IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: September 10, 2019
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Aiden English, Dio Maddin

We’re in the World’s Most Famous Arena for a show that may or may not be rather entertaining depending on how much effort they’re putting in this week. Last week saw a rather surprising addition to the upcoming Cruiserweight Title match with Lince Dorado joining the fray, meaning tonight is likely about fallout. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Humberto Carrillo and Lince Dorado earning title shots. This was followed by Tony Nese rejoining forces with Drew Gulak, which is as tag team matchish as you can get.

Opening sequence.

Dio Maddin (from NXT) joins the commentary team, replacing Nigel McGuinness, who is heading to NXT full time and needs to drop a show.

Akira Tozawa/Brian Kendrick vs. Jack Gallagher/???

Gallagher comes in and takes Kendrick down so it’s a fast crawl over to Tozawa for the tag. A clothesline misses so Tozawa tries a quickly broken headlock. Tozawa bails to the floor, allowing Kendrick the chance to send Gallagher into the post and take over. Back in and it’s Tozawa dropping the backsplash for two before going after the banged up arm.

A glare from Tozawa accompanies the tag off to Kendrick and it’s a double Japanese armdrag to keep Gallagher in trouble. The assisted Sliced Bread is escaped though and Gallagher dives over for the hot tag to Kushida. A rolling DDT plants Kendrick and it’s off to an armbar with Tozawa making a save. Everything breaks down and Gallagher holds Tozawa for a running kick to the ribs.

Kendrick comes back in and grabs the Captain’s Hook on Kushida, which is broken up with a grab of the rope. Back up and Kendrick gets low bridged to the floor so Tozawa hits a cannonball off the steps to drive Gallagher into the barricade. Kushida turns Kendrick around though, meaning Tozawa’s running kick takes Kendrick down instead. A springboard flying armbar into the Hoverboard Lock makes Kendrick tap at 9:10.

Rating: C+. I’ve always liked Kushida so this was a nice treat. It gave the fans something to cheer about and the match was entertaining at the same time. I can’t imagine Kushida is going to be around permanently, but it wouldn’t exactly be a stretch to have one of the most successful junior heavyweight in New Japan history be moved straight up.

The Singh Brothers don’t think much of Kendrick and Tozawa because the Brothers deserve the worldwide adoration. Note: on their clapperboard, the director is listed as The Great Khali for a little Easter egg.

Mike Kanellis rants about having nothing to do, even after beating Tony Nese last week. Now Nese is in the main event while he is sitting around, waiting to do something to impress his wife. Cue Maria, to say that win last week meant nothing, just like all of his other victories. Maybe she doesn’t need to be here.

Humberto Carrillo/Lince Dorado vs. Drew Gulak/Tony Nese

Nese and Gulak jump them from behind and the fight is on. Ariya Daivari runs in to help the villains and the brawl is on in the ring. Gran Metalik comes out as well to even things up, followed by Carrillo saying let’s make it a six man.

Humberto Carrillo/Lince Dorado/Gran Metalik vs. Drew Gulak/Tony Nese/Ariya Daivari

Nese pulls Daivari to the floor to save him from Dorado early on, only to have Dorado dive onto all three of them. Back in and Dorado’s high crossbody gets two on Daivari and it’s the good guys starting in on the arm. Gulak drives Dorado back into the corner though and Nese comes in to take over. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Nese kicks him down for two. Gulak comes back in for the stomps and a double arm crank to keep Dorado down.

Dorado gets up easily enough and hands it off to Metalik for some bouncing off the ropes to armdrag Nese down. The fans get distracted and yell at someone in the crowd as Gulak takes over on Metalik instead. That includes the required ripping at the mask but since that isn’t happening outside of a finish, Daivari comes back in for another chinlock. It’s back to Gulak, who picks Metalik up and rocks him like a baby before powerslamming him down for two.

Nese’s bodyscissors continues the onslaught, followed by Daivari whipping him into the corner. Daivari stops to glare at Carrillo but the delay lets Metalik get in a reverse Sling Blade. The hot tag brings in Carrillo for the springboard spinning crossbody to Nese, followed by the big dive to the floor onto all three. Back in and a missile dropkick gets two on Gulak, setting off a stream of springboards. Gulak Michinoku Drivers Carrillo for two and we hit the chinlock.

Everything breaks down again and the villains all load up belly to back superplexes. They’re all broken up with back elbows to the face and it’s a trio of moonsaults, all of which hit raised boots. They’re fine enough to hit a superkick each, because a sequence like that looks natural. Gulak’s helicopter bomb gets two on Dorado as everything breaks down again. Everyone else is knocked outside and it’s another superkick to Gulak. Dorado’s shooting star press is good for the pin at 18:23.

Rating: C+. This one got some time and the match was better as a result. That being said, Dorado and Carrillo aren’t the most thrilling challengers. At the same time though, Gulak isn’t the most thrilling champion so it all balances out. It might be something that makes sense but watching them face off isn’t something I’m going to get excited about. The match was the kind of spot fest that we needed to see though and the kind of thing that is going to work every single time.

Overall Rating: B-. Totally watchable show here but it didn’t do much to shake the fact that the show isn’t all that interesting at the moment. I can understand why WWE is thinking about moving the show over to Full Sail and integrating it into NXT as it doesn’t quite need to stand alone and isn’t really capable of doing so anyway. There isn’t a really big star face and that is hurting the show a lot. Just merge them together already and let it be over.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

The announcers give us a quick preview.

Tyler Bate vs. Brian Kendrick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Albert Hardie Jr. vs. Gran Metalik vs. Ligero

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

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

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

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

Akira Tozawa vs. Jordan Devlin

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

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

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

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

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Drake Maverick is on commentary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oney Lorcan vs. Cedric Alexander

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2000 Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Part 1 (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/02/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-thunder-reviews-volume-vii-january-june-2000/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

Humberto Carrillo vs. Gran Metalik

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kalisto vs Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Buddy Murphy vs. Gran Metalik

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We look back at the newly aggressive Ariya Daivari.

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

Tony Nese vs. Cedric Alexander

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: November 21, 2018
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Percy Watson, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re into a new area on this show as Buddy Murphy successfully defended the Cruiserweight Title against Mustafa Ali this Sunday at Survivor Series. That means we need a new challenger, but I can’t imagine that takes place tonight. 205 Live likes to set things up at a slightly slower pace and you never know when they’ll have their next title match anyway. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap focuses on the pretty awesome title match with Ali coming up short again. They’ve got a nice Wrestlemania moment there if they can hold out long enough.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Buddy Murphy to get things going. Buddy has a question: did you really think Mustafa Ali was going to beat him? Well it doesn’t matter because the people’s opinion doesn’t matter to him. You can’t stop the unstoppable, but here’s Tony Nese to stop him from saying anything else, albeit in a nice way.

Tony Nese vs. Noam Dar

Before the match, Dar says he’s here to make some noise in the cruiserweight division because he’s been spending so much time in NXT UK. Nese shoulders him down and poses to start, showcasing the wide variety of taunting that he has available. Dar trips him down and gets two off a backslide. A dropkick puts Nese on the floor but Murphy offers a distraction so Nese can score with a gutbuster.

Back in and a running elbow to the face gives Nese two and it’s off to the bodyscissors. Nese misses a charge though and gets kicked off the ropes so Dar can start striking away. The northern lights suplex (Alicia Fox must have taught him that) gives Dar two and it’s off to a guillotine. That’s broken up through raw power but Nese can’t German suplex him into the corner. Instead it’s a big forearm to Dar but he kicks Nese in the head and face. Murphy breaks up the Nova Roller though and Nese hits the German suplex into the corner. The running knee finishes Dar at 8:14.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t one of these better performances as both of them felt like they were going much more slowly than in recent months. Nese and Murphy aren’t the most thrilling combination in the world but I get why the champ needs a lackey. Not terrible, but a pretty forgettable match, which is worse on this show.

Mustafa Ali is hurt but it’s more mentally than physically. He wants to embrace it though, because he wants to use it to get up the next time he’s knocked down. That means he owes Murphy a thank you because now he’s going to work even harder to turn this pain into power. One day he’ll become Cruiserweight Champion. When they finally do that, it’s going to be a great moment.

Drake Maverick tells the referee to be ready for shenanigans (his word) in the main event. The referee leaves when Cedric Alexander comes in so Drake can make Alexander/Ali vs. Murphy/Nese for next week. Fair enough.

Akira Tozawa/Brian Kendrick vs. ???/???

Tozawa and Kendrick share a hesitant handshake as Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher are watching in the back. Gallagher doesn’t think much of Kendrick aligning himself with a wailing scoundrel like Tozawa. Kendrick grabs a cravate and slaps on an armbar as the jobbers don’t even have names to start.

The backsplash gives Tozawa two and it’s time for the chops. A double big boot gives Kendrick two and it’s off to the other unnamed jobber for a Downward Spiral/kick to the back of the head combination. The first one gets in a clothesline but a spinwheel kick cuts him off. It’s back to Tozawa to clean house with the backsplash and a missile dropkick, followed by Sliced Bread #2. The top rope backsplash gives Tozawa the pin at 3:26.

Rating: C-. Tozawa and Kendrick looked good together though I can’t say I’m thrilled with the idea of seeing the two of them face Gulak and Gallagher. It hasn’t been a thrilling feud and I don’t see that getting any better when they have the tag match. Maybe a stipulation could help, but it’s just not all that interesting.

Murphy and Nese aren’t worried about the tag match as Murphy has beaten both Alexander and Ali by himself.

Hideo Itami is back next week.

Gran Metalik vs. TJP

The pinatas are multiplying. TJP has Mike and Maria Kanellis with him and the guys all have House Party masks. Drake Maverick isn’t having that though and ejects everyone but TJP and Metalik. Metalik wastes no time in hitting a big flip dive to the floor and throws TJP back in, only to have him roll back outside. Back in and a reverse Sling Blade has TJP in trouble until he slaps on something like a half crab Scorpion Deathlock.

Now it’s TJP hitting a big dive of his own but comes up favoring his ankle. The leg is fine enough to hit a belly to back suplex for two and it’s off to the chinlock. That goes nowhere so TJP hits a gutbuster for two instead. The Muta Lock goes on as TJP is going all over on Metalik here. Metalik finally grabs a rope to get out of the leglock so TJP gives it until four before the break. That’s what a smart heel should be doing and he’s rather good at what he does.

TJP heads up but gets kicked in the head, setting up a dropkick to the back for two. The moonsault hits feet though and TJP grabs a Batista Bomb. Metalik is right back with the rope walk dropkick for two of his own and a hurricanrana off the apron in a cool looking spot. Back in and the Metalik Driver sets up the top rope elbow but TJP reverses into the kneebar. Metalik makes the rope so TJP goes after the pinata. You just don’t do that and it’s a sunset flip to finish TJP at 9:26.

Rating: C+. Nice match here with Metalik being on his own offering a good idea. You can only get so far with the three faces having the advantage so it was a smart move to push Metalik on his own for a change. He’s talented enough to have a good match and that’s what we got here. It also helps when TJP can work well with anyone.

Post match Maria comes out, losing it on Maverick, but it’s a distraction so Mike can come in with the chair to the House Party. The beatdown is on to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show mainly focused on the midcarders and that’s not the worst thing in the world. You have to give this level some attention every now and then. It makes them mean more later on as otherwise it feels like nothing but filler. It’s an investment in the future and we happened to get a fine show as a result. Nothing wrong with that and the stories were advanced just enough here.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: October 31, 2018
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s time to get back to the title picture as we have a big time #1 contenders match this week. This time around it’s Mustafa Ali facing Tony Nese to find out who will be challenging Buddy Murphy at some point in the future, and for once it could go either way. Nese is on a roll but Ali is the heart and soul of this show. That makes things a bit more interesting for a change so let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at last week’s falls count anywhere match which set up tonight’s #1 contenders match. Also tonight: Brian Kendrick vs. Jack Gallagher.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick

Fallout from last month when Drew Gulak (on commentary here) and Gallagher kicked Kendrick off their team. Gallagher slaps him in the face to start and bails to the floor, only to get caught with a baseball slide. Well what was he expecting standing in front of the apron like that? Back in and Gallagher gets two off a snap suplex and grabs the double arm crank with a knee in Kendrick’s back like a true British villain. A backbreaker gets two and Percy questions what Gulak will do when Gallagher no longer serves his purpose.

Kendrick tells Gallagher to bring it so Gallagher misses a charge in the corner. That means a leg lariat and a tiger suplex into the Captain’s Hook. Gallagher gets a boot in the ropes for the save and grabs a choke of his own, sending Kendrick to the ropes as well. Back up and Kendrick hits a superkick, drawing Gulak off commentary. That brings in Akira Tozawa (tag match ahoy) to take him out, leaving Kendrick to hit Sliced Bread #2 for the pin at 6:18.

Rating: C-. This feels more about setting up a tag match for later on and that’s fine. I was a little skeptical about this feud but at least they’re doing something with it instead of just going through the motions. I’m hoping it’s not mainly a way to push Kendrick, who hasn’t really done much for me and should be helping move people up more than anything else.

Cedric Alexander isn’t happy with not being in the #1 contenders match but Drake Maverick tells him that he’ll get a title math when Drake says he’s ready. Though disappointed, Cedric goes with it.

Gran Metalik vs. ???

I think you get the idea here. Metalik backflips past the bald jobber and hits a reverse Sling Blade. The rope walk elbow completes the squash at 1:05.

Post match Metalik poses but TJP runs in and steals his mask.

Buddy Murphy says that since we’re in the UK next week, he should annihilate Mark Andrews. He’s not worried about Tony Nese becoming #1 contender.

Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali

#1 contenders match and Ali has almost everything taped up. Nese, being smart, kicks him straight in the bad ribs and takes over early. Ali is fine enough to dropkick him off the apron but the dive is countered into a fall away slam onto the ramp. The bad ribs are dropped onto the barricade and Ali is in a lot of trouble. Nese puts a knee into the ribs for two and stomps away some more as you can’t fault him for his strategy. Ali’s tornado DDT is countered with a shot to the ribs and a northern lights suplex to cut him off in a hurry. The bodyscissors goes on again, followed by a spinning kick to the ribs to put Ali in even more trouble. Ali manages to pull him off the middle rope for a breather and gets two off a sitout powerbomb. The rolling X Factor sends Nese to the floor and Ali is crazy enough to use the running flip dive, which of course bangs up his ribs even worse. A high crossbody gives Ali a delayed two and he superkicks Nese on both sides of the head for two more. Nese kicks him off the top but Ali runs to the corner for the tornado DDT and another delayed near fall. Ali gets caught on top for the Dean Malenko super gutbuster and Nese’s frustration gets even worse when Ali kicks out again. The bandages on the ribs are ripped off but Ali grabs a jackknife rollup for the very fast pin at 13:26.

Rating: B-. It’s not as good as Ali’s usual stuff but 205 Live has done something that the regular shows can almost never do: make a character that I want to see win. Ali is one of the best characters WWE has done in a very long time and I want to see him pull off the title win. They need to do that at some point and I hope it’s not all the way at Wrestlemania. This was another good match, and while I’m surprised Nese didn’t get the win, I’m glad Ali did.

Post match Nese goes after Ali again but Cedric runs in for the save. Cedric throws Ali’s arm around his neck in what looked a lot like the setup for the Lumbar Check but it’s just for support. Very nice fake out there. Anyway Buddy Murphy comes out and stands next to Nese so look for the tag match in a few weeks.

Overall Rating: C+. This show set up a bunch of stuff for the future, though it seems to be more tag matches than anything else. The stories are starting to get better and having some fresh blood with Mike and Maria helps out a lot. As long as they actually get to do something with those people, everything will be fine. Ali is carrying this show a long way, and that’s what matters most. Good show here, and I’m looking forward to seeing where things go from here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: October 17, 2018
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s hard to say if the Cruiserweight Champion is going to be around this week but the more interesting question is going to be the Kanellis family, who debuted last week in a rare instance of some main roster names coming to the cruiserweight show. I’m hoping that happens more down the line as it’s not like some of these people have anything else going on and it’s better than sitting on the sidelines. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap talks about how much everything is changing tonight. Speaking of tonight, we’ll be having a fatal five way. Cedric Alexander needs to prove that he’s still a top star, Tony Nese wants to extend his winning streak, TJP wants to prove he deserves a title shot, Gran Metalik wants to stand up for the Lucha House Party and Lio Rush wants to remain undefeated.

Opening sequence.

Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa

Before the match we look at Gulak and Jack Gallagher attacking Brian Kendrick so you can probably guess what’s coming here. Gulak is NOT happy with the chanting here and lets off some steam with an elbow to the face. That just earns him a hurricanrana into a backsplash for an early two as Tozawa picks up the pace. The fake out right hand to the jaw keeps Gulak in trouble but the Black Widow is countered into a backbreaker.

Gulak goes international with a Gory Stretch until Tozawa gets his legs free and flips over for a cool looking escape. A powerbomb gives Gulak two and the chinlock goes on, with Gulak biting his ear. That’s a bit out of character but a great visual. Tozawa is back up and hits Trouble in Paradise into a Shining Wizard to the floor. There’s the suicide headbutt to Gulak and Gallagher, the latter of whom breaks up the top rope backsplash for the DQ at 7:05.

Rating: C. Tozawa has a ton of charisma and can make almost anyone look better. At the same time, Gulak is still fun to watch but it doesn’t matter if he never actually wins anything. I’m not wild on the upcoming Gulak vs. Kendrick feud either but any people who team together for any amount of time now need to have a big split and feud as a result.

Post match Gulak and Gallagher beat him down but Kendrick makes the save.

Buddy Murphy is back and says he’s ok with Drake Maverick making him weigh in. Tony Nese comes in and says he’ll prove that they’re the best, including in tonight’s main event.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are ready to be the power couple of 205 Live.

Hideo Itami speaks Japanese and then promises to end Mustafa Ali’s career next week.

Ali, walking in the rain, says he and Itami have been on this road for far too long. He’ll be wherever Itami is and on this road, Itami will lay where Ali stands. These promos outside of the arena have been excellent from Ali.

TJP vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Gran Metalik vs. Tony Nese vs. Lio Rush

One fall to a finish. This isn’t a #1 contenders match but Buddy is watching in the back. Alexander and Nese are left in the ring to start but Cedric knocks him to the floor as well. Rush comes in and flips out of a headscissors and springboards into a headscissors of his own. Alexander is sent outside and gets clotheslined by Nese so Metalik comes in and springboard dropkicks into Rush.

Nese replaces Metalik and takes an enziguri as the fans are rather pleased with Rush. TJP comes back in and puts Metalik and Nese in a hold at the same time but Rush breaks it up until Nese rolls up both Rush and TJP at the same time. TJP is sent shoulder first into the post and Nese gets to stop and pose. Things slow down a bit and it’s Nese cranking on Metalik’s neck. Metalik gets tied up in the Tree of Woe for the situp kicks to the ribs until Nese has to clothesline an invading Alexander.

A Metalik brainbuster gets two on Nese but Alexander springboards in with a clothesline (which barely connects) for two on Metalik. The springboard swinging Downward Spiral gets two with Rush making a save. Everyone comes back in Nese breaks up the Tower of Doom and Rush hits the Final Hour for two on Alexander.

It’s time for strike everyone else and Alexander hits the Neuralizer for two on Nese. Metalik superkicks Alexander but TJP goes after his mask. That goes nowhere as Metalik hits a suicide dive on Alexander and Rush takes his place inside. Nese powerbombs Rush onto EVERYONE (with Rush almost landing on his head in a scary visual) and Nese is the only one standing.

TJP remedies that with a kneebar to Nese and then does the same to Alexander. Metalik makes the save and avoids a baseball slide from TJP, setting up a perfect Asai moonsault to the floor just as TJP goes underneath the rope. Back in and Alexander Lumbar Checks Rush (with a great sell job/bounce), only to get rolled up by Nese for the pin at 15:35.

Rating: B. This was what it was with a bunch of spots and people moving all over the place. You can’t expect much of a story or psychology here and that’s perfectly fine. Just have them go out there and do their stuff and get to the winner. Alexander getting pinned again was the right call as his fall down the mountain continues. Nese winning is fine too as you can have him face Murphy as the first challenger. Fun match, which is mostly all you can ask for.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event easily carries this show but it’s still not a great night. The Kendrick story does nothing for me and Nese isn’t going to win the title. Murphy just feels like a warm body with the title, as he wasn’t around last week and just had a cameo this week. They still need some stronger personalities, but if those people were around, they would be on the main shows instead of here, which is one of the show’s top problems.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: September 11, 2018
Location: Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph

We continue to build towards the Cruiserweight Title match between Champion Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy, though there’s also Drew Gulak running around, which could mean a few things. There’s a chance we’ll see another title match between now and the Australia show and that might be a little more interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening card rundown.

Opening sequence.

There are still a lot of empty seats but it’s a far better situation than last week.

Buddy Murphy vs. Gran Metalik

They trade some very early and non-near falls to start and we have a standoff. Metalik knocks him to the floor but Murphy ducks the baseball slide and punches him in the face. That goes nowhere and Metalik hits a moonsault off the top to take Murphy down again. Back in and Murphy sends him face first into the post to set up the chinlock.

That doesn’t do much so Murphy puts him on the top, earning himself a sunset bomb for a big crash as Murphy is in trouble. A reverse Sling Blade (more of a bulldog than a clothesline) sets up a springboard back elbow for two but the Metalik Driver isn’t happening. Murphy crotches him on top and hits a double powerbomb for two of his own.

An exchange of kicks to the face sets up the Metalik Driver for two and they’re both in trouble. Metalik tweaks his knee on a backflip though and Murphy knees him in the head. Wouldn’t it make more sense to knee him in the knee? Either way it sets up Murphy’s Law for the pin at 10:45.

Rating: C. I’m pretty much over watching any combination of Murphy/Tony Nese fighting with the Lucha House Party but who else is Murphy supposed to beat up before he gets his title shot in Melbourne? The match was perfectly watchable but they were stuck underneath a firm ceiling and that was obvious here.

Post match Murphy says that’s one step closer to the title at Super Show-Down.

Mustafa Ali has been medically cleared to return to the ring.

We look back at Ali’s medical issues, which have put him somewhat at odds with Drake Maverick.

Cedric Alexander comes in to see Ali. After pleasantries are exchanged, Alexander mentions that he’s teaming with Akira Tozawa tonight. Tozawa is rather intimidating.

Mustafa Ali vs. Michael Thompson

Before the match, here’s Hideo Itami to interrupt and speak some Japanese to Ali. Actually he missed Ali and hopes that he’s feeling better. Ali chops away to start and hits the rolling X Factor. Looking up at Itami doesn’t matter much as it’s the tornado DDT into the 054 for the pin at 1:45. Well Ali is back.

Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher come in to see Maverick before their main event tag match tonight. Other than a threat of having the AOP destroy them if they talk about the AOP again, there’s nothing to see here.

Noam Dar makes fun of how Lio Rush talks.

Rush tells Dar to keep his name out of his mouth.

Rush vs. Dar next week.

Cedric Alexander/Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak/Jack Gallagher

Gulak and Alexander start things off but the threat of an early Lumbar Check sends Gulak into the corner. Gallagher comes in and starts on Alexander’s wrist but Tozawa comes in to fire off some chops. We settle down to Tozawa getting something like an Octopus Hold on Gulak until Gallagher comes in for a double slam to take over.

An uppercut stops Tozawa’s comeback cold and Gallagher is smart enough to draw Cedric in, allowing more clubberin. A kick to the ribs allows the hot tag off to Alexander a few seconds later though, setting up the Neuralizer for two on Gallagher. Everything breaks down and Gulak gets kicked to the floor, leaving Gallagher to hit the running corner dropkick for two on Alexander.

Gulak is back in for a running clothesline/leg kick combination for the same near fall. Cedric avoids a double suplex though and Tozawa tags himself in to clean house with the kicks. The top rope backsplash misses though and Gallagher’s headbutt sets up the Gulock for the tap at 12:32.

Post match Maverick says Gulak gets his title shot next week.

Overall Rating: C. This show really does go by the strength of its Cruiserweight Title matches. Therefore, this week’s show wasn’t all that great, mainly due to there not being much of note. The end of the show announcement did help though and that’s going to make next week’s show a little more interesting. There’s a chance that they’ll have Gulak take the title via cheating as a transitional champion to Murphy, which could keep Cedric strong for later. Or they’ll just have Gulak lose again because the Australia show is more important than the week to week show. You never can tell around here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/09/07/new-book-kbs-complete-smackdown-2003-reviews/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: September 4, 2018
Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re coming up on another Cruiserweight Title match, but oddly enough it’s going to be taking place in Australia and it’s going to be Buddy Murphy getting a title shot instead of Drew Gulak, who has been built up for another title match in recent weeks. Other than that we could have some more from the better than expected midcard around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick gives us the opening recap with no mention of the Authors of Pain last night.

Opening sequence.

Tony Nese is on his way to the ring for a match and gets annoyed when an interviewer tries to talk to him. Buddy Murphy takes the interview instead, saying he’s looking forward to facing Cedric Alexander in his hometown. Last time it was in Cedric’s backyard but this time, Murphy will have 70,000 people in his corner.

Gran Metalik vs. Tony Nese

Everyone else is barred from ringside (and the wide shot suggests that they’re barred from sitting in the stands as well). Nese shoulders him down to start and they trade some armdrags. A dropkick exchange gives us a standoff so Nese kicks him down. Nese has to bail out of a Lionsault so Metalik hits a springboard armdrag and Nese is sent out to the floor for a breather. You can’t do that to a luchador so the dive is loaded up but Nese trips him instead.

A swing into the barricade has Metalik in trouble as the amount of empty seats in the bottom half of the arena is as bad as I’ve ever seen them for this show. There are full empty rows visible and there might be more empty seats than full ones. Back in and Metalik elbows him in the face, followed by a tornado DDT to plant Nese. Metalik’s rope walk dropkick gets two but he slightly botches a spinning sunset flip. Nese gets sent to the apron so Metalik can try a running hurricanrana, land on the top rope for a second, and then hit it a second later.

A moonsault to the floor hits Nese’s raised boots and they’re both down. Nese is up first for the running flip dive, followed by a 450 for two back inside. The running knee is cut off by a superkick and the Metalik Driver gets two. Metalik goes up and manages to crotch Nese, setting up a springboard hurricanrana. The rope walk elbow is good for the pin at 11:09.

Rating: C-. This got some time but it was more long than good, which is rarely a good thing. There were some notable bad spots in there too, but the bigger problem is the empty arena. You can’t avoid something like that and it looked horrible no matter what they did. With this as the way to start the show, I can’t say I’m surprised by the fans not being thrilled. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly thrilling stuff.

Percy gets a noisemaker and Nigel looks like he wants to kill him.

We look back at Hideo Itami destroying the jobber last week until Mustafa Ali came in to chase him off.

Ali comes in to see Maverick and mentions the Authors of Pain, but Drake tells him to stay out of it. Maverick wasn’t pleased with what happened last week and Ali isn’t wrestling again until Maverick says so.

Noam Dar vs. Bryan Kelly

Lio Rush comes out for commentary. Kelly is the name of Notre Dame’s, a University of Michigan rival, football coach. After Rush only shakes Nigel’s hand, he complains about not getting booked while Dar is in the ring. Dar fires off some knees to the ribs and hiptosses Kelly into the ropes. Kelly armbars him to no effect and Dar kicks him off the middle rope. The Nova Roller finishes Kelly at 2:30.

Dar stares at Rush. That could be a fun one.

Maverick runs into Cedric Alexander in the back and allows him to call out Drew Gulak. Just keep it professional.

Here’s Cedric who gets straight to the point by calling Gulak out. There’s no Gulak but here’s TJP instead. TJP isn’t good at waiting in line and he’s not waiting in line for his shot at the Cruiserweight Title. He wants to fight right now and Cedric is more than ready. Cue Maverick to say let’s have the match right now, non-title though.

Cedric Alexander vs. TJP

Non-title. Cedric takes him down by the wrist to start but a shoulder just makes TJP nip up. That earns him a shove right back down, which is a smarter move than it should be. The Neuralizer puts TJP on the floor and there’s the suicide dive. TJP is right back up with a DDT onto the apron (that’s turned into a free space on the wrestling Bingo card) and Cedric is in trouble. A slingshot headscissors into an Octopus Hold is reversed into a Brock Lock of all things but TJP reverses that into a rollup.

Cedric dropkicks him to the floor but gets caught in a modified Octopus Hold in the ropes. That’s enough to bang up Alexander’s arm so TJP sends it into the buckle. Cedric almost drops him on a Michinoku Driver attempt but TJP is smart enough to switch it into a rollup to keep things looking fine. The Pentagon Jr. arm snap makes Alexander scream and the rolling suplexes get two. An armbar goes on for a bit until the springboard spinning forearm drops Cedric again.

He’s fine enough for the springboard clothesline, which is a pretty bad idea when you have an injured arm. A suplex into a gutbuster (that’s a new one) gives Cedric two but the Lumbar Check is countered into a Kimura with a bodyscissors. That’s broken up as well so TJP puts on a Fujiwara armbar but switches it over to the kneebar instead. As usual, the first attempt doesn’t work very well and Cedric is in the ropes in a hurry. TJP tries the Detonation Kick but gets reversed into a one armed Lumbar Check to give Cedric the pin at 11:01.

Rating: B. They were telling a nice story here with the arm work and everything that TJP did to hurt Cedric. Throw in the good idea of having Cedric use one arm for his finisher instead of doing the full version and this was a very solid main event. I could have gone with more hype for such a big time match but it’s not like it’s going to change the audience or anything.

Post match here’s Gulak to say he accepts the challenge but Jack Gallagher runs in from behind to take Cedric out. The Gulak puts Cedric to sleep, drawing Maverick out for the save to end the show. They’re getting somewhere with this Cedric as a fighting champion deal and whoever finally takes the title from him is going to look like a giant killer.

Overall Rating: C. The main event bailed the show out but there’s no way around those crowd shots. It’s depressing, to the point where it had to get in the wrestlers’ heads. There was just almost no one there and there’s not much you can do to make up for that. Hopefully it’s better next week, but this show isn’t going to last with that kind of a visual. WWE won’t stand for it.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/07/23/new-book-kbs-complete-2003-monday-night-raw-reviews/

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