205 Live
Date: July 16, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

I’m curious to see what happens to the Breakout Tournament matches now that the tournament itself has already started. That means we might be back to the old stuff featuring the new guys, as we can’t do much more new stuff with the old guys. I don’t think. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Guru Raaj vs. Asher Hale

Feeling out process to start with Hale taking him down without much effort. Raaj manages a roll into the corner but a neckbreaker into said corner cuts him off again. Back up and Hale wraps his feet around Raaj’s neck for a quick twist. A DDT with Hale cranking on the neck a bit on the way down gets two and a powerslam is good for the same.

Raaj is back up with some shoulders in the corner and some rapid fire kicks drop Hale for two. Back up and Hale hits a running knee before kicking at a downed Raaj. Hale loads up a kind of northern lights suplex but Raaj flips over into a backslide for the rather surprise pin at 7:21.

Rating: C. The ending surprised me and that’s about as much as there is to say here. I’m not sure if I’m getting much out of Raaj, but I don’t see why Hale needed to lose again. Part of the problem is that these guys are getting thrown together into matches where no one gets to stand out, which was the case again here. Not bad, but completely forgettable.

Grayson Waller vs. Ari Sterling

The early feeling out process gives us an early standoff as they seem to have some time here. Waller wrestles him to the mat for some slaps to the back of the head but Sterling reverses for some shots to the face. Back up and they trade wrist control until Sterling flips around and takes him to the mat for some arm cranking. Sterling starts flipping around and kicks Waller in the head.

This time Waller dives over him and takes the arm out to counter a cartwheel. Some kicks to the arm set up a DDT on the arm so Waller can start getting cockier. Another shot to the leg has Sterling in trouble and a kick to the chest gets two. The Fujiwara armbar sends Sterling over to the rope so Waller grabs a torture rack. That means an inverted Regal Roll but Sterling strikes away to little avail.

The standing Kimura is broken up and Sterling sends him outside, only to get pulled down over the ropes. Back in and Waller works on the arm again, including a triangle choke over the ropes. The middle rope elbow gives Waller two and we hit the armbar. That’s broken up as well and Sterling hits a running spinwheel kick. The running flip ax kick sends Waller outside so there’s the big flip dive to take him down again. Back in and Sterling misses a 450 but avoids the running stomp. Baha 86 finishes Waller at 15:19.

Rating: C+. The time helped this one a lot and it isn’t something you get to see very often on this show. Above all else, it was nice to see Sterling do something than shrug off a leg injury and win in the end. This time he had to deal with something different and it didn’t take me out of the match as a result. Waller is going to be fine so the loss doesn’t hurt him, but Sterling needed the win a bit more.

Overall Rating: C+. Pretty good show here as I think we are starting the new norm. 205 Live has not meant anything of note for a long time now and that is probably going to continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. The action was good here and that is about all you can expect from this show, so well done enough.

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205 Live
Date: July 9, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

The debut of the newly stocked 205 Live will have to wait another week as it is time for more Breakout Tournament preview matches. Last week’s matches were not exactly thrilling and did not leave me overly excited for the rest. Maybe this week’s can be an improvement, which shouldn’t be that difficult. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Josh Briggs vs. Asher Hale

Briggs is a 6’8 monster and not exactly a cruiserweight. The fans are behind Hale as he gets slammed down without much effort. The smaller Hale can’t drop toehold him but a small package gets a fast two. Briggs is sent outside for a running knee from the apron but he is right back in for a shot to the face. There’s a hard whip into the corner to give Briggs two and a release side slam drops Hale again. A splash gets two and a chinlock has Hale in more trouble.

Hale gets big booted out to the floor but manages some strikes of his own on the way back in. Briggs isn’t having that and boots him in the face, only to miss a knee drop. A kick to the knee and another to the head stagger Briggs, setting up a tornado DDT for two. Hale slaps on a crossface but lets go to try for the leg, earning himself a kick to the face. The top rope double stomp misses though and Briggs blasts him with a clothesline for the pin at 8:38.

Rating: C. I liked this more than I was expecting to as Briggs looked to be squashing him but Hale made a go of it. There is something to be said about having Briggs just unloading with the clothesline for the win. Nothing else was working so he hit Hale really, really hard for the pin. What more can you ask for out of a finish like that?

Grayson Waller was left out of the Breakout Tournament so he’s ready to fight Odyssey Jones tonight. Waller is going to beat Jones to show that he is the present instead of the future.

Odyssey Jones is ready to show what he can do. Jones seems to have some charisma.

We look at the announcement of the Breakout Tournament field.

Odyssey Jones vs. Grayson Waller

Jones is a huge guy at over 400lbs. Waller strikes away to start and gets absolutely nowhere so he’ll try a headlock instead. A hard shoulder drops Waller and another one puts him on the floor. Back in and a big toss sends Waller flying out of the corner but a low bridge puts Jones on the floor. Waller posts him and scores with a kick to the head, followed by a middle rope elbow to the shoulder back inside.

Jones slugs away so Waller grabs a triangle choke over the rope. A guillotine choke doesn’t work either as Jones muscles him up for a suplex. Waller gets in a few more shots before rolling outside for a running start into a rolling Stunner (that’s a new one). The middle rope elbow gets two on Jones but another triangle is countered with a powerbomb. A hard ax handle rocks Waller and the World’s Strongest Slam finishes Waller at 7:50.

Rating: C. I still like Waller more than most around here and that was the case again this time. Jones is a big guy and can be a good monster, but he only showed so much here. He had some charisma and did the big man stuff well, but it’s hard to get interested in him when Bronson Reed exists. Good enough debut though and he’ll be fine almost anywhere he goes, at least for awhile.

Overall Rating: C. This was a better effort than last week and I’m more curious about Briggs and Jones than anyone from last week. They still have a long way to go, but it is nice to see things improve even slightly over the last batch. Throw in the NXT atmosphere compared to 205 Live and there is a good chance things will improve enough.

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205 Live
Date: June 25, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Well this show suddenly means nothing as most of the roster has been released, meaning I have no idea what to expect from this series going forward. That may or may not be a good thing, but it is fairly clear that 205 Live is going to get a heck of a shakeup following this taped edition. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ikemen Jiro vs. Ariya Daivari

Jiro, now in a corn on the cob jacket (I need to see the store that comes from), gets taken down by the wrist to start but comes right back with a headlock. Back up and a running knee to the ribs puts Jiro down but he is fine enough to bust out a handstand in the corner. A Delfin clutch gets two on Daivari, who is right back with a reverse DDT onto the apron. Some right hands to the head set up a chinlock on Jiro and Daivari kicks him hard in the ribs.

Jiro fights up with a suplex and some running forearms, setting up a double springboard moonsault. The Ikemen Slash misses so Jiro superkicks him to the floor instead. A Lionsault connects to set up another moonsault for two back inside. Daivari is right back with a hammerlock DDT for two of his own but the Persian Lion splash misses. The Ikemen Slash finishes Daivari at 8:42.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here but it was the usual perfectly fine Daivari match. Jiro might not be everyone’s can of corn, but those jackets are a bit more memorable than almost anything else does around here. Jiro getting a win is a good sign and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him as a featured piece of the new look 205 Live.

Grayson Waller vs. August Grey

Waller takes him down to start and walks over Grey’s back as the cockiness is on in a hurry. Grey gets taken down again but this time Waller lets him up, allowing Grey to snap off a hiptoss. The armbar keeps Waller down and Grey twists it around a few times for some near falls. Waller uses some very fast nipups into a forearm to the head to escape and chops away in the corner.

Grey’s sunset flip is countered into a triangle choke (cool), followed by some choking on the ropes. Waller snaps off a suplex and puts on Grey’s headband before tying him in the Tree of Woe. A torture rack sets up a reverse Regal Roll (that’s a new one) into a middle rope elbow for two. Grey fights up with a clothesline to the floor into a suicide dive but Waller snaps his throat across the top. The running stomp finishes Grey at 9:42.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what kind of legs he’ll have, but they have something with Waller for the time being. He does all of the heel stuff well and the stomp is a good looking finish. It isn’t like he has anywhere to go but up and it is nice to see a heel with this kind of success. Grey was starting to get somewhere but it wasn’t like he was lighting the world on fire. He had a short WWE run though and that’s better than most people get.

Overall Rating: C. It’s weird to see a show that has absolutely no meaning but that was the case here. I have no idea what they are going to do with the show going forward, but hopefully they do something actually new instead of just putting new names out there with the same issues. I’ve grown a bit of a soft spot for some of these rather talented people over the years and hopefully they wind up doing well elsewhere, as they deserve it for putting up with this low level show for so long.

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205 Live
Date: June 18, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back to the cruiserweights and as of late, we are getting to see some fresh talents, which can make for some interesting matches. The same problems continue to abound, including the completely obsession with old vs. new. That was the case last week but now we seem to be on the way to Asher Hale vs. Ari Sterling. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Asher Hale vs. Grayson Waller

Waller, dressed a bit like a boxer sans gloves, seems rather into staying hydrated and bails into the ropes to start. Then he does it again just in case you didn’t get the idea. They go to the mat for some grappling with Hale easily getting the better of it, sending Waller to the ropes again. Hale tells Waller to come get him before sending him to the apron. A legsweep takes Waller to the floor and there’s the big dive to the floor.

Back in and Waller crotches him on top, setting up some rights and lefts. Waller ties him into the Tree of Woe and strikes away before grabbing a cravate. A kick drops Hale again but he is right back up with some suplexes. Hale’s tornado DDT is broken up and it’s a triangle choke over the ropes to put him back in trouble. Waller gets sent out to the floor but dives back in with a rolling Stunner into a Stomp over the back to finish Hale at 7:50.

Rating: C-. I’m still not sure if I like Waller or not. He’s a rather cocky heel and I want to see him get his head punched in, so there is certainly something there. Hale continues to look like the most polished of the new generation around here and his style can work well against anyone. It’s nice to have someone who does more than just flying around and Hale seems fairly well rounded, making him fun to watch.

Post match Waller offers a handshake but pulls it back and dances instead.

August Grey is done with Ariya Daivari because he is ready to go after Kushida and the Cruiserweight Title. Daivari pops up (Grey needs to get his peripheral vision looked at) and says he is the thorn on the 205 Live rose, so this ends when he says it’s over. Their partners meet tonight.

We look at Trey Baxter debuting on NXT and giving Kushida a run for his money in the Cruiserweight Title match.

Tony Nese vs. Ikemen Jiro

Nese powers Jiro (and his jacket) into the corner to start so Jiro comes out with a wristlock. The leg is swept so Jiro can crank on the leg but Nese reverses into a quickly broken chinlock. A shoulder puts Jiro down but he nips up, followed by the exact same sequence. Jiro armdrags him into an armbar and a palm strike sends Nese down. That doesn’t last long as Nese knocks him to the floor and puts on a jacket of his own to continue the beating. Back in and we hit the bodyscissors, followed by some left hands to the face.

Nese goes old school with the torture rack but Jiro pulls the jacket over his face to escape. Jiro strikes away and hits a shot to the back of the head, followed by an uppercut to put Nese in 619 position. A Swanton gives Jiro two but Nese catches him on top with a kick to the head. One heck of a spinning kick to the face gives Nese two but it’s too early for the running Nese. Instead Jiro heads outside and avoids a charge, setting up an anklescissors to drive Nese into the apron. Back in and Nese superkicks him into the corner but Jiro hits a series of kicks to the face. The Ikemen Slash finishes Nese at 11:10.

Rating: C. Totally watchable match here as Jiro gets a win to further establish himself around here. You don’t get to see him doing much in the way of singles matches so it was a good idea to put him in here like this. Nese continues to lose and it continues to not matter, as he is a 205 Live lifer and isn’t going to get much further than he is at the moment. That is not necessarily a bad thing either.

Overall Rating: C. This was a pretty skippable show but it is still nice to see some fresh faces around here. It’s ok to mix things up a bit and that is what we had here. Granted the matches didn’t exactly light the world on fire, but, again, how bad can a show really be when it barely breaks thirty minutes? Fine enough show, but not worth your time, even by 205 Live standards.

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205 Live
Date: June 11, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

I’m really not sure what to expect around here, but my guess is that the same problems that have been around for years will still be around here. That being said, it would be foolish to expect anything else so all we can ask for is some good action, which has been the case as of late. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Grayson Waller vs. Sunil Singh

They’re both on their own, which is kind of weird for Sunil. They start fast by running the ropes until a side kick drops Singh. Back up and Singh seems to have injured his shoulder, which is made even worse as Waller grabs an armbar over the ropes. Waller kicks him in the face and we hit the neck crank, with Waller being nice enough to trap the healthy arm. A missed splash gives Singh an opening but that arm is just hanging there. Singh snaps him throat first across the rope and manages a top rope chop to the head. Another attempt is kicked out of the air though and Waller hits a running curb stomp for the pin at 3:26.

Rating: N/A. I’m not going to rate this one as the injury took away anything they could have done here. Singh was trying though and fought through the injury as well as he could, but there is only so much you can do with one arm. They did some good enough stuff, but Singh was looking pretty horrible (not his fault) with that arm hanging there.

Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese vs. Asher Hale/Ari Sterling

Hey look: old vs. new. Hale and Nese start things off as the fans rather like Hale here. Nese gets taken into the ropes so Hale strikes the double bicep for some head games. Hale takes him down by the arm and grabs a cradle for two. That’s enough to send Nese bailing to the floor as things get a little too complicated. Back in and Hale works on the armbar again and chops Sterling for the tag. That’s enough to send Nese bailing back into the corner as Sterling and Hale don’t seem to be getting along.

Daivari comes in to crank on Sterling’s arm so Sterling flips around a lot and puts on his own armbar. Back up and Daivari pulls Sterling into the corner for the double teaming. That’s broken up in a hurry though and it’s back to Hale as the good guys get in some double teaming. They won’t celebrate because that’s a bit too far, so it’s Hale getting pulled into the corner for Nese’s springboard moonsault.

Daivari grabs the chinlock as the fans are behind Hale again. Sterling doesn’t seem that interested in stretching for a tag from Hale so Nese elbows Hale in the face and grabs a bodyscissors. It’s already back to Daivari but Hale snaps off a powerslam. The double tag brings in Sterling to strike away at Nese and there’s the running flip ax kick for two. A loud chop crumples Nese and Sterling plants him for two. Hale tags himself in and wins a strike off with Nese.

A DDT sets up a Crossface to put Nese in more trouble as everything breaks down. Nese takes Sterling down and kicks Hale in the face, setting up Daivari’s Rock Bottom onto the knees for two. The hammerlock lariat misses though and Hale kicks Daivari in the head for two of his own. Hale loads up a superplex but Sterling tags himself in and uses Hale as a launchpad for a running hurricanrana. Now it’s Hale tagging himself in, which Sterling doesn’t like. The distraction lets Nese knock Sterling to the floor, setting up a Dominator/sliding cutter combination to finish Hale at 15:04.

Rating: B-. That has to be one of the longer matches in a long time around here and they had a nice story in there. This was about the lack of chemistry vs. experience and the action backed it up. Sterling vs. Hale should be a good showdown, though it is going to be another feud without any stakes and that is where everything goes to die around here. The match should work though, as it did before.

Hale and Sterling yell at each other to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is a bit of a tricky one to rate as the opener didn’t get to do anything due to the injury, leaving the main event as pretty much the entire show. Odds are the injury is what caused it to get some more time and that works, though it isn’t something they are likely to do every week. For now though, it’s one of the better episodes in a pretty long time.

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