205 Live – December 18, 2020: The Weak Of The Weak
205 Live Date: December 18, 2020
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
The seemingly endless road to Curt Stallion getting a Cruiserweight Title shot continues and I’m not sure what that is going to mean for this week. You can all but guarantee who is going to be on the show, but at some point they are going to run out of combinations. Hopefully that is happening soon as we could use a fresh face or two. Let’s get to it.
Tornado tag and the Boyz are so serious that they aren’t even dancing. Everyone fights to the floor in a hurry with the Boyz taking over to start and a middle rope bulldog gets two on Parker. The turnbuckle pad comes off and Martel has to save Parker from a whip into the corner. Martel comes in to crotch Samir onto the top rope though and a backbreaker/running knee combination gives Martel two.
Everyone winds up on the floor again with Samir hitting a springboard dive to take the other three out. Back in and Parker breaks up the Bollywood Blast but Samir hits Parker with a top rope superplex. Sunil’s top rope elbow gets two with Martel having to make another save. Sunil gets in a camera shot for two on Martel with Parker making the save. Samir gets in some right hands in the corner but Sweet Taste onto the exposed buckle knocks him silly for the pin at 6:58.
Rating: C. This was a little better than I was expecting and I heartily approve if it means another over the top Ever-Rise promo. The Boyz are still the kind of team who can absorb loss after loss without it meaning much of anything so this was a fine use of a short match. It’s better than the same stuff over and over so mix it up a bit on the way to the Boyz probably winning the blowoff.
Tony Nese vs. Jake Atlas
Nese kicks him in the ribs to start and sends him outside, followed by a ram into the announcers’ table. Back in and Atlas avoids an elbow and snaps off a headscissors. A belly to back suplex takes Atlas down again and then grabs a snap version for the same. Atlas catapults him into the corner for two so Nese hits a running elbow for another near fall. A running clothesline in the corner sets up another belly to back suplex for another two on Atlas.
The middle rope necksnap into a Lionsault gets two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Atlas hits a discus lariat before having his sunset flip attempt blocked. That doesn’t work for Atlas as, while still upside down on Nese’s back, he climbs the corner and shoves off (cool) to get the sunset flip for two.
The cartwheel DDT is broken up though and a Cactus Clothesline puts them both on the floor. They beat the count back in so Nese heads back out to grab a chair. It’s just a ruse though as Ariya Daivari runs in to post Atlas. That’s enough to set up the 450 for…..another two as Atlas gets his foot on the rope at the very last second. Atlas hits a Downward Spiral into the cartwheel DDT for the pin at 11:50.
Rating: C. Atlas continues to be the definition of someone who is just kind of there and happens to get a few wins here and there. It’s not a bad idea to push him and the wins are starting to pile up a bit but beating Nese isn’t going to change anything. Nothing to see here, but at least the right person won.
Overall Rating: C. Rather lifeless show here, but that is the kind of thing that you almost have to expect. At the end of the day though, a weak 205 Live is going to be even weaker than the bad WWE shows and that is the case here. Just nothing to see and it was a pretty lame 27 minutes. That time is the key though, and the reason to keep watching the show, even something like this one.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
205 Live – December 11, 2020: They’re Getting Something Out Of It
205 Live Date: December 11, 2020 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph
The rise of the new guys continues around here and that’s a good thing. Curt Stallion is leading the pack and I could go with the title match against Santos Escobar. It’s nice that they’re building things up a bit as while Stallion is unlikely to win the title, he is gaining a lot with the victories that are setting it up. Let’s get to it.
Nigel dancing with the Bollywood Boyz is always worth a chuckle. Samir fights off the early double teaming attempt and it’s off to Sunil for two off a clothesline. A double suplex gets two more but the way too early Bollywood Blast attempt misses. Nese comes back in with a chinlock and then a torture rack, which looks quite impressive on someone who can be bent around like Samir.
That’s broken up and Nese dropkicks Daivari by mistake, allowing the hot tag to Sunil. Everything breaks down and the superkicks abound, meaning that NOW the Bollywood Blast can connect for two. Nese makes the save but it’s Daivari hitting a Rock Bottom on Samir. The Running Nese knocks out Sunil on the floor and the Persian Lion splash finishes Samir at 5:22.
Rating: C-. Just a match here as the Bollywood Boyz’ fall continues. It’s not a big deal to lose to Daivari and Nese, as they needed a boost after their losses to the young guys. It helps when the Boyz have more charisma than they know what to do with and my goodness it’s a lot easier to watch them as faces. Not a good match, but at least it helped the bigger names.
Curt Stallion/Ashante Adonis/August Grey vs. Legado del Fantasma
This is a rematch from the Takeover: WarGames bonus match, which apparently only aired on the YouTube channel a few days after the show. Adonis and Mendoza start things off with Adonis driving him into the corner without much trouble. They trade headlocks until Adonis shoulders him down. Wilde tries to come in and gets caught in a flapjack, followed by a kick to the face to put Escobar on the floor.
Stallion comes in but the distraction lets Mendoza knee him from behind to take over. Escobar hits a heck of a chop for two on Stallion but he kicks Wilde into the corner, allowing the tag to Grey. A gutwrench powerbomb gets two on Wilde and a victory roll gets the same on Mendoza. Escobar low bridges Grey to the floor though and it’s time to take Grey into the corner.
Some running clotheslines in the corner have Grey in more trouble and a suplex into a splash gives Mendoza two. We hit the cravate (with Escobar giving tips on how to crank) but Grey slips out and makes the hot tag to Stallion to clean house. Stallion’s top rope splash hits Wilde for two with Mendoza having to make the save. Everything breaks down and Stallion rolls Wilde up for the pin at 9:54.
Rating: C+. This is where 205 Live has been doing well as of late. No this stuff has no value anywhere else and no the title match isn’t going to be the most important thing, but they are making it feel like a big deal around here. The match and the build are being treated as something important and that is what makes this feel so much better. Good enough match too, with Stallion’s roll continuing.
Post match Escobar loads up a cheap shot on Stallion but Grey and Adonis make the save to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. The main event means a lot more and it carries the show well enough. I’m not sure when they are finally going to get to the title match, but they have done a good job of turning what should be nothing into something I kind of want to see. That’s amazing for a show like 205 Live and this is working out rather well. Good enough show here though and that means a lot for probably the lowest show on the WWE menu.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
205 Live Date: December 4, 2020
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph
The slow walk towards Curt Stallion’s Cruiserweight Title shot continues, along with the latest battle between the newcomers and the 205 Live originals. I’m not sure how long this one can go but maybe they can get it out of the way so we can move on to the latest rendition of one of the three stories they run around here. Let’s get to it.
Ever Rise is somehow here again but it’s made much better by Nigel singing a version of the Bollywood Boyz theme with Demolition inspired lyrics. It’s a brawl to start and they all heads outside early on. We settle down to Ever Rise working on Sunil’s arm and a double fist drop gives Parker two.
Sunil manages to spin around to escape an armbar and Samir comes in to hammer away on Parker. The stomping in the corner sets up a double suplex for two more and we hit the chinlock. A spinwheel kick gets two more but Samir comes in off the top and takes out Sunil by mistake. Martel comes in and starts cleaning house as well, followed by a double flapjack to send Sunil into the turnbuckle (the French Connection) for the pin at 5:59.
Rating: D+. Well ok then. I’m not sure how to handle Ever Rise winning a match but at least they’re building up someone else new. The Bollywood Boyz have been the tag team….I don’t think you can actually say division…..around here for a long time now so giving them someone to fight is long overdue. Not a very good match, but if Ever Rise is going to be on NXT as well, they need to win something like this.
Earlier this week, Legado del Fantasma jumped Curt Stallion to keep him off of NXT. He’s back tonight though.
Ariya Daivari vs. Curt Stallion
They fight over the wristlock to start with Daivari taking him down and dropping a knee on the arm. Daivari hammers away in the corner but Stallion gets in some chops. They go outside with Stallion hitting a headbutt and taking it back inside for a double stomp. That’s enough to send Daivari outside, where Stallion’s suicide dive only hits the barricade.
Stallion is back in at nine so Daivari hits a hanging neckbreaker for two. We hit the chinlock for a bit, followed by a reverse layout DDT to drop Stallion again. Another neckbreaker gets another two and the camel clutch goes on. That’s broken up and they hit stereo crossbodies for another double knockdown.
It’s Stallion up first with a running boot in the corner and a DDT out of the corner gets two. Stallion charges into a Rock Bottom for two more but Stallion grabs White Noise onto the knee for another breather. The top rope splash gets two on Daivari and Stallion hits his running headbutt for the pin at 12:09.
Rating: C. Not too bad here with Stallion getting another win to build him towards the title shot. I mean, I’m not sure how much there is to gain based off of beating Daivari and Tony Nese multiple times, but at least they’re doing something. Stallion is getting somewhere with this stuff and that is something that has eluded this show for years now, so points for trying something.
Overall Rating: C-. Pretty skippable show here with Ever Rise getting more time and Stallion continuing to be built up towards the title match. This was a show that built things up a little bit but wasn’t all that interesting to watch on its own. Not a bad show and the 27 minute run time helped a lot as usual, but nothing you need to see here.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
205 Live Date: November 27, 2020 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida Commentators: Nigel McGuiness, Vic Joseph
It’s time to get back to the cruiserweights now that the holiday is over. That could open up a few doors around here, but the biggest story continue to be Curt Stallion moving towards the Cruiserweight Title shot. I’m not sure what that is going to entail or when he is getting the chance, but points for trying someone new. Let’s get to it.
Tony Nese comes out with Daivari, who says he has this on his own, meaning Tony heads to the back. Daivari takes him into the corner to start and we actually get a clean break. Grey slaps him in the face and grabs a rollup for two. There’s a hurricanrana to keep Daivari in trouble and it’s time for a break on the apron. The break lets Daivari snap Grey’s throat across the top rope and then wrap the leg around the post.
It’s time to work on the leg with some elbows to the knee but Daivari’s trip to the floor earns him a kick into the barricade. Daivari is fine enough to slap on the Figure Four back inside, but he lets it go and opts to kick at the leg some more. The delay lets Grey kick him away and grab a belly to back suplex for a breather.
Daivari bails outside and grabs his chain so Grey hits a suicide dive. A high crossbody into a superkick gets two on Daivari but he’s right back with the Figure Four again. This time it’s broken up and Daivari goes up top, where he has to shove Grey down. The Persian Lion splash gets two and a Rock Bottom is good for the same on Grey. The hammerlock lariat is loaded up but Grey ducks into an Unprettier, complete with running up the corner for the extra impact and the pin at 9:44.
Rating: C-. I get what they were going for here but Grey got in WAY too much offense for someone whose knee had been worked over for a good portion of the match. Just doing your moves and then holding your leg isn’t exactly selling, but it isn’t like it’s uncommon these days. Grey winning helps too, and it’s not like the match was completely ruined.
Legado del Fantasma doesn’t think much of Curt Stallion talking about Santos Escobar so tonight it’s time to learn a lesson.
The Bollywood Boyz don’t think much of Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari losing over and over. Nese and Daivari haven’t asked for their help so come find them when they want lights, camera and Bollywood action.
Curt Stallion vs. Raul Mendoza
Joaquin Wilde is here with Mendoza. Stallion gets taken to the mat in a hurry and Mendoza messes with his hair. A headlock has Stallion in more trouble and there’s a loud chop in the corner. Mendoza hits a missile dropkick for two and he stomps Stallion down to make it worse. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Mendoza goes with a basement dropkick for two instead.
Stallion fights back up and knocks him outside for a suicide dive, followed by a running knee in the corner back inside. A quick DDT out of said corner gets two and there’s a jumping double stomp for the same. Stallion goes up but Mendoza hits a jumping kick to the head to bring him back down. A cradle gives Mendoza two but Stallion snaps off one of his own for the pin at 7:09.
Rating: C. This was a bit more like it as Stallion is starting his path towards the title. I’m not sure I can imagine him actually winning the thing, but well done on at least setting something up for him. That’s the point of having lackeys like Mendoza and Wilde: they can be used to build a challenger up as gatekeepers before you get to the title match. It has worked before and it is working again here.
Post match Wilde comes in to beat Stallion down and it’s the running kick to the face/Russian legsweep combination to leave Stallion laying. Santos Escobar comes out to pose with Legado to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. They’re doing something here with the newcomers and that’s a good thing. It isn’t like the people around 205 Live have been working well over the last few years so maybe the new guys can get somewhere for a change. The structure has been a bit better around here as of late and while the show isn’t breaking any new ground, at least it’s doing things right. I’ll take that for a thirty minute show every week.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
205 Live Date: November 20, 2020 Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Winter Park, Florida Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness
Things were changed up a bit last week when Curt Stallion became the new #1 contender to the Cruiserweight Title. It’s nice to have some new names around here getting some focus, but the question now becomes where does everyone else go. That’s part of the trick that 205 Live has had trouble with in the past so hopefully it is better this time around. Let’s get to it.
I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Ok so Nigel dancing around during the Boyz’ entrance is funny. We pause for a dance off before the Boyz jump the two of them to start. A double clothesline into a double fist drop has Sunil in trouble and Martel drives him into the corner. Sunil elbows him in the face for one and grabs the armbar before handing it off to Samir. It’s already back to Sunil, who takes over with an armdrag into an armbar. Hold on though as Parker grabs the camera, which is enough to send Samir into a frenzy.
The distraction lets Martel get in a cheap shot and the backbreaker gets two on Samir. The neck crank goes on, followed by a step up elbow to the back for two. Samir manages to backdrop Parker to the floor though and the diving tag brings in Sunil to clean house. The Bollywood Blast gets two on Martel with Parker making the save. The referee gets rid of Sunil so it’s an assisted Codebreaker to Samir, only to have Sunil hit Martel with the camera for the pin at 8:55.
Rating: C-. The action was fine and somehow the Boyz are growing on me a bit. There’s something about the enthusiasm they show when they’re doing their thing that makes them fun to watch and that’s what we got to see here. Not a memorable match or anything but since this is the 205 Live tag division, it was as good as you can ask for.
Post match Ariya Daivari comes out to join commentary and to yell at the Boyz for not helping him become #1 contender last week despite paying them well.
We look at Curt Stallion becoming #1 contender last week.
Curt Stallion doesn’t know why Santos Escobar didn’t shake his hand last week but maybe Escobar just isn’t familiar with him. Escobar needs to smarten up then because Stallion is coming for the Cruiserweight Title.
Tony Nese vs. Ashante Adonis
Daivari is on commentary and continues complaining about these young whippersnappers. Adonis’ threat of a shot the face sends Nese outside early on, where he grabs a headset and says he can do this all day. Adonis doesn’t like the delay and throws his wristband at Nese so the fight is on again. That goes to Adonis as well, with some shots to the face in the corner setting up a backdrop.
They head outside with Adonis sending Nese face first into the announcers’ table and glaring at Daivari at the same time. The distraction lets Nese throw the ring skirt over Adonis’ head and hit a dropkick to take over, much to Daivari’s delight. Back in and the Lionsault connects for two, followed by the required chinlock.
That also means the required comeback as Adonis fights up and hits a suplex. A flapjack drops Nese so Daivari gets up off commentary with the distraction…..allowing Adonis to hit a DDT for two. As usual, Daivari can’t do anything right. Nese is back with a spinning kick to the face for the same as Daivari loads up a chain around his fist. He almost hits Nese by mistake before charging into the ring and right into a spinebuster. Adonis hits the Long Kiss Goodnight for the pin at 8:06.
Rating: C. Much like with Stallion last week, at some point you have to just give someone a win and that’s what they did here. There were some shenanigans afoot, but at the end of the day, Adonis pinned him with a superkick and that’s all you could have asked for here. It wasn’t a particularly great match, but at least they let someone move up the ladder, which is always an issue around here.
Overall Rating: C. This was more of a show about the future and there is nothing wrong with doing that. Above all else, 205 Live needs something to draw in some interest and you can only get so far with the same people over and over. The problem is we reached that point so long ago that 205 Live has lost a lot of its potential. New stars can help, but they have a long way to go. At some point you have to start though and the last two weeks are a good sign in that direction.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
NXT – April 5, 2017: Sometimes It’s Better to be Fun Than Good
NXT Date: April 5, 2017
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 14,975
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Tom Phillips
This is the FINAL show from Wrestlemania week as this week’s episode consists of the dark matches from before Takeover: Orlando. You can expect a lot of recaps and quick comments from most of the people on Saturday’s show, meaning this is kind of a breather before we get going again. Let’s get to it.
I was in the arena for this show, sitting in the upper deck and looking down at the hard cameras to my very slight right with the Titantron on my left.
A long recap of Takeover gets us going, of course.
Opening sequence.
The announcers chat about Takeover, which hadn’t happened as they talk.
Peyton Royce vs. Aliyah
Nigel has a rather creepy sounding crush on Peyton and Billie Kay. Peyton sends her face first into the mat to start and looks over to Billie for approval. Aliyah takes Peyton down so Billie grabs her hands, starting a tug of war. Back up and Peyton pulls Aliyah’s arms while bending backwards over the ropes for an impressive looking hold. Aliyah comes back with a few Japanese armdrags, only to get kneed in the face. A fisherman’s suplex ends Aliyah at 2:50. Royce looked good but Aliyah still needs a lot of polish.
Quick look at Takeover’s eight person tag.
Quick look at the Women’s Title match.
Asuka asks who is left for her. This sounded much more heelish than her usual.
Quick look at Aleister Black’s debut. Andrade Cien Almas was as a club just a few hours after the loss. The announcers make this sound like a big problem for him.
Heavy Machinery vs. Bollywood Boyz
This was taped first and I actually missed it as the taping started before the scheduled time on the tickets. I hope it’s just due to the size of the arena but the Boyz come out to SILENCE. They’ve also turned heel and now don’t care what people think of them because they’re doing it their way. Harv and Tucker start things off and an early jumping bearhug has Harv in trouble.
Otis comes in so Tucker throws Harv from one bearhug into another. Gurv comes in and tries to dance at Otis, earning himself a double splash from the big guys. The Boyz take Otis into the corner until a double suplex cuts off anything they had going. The hot tag brings Tucker back in and Otis lifts Harv up for a slam with Tucker diving onto his partner’s back for added weight. Whatever is left of Harv is pinned at 3:20.
Rating: C. I know they’re not great and that they don’t have a long shelf life but I’m having a lot of fun with Heavy Machinery. They’re not trying to be anything more than what they are: two big guys doing big guy offense but in a very entertaining way. That finisher looks good and they’ve kept the matches short so nothing is overexposed. It’s just a good performance of a simple idea, which is a great way to get an act over.
Oney Lorcan isn’t worried about facing a mystery opponent.
Quick look at the Tag Team Title match.
Paul Ellering and the Authors of Pain are ready for whatever is next.
Long look at the NXT Title match. This runs nearly four minutes.
Quick look at Shinsuke Nakamura’s NXT debut.
Bobby Roode says he did what he promised to do. The Glorious Era will continue.
We get a listen to the FOURTH official theme song of Takeover. The show was two and a half hours long and had as many official songs as Wrestlemania.
Video on Drew McIntyre returning. McIntyre says he’s won everywhere and now he’s coming here to do the same. He’ll debut next week.
Oney Lorcan vs. ???
Lorcan has a mystery opponent and it’s……EL VAGABUNDO, a masked man (with a big beard sticking out) who happens to have a guitar. He says he has a song for us and is instantly the coolest thing the crowd has ever seen. The VAGABUNDO chants start off as Nigel says he’s heard a lot of great things about the newcomer. He’s even got a question for us: WHO WANTS TO WALK WITH EL VAGABUNDO?
The “SI” chants break out and he just happens to have a song for us. Lorcan grabs the guitar and says he knows Vagabundo is the Drifter. Fans: “NO! NO! NO!” Lorcan wants him to drift away but gets stomped down in the corner before the opening bell. Oney is quickly sent to the floor and we take a break with Vagabundo having to adjust his mask.
Back with Vagabundo sending him into the corner for a running clothesline as Nigel talks about the prestige of a luchador’s mask. Lorcan fights back with about seven straight running hip attacks in the corner (earning himself some boos ala WarZone and Attitude for the N64). Vagabundo tries a slam but loses his mask, somehow revealing Elias Samson (Nigel: “I KNEW IT!”). Lorcan gets a running Blockbuster for the pin at 7:18.
Rating: C+. This was a lot of fun with the joke being out of the Juan Cena playbook. The fans ate it up and Lorcan somehow came off as a heel in the whole thing. I really hope this continues as the Drifter character was a big waste of time but him doing anything he could to stay in NXT is a great idea.
Post match Samson says he belongs here but a female security guard cranks on his arm and forces him out.
Overall Rating: D+. I’m not entirely sure how to grade this one as the show ran 51 minutes (counting commercials) and there was only about nine minutes of televised wrestling, almost none of which had any long term value. The matches were fun though and the recaps were a great way to catch people up on Takeover. There’s only so much you can do with NXT’s taping schedule so this was about all you could expect.
Results
Peyton Royce b. Aliyah – Fisherman’s suplex
Heavy Machinery b. Bollywood Boyz – Double World’s Strongest Slam to Harv
Oney Lorcan b. El Vagabundo – Running Blockbuster
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:
205 Live – November 29, 2016 (Debut Episode): It’s All About the Presentation
205 Live Date: November 29, 2016
Location: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Austin Aries, Corey Graves
Remember the Cruiserweight Classic being all awesome? Now do you remember the cruiserweights being equally awesome on Monday Night Raw? Odds are you don’t, because the division has floundered on Monday nights and it’s already time for the show to have its own show on the WWE Network. This debut episode could range from good to a mess so let’s get to it.
Also, these are probably not going to be done on Tuesday nights. I’ll have them up as soon as possible every week though.
The opening sequence says tonight it’s time to defy expectations. There are very few clips from Raw here with almost everything coming from the tournament. I’m as shocked as you are.
Opening sequence.
It should be interesting to see how the crowd looks as this was taped after Smackdown went off the air.
Austin Aries, currently out with an eye injury, is a surprise commentator. He teases winning the title once he’s healthy.
The roster (or at least tonight’s roster) is on stage for introductions. We have Rich Swann, TJ Perkins, Jack Gallagher (SWEET), Hoho Lun, the Bollywood Boyz, Noam Dar, Tony Nese, Drew Gulak, Ariya Daivari, Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado, Akira Tozawa, Mustafa Ali, Gran Metalik and Brian Kendrick. This minute long series of introductions is already more than we got on Monday Night Raw and gives me some hope.
Video on the Bollywood Boyz, Harv and Gurv Sirah. They grew up watching Bret Hart and want to bring the Indian culture to America. Again, HUGE improvement over what we got on Mondays.
Bollywood Boyz vs. Drew Gulak/Tony Nese
The Boyz do a lot of dancing and are clearly the faces here. The fact that they’re fighting heels was your second clue. Aries doesn’t get the point of the handshakes and I still can’t disagree. Gurv (who is in trunks instead of tights like his brother) works on Drew’s arm to start before it’s off to Harv for more of the same.
Drew takes Harv’s head off with a running dropkick as Ranallo is, say it with me, a big improvement over what we’ve had in recent weeks. Harv gets taken down into the corner with Gulak working over his leg like a technical mat wrestler should do. Nese’s chinlock doesn’t last long and a neckbreaker gets Harv over to the corner for the hot tag to his brother.
Everything breaks down and we get the eternally stupid spot with Gulak being thrown into Nese, who DDT’s his partner because he’s incapable of letting go of his partner’s head. Harv springboards into a crossbody to take Gulak down outside but Nese slams Gurv to take over again. Back in and a DDT sends Nese outside, setting up a double superkick to pin Gulak at 7:04.
Rating: C+. Let’s see: characters, good action, defined faces and heels and a better reaction from the crowd. This is how you start a show and introduce some new talent, which seems to be more over with the crowd than almost anyone else has accomplished in the last few months.
Gulak and Nese say the Dancing with the Stars rejects won because of greasy ropes. That sounds like the start of a story, which again puts this one up on Raw.
Video on Noam Dar.
Kendrick says you should gamble on him tonight because he’s going to capitalize on Swann’s mistakes. Perkins comes in and wants his rematch so he wishes Kendrick luck.
Video on Gran Metalik. These are a bit long but you only have to air them once and people will catch on in a hurry.
Ariya Daivari vs. Jack Gallagher
Gallagher is a wrestling gentleman and got a very strong reaction in his Cruiserweight Classic run. Jack does his fancy spin to counter a wristlock before bending both arms around in ways other than nature intended. Even Graves has to appreciate how awesome Gallagher really is.
Gallagher handstands his way out of a headlock by walking on his hands. Another headstand in the corner has Aries freaked out and it’s time to tie Daviari’s limbs up in so much of a knot that Gallagher stands off to the side and smiles at him. A running kick to the back of the trunks annoys Aries because it wasn’t great.
Daivari comes back with some basic wrestling, including a neckbreaker and chinlock, which finally slows Jack down. Some dropkicks have Daivari in trouble again and a headbutt knocks him into the corner. One of the hardest running dropkicks I’ve ever seen puts Daivari away at 5:28. Even Aries calls it impressive, partially because that’s one of his signature moves.
Rating: B-. Here’s the simple point: Gallagher works because he’s unlike anyone else on the roster. As I’ve said for a long time: if you do the same thing over and over again with the only difference being the name attached, no one is going to notice. If you do something completely different, people are going to notice. That’s what Gallagher did here and that’s why people will be talking about him.
Ranallo: “Austin, what do you think of 205 Live so far?” Aries: “Well I’m here so it’s great.”
Lince Dorado video. He’s your standard masked luchador.
Video on Rich Swann, who lost his parents young and has traveled the world wrestling anyone he can.
Cruiserweight Title: Rich Swann vs. Brian Kendrick
Swann, billed as outlandish for some reason, is challenging and they’re absolutely insane if they don’t change the title here. We’re ready to go after the Big Match Intros and the standard handshake. They trade wristlocks to start before it’s time to speed things up, including a hard dropkick for two on the champ. A tiger bomb drops Kendrick again and he bails to the floor for a breather.
Back in and the champ snaps off a hard belly to back suplex but it’s too early for the Captain’s Hook to really work. A similar suplex does the same to Kendrick but Swann takes too long going up and gets caught in a neckbreaker onto the buckle. Kendrick has a target now and a bridging dragon suplex makes things even worse. It’s off to a straitjacket hold for a bit, only to have Swann grab something like a Michinoku Driver.
Brian’s eyes are bugging out (great visual) but he gets the knees up to block the standing 450. The long form Captain’s Hook gives us the dramatic crawl to the ropes and Kendrick’s frustration continues. It only gets worse when Sliced Bread #2 gets two, allowing Swann to hit three straight spinning kicks to the head for the pin and the title at 13:31.
Rating: B. This felt like a big title change and that’s exactly what it needed to be. There’s no other way to put it: Brian Kendrick is one of the least interesting heels in a very long time. He was on a great nostalgia run in the tournament and the big idea was to turn him heel because…..well I have no idea actually. Swann as the new face champion has potential and whoever beats him can actually be the big bad that this division needs. Good match here, which is what they needed.
Swann dedicates the win to his mother and Kendrick says you shouldn’t get used to this.
A replay of the title change ends the show.
Overall Rating: B. As Paul Heyman said, it’s all about the presentation. On Raw, the cruiserweights are wedged in on a show where they don’t fit in the slightest. It’s basically the new Divas match so people can go get nachos (Hopefully with barbecue sauce. Try it.) and that’s not worth keeping around.
This show actually felt like it mattered and even if it’s just a low level show for the sake of validating the talent being signed, it’s WAY better than giving them ten minutes in front of a crowd that doesn’t want to see them. On top of that, the talent was actually introduced to the fans so we can get to know them a bit.
Look at what we had here: two guys from India who like movies, a British wrestling gentleman and a fun guy who loves to dance winning the title. In other words, something other than a bunch of guys doing a similar style with no charisma (Perkins and Kendrick for example, meaning the top two names in the division.
I don’t think this show is going to blow the doors off of anything but giving them their own show is the only possible option if they want the division to be a success. It’s not a great show or anything but it’s different enough to be entertaining and that’s the important thing. I liked what I saw here as it felt like a weekly episode of the Cruiserweight Classic. If they just have to keep the division on Raw for awhile so be it, but their best bet is right here.
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NXT Date: October 5, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves
It’s time to start a tournament as we have the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic kicking off tonight. Last year’s event was a lot of fun and set up the NXT Title feud for the next several Takeovers. The finals of this year’s tournament will be taking place at Takeover: Toronto in November so let’s get to it.
The opening video talks about the Dusty Classic returning this year.
Opening sequence.
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Bollywood Boyz vs. Authors of Pain
Harv and Gurv Shira dance a lot before the bell so Razar puts Harv on the top rope for some clubberin. Gurv comes in and gets beaten down as well, setting up the Russian legsweep and clothesline combination (now dubbed the Last Chapter) for the pin at 1:47.
Dan Matha arrives tonight.
Rich Swann vs. Patrick Clark
Clark looks like he’s wearing Prince style gear. Even Swann looks confused here. Rich does some dancing punches in the corner until he gets caught in a spinebuster. The fans sing Swann’s theme song and he makes a quick comeback with a running kick in the corner. A running moonsault puts Clark away at 2:58.
We look back at Cedric Alexander and Andrade Cien Almas facing off a few weeks back and joining forces in the tournament as a result.
Video of Asuka squashing Liv Morgan last week. After the match, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce laughed at Morgan’s loss.
Peyton Royce vs. Danielle Kamela
Kamela starts fast with a small package and cross body for two each. Peyton sends her into the corner for some long legged choking and forearms to the chest. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Kamela fights up for handspring elbow, only to get kneed in the head. A fisherman’s suplex gives Peyton the pin at 3:44.
Rating: D+. The wrestling wasn’t much but it was a good sign that they’re actually trying to make some new names both in the division and in the promotion as a whole. Royce and Kay are fine as replacements for Dana Brooke and Emma as the heel team, though I can’t imagine them being much of a threat to Asuka.
Bobby Roode is way too fired up for the first round match in the Dusty Classic. He doesn’t want to talk about Sanity when everyone is talking about Glorious Ten. “It will be glorious when we’re victorious.” Roode rushes Dillinger out before he can say anything.
Dan Matha comes out (looking like a cross between Matt Morgan and Nathan Jones) for his debut but here’s Samoa Joe to beat him down instead. Joe asks Regal how many more have to suffer like this one here.
Rich Swann and No Way Jose have teamed up due to a love of dancing.
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Andrade Cien Almas/Cedric Alexander vs. Revival
Non-title. Alexander and Dawson start things off with Cedric getting shouldered down. Everything breaks down and the Revival is dropkicked out to the floor and a backdrop does it all over again. A big flip dive from Cedric takes the champs down again and it’s all Alexander/Almas in the first four minutes. Revival finally gets it together by suckering Almas into a blindside forearm as we take a break.
Back with Dawson getting two off a northern lights suplex as the champs start in on Almas’ arm. The fans want Cedric and an enziguri from Almas gives them what they want. Everything breaks down again and Alexander gets two off a sunset flip into a bridge. Almas has knocked out to the floor though and it’s the Shatter Machine to send the Revival on at 12:40.
Rating: B. I liked this more than I was expecting to as Almas is looking better while Alexander looks like one of the most natural newcomers to WWE in a very long time. Revival has to advance here and that’s the only possibly outcome they could have, especially in the first round. Someone almost has to take them out though as you have Gargano/Ciampa and the Authors of Pain looming for them.
Post match, Almas beats Cedric down and sends him into the post. Almas soaks in the YOU SUCK chants to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. Another fast paced show with every story hitting perfectly. Almas turning is long overdue and is another example of NXT seeing something not working and changing course as a result. That’s close to blasphemy in WWE but down here, it’s what you do when something isn’t going right. NXT actually pays attention and fixes things because they listen to their audience. I love that concept.
Results
Authors of Pain b. Bollywood Boyz – Last Chapter to Gurv
Rich Swann b. Patrick Clark – Running moonsault
Peyton Royce b. Danielle Kamela – Fisherman’s suplex
Revival b. Cedric Alexander/Andrade Cien Almas – Shatter Machine to Alexander
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