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

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

Worlds Collide: Cruiserweights Collide
Date: April 17, 2019
Location: Pier 12, New York City, New York
Commentators: Aiden English, Tom Phillips

In case the last one’s name wasn’t obvious enough for you. This time is more of an international flavor though with wrestlers from NXT UK and 205 Live facing off in a series of matches. There is always some potential there and if the matches are given some time, we could be in for a fun show. Let’s get to it.

The announcers give us a quick preview.

Tyler Bate vs. Brian Kendrick

During the entrances, we get a cool photo of Bate when he was about fifteen, meeting Kendrick at an indy show in England. Naturally there’s a handshake before the bell and Kendrick thinks the BIG STRONG BOY chants are for him. A BRIAN KENDRICK chant is a little more clear as they lock up to start. Bate easily gets the better of a test of strength and Kendrick seems like he wants to try something else.

The hammerlock (Kendrick: “HA HA!”) works a bit better until Bate bounces up and down, picks up his own foot, and puts it on Kendrick’s arm for the escape. How British of him. Kendrick uses the more traditional rope break to get out of a hammerlock and tries a headlock. That means a flipping escape and right hands for the first real show of aggression. The power sends Kendrick outside, where he asks a fan why he wasn’t informed of Bate being a big strong boy.

Back in and Kendrick pokes him in the eye, which makes the referee think the match shouldn’t continue. They keep going though and Kendrick tries it again, only to have Bate block this attempt and get in an eye poke of his own. Back up and another pair of eye pokes are blocked so Bate punches him in the face instead. The referee actually yells about the punch though, allowing Kendrick to knock Bate to the floor. The USA vs. UK chants begin as Bate is holding the back of his head after a hard shot. Kendrick sends him head first into the buckle and it’s off to a double arm crank.

Since Kendrick is a veteran, he gets a USA chant going again to make sure the fans don’t get too bored. A neckbreaker gets two but Bate Hulks Up and snaps off a rather un-Hulk like hurricanrana. The running shooting star gets two and a backslide is good for the same. Kendrick is staggered but manages to snap on the Captain’s Hook in the middle of the ring. You don’t use a hold on a guy as strong as Bate, who powers him up into the airplane spin. The rolling Liger kick drops Kendrick again and the Tyler Driver 97 finishes Kendrick at 13:57.

Rating: B-. This took some time to get going but they built it up into something good by the end. Kendrick can still go in the ring every single time and he helped Bate have a good match. Bate is awesome, and the more than he gets to spend time in the ring with veterans who work a different style like this, the better he’s going to be.

Flash Morgan Webster/Mark Andrews vs. Ariya Daivari/Mike Kanellis

No Maria with Mike, lowering his interest level by at least 73%. Mike does however get a rather strong chant before the match and the fans are very pleased when he starts against Andrews. And like someone who knows what he’s doing, he hands it off to Daivari to really start instead. Another tag continues the stalling as there’s no contact in the first minute. They finally lock up at about a minute and a half with Andrews snapping off some armdrags.

A hair pull takes him down though as the fans are completely behind Kanellis again. Andrews is right back up with an armbar but it’s quickly off to Kanellis vs. Webster for a change. Webster grabs a drop toehold and it’s a standing moonsault from Andrews with Webster adding a standing Swanton for two on Kanellis.

It’s back to Daivari who has some luck by stomping Webster down in the corner, followed by a sliding boot from Kanellis for two. Daivari’s hip swivel neckbreaker gets two as he and Kanellis are getting into a nice groove with the alternating beatings. The big boot gives Kanellis two and Daivari slaps on a chinlock. Webster finally gets in a clothesline and it’s back to Andrews for a double crossbody.

The double stomp to the ribs sets up the standing moonsault to Daivari and Kanellis gets knocked down. An assisted 450 gets two more on Daivari and there are the stereo flip dives to the floor. Back in and Webster gets crotched on the top so Kanellis nails a Michinoku Driver. Kanellis superkicks Daivari by mistake though and Andrews hits the Stundog Millionaire. Webster’s Swanton to the back finishes Kanellis at 13:06.

Rating: C+. This took some time to get into but it turned into a straight formula tag match with the time to set it up. That’s something that is going to work every time, which is why it became the formula over the years. Webster has grown on me so much in recent weeks and his tagging with Andrews has been a big part of that. Nice match here.

Albert Hardie Jr. vs. Gran Metalik vs. Ligero

Hardie is better known as ACH. Just to make sure he fits in, he even puts on an invisible ask as the feeling out process begins. Ligero runs Hardie over but walks into an armdrag from Metalik. That means an early standoff as the fans seem to be behind Metalik so far. Ligero gets kicked to the floor so Hardie can flip around a lot and send Metalik to the floor. Back in and Ligero returns the kick to Hardie’s face, meaning it’s already time for Ligero vs. Metalik. The latter’s rope walk dropkick gets two but Hardie is back in to kick Metalik’s leg out.

Hardie slows things down with an abdominal stretch until he has to get rolled up to give Ligero two. A big flip dive to the floor takes Metalik down and it’s time to rip at Ligero’s mask to make Hardie a bit of a heel. It’s back to the abdominal stretch as Hardie continues to be a little different.

Metalik is more of a traditionalist and superkicks Hardie in the face to break it up. The handspring back elbow drops Ligero and Hardie and a suicide dive drops Hardie again. The Metalik Driver gets two on Hardie with Ligero making the save. Ligero’s springboard Stunner drops Metalik and there’s the big flip dive to take him down again. A bridging German suplex gives Hardie two on Metalik and a kick to the face sends Metalik outside. That leaves Ligero to hit C4L to put Hardie away at 11:12.

Rating: C. This was a moves match as they went from one spot to another with nothing in the middle. I’ve never been a big ACH fan and a lot of the problem stems from this being his go to match: a bunch of very athletic stuff, minus anything to bridge it together. It’s a perfectly watchable match, but it feels like something I’ve seen a dozen times.

Akira Tozawa vs. Jordan Devlin

Devlin starts slowly with some kicks to the leg so Tozawa takes him down for a stalemate. A hammerlock into a front facelock has Devlin in trouble so he reverses into a leglock as the grappling continues. With that not working, Tozawa kicks him in the face and drops the backsplash, setting up the hard corner stomps.

A backbreaker gets Devlin out of trouble and he kicks Tozawa in the back to make it worse. The release Rock Bottom into the standing moonsault (onto Tozawa’s side) gets two and it’s off to a waistlock. That’s broken up with elbows to the face and a knee to the face drops Devlin again. Devlin is smart enough to roll away from the top rope backsplash so Tozawa hits a suicide dive instead.

The Black Widow makes Devlin scream but Tozawa is no AJ Lee so it’s not quite enough. Tozawa wins a slugout until an exchange of kicks to the head puts both guys down. Devlin is up first but the slingshot cutter is countered into a bridging German suplex for two. The top rope backsplash hits knees though and Devlin’s pull up Saito suplex finishes Tozawa at 13:08.

Rating: B-. Another good match here as Devlin has found his groove and become one of the best things about whatever show he’s on anymore. Tozawa was his usual entertaining self as his charisma and work are more than enough to carry him in any match. Devlin seems destined to be a star though and that’s a good sign for NXT UK’s future.

Overall Rating: B. Pretty solid show here, even if it’s nothing that you need to see and nothing I’m going to remember in about a day. That’s the problem with these shows: they feel like they’re just content for the sake of content and that’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. Check this one out though as it’s four rather good (at worst completely watchable) matches in front of an energized crowd.

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 16, 2019
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s a new era for the show as both Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy have been moved up to the main roster, meaning we need some new names to step up around here. In theory that should be Tony Nese, but who can come up with him? Oney Lorcan seems to be a likely candidate too, which isn’t the worst idea in the world. Let’s get to it.

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

Tony Nese welcomes us to the show and talks about doing the impossible at Wrestlemania. Then he did it again two nights later when he won the rematch with Buddy Murphy. It’s time to look to the future though and that means he needs a new challenger. Maybe it’s Drew Gulak, Kalisto or Akira Tozawa. Or maybe someone new that he isn’t expecting. Either way, he’ll be ready and we’ll see who steps up tonight.

Opening sequence.

Drake Maverick is on commentary.

Gran Metalik vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Mike Kanellis vs. Ariya Daivari

Before the match, the Lucha House Party greets the fans in French for a nice touch. Daivari bails straight to the floor so Metalik and Tozawa go after Kanellis instead. With Kanellis on the floor as well, the good guys trade flips until Tozawa kicks Metalik to the floor. Daivari comes back in to break up the dive but here’s Metalik with a springboard missile dropkick.

A double high crossbody sets up the Octopus on Metalik with Kanellis and Daivari making the save. The villains set up the soon to be broken alliance with Kanellis throwing out suplexes. A spinebuster puts Metalik on the floor but Tozawa is right back up to hammer on Kanellis. The Samoan Driver gives Kanellis two as Daivari pulls him out for the save. Kanellis isn’t happy so Daivari powerbombs him on the floor.

Back in and Tozawa’s spinning kick to the head gets two on Daivari, leaving us with a showdown between Metalik and Tozawa. Metalik gets sent outside so Tozawa hits a Shining Wizard on Kanellis but gets taken down by Metalik, who gets frog splashed by Daivari for the near fall. Back up and a running hurricanrana from Metalik sends Daivari to the floor, followed by Tozawa’s dive onto everyone else.

Kanellis elbows his way out of Tozawa’s German suplex attempt so Tozawa hits his hard right hand. Now the German suplex can connect but Maria blocks the top rope backsplash. They fight on top until Tozawa knocks him down, only to have the backsplash hit knees. Metalik springboards back in with an elbow to Tozawa but Daivari steals the pin at 11:11.

Rating: C. If they’re really building towards Nese vs. Daivari, they’re dumber than I thought. That’s one of the least interesting matches I can imagine and they need something a lot better than that. Daivari is better than he used to be and that song has been in my head for two days, but egads man, be more interesting.

Oney Lorcan talks about how Cedric Alexander has led 205 Live for years. Tonight, Oney is taking his spot.

Cedric says his legacy is all that remains and he wants to be remembered for everything he put into 205 Live. Oney better put in everything he has.

Oney Lorcan vs. Cedric Alexander

Feeling out process to start with Oney’s attempt at an armbar getting him tripped down to the mat. The grappling goes to Cedric with a front facelock until Oney switches over to a headlock. Back up and Alexander flips forward for the anklescissors and a trio of dropkick puts Lorcan down for the first time.

An enziguri sends Lorcan outside but the suicide dive is sidestepped for a crash into the barricade. Lorcan hits some running clotheslines in the corner and it’s off to a waistlock. That’s finally broken up and Cedric hits a dropkick to the back of the head. The springboard Downward Spiral gets two, followed by the Michinoku Driver for the same as Cedric can’t believe the kickout.

Lorcan blocks the Lumbar Check and the Neuralizer is blocked with an elbow to the back. A powerbomb into a half crab stays on Cedric’s back but he makes the rope, as heroes tend to do. Lorcan gets knocked off the top for the running flip dive but he’s fine enough to uppercut the springboard clothesline out of the air. The chop off goes to the apron with Lorcan hitting the half and half on the apron. Another one back inside finishes Alexander at 18:15.

Rating: B. They did the right thing here by having Alexander lose, even if it was a fairly predictable result. Lorcan is one of the best things about this show anymore and there’s a chance that he could be a star on the show for a good while. The show needs some fresh talent and Lorcan is as good of an option as they have.

Post match Lorcan shakes his hand and leaves so Cedric can have the big sendoff to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. 205 Live is in a hard shift at the moment and they need to do something to make up for the lack of talent. The problem is I don’t see that coming anytime soon as the show is far from the highest priority to the company. If they build up some people so be it, but the show is going to be treated the same no matter what.

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: March 26, 2019
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuiness, Vic Joseph

The tournament is over and that means there’s nothing left to do but build towards Tony Nese vs. Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Title at Wrestlemania. There’s no way to write that up to make it sound exciting, and that’s the problem with the whole thing. It’s just not a very interesting title match, but who else was supposed to get the shot? That’s not a good sign but maybe they can make it better. Let’s get to it.

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

We recap last week’s tournament final with Nese defeating Cedric Alexander but getting attacked by Murphy to end the show.

Opening sequence.

The announcers, without a table, preview the title match and the rest of the show.

Lucha House Party vs. Drew Gulak/Humberto Carrillo/Jack Gallagher

Before the match, the House Party welcomes us to the show and says it’s Lucha Time, sounding like something out of Power Rangers (so it’s awesome). Metalik and Carrillo start things off and that means an early flip off. Carrillo works on the wrist but can’t do much as Metalik spins out. It’s another standoff with Metalik doing a slow motion lucha dance before, of course, more flipping.

Both guys backflip into another standoff so it’s off to Gulak and Gallagher, who are both sent outside. That means a bunch of flips from the House Party into a triple pose, much to Gulak’s annoyances. We settle down to the House Party working on Gulak’s arm, complete with Metalik diving off the top with a double stomp to said arm while holding Penelope the Pinata. I’m not sure what that changes but maybe it’s a cultural thing.

Kalisto comes in for the standing on Dorado’s shoulders splash as Gulak can’t get anything going. A distraction finally lets Gulak dropkick Dorado off the apron and Gallagher gets in a few cheap shots on the floor. Gallagher comes in legally for the first time with Gulak telling Carrillo to watch and learn. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Gulak comes back in for two off a clothesline. Gallagher gets rolled up but the kickout sends him over to the corner for the tag to Metalik.

That’s fine with Gallagher, who takes him down and unhooks part of the mask. Carrillo comes in and hits a springboard kick to the face and it’s back to Gulak for a knee to the face. The fast tags continue with Gallagher coming back in and taking a double handspring elbow from Metalik. The ice cold hot tag brings in Kalisto as the fans are just dead for this. A hurricanrana driver gets two on Carrillo and Gallagher and Gulak get backdropped to the floor.

That means a suicide dive from Kalisto and springboard moonsaults from Dorado and Metalik. Somehow a great spot like that only gets a minimal reaction as this just isn’t working for some reason. Carrillo kicks Kalisto down off the top and it’s a Tower of Doom to bring Kalisto, Gallagher and Gulak down. We hit the parade of strikes to the face, followed by Dorado’s shooting star press for two on Gulak. Carrillo kicks Kalisto down but Gulak calls off the moonsault. More “coaching” from Gulak lets Kalisto hit a quick Salida Del Sol for the pin at 15:29. Gallagher’s shocked face is a great touch.

Rating: B-. Rather nice match here, despite a weak crowd. Carrillo never felt like a fit with Gulak and Gallagher and it makes sense to have something like this happen in their first match together. They might get to Carrillo later, but for now it’s the logical way to go. The House Party continues to entertain, but how many times can they do the same trios match before it loses its magic?

Post match Gulak and Gallagher yell Carrillo, who isn’t happy.

Mike and Maria Kanellis aren’t relieved about the win over Akira Tozawa last week because Mike is that good. It wasn’t Maria that got the win anyway because Mike was the one who slammed Tozawa’s head into the mat and if you disagree, you’re just a hater. Drake Maverick comes in to say that they’ll have a rematch next week with Brian Kendrick in Tozawa’s corner.

Buddy Murphy is at the Performance Center and says Tony Nese forced his hand last week. Nese has always been behind him because Murphy is a cruiserweight hybrid. As Murphy keeps going, Nese appears in the window behind him and comes in for the brawl, with agents and wrestlers breaking it up. Good segment, which did nothing to fix the fact that it’s Tony Nese.

Cedric Alexander vs. Ariya Daivari

Hang on a minute as here’s Oney Lorcan to sit at ringside and watch. Cedric is distracted so Daivari takes him down and talks trash, showing the offensive strategy that has led him to such success around here. A headlock takeover works better for Cedric and he forearms Daivari in the face to keep him in trouble. Daivari is back with a hard clothesline for two and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and it’s too early for the Lumbar Check so Daivari kicks him in the head. The Million Dollar Dream is blocked and Alexander gets in his own enziguri. Alexander’s springboard Downward Spiral gets two, followed by a superkick for the same. Daivari knocks him down again though and hits the Persian Lion splash for a near fall of his own. A whip to the floor lets Alexander hit a big flip dive but he messes up Lorcan’s jacket. That’s too far for Oney, who yells at Alexander until Daivari rolls him up for the pin at 12:24.

Rating: C+. One of Daivari’s better matches but the important thing here is Oney Lorcan coming up to 205 Live. This show really needs some new talent and Lorcan is as good as any other option they realistically have at the moment. I’m not sure how good it’s going to be if Alexander keeps getting the focus, but at least it’s a fresh feud for a change.

Lorcan jumps Alexander from behind and a brawl breaks out to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Two good matches with a new talent added, though it’s still next to impossible to get fired up about Tony Nese, who really hasn’t done anything to make me cheer him. He won a match last week and really, that’s about it. There’s a very big difference between being a face and being attacked by a heel and WWE doesn’t seem to get the difference. What we got here was good, but I’m not thrilled with the upcoming title match.

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: February 19, 2019
Location: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re on the way to Fastlane because that’s a thing that exists. It also doesn’t mean a ton around here as Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy retained the title last Sunday at Elimination Chamber. That means it’s time to set up a new challenger, which could take place here. Something big is coming at Wrestlemania but I’m not sure what that is just yet. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Murphy retaining the Cruiserweight Title over Akira Tozawa on Sunday. That means we need a #1 contender for Wrestlemania so it’s tournament time, starting next week. Drake Maverick previews the show as usual.

Opening sequence.

TJP vs. Humberto Carrillo

Aiden sings (not literally, though in this case you have to clarify) Humberto’s praises as he sends TJP outside. The dive is teased but here are Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak to say hang on with the diving. Carrillo seems to listen as he lets TJP back in and takes him down by the knee. Back up and Humberto starts the flips, followed by a quick splash for two. A springboard wristdrag is countered with a faceplant though and TJP starts in on the arm.

The slingshot hilo sets up the chinlock and then more arm cranking, only to have Humberto nip up for a kick to the face. The backflip into the moonsault gives Humberto two but TJP reverses a victory roll into something close to a Regal Stretch. A rope is grabbed but Humberto’s shoulder is pretty banged up. They head to the apron with Carrillo jumping around, setting up a quick dropkick. The handstand springboard moonsault finishes TJP at 10:21.

Rating: C. So that’s it for TJP in WWE and I’m going to miss him. I know he hasn’t been pushed in forever, but he was always good for a solid match and knew how to make his opponents look good. It’s nice to see him put someone like Carrillo over on his way out though, as hopefully he can get to be a bigger success elsewhere.

Post match Gulak and Gallagher congratulate Carrillo, even putting him on their shoulders. He doesn’t seem to mind.

Tony Nese says he’s proven he’s better than Noam Dar and now 205 Live is his for the taking. He’s coming for the title.

Maria Kanellis says her husband is going to prove that he’s the most dangerous man in 205 Live by taking out its heart tonight.

D-Generation X Hall of Fame video.

Ariya Daivari vs. Johnny Lyons

On his way to the ring, Daivari promises to beat someone so badly that no one can say it was the wrong call (reference to the New Orleans Saints losing via a bad call). Lyons hits an early dropkick but misses a charge into the corner. The fans are behind Lyons, even as Daivari kicks him down. The hammerlock lariat sets up a cobra clutch to make Lyons tap at 1:24. Well it’s an upgrade over the lariat.

Murphy talks about how he’s beaten everyone and he’ll do it again with whomever wins this tournament.

Mike Kanellis vs. Cedric Alexander

They go to the mat to start before Mike drives him into the corner for a shove to the face. Mike’s headlock takes Cedric down but he’s right back with a snap armdrag. A dropkick has Kanellis in more trouble and a kick to the back of the head gets two. Kanellis punches a springboard out of the air though and drives in some knees to take over. More forearms give Kanellis two and it’s off to the chinlock.

Alexander fights up with more dropkicks as Maria is starting to get nervous. There’s the Neuralizer but a springboard doesn’t work as Alexander falls down and grabs his knee. Mike is smart enough to stomp away, sending Aiden and Nigel into another argument over ethics in wrestling. Cedric hits a superkick but walks into a Samoan driver for two more. A backpack Stunner gets the same, only to have Cedric grab a Michinoku Driver for two of his own.

They head to the apron and trade boots to the face with Cedric taking the worse of it. A very hard spinebuster on the ramp has Cedric literally screaming and a Boston crab inside makes it even worse. Cedric grabs the rope and sends Mike outside for a flip dive (WAY too soon to be fine enough for that). Maria offers a distraction though and it’s a superkick into a Roll of the Dice for the pin, sending Nigel to his feet in celebration. He’s right back down though as the referee waves it off, saying Cedric’s shoulder was up. The Lumbar Check finishes Kanellis at 17:37.

Rating: B. Easily Kanellis’ best match of his WWE career and while that’s a low bar to clear, it’s a good sign for his future. Kanellis has never been known for his work but something at this level with Maria doing the talking will be enough to keep him around for a nice run. I liked the false finish in there too and actually bought it for a few seconds.

Maria is devastated.

Drake announces the following first round matches:

Kalisto

Tony Nese

Brian Kendrick

Drew Gulak

Four more names will be announced later.

Overall Rating: B-. The tournament is a good idea as we need a new challenger before Wrestlemania and you can only do so much around here to build up a feud. It should be a fun way to get there as last year’s tournament was great. As long as the work is there and we get a surprise (Kushida for example), everything is going to be fine.

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: February 20, 2018
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s the final night of the first round of the Cruiserweight Title tournament, which means we only have two spots remaining in the quarterfinals. The first three weeks have been a lot of fun with some high quality action so hopefully the final week lives up to its predecessors. The two matches have already been announced so let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a refresher.

We open with a recap of last week’s matches and a preview of tonight’s matches in another well done package.

Opening sequence.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Buddy Murphy vs. Ariya Daivari

This is Murphy’s (former NXT Tag Team Champion) main roster debut and PLEASE let him get rid of the somehow still boring Daivari. In a pre-match promo, Daivari mocks Murphy for having to cut weight to make 205lbs. Buddy isn’t stealing Daivari’s Wrestlemania moment. Murphy, who looks like he’s shredded the bottom half of his shorts, runs Daivari over to start and does it again for good measure.

A running hurricanrana sends Daivari outside but he grabs Murphy by the hair and gets a reverse DDT on the apron. Buddy is sent into the steps for one and a hard hiptoss into the corner gets two. We hit the chinlock with a knee in Buddy’s back (at least there’s psychology) for a bit but Buddy fights up with a middle rope dropkick. Buddy takes too long getting to the top so Daivari rolls outside, meaning it’s a HUGE flip dive over the top instead.

Back in and Daivari scores with a discus forearm, followed by the frog splash for two. And that’s it for Daivari’s chances. We actually get a Let’s Go Buddy chant but the hammerlock lariat cuts that off in short order. That’s only good for two as well and Daivari is stunned. Buddy hits some quick strikes and grabs a reverse pumphandle, throws Daivari onto his shoulders and snaps him down into a Death Valley Driver for the pin at 7:35.

Rating: C+. It’s a good debut for Murphy, who looked sharp and athletic, but one day he’s going to mistime that finisher (which needs a name) and it’s going to look bad. At least the interesting guy won here as Daivari may be a veteran, but he’s certainly not an interesting veteran. I’m not seeing Murphy going very far in the tournament but at least he got in a good first match, including kicking out of Daivari’s best stuff to make him look even better.

General Manager Drake Maverick unveils the quarterfinal brackets:

Cedric Alexander

TJP

Roderick Strong

Kalisto

Buddy Murphy

Jack Gallagher/Mustafa Ali

Drew Gulak

Mark Andrews

These matches take place over the next two weeks. Cedric and TJP come in with TJP saying it’s time for Cedric to choke at the finish line again. That’s funny to Cedric, who doesn’t mind putting TJP in a back brace.

Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado vs. Evan Daniels/Corazon Delgado

Daniels and Dorado start things off as the announcers argue about being invited to the lucha house parties. A hurricanrana takes Daniels down before it’s off to Delgado, whose name Nigel pronounces about five different ways. Metalik comes in and counters a headscissors with a faceplant but a quick distraction allows the tag back to Daniels.

A few shots to the back allow Daniels to mock the lucha dance. That’s it for the offense though and it’s back to Dorado as things speed up again. Dorado scores with a double Golden Rewind, followed by the stereo dives to the floor. Back in and Dorado drops the shooting star press to end Daniels at 3:55.

Rating: C. Just a quick squash here and really, that’s not a bad thing when you have the tournament eating up so much time. Of course you could have just let the show be a bit shorter but why do that when you can pump out more content? I mean, quantity is what matters instead of quality right?

Drew Gulak scoffs at the notion that he went too fast last week. Mark Andrews is all flash and none of that will help him when he’s tapping out.

Mark Andrews doesn’t like the idea of a no fly zone because he’s going to fly to Wrestlemania.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Jack Gallagher vs. Mustafa Ali

Jack is in regular gear (which looks Slytherin inspired) on Maverick’s orders. Jack backs him up against the ropes to start and actually allows a clean break. Gallagher’s wristlock into a hammerlock has Ali in early trouble as someone says “fifteen and a half more minutes”. Back up and Ali’s leapfrog is countered into a Fujiwara armbar to stay on the arm but Ali is too close to the ropes.

Instead Ali tries a headlock into a half crab but that’s broken up as well. Jack goes into the corner for the upside down wave, only to have Ali flip around into a wave of his own. A pinfall reversal sequence gives us some nifty near falls and Jack is looking annoyed at Ali for being that crisp. They go into the corner again with a far dirtier break (or lack of a break) this time around.

Ali seems to get the better of it by sending Jack outside but a baseball slide gets caught in the ring skirt so Gallagher can hammer away. Back in and we hit the chinlock with an arm trap as we get POWER RANGER/RUSEV DAY chants. Ali is right back up with some kicks to the face and the rolling X Factor. It’s too early for the 054 though as Gallagher snaps the arm over the top. The same arm gets posted and Ali is in major trouble. We hit the double wristlock but Ali stacks him up for the break in a smart counter.

A hammerlock keeps Ali in trouble until he sends Jack to the floor. Ali tries a corkscrew flip dive but Gallagher is down, meaning Ali has to bail out halfway for a nasty looking crash. It’s either that or the arm gives out, but if it’s not at least they have a good explanation. Ali dives back in at nine so Gallagher grabs another Fujiwara armbar. This time Ali gets his feet in the ropes, earning himself a dropkick off the apron to send the arm into the barricade. The arm is posted AGAIN as this is getting to be a bit much.

For some reason the referee doesn’t stop it, even as Ali is tossed upside down into the corner. That’s only good for two and the kickout only gets a lukewarm response. Gallagher ties up the arm and fires in elbows to the head for ANOTHER two, frustrating Jack even more. With the holds not working, Jack tries a belly to back superplex but Ali hands on his feet. A superkick to the back of the head sets up the 054 for the pin at 17:10.

Rating: B. It’s good but they didn’t reach the level of epic that they were shooting for. The arm stuff went on just a bit too long (the same being true for the whole match) and I stopped feeling bad for Ali’s pain at one point. Still though, Ali moving forward makes sense and I could see him making a deep run in this tournament. Gallagher looked good and I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough.

Nigel gives it a standing ovation, which is a bit much.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event as good but this was probably the weakest of the last four shows. The wrestling was fine enough and I liked the addition of Murphy but it wasn’t the most thrilling show in the world. At least they have the tournament quarterfinals set, which is exactly what had to be done. Things should get a lot better in a hurry and that’s a great thing to see.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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205 Live
Date: January 23, 2018
Location: Capitol One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but there’s a big change to the Cruiserweight Title situation. In this case, there is no Cruiserweight Champion as Enzo Amore has been stripped of the title and released from the company. There is no word on what’s going to happen to the title but for now, Sunday’s Cruiserweight Title match is off. Therefore, enjoy another show with little advancement to the top storyline. Let’s get to it.

Daniel Bryan informs us that Enzo is no longer champion and gone from the show. He’s telling us this because of his connection to the company, mainly through the Cruiserweight Classic. Next week, there will be a General Manager announced and their first action will be to deal with this situation. No word on who that will be (Bryan said him or her).

Opening sequence.

The announcers recap what we just heard.

Kalisto/Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado vs. TJP/Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese

TJP misses an early swing at Dorado and gets taken to the mat in a headscissors. Back up and Dorado dabs at TJP before taking him down with a single chop. A little arm cranking is enough to send TJP over to Nese, who can’t keep up with Metalik from bouncing off the ropes. Nese finally takes him down and sends Metalik into the corner so Daivari can come in to take over.

Nigel asks where Drew Gulak is now that the Zo Train (not named) is over. Fair question actually. It’s off to Kalisto with slingshot hilo, followed by a kick to Daivari’s hands (rather than his head) for two. Nese’s distraction lets Daivari knock Kalisto off the ropes and out to the floor in a heap. We get to the standard beatdown in the corner, including a belly to back for two from TJP.

Nese comes back in for a chinlock but gets kicked in the head, allowing the ice cold tag to Dorado. I mean the people just did not react at all. A moonsault press gives Dorado two as everything breaks down. Kalisto and Metalik hit stereo flip dives but Dorado misses a shooting star (not a 450 as Nigel says). The Detonation Kick misses though and Dorado’s handsprings Stunner ends TJP at 9:12.

Rating: C. Pretty standard six man cruiserweight match and there’s not much to say about something like that. The three luchadors as a team is fine, but much like everything else on this show, there’s not much of a story to go with it. I need something more than an average match to keep my interest, especially when there’s very little character work to speak of. Well, outside of TJP crying of course.

Post match TJP yells at his partners but gets shoved down and blamed for the loss.

Drew Gulak, in a suit and standing in front of an American flag, supports a new General Manager but wants it to be someone who will have none of this high flying, chanting, flipping and flopping. They need to be on board with the idea of a Drewtopia. I fully support more Drew Gulak around here, especially in a bigger role.

Jack Gallagher vs. Hideo Itami

Before the match, Itami says what happened to Brian Kendrick was an accident. He respects Kendrick but not so much with Gallagher. An early kick to the face drops Gallagher in short order but a leather shoe to the ribs slows Itami down as well. An early headlock on the mat doesn’t get Gallagher very far as Itami is right back up with more kicks in the corner. With Gallagher draped over the middle rope, Itami goes up for a jumping kick to the back.

Gallagher uses a referee distraction to sneak underneath the ring and sneak up on Itami, sending him shoulder first into the buckle. Jack bends the arm around his leg and cranks on Itami’s hand for good measure. We hit a double wristlock on Itami but a suplex gets Itami out of trouble.

The arm is banged up but Itami is still able to throw a knee, followed by a top rope clothesline for two. The fans are just NOT responding to this and it’s kind of sad to see. A spinning fist drops Gallagher into the corner and Itami grabs a dragon sleeper, which he swings into something like a Twist of Fate Stunner with a kick to the head (it’s kind of hard to describe) for the pin at 6:23.

Rating: C+. Itami needs to pick a finisher already and it needs to be something other than that one, which was more complicated than it needed to be. In theory this should wrap up their feud but since it’s 205 Live, we’re probably in for another five weeks between these two. At least until Kendrick gets at the latest.

Akira Tozawa thinks he could be a good boss and practices firing someone.

Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali

Cedric says the plan hasn’t changed and he’ll be champion soon. They shake hands to start but Cedric pulls him back and says he’ll be champion. You said that already. Feeling out process to start with Ali’s wristlock getting him nowhere. A hurricanrana doesn’t work either as Alexander lands on his feet.

Back up and Alexander backflips into his ankle scissors for two, followed by an armbar on the mat. Ali fights up and hits a dropkick into an armbar of his own as they seem to be mirroring each other so far. Alexander breaks that up as well and shoves Ali off a springboard, sending him face first into the apron for a BAD looking crash. That’s only good for two so we hit a cross arm choke to keep Ali down inside. Ali gets back up and avoids a charge in the corner, sending Alexander face first into the middle buckle.

The rolling X Factor gives Ali two but his tornado DDT is blocked and reversed into a suplex. That’s reversed as well but Ali sends him into the corner. Cedric’s springboard Downward Spiral gets two more and Alexander wins a slugout. Ali is right back up with a running C4 and a wicked tornado DDT gets two. The 054 misses though and it’s a Neuralizer into the Lumbar Check to give Cedric the pin at 11:49.

Rating: B. That’s the kind of match 205 Live has been needed for months now and I’m very glad to be away from the constant Zo Train vs. everyone else story that we’ve been sitting through for such a long time. This was a lot of fun with both guys working hard and showing how awesome these guys can be if they’re allowed to put something together and not sit around waiting on Enzo to do his stupid lines.

They shake hands post match.

Overall Rating: B-. Strong main event aside, this was kind of a placeholder show as we wait on the GM. I’m still not sure what the point was in having this show go longer again when you probably could have cut it down to the previous week’s length. Last week’s shorter run time was a nice touch but the lack of Enzo does even it out. I’m very glad that they’ve gotten things a little more steady, but I’m not sure how strong this show can be, at least based on past experiences.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

205 Live
Date: January 2, 2018
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

So this show’s lull is somehow STILL GOING as Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore was hospitalized due to the flu, meaning the title match against Cedric Alexander was postponed yet again. There’s really nothing going on at the moment because we’re stuck waiting on the title match (and hopefully the title change) so there’s a good chance this is going to be another lame duck show. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap looks at Amore being sick and Alexander teaming with Goldust of all people to defeat Ariya Daivari and Drew Gulak. If Goldust is this show’s idea of a big deal, just turned the Mixed Match Challenge into an hour show and be done with it.

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. TJP

This is TJP’s first match back in three months. Technical sequence to start until TJP hides in the ropes to avoid a charge. That’s fine with Tozawa, who slams him head first into the mat twice in a row. Some overblown stomping in the corner keeps TJP down as this is quite the welcome back to the roster. A suicide dive is blocked by TJP’s raised boot to the shoulder though, followed by said shoulder going into the post.

There’s a slingshot hilo and TJP holsters the finger guns. I still like this guy no matter how much he’s loathed more often than not. Tozawa’s shoulder is cranked in various painful looking ways before TJP just stands on his face. The fans want Enzo (mark Miami down as one of the dumb cities) as TJP gets two off a hammerlock belly to back suplex. I love it when they mix up the offense like that. It’s better than five armbars.

A double arm crank doesn’t get TJP very far but a kick to the head gets two. Tozawa is back up with a boot to the face of his own, followed by a snap Saito suplex. A suicide dive is good for two but the top rope backsplash is easily broken up. TJP sends him arm first into the post and the Detonation Kick is good for the pin at 9:55.

Rating: C. I still like TJP a lot and that’s likely to be the case for a good while. He’s smooth in the ring and is a good, cocky heel who can either be pushed or put someone over in almost any given circumstance. Unless he was injured, I’m not sure why he was on the shelf so long as he’s someone who should be around more often. Hopefully Tozawa doesn’t take his place on the list of talented people who are stuck on the sidelines for no logical reason.

Goldust comes up to Cedric Alexander in the back. After admitting that he’s not under 205 pounds, Goldust talks about how he’s here to help Cedric on his quest for gold. They could be a great team! Like Turner and Hooch! I know Enzo is out with the flu at the moment, but sweet goodness there was no one better than GOLDUST to replace him? That’s really the best option they have? That’s how much they think of this show?

Here’s Jack Gallagher to demand a rematch with Hideo Itami. First though, we see a clip of Itami injuring Gallagher’s friend Brian Kendrick. After looking at the clip multiple times, here’s Itami for the match, only to have Gallagher beat him down with the umbrella. Itami falls down in short order and a pipe falls out of the umbrella.  No match of course.  That’s quite the dastardly act and does the right thing here in getting Gallagher over more than anyone else in the whole thing.

The Zo Train says last night was an injustice because their open challenge was only for people on the 205 Live roster. Goldust comes up and insults their breath. Keep bringing that star power buddy.

Ariya Daivari/Drew Gulak vs. Cedric Alexander/Goldust

Cedric and Daivari feels each other out to start until Daivari pulls him down by the hair. That earns him a dropkick though and it’s off to an armbar. The fans want Goldust and get their wish as he cranks on Gulak’s arm for a change. Goldust tries to run the ropes but stops for a second because he needs to catch his breath in a funny bit.

For some reason Daivari stands there before kneeing him in the ribs (Politeness maybe?) and hands it off to Gulak for an armbar. We hit the chinlock for a bit until Cedric sends Daivari into the buckle. There’s no tag though and Cedric is sent face first in as well, cutting off whatever momentum he had built up.

It’s back to the chinlock as Nigel sends well wishes to Enzo. Cedric is sent into the steps and let’s hit that chinlock all over again. The Neuralizer finally gets Cedric out of trouble and the hot tag brings in Goldust. House is cleaned and Goldust powerslams both villains. A blind tag brings in Cedric with the springboard clothesline and Goldust helps him on a big flip dive. The Lumbar Check finishes Gulak at 11:55.

Rating: D. Didn’t we pretty firmly establish this last night? It’s no secret that Goldust and Cedric (or Cedric and a stuffed turtle at this point) can beat these goons but since WE MUST WAIT ON ENZO, this is all they can do anymore. It’s almost like the NXT: Redemption season where they would just throw people out there (including Goldust actually) when they needed to extend a story. Pretty dull match, mainly because everything was already established the night before.

Overall Rating: D-. And that right there is why Enzo is a major, major problem on this show. There’s really nothing else of value on the show and if he’s gone, there’s almost nothing important happening on the show. Due to multiple reasons now, we’ve been sitting around waiting on Cedric vs. Enzo, which will hopefully FINALLY get us back to a normal show around here. The problem though is if Enzo retains, we’re stuck waiting on another challenger to rise up and take the title.

Without Enzo around, there’s really no point in this show existing, and that’s not even considering that it’s become 2011 Smackdown: a place where you put Raw rematches for the sake of filling in TV time because there’s nothing else to air. Bring some people up from NXT for some one off appearances, have some crazy five way elimination match, do the freaking challenges from the original NXT or whatever. Just do SOMETHING more interesting than this waste of time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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205 Live
Date: December 26, 2017
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re continuing the slow crawl towards the Cedric Alexander vs. Enzo Amore Cruiserweight Title match, which of course is taking place on Monday Night Raw instead of 205 Live. As has been mentioned, it’s clear that this show is little more than a filler show anymore and that’s not fixing any of its problems. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Enzo Amore having issues with the Zo Train and having Cedric Alexander pick the members off without much trouble.

Cedric comes up to Drew Gulak, who is waiting on Enzo (his best friend) to call. Drew tells him to mind his own business but Cedric says it’ll be a wonderful life when Enzo is no longer champion. Cedric talks about how much better things will be once Enzo is out of power and Drew seems to entertain the thought.

Opening sequence.

Hideo Itami vs. Jack Gallagher

Before the match, Gallagher promises to avenge his friend in front of these Chicago pillocks. Nigel says he’s faced a lot of opponents in his career but he was always scared of Itami. I love it when wrestlers mention their careers like that as it reminds you that they actually do have a perspective that can matter in a match like this. Itami knees him in the ribs and again demands respect.

The kick to the face keeps Gallagher in trouble and a Fameasser with Gallagher on the middle rope gives us another respect demand. If you have have to shout it three times less than two minutes into the match, it’s time for a better catchphrase. Gallagher ties him up in the ring skirt to take over though and we hit a quickly broken chinlock.

Instead it’s a cravate to keep Itami in trouble and we’re right back to the chinlock. Itami finally grabs a dragon screw legwhip and there’s the tornado DDT across the top rope. Back up and Gallagher pulls him into the Captain’s Hook but Itami makes the rope. The running corner dropkick rocks Gallagher and a Rings of Saturn (with a leg wrapped around Gallagher’s head) is good for the tap at 7:38.

Rating: D+. Itami just doesn’t have the fire that he needs and it’s showing more every time. Throw in the lack of the GTS (which hopefully isn’t permanent) and there’s just not much to look forward to with him. He’s not the biggest guy in the world and he has limited charisma. He’s tailor suited to be the assassin style heel but for some reason he’s stuck in this lame face role. Oh right: Enzo has to be the top heel. What was I thinking?

Video on Tony Nese’s issues with the Zo Train, leading to him getting beaten down by the team.

Nese wants to take the Zo Train out but he understands that Enzo is a global superstar and the money is more than worth it. Akira Tozawa comes up to ask about Nese’s status and gets punched out. To recap: Enzo is the star and everyone else on 205 Live is a worthless nobody. Good to know.

Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa

That’s quite the fast turnaround. Tozawa charges in with some right hands at the bell but Nese hammers him down in the corner. The fake out right hand smacks Nese in the jaw though and Tozawa scores with his backsplash. Nese kicks him in the head though and drops some legs for good measure.

We hit the neck crank and then a chinlock with a bodyscissors to really keep Tozawa down. Tozawa finally comes back with a suplex and now the suicide dive connects. Back in and a good looking pumphandle sitout powerslam gives Nese two but he gets kicked in the head over and over. Tozawa’s top rope backsplash is broken up though and the running knee gives Nese the pin at 6:48.

Rating: C. Tozawa is far more charismatic than Itami and it’s no surprise that I liked his match more. Nese on the other hand is in a weird place as he should be teasing a face turn but I think WWE knows that it would be career suicide. He needs a little more development too as you can only go so far with great abs.

We look at Alexa Bliss breaking up Nia Jax and Enzo’s kiss on Monday.

Drew Gulak/Ariya Daivari vs. Cedric Alexander/Mustafa Ali

Before the match, Gulak asks how we are doing. Drew thinks we need a Best Of list and that means a look back at his best slide. What better way to do that than with a POWERPOINT PRESENTATION??? Cedric cuts him off again and Nigel wants to know who is in charge of music.

Alexander points out that we’re in Mustafa’s hometown and Ali has some valid points of his own to make. Ali says these two would never be friends outside of the Zo Train because Daivari is the kind of guy who would look down on a blue collar scrapper like Gulak. All that matters is Enzo would pick Nia Jax over the Zo Train every time, which doesn’t sit well with the villains.

Ali and Daivari start things off with Ariya hammering away with Daivari getting armdragged into an armbar. It’s off to Cedric and Drew, who fight over a wristlock of their own. Ali comes back in with some hard chops but Daivari offers a distraction so Gulak can drop Mustafa from behind. We hit the neck crank and the hometown fans are WAY behind Ali here.

Back up and Ali makes the hot tag for some house cleaning but Alexander gets kneed out to the floor. Alexander gets in a kick to the head though and it’s a hot tag off to Ali, though the fans don’t seem thrilled. A corkscrew flip dive to Daivari wakes them up a bit more and the rolling X Factor gets two. Daivari takes Ali up top but Gulak tells him nothing off the top. That earns Gulak a Lumbar Check and the 054 puts Daivari away at 8:51.

Rating: C. Now stop me if you’ve seen this one before, but odds are you’ve seen this one before. There’s only so much interest to be had in a match (or a show for that matter) when everything of note happens on Raw anymore. The title contenders were crowned on Raw, the #1 contenders match was on Raw and now the title match is going to be on Raw.

Overall Rating: D+. There’s just nothing going on around here and that’s quite the shame. Enzo being gone continues to be a problem whether he’s here or not. When he’s here, he dominates the entire show and nothing else matters. When he’s not here, almost none of the stories goes anywhere because there’s no point to them without Enzo around. Given that your big story is basically “Enzo is awesome and none of us matter”, that’s not the biggest surprise. This was another skippable show, which isn’t going to be made any better when the title match is on Raw, but that’s where 205 is these days.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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