa and Kendrick post match.

We look back at last week’s tag team main event.

Maverick sits down with Buddy Murphy, who isn’t worried about facing Cedric Alexander in a rubber match. Murphy cuts him off and says he’s glad to face Alexander one more time. Besides, Mustafa Ali is the tougher opponent. That sounds manipulative to me.

Ariya Daivari vs. Clay Roberts

Daivari is in street clothes and is all aggressive to start with stomps in the corner. A kick to the head has Roberts in more trouble as Hideo Itami is watching from the back. The hard standing clothesline gets two and a hammerlock lariat is good for the same, with Daivari pulling him up both times. Three more clotheslines knock Roberts silly and the referee stops it at 1:48 before Daivari can do it again. Good idea, but it’s still Ariya Daivari hitting a bunch of clotheslines. Maybe it gets better, but they’re facing an uphill climb.

Itami seems pleased.

Mustafa Ali is down after losing but he’s getting back up, which is the harder part. He’s rooting for Cedric, but he’s coming for the title no matter who has it.

Alexander isn’t letting Murphy get into his head and wants his title back.

Noam Dar wants Buddy Murphy too and the title doesn’t even need to be on the line.

Lucha House Party vs. TJP/Mike Kanellis

Tornado tag with Kalisto and Lince Dorado for the Party, without Gran Metalik around. Maria is around though and that’s a good thing. During his entrance, Kalisto puts a hat on a young girl’s head and she looks LIVID in a funny bit. TJP gets sent outside to start and Kalisto’s splash off Dorado’s shoulders (after a little balancing) connects with Mike. Both villains are put on the floor so Dorado can hit a dive off the post to take them both out. Kalisto pulls a noisemaker out of a Christmas sack before grabbing a tornado DDT for two on TJP.

Mike gets in a spinebuster on Dorado on the floor but Kalisto kicks him in the face. That’s a little too much offense though and Maria grabs the pinata and threatens to destroy it. The distraught Kalisto gets taken down and Mike gets in a good shot. TJP kicks the pinata away and hits his half of a double clothesline on Dorado. Now it’s time to pull out a spare mask and hammer away a bit more, followed by an elbow drop for two. Yeah he covered off an elbow drop and was surprised as the kickout. I don’t get it either.

Kalisto gets a bit too close to getting back in so Mike knocks him into the barricade. Dorado is back with a double Golden Rewind, followed by Kalisto with a springboard high crossbody to TJP. The hurricanrana driver is countered into an STF and it’s time to go for Kalisto’s mask. As TJP goes for the eye, we see a replay of Mike hitting a Russian legsweep off the apron on Dorado. You don’t see WWE cameras missing things like that very often. With the mask not working, it’s time for the kneebar on Kalisto, who eventually makes the ropes. TJP gets caught up top and Kalisto’s knee is fine enough to superkick an invading Mike.

A top rope hurricanrana sends TJP into Mike and Dorado is back in to help things out. Another superkick to Mike sets up the Super Crazy triple moonsaults for another near fall. The masked guys yell at each other a lot and it’s time to bring in the Christmas bag, which is full of mini pinatas. Dorado has to fight out of a bunch of suplexes onto the pinatas and it’s time to fight over who gets tossed from the corner onto them.

A double superplex finally puts TJP onto them but Mike makes a very fast save. TJP powerbombs Kalisto for two more and now he wants the BIG pinata. Maria and Kalisto get in a fight over the thing until he throws it at her, knocking him off the apron and onto Mike. The springboard Salida Del Sol into the shooting star press finishes TJP at 14:17.

Rating: C+. At first I wasn’t really feeling this one as it was all kinds of carnage and insanity….and then I realized that was the point. It’s called a Texas Tornado match for a reason and the match was fun as a result. This was an entertaining match with all four guys getting involved, plus Maria as a bonus. I could go for fewer pinatas next time, but at least what we got was entertaining with the right ending.

We get a preview of next week’s matches.

Tony Nese is ready to finish Cedric for good next week.

Overall Rating: C. The main event helped but this was a show that didn’t exactly showcase some of the more entertaining wrestlers on the roster. It helps that we’ll be getting Ali, Murphy and Alexander in the next few weeks though and that’s a great sign for the show going forward. This wasn’t a bad show or anything, but it didn’t have quite the pop that it needed.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 1997 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/11/20/new-paperback-complete-1997-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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: November 28, 2018
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Things are in a bit of a holding pattern around here at the moment as Buddy Murphy doesn’t have a challenger but is involved in a tag match tonight, teaming with Tony Nese against Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander. Other than that I’m sure we’ll be in for the normal midcard shenanigans, which can be hit or miss. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick previews the show and yes we are supposed to take him seriously after what happened on Raw. I love how WWE thinks that’s how it works, like they’re different continuities or something.

Opening sequence.

Mike Kanellis vs. Noam Dar

Fallout from Kanellis costing Dar a match recently. Kanellis slaps at Dar’s hands in the corner to start as Maria sits in on commentary. Dar gets in a kick to the leg and waves at Maria to a reaction quieter than a golf clap. For some reason Dar goes outside (presumably to look at Maria) and gets jumped from behind, with Mike hitting a suplex. Back in and we hit the chinlock as Maria tries to explain the power of love.

The hold doesn’t last long as Dar pops up with a running dropkick to the head as the arena is just quiet. A spinebuster gets Kanellis out of trouble and here’s the Lucha House Party for a distraction. With Dorado and Metalik on the stage, Kalisto kicks Mike in the head, setting up the Nova Roller to give Dar the pin at 3:52.

Rating: D. Is anyone else really getting sick of the Lucha House Party? I know they’re there for some fun and can get the fans a little more energetic than most things (like this match for example) but they’re getting more annoying every week. Dar isn’t much better and I’m not sure about having him beat Mike. While Mike isn’t great, Maria is a gem with some presence to her and it shows off on commentary. Too short to mean much, but not exactly good.

Brian Kendrick and Akira Tozawa are warming up with Tozawa getting on Kendrick’s nerves just enough to bring out the aggression. Tozawa’s hands hurt after Kendrick pounds the gloves so hard.

Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher talk about how Kendrick used to be their friend but then he changed. Gulak uses some word that he doesn’t understand so Gallagher helps him out a bit in a funny moment. Next week: Gulak vs. Kendrick.

Hideo Itami vs. Levy Cruise

Itami isn’t playing around tonight and blasts Cruise in the face to start. The kick to the back lets Itami shout RESPECT ME and believe it or not, the reactions are getting even quieter. Cruise is draped over the top rope for the jumping knee to the back and there’s the hesitation dropkick in the corner. The spinning knee to the head finishes Cruise at 1:27.

Post match the beatdown continues but Ariya Daivari of all people comes out to interrupt. Dude you still work here? And never mind as he helps beat on Cruise before saying he respects Itami. Egads man, how much more boring can they get with these two?

TJP asks Drake Maverick why he can’t be #1 contender but Maverick says no because Gran Metalik beat him last week. That means another mention of the Cruiserweight Classic, which doesn’t quite work. TJP finally brings up Maverick’s stuff from Raw but the Kanellises come in to say they want the Lucha House Party. Maria doesn’t want to hear from TJP, but does want a tornado tag match is made for next week. Maverick agrees and tosses them.

Mustafa Ali/Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy/Tony Nese

Alexander and Nese start things off with the traditional exchange of wristlocks. Nese avoids a moonsault and nips up to duck a clothesline. That’s fine with Alexander, who snaps off a dropkick for two, complete with a glare at Murphy. It’s off to Ali for a quick dropkick to the side of the head so Murphy comes in and gets dropkicked as well. The tag brings Alexander back in and Murphy immediately bails for the tag back to Nese.

A quick distraction lets Murphy hit a running knee to the face though and now he’s willing to take over on Alexander. Some knees to the ribs set up a bodyscissors from Nese but Alexander is up in a hurry. The hot tag brings in Ali to pick up the pace with a shot to the face and the Batista Bomb for two. Murphy blocks the tornado DDT through raw power though and Nese gets in a cheap shot from the apron. Nese comes in legally and steps on Ali’s hair (Nigel: “Could be an accident, you never know.”) before it’s back to Murphy for a hard clothesline.

Ali gets in a double clothesline to put both villains on the floor but Murphy pulls Alexander off the apron to break up the hot tag attempt. A spinning kick to Murphy’s face is finally enough for the hot tag and Alexander comes in with the springboard Flatliner for two on Nese. Alexander shoves Nese into the corner to crotch Murphy and it’s back to Ali, who goes up top with Alexander to get Murphy.

Since that’s a bit crowded up top (not to mention with Nese beneath the three of them), Murphy and Ali both fall down to the floor in some scary looking crashes. Alexander nails Nese with a dive and throws Murphy back in for a tornado DDT from Ali. The Lumbar Check finishes Murphy at 13:31.

Rating: B. Even with someone like Nese (who shockingly didn’t take the pin) in there, this felt like a big time tag match and a good main event. Alexander getting his rematch makes sense after how long he held the title so it’s hard to argue with the result. Ali will almost certainly be a factor going forward and that’s the best for almost everyone involved.

Overall Rating: C. The main event is all that matters here but there’s only so much you can get out of a third of the show when the rest of it isn’t exactly thrilling stuff. Murphy is turning into a much more interesting champion than I was expecting and his match with Alexander or another match with Ali could be entertaining. Other than that there isn’t much here, but that can change week to week.

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