IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: August 13, 2019
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Aiden English

We’ll wrap up the major (work with me here) shows from Toronto with this one as there isn’t much Summerslam fallout to deal with. That tends to be the case when you only have one match at the pay per view and that’s what happened this weekend. What matters now is setting things up for Clash of Champions, though I have no idea who is next for Gulak. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at the title match, which ended when Gulak got in a cheap shot to the threat. Therefore, it’s a rematch tonight.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Akira Tozawa

Fallout from last week’s #1 contenders match and Tozawa has Brian Kendrick with him. Feeling out process to start with Gallagher taking him to the mat but getting reversed into a headscissors. Back up and Gallagher slides between the legs and trips Tozawa down before starting in on the hand. Tozawa is fine enough to reverse into the Iron Octopus, which of course is quickly broken up because British people know how to get out of submissions.

Things get a bit more aggressive with Gallagher catapulting him into the post for a change of pace, leaving Tozawa down on the floor for nine. Back in and we pause for the referee to check on a cut, though Tozawa is fine enough to hit a Shining Wizard. It’s too early for the top rope backsplash though and Gallagher slaps on a Gory Special. As usual, the hold only lasts so long until Tozawa sends him outside. That means the suicide dive, setting up a missile dropkick to give Tozawa two.

Gallagher can’t elbow his way out of a fireman’s carry so it’s something like an F5 for two more. Back up and Gallagher hits a rare standing dropkick before it’s off to an inverted Gory Stretch. That’s not enough for Gallagher, who drives Tozawa ribs first into the corner, but a superplex attempt is thrown down. Now the top rope backsplash can connect for the pin at 8:46, even though Gallagher’s foot was on the rope for a second.

Rating: C. Perfectly fine midcard match here but they never went to the next level that they’re capable of reaching. Gallagher is at his best when he does all of his crazy submissions and Tozawa shines with his charisma (usually including yelling). It was fine, but I was expecting more.

Replays show that Brian Kendrick slapping the mat might have knocked Gallagher’s foot off the rope (it’s intentionally unclear).

Oney Lorcan, sporting a sore throat, promises that he isn’t done with Drew Gulak and promises to win the title tonight.

Humberto Carrillo/Kalisto/Lince Dorado vs. Singh Brothers/Ariya Daivari

Carrillo is replacing Gran Metalik, who was attacked off camera in the back. Notice Nigel dancing to the Singhs’ entrance on the way to the ring in a funny bit. Humberto armbars Daivari to start and then does the same to Sunil for a bonus. Kalisto comes in for the same thing as Nigel speculates about Metalik having gotten some bad tequila. Lince adds a splash, looks at Carrillo, and tags Kalisto in instead. That means Kalisto can climb onto Lince’s shoulders for a splash but a Samir distraction lets Sunil break up a springboard. It’s back to Daivari for two off a backbreaker and the chinlock goes on.

The dancing is on (Nigel: “Those hips move with a lubricated grace!”) and so is the waistlock to keep Kalisto in trouble. A few kicks to the head almost let Kalisto get over for the hot tag but Dorado is pulled to the floor. Carrillo is there though and everything breaks down with the Salida Del Sol planting Daivari. The double dives from Dorado and Carrillo take the villains down and Daivari walks out. That leaves Carrillo to hit a missile dropkick and the Aztec press to Sunil, but Dorado tags himself in for the shooting star press and the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C-. I’m curious to see where this Lucha House Party split could be going and that’s not something that has been the case for a long time with the trio. They have something here but more importantly it gives Carrillo something to do. He’s been floating from one nothing story the next since he debuted so hopefully this goes somewhere. As a bonus, Daivari is far less annoying in this role so it’s a step up from a step down.

Gulak promises to keep the title on his battlefield. The only constant in this world is change and he is the law.

Tony Nese lost last week and he needs to start from scratch.

Cruiserweight Title: Oney Lorcan vs. Drew Gulak

Gulak is defending and Lorcan is holding his throat. Lorcan goes right after him to start so the champ takes an early breather on the floor. Back in and the half and half connects (with Gulak landing on the top of his head) to send Gulak outside again, this time for a big dive from Lorcan.

A super half and half is broken up with Lorcan falling outside, allowing Gulak to send him throat first into the announcers’ table to take over. Lorcan dives back in at nine, earning himself some springboard stomps. The neck crank goes on before switching into a chinlock, which makes sense for a change. A middle rope clothesline gives Gulak two and helps show how much he’s changed. Imagine him doing that a year or even six months ago.

Lorcan fights back up and hits the running Blockbuster into a hard clothesline for two as things swing a bit. Gulak manages a slam for two but the Cyclone Crash is broken up. Instead Gulak hits his own hard clothesline for two more before taking Lorcan up top. That’s broken up and Gulak gets crotched, allowing Lorcan to hit the super half and half for the major crash.

Gulak manages a foot on the rope after the slow crawl over and Lorcan’s stunned face is pretty great. The angry Lorcan chops away, followed by a bunch of slaps to the face. Lorcan can’t get an O’Connor roll though and gets caught in the Gulock, eventually passing out at 15:31.

Rating: B+. These two beat the fire out of each other as Lorcan becomes the next person who can have a good match against anyone of any size but is around here because he’s not that big. The ending helped save some of his face too so it’s not like he got crushed here. I’m not sure who else Gulak can face, but the bigger question is what Lorcan can do next.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event helped a lot but they’re setting up some stuff for the future, which is one of the best things you can do on a weekly show. It’s still a perfectly watchable show and gives me a bit more hope that things are turning around in WWE. The fact that they are getting somewhere with their smaller shows might mean that the bigger shows can as well, which has to be an improvement after the nightmare summer. Just keep it going though, which is far from a guarantee.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

205 Live
Date: August 6, 2019
Location: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Aiden English

It’s time to set up a last minute challenger to the Cruiserweight Title for Sunday at Summerslam. That likely means a big multiman match because that’s how things go around here, whether it makes sense or not. It does fit with the chaotic nature, though it’s pretty clear who is going to be getting the shot. Let’s get to it.

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

Drake Maverick opens us up and talks about how personal last week was. He hopes that is the only time he has to get in the ring because he didn’t like going there. Mike Kanellis can still compete in the cruiserweight division and Drake will call things fairly. As for tonight: we need a new #1 contender.

Opening sequence.

Lince Dorado vs. Humberto Carrillo

Gran Metalik is here with Lince, who mentioned that he wasn’t too impressed by Carrillo last week so we even have a bit of a setup. Feeling out process to start with Lince going after the arm, allowing Carrillo to flip his way out. Carrillo works on his own wristlock so Lince headscissors him down for a break. They both miss dropkicks and things reset a bit. Carrillo knocks him to the floor but Dorado blocks the dive with a kick to the head. Dorado hits a springboard dive, setting up a springboard splash for two back inside. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Dorado cranks on both arms.

Back up and Carrillo tries his comeback but the springboard armdrag is pulled down to the mat. They trade basement dropkicks and it’s time for a breather. It’s Carrillo up first with a standing moonsault mostly connecting for two. Dorado kicks him out of the corner and heads up top for a heck of a high crossbody for two of his own. The Golden Rewind is blocked so Dorado settles for an over the shoulder gutbuster instead.

A top rope Fameasser over the middle rope keeps Carrillo in trouble but Dorado misses the top rope splash. Carrillo kicks him in the head for two and frustration is setting in. They go up top at the same time with Dorado being knocked back a few steps onto the ropes. Carrillo hits a heck of a dropkick to knock him to the floor but Dorado is fine enough to send him hard into the barricade. Carrillo almost gets back in but is pulled down onto the apron for the double countout at 11:55. It looked like Carrillo beat the count and the fans don’t seem convinced.

Rating: B-. That ending hurt things a good bit as the match was two guys trading high spots and shots to the head for a long time. Lince was playing a subtle heel here, which is a way they haven’t gone with any of the House Party. I can’t imagine they turn the team but it’s cool to see them having some different shades for a change.

Post match an annoyed Carrillo takes out both Lince and Metalik.

Tony Nese planned to get his Cruiserweight Title back last month but things didn’t go as he planned. He’ll get it back at Summerslam instead because he doesn’t know where he is in this division if he loses.

We look back at the ending to the opener.

Ariya Daivari talks to Dorado in the back. Everyone is talking about Carrillo when everyone should be talking about Dorado. Lince could be the breakout star of Lucha House Party, just like Seth Rollins in the Shield. All Lince has to do is lose the dead weight, but Lince doesn’t buy it. Daivari says he’ll win the title at Summerslam and maybe Dorado, without the House Party, can get the first shot. Metalik comes in and doesn’t seem pleased, though Dorado might be a bit intrigued.

Kalisto vs. Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese vs. Oney Lorcan vs. Jack Gallagher vs. Akira Tozawa

One fall to a finish with the winner getting the title shot against Drew Gulak on Sunday. Kalisto promises to win, Nese says it’s his birthday, Gallagher says he’s prepared for tonight and Sunday, Daivari doesn’t say anything, Lorcan says he knows Gulak and Tozawa, with Brian Kendrick by his side, promises to teach Gulak what it’s like to lose the title at Summerslam. Daivari walks out to start so Tozawa hits a suicide dive to take him down on the floor.

Back in and everyone gets in some shots on Daivari, who goes up top and….completely misses a splash to no one in particular. Everyone pairs off with Gallagher and Daivari fighting on the floor and Tozawa superkicking Kalisto. Nese punches Tozawa and ducks a clothesline with a nipup. Kalisto is right back up with a cartwheel off the middle rope into an armdrag, only to have Nese throw him into the corner. Lorcan and Nese chop it out in the ring but Lorcan dives onto the pile on the floor instead.

Nese’s Fosbury Flop takes down a bunch of people as well but Gallagher tops it with the Mary Poppins Drop onto everyone but Kalisto. That means one more dive but the other five catch Kalisto and throw him over the announcers’ table. Back in and Lorcan uppercuts Daivari out of the air, followed by the Blockbuster for two.

We get the big quadruple submission with Daivari breaking it up and annoying the fans. Kalisto’s springboard crossbody takes Daivari down and the hurricanrana driver gets two. Nese superkicks Lorcan and hits the sunset driver but Tozawa makes the save. Gallagher goes nuts on Nese and the headbutt is good for two. Kalisto catches Nese on top and knocks him into the Tree of Woe, only to have Nese sit up and set up a modified Tower of Doom to send Kalisto and Gallagher down at the same time.

Daivari’s top rope splash gets two on Tozawa to leave everyone down. Daivari and Lorcan chop it out to renew their old issues but everyone else is back up for the parade of secondary finishes. Nese’s running knee smashes Gallagher in the face but Lorcan’s half and half suplex is good for the pin at 11:35.

Rating: B. This was exactly as advertised with everyone going nuts and hitting one spot after another. Lorcan was the pretty obvious winner of the whole thing but it’s cool to see him have a good match to get there. The other bonus about a match like this is you can set up some other matches for the future, which this probably will. Good match with the right result.

Post match Lorcan celebrates until Gulak comes out for the staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. Yeah this was great as the one hour shows continue their roll around the wrestling world. This show in particular works well when they don’t mess around and keep the storyline stuff to a minimum. They were going with nothing but the action and a little angle advancement with Dorado. I know I’ve been saying this a lot lately but it’s such an easy show to watch and that makes the show so much more enjoyable. The title match might not have much time to be built up but it’s been all but set for weeks so it could be a lot worse. Another rather good show this week, which has become the norm.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: July 16, 2019
Location: DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Extreme Rules has come and gone and that means Drew Gulak is still the Cruiserweight Champion, having defeated Tony Nese to retain the title. That means we need to pick up the pace before we get to Summerslam in less than four weeks. Gulak needs a fresh challenger and we might be on our way to finding one. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Gulak vs. Nese from Sunday.

Gulak says Tony dared to doubt him but now there is no doubt. His name is Drew Gulak and welcome to his 205 Live.

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. Samir Singh

The Singhs want to give Tozawa the Bollywood Award for Best Comeback. Singh stomps him down into the corner to start and there are the swiveling hips. Tozawa stomps right back but a drop toehold sends him face first into the buckle. The chinlock goes on rather early but Tozawa is up in a hurry with a fireman’s carry for a unique counter. Tozawa kicks him to the floor and cannonballs off the apron to drop Singh again. Back in and Sunil tries a distraction, only to have Tozawa catch Samir running in and grab a sunset flip for the pin at 3:04.

Rating: D+. How much can you really get out of a Singh Brothers singles match? They’re only somewhat entertaining as a team so keeping it short here was the right call. Tozawa has more than enough charisma to carry this but there needs to be some more in ring work to help back it up. At least it was short, which is never a positive sign.

Post match the Brothers jump Tozawa but Brian Kendrick makes the save. Tozawa takes the Bollywood Award with him.

We get part two of the Humberto Carrillo interview, this time talking about his first year in WWE. There have been a lot of changes in the last year and one of his early goals was to keep the lucha libre tradition. Now he wants the Cruiserweight Title. Another short piece that doesn’t add much but it’s nice to see him get some spotlight out of the ring.

Mike Kanellis vs. Jackson James

Mike is on his own here as Maria is watching in the back. A boot to the face drops James at the bell and there’s a spinebuster to follow it up. Mike hits a pair of hard clotheslines and the swinging neckbreaker faceplant finishes James at 1:40. Just a squash.

Post match Mike stomps away even more and says Drake Maverick can keep bringing the fines because this isn’t changing. Drake comes out and says Mike needs to take a look in the mirror because Mike is the one responsible for his place here. Does he think he’s more deserving of a spot than the people who have built this brand?

Mike brings up Drake embarrassing himself in the hotel room with his wife and all the time that Drake has spent chasing the 24/7 Title in his underwear. Drake needs to go home and beg his wife for forgiveness because he’s not acting like a real man. A real man wouldn’t let Mike call their wife a filthy….and there’s a right hand to Mike’s face and a dropkick to send him to the floor. Mike smiles as he leaves. What I learned the most from this: Mike’s voice is rather similar to CM Punk’s.

We look back at last week’s wild Ariya Daivari vs. Oney Lorcan match with Lorcan superplexing him through some tables for the win.

Jack Gallagher vs. Chad Gable

Rematch from over a month ago where Gable won via countout (and maybe by accident). After a handshake, Gable takes him to the mat to start but Gallagher is right back up with a wristlock. An early chinlock doesn’t do much for Gable as Gallagher gets up again and spins back into the second wristlock early on. More spins keep Gable confused and some nitwitted fans call this boring.

We get the headlock takeover into the headscissors sequence a few times until Gallagher snaps off a good armdrag to make Gable’s eyebrows go up. Gallagher is right back on the arm but Gable jumps for an armdrag of his own into an armbar to put Gallagher down for a change. Another armbar from Gallagher is reversed with a British Bulldog deadlift and Gallagher bounces hard off the mat. One heck of a belly to belly gives Gable two more and it’s time to start in on Gallagher’s knee.

A hard dragon screw legwhip sets up a standing leglock and Gallagher is in trouble. His leg is fine enough for a dropkick and a rather British sneer. The delayed vertical suplex gets two on Gable and Gallagher busts out a Kimura of all things. Gable gets out so Gallagher sends him outside for a whip into the barricade. The suicide dive doesn’t work on Gable for some reason as Gallagher bounces off of him and gets suplexed on the floor, just like last time.

Gable doesn’t want it that way and throws Gallagher back inside, where it’s a small package to give Gallagher two. Gallagher is right back in trouble with an ankle lock into a grapevine (BUT THEY MADE JASON JORDAN KURT ANGLE’S SON BECAUSE IT WAS FUNNY!) but he manages a rope. The rolling Liger kick stuns Gallagher, who bounces back with a headbutt for two and they’re both down.

They slug it out with Gallagher getting the better of it (ignore the camera catching the tarped off side of the arena) but charging into a sitout Dominator for two more. Gable’s moonsault hits raised feet and Gallagher’s running corner dropkick gets two as Gable gets a foot on the rope. Gable goes up but Gallagher, with a big bruise on his upper thigh, tries a belly to back superplex. That’s reversed into a crossbody to crush Gallagher and it’s Rolling Chaos Theory to finish Gallagher at 16:10.

Rating: B+. Good grief HOW DID THEY NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WHAT GABLE??? The guy is in great shape, has more charisma than he knows what to do with and is an Olympic wrestler. Oh but WWE could make a joke about Angle’s taste in women so they went with that instead of something that makes sense. This was an outstanding match as they beat each other up with counter after counter and had the fans digging everything going on. This was a great match and Gable needs to be on the main roster right now (and getting pushed for a change). Gallagher was his usual awesome self too and the result was awesome.

Post match Gable lets Gallagher have the ring for a bow to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event was awesome and the Maverick vs. Kanellis angle was good enough to make up for the first match being pretty weak. As usual, this is the kind of show that works well when they go with simple angles and a big main event (very Ring of Honorish) and they went with the sweet formula here. Check out that main event though as it’s one of the better matches the show has ever had.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

205 Live
Date: July 9, 2019
Location: SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s the final show before the Cruiserweight Title match between Drew Gulak and Tony Nese so expect the hard sell towards the title match in a big way tonight. Other than that we have a General Manager who is busy trying to escape the mob chasing after him for the 24/7 Title while trying to spend time with his new bride. Wrestling is a weird place. Let’s get to it.

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

Oney Lorcan, in his stoic voice, talks about tonight’s main event against Ariya Daivari being anything goes. He can use whatever he want….and here’s Daivari to jump him from behind. Drake Maverick and some referees break it up.

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick vs. Sunil Singh

Earlier today, the Singhs tried to give Kendrick a lifetime achievement Bollywood award but yelled about wanting a match instead. During the entrances, Nigel throws out that Drake has immunity from defending the 24/7 Title during the show, so at least that’s covered. Singh tries to dance to start so Kendrick punches him in the face and does his own dance. A Sumir distraction works well though as Kendrick gets sent knees first into the steps. Sunil: “YOU SHOULD DANCE WITH US!”

Sunil dances on his own and throws in a hip swivel as he’s running through his playbook in a hurry. We get an old Steve Austin camera motion, with Aiden dubbing them the Bollywood Blondes. The backbreaker sets up a missed middle rope elbow and Kendrick nails a leg lariat. Sliced Bread is broken up so Kendrick settles for the Captain’s Hook and the tap at 5:05.

Rating: D+. The match could have been worse but the problem here is the Singh Brothers. They don’t come off as a threat and they’re certainly not imposing. The Bollywood and Boscars deals are fine, but they’re more of a nuisance than anything else, which can get old in a hurry. Given that they’ve been featured every week for a long time now, it’s not going to get much better.

Post match the double beatdown is on until Akira Tozawa runs in for the save.

We get part one (of three) of a biography on Humberto Carrillo. He talks about watching wrestling growing up and his family supporting his decision to become a wrestler. They didn’t give us much here so hopefully the next two parts are an improvement.

Jack Gallagher vs. Devin Justin

After a polite handshake, Jack takes him to the mat and starts in on the hand. A fireman’s carry hot shot sets up the armbar with Gallagher bending Justin’s arms behind him and laying down on them for a painful visual. Gallagher gets creative by tying him into a knot around the ropes for a running dropkick (rather heelish), followed by a delayed suplex. Hold on though as here’s Mike Kanellis to start throwing things around as he rants about Drake ruining his life. Now he’s going to ruin the show by throwing stuff everywhere. Fans: “WHO’S YOUR DADDY???” Security gets rid of him and it’s the headbutt to finish Justin at 3:34.

Rating: C-. The angle was what mattered here, though the differences in what Mike does on here and what he does on Raw are striking. This came off as the same whiny Kanellis that has been around for months while the Raw version is at least entertaining. At least we got to see some of Jack’s rather cool offense here, with that knot always looking awesome.

Drake comes up to Mike in the back and apologizes for not being around as of late. He’s been neglecting everyone, including his wife, and Mike understands what it’s like to have trouble at home. Mike doesn’t buy it because Drake caused all of Mike’s problems. Therefore, Mike should ruin the show to even things up. Drake understands but is going to fine Mike for his actions. Mike goes into a rant about having a second baby on the way but says he’ll do something next week that will get him an even bigger fine.

Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari

Anything goes. Lorcan charges up the ramp and the fight is on in a hurry. They get inside for the opening bell with Lorcan throwing him right back to the floor. It’s already time to throw some chairs inside as Lorcan wants to get violent in a hurry. Some running elbows in the corner have Daivari in trouble but he sends Lorcan over the top to get a breather. Daivari throws in a chain and pulls out a trashcan, with the delay letting Lorcan get in a suplex on the floor.

Let’s bring in a ladder, just to crank this one into high gear sooner. First though, the chain is pulled across Lorcan’s face, with Nigel saying it’s going to be hard to make it look worse. The ladder is set up in the corner with Lorcan sending Daivari into it for the crash. A suplex into the ladder is blocked so Lorcan settles for a hiptoss into the ladder instead. The half and half suplex onto a chair is countered into a reverse DDT, allowing Daivari to grab the chain again.

As Nigel talks about the Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine dog collar match, Daivari whips Lorcan into the corner with the chain around the neck. A camel clutch with Lorcan’s head inside the chair offers a rather good looking visual with Daivari ripping at the face to make it worse. With the hold not working, Daivari sits him in the chair and punches away but gets caught with a drop toehold into the chair for a double knockdown.

The running Blockbuster puts Daivari on the floor and a fired up Lorcan hits the running dive off the apron. The fans ask for and receive tables (stop indulging them) but it takes too long, allowing Daivari to hit a superkick. Lorcan rolls outside again but this time he pelts a trashcan at Daivari to knock him out of the air.

It’s time for six more chairs (dude, overkill) with Lorcan setting up for of them in front of the steps. Actually make that six and there is no way this is going to end well. Daivari uses the long breather to get in a shot of his own and a backdrop sends Lorcan off the steps and through all the chairs. Back in and Daivari starts setting up the table but goes for the ladder instead, drawing a YOU ARE STUPID chant.

The Persian Lion splash off the ladder gives Daivari two and you can hear Nigel losing his mind over the kickout. It’s time for another table but that one breaks as Daivari sets it up. That means another table with Daivari stacking it next to the previous one. Another splash takes too long though and Lorcan superplexes him through both tables for the pin at 20:56.

Rating: B. The time helped a lot here as it felt like they were able to beat on each other as much as they wanted to. Some of the spots took some time to set up but I’m rather happy that the match ended with a big spot rather than the finisher hitting out of nowhere. Good match, and Lorcan should get a title shot as a result.

We wrap it up with a long video on Nese vs. Gulak, which hasn’t been mentioned up to this point. They were friends for a long time until Gulak realized that he was that much better than Nese. Tony talks about Gulak always being in it for himself but Gulak says Nese only cares about his abs. Nese showed he could get it done by beating Gulak in the #1 contenders tournament and going on to win the title. That made Gulak train even harder because he knew he was alone. It was enough for him to win the title at Stomping Grounds, but now he has to face Nese one on one. Good video, but the feud doesn’t have legs.

Overall Rating: C+. It helps a lot when your good main event is over 40% of your show. The rest of this one wasn’t great, but a lot of that is due to the amount of focus that the main event received. At the same time though, the rest of the show just isn’t that interesting, mainly due to how low level everything else seems. That has been a problem around here for a long time and I don’t see it getting better very soon.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: July 2, 2019
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Aiden English

We have a new #1 contender with Tony Nese earning the right to face Drew Gulak for the title at Extreme Rules. That could make for an entertaining match, but what isn’t around here? 205 Live has turned into one of the best shows WWE puts out every week and it’s a shame that fewer people don’t see it. Let’s get to it.

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

We open in the back where Nese is giving Jack Gallagher and Oney Lorcan a pep talk before tonight’s six man tag. Gallagher is ready to team with Nese and the serious Lorcan wants to give Ariya Daivari some stitches.

Opening sequence.

Lucha House Party vs. Singh Brothers

Tornado tag with Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado for the House Party. It’s a dance/pose off to start before the House Party punch them out to the floor. The Singhs get chopped a lot until it’s Metalik kicking away at Sunil back inside. Dorado comes back in and throws Metalik onto Sunil for two as Sumir comes back in for a save. That’s fine with Dorado, who hits a springboard moonsault for two of his own.

Something like a reverse hart Attack gets two on Sumir but Sunil crotches Dorado to break up the rope walk elbow. A double suplex gets two and a spinwheel kick sets up some hip swiveling. Some kicks keep Metalik down and, of course, that means it’s time for dancing, because that’s what the Singh Brothers do. A top rope Demolition Decapitator (Nigel: “BUENOS NOCHES!!!”) gets two as Dorado seems to have fallen into a hole somewhere.

As Metalik gets sent outside, Dorado FINALLY comes back in to break up some more hip swiveling. A high crossbody gets two with Sunil making a save of his own. The Golden Rewind puts Sumir down but the luchadors get double superkicked out of the air. Sunil brings in the Boscar trophy, which is taken away by Kalisto. The Metalik Driver sets up the rope walk DDT/a shooting star press for the stereo pins at 10:52.

Rating: C-. It wasn’t bad but this did a lot to expose the Singh Brothers as little more than a one note act. They did very little other than their dancing and that’s not enough to carry a ten minute match. The Bollywood Boys deal is fine, but come up with a better way to present that during the matches.

Video on Humberto Carrillo.

Mike Kanellis doesn’t want to talk about his loss on Raw. He and Maria aren’t speaking at the moment because last night should have been the greatest moment of his life but she called him a disappointment. Mike is disappointed, but in Drake Maverick. It’s all his fault and Drake is sitting on a beach with his wife when Mike should be celebrating great news with the Cruiserweight Title. Maverick is going to pay.

Jack Gallagher/Oney Lorcan/Tony Nese vs. Ariya Daivari/Drew Gulak/Mike Kanellis

Nese and Gulak start things off but Mike is brought in with no contact. Gallagher comes in as well and they finally lock up over a minute in. Mike works on the arm and shoulders Gallagher down, only to have Gallagher tie himself in a ball on the mat. With that perplexing Mike, it’s off to Lorcan for some hard chops in the corner. Mike wants more chops and hits a clothesline, allowing the tag to Daivari. Some right hands set up a double suplex to give Gulak two as the villains start taking their turns.

Lorcan finally gets away and makes the tag to Nese so the pace can pick up. Nese’s springboard moonsault is broken up with a shove onto Lorcan, Gallagher and Daivari so the villains can take over again. Back in and Gulak grabs an armbar on Nese and it’s off to Daivari to pummel Nese some more. Nese small packages Kanellis for two, earning himself a hard clothesline to take him right back down.

A running corner clothesline sets up a superkick into an assisted Iconoclasm for two on Nese, which FINALLY draws in Gallagher to break up the triple team. With Gallagher on the apron again, Nese gets in a sitout powerslam and the hot tag brings in Lorcan. The running Blockbuster gets two on Daivari and Gallagher’s falling headbutt gets the same. Lorcan hits the big flip dive onto everyone but Daivari dives onto Lorcan plus everyone.

Nese follows suit and of course it’s Gallagher busting out the umbrella for the Mary Poppins Drop. Back in and a top rope headbutt gives Gallagher two on Daivari. Lorcan and Daivari fight to the back, leaving Gallagher to headbutt Gulak. Nese misses the 450 and Kanellis comes in for the two count (Nigel: “FOR THE LOVE OF MARIA!!!”). Nese is right back up with the sunset driver for the pin at 18:11.

Rating: C+. There was a lot of action in here and it was nice to see a match get this kind of time. Kanellis failing again is going to wind up being an interesting story, if nothing else just because Maria can yell at him in a very entertaining way. Now just get to some hot matches down the line and everything will go well.

Post match Gulak lays out Nese as Lorcan and Daivari are fighting on the ramp. The three fights go over the announcers’ table and Kanellis is sent into the steps to end the show with the violence rolling.

Overall Rating: C. It wasn’t a great show and the main event was only pretty good instead of awesome but I’ll take a pair of watchable matches any day. 205 Live has some weird stretches where the shows aren’t as interesting when the title match is set because it takes over a lot of the show. What we got here covered a lot of that with the six man tag, but Nese vs. Gulak isn’t the most thrilling title match in the world. Skippable show this week, albeit with a good ending. Oh and where is Chad Gable? Is he coming back?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 25, 2019
Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things have changed again with Drew Gulak becoming the new Cruiserweight Champion in a bit of a surprise. What matters most is that he FINALLY won the title after coming up short for months. Now we need a new #1 contender as Extreme Rules is only a few weeks away. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Gulak winning the title at Stomping Grounds in a triple threat match over champion Tony Nese and Akira Tozawa.

Gulak says you will have to call him champion. Tonight, Nese and Tozawa can fight to become #1 contender. Short and to the point here, which fits Gulak’s new persona.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Mike Kanellis

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher cranking on both arms but Mike reverses into one of his own and takes him to the mat. That’s fine with Gallagher, who flips back and rotates his feet like he’s riding a bicycle for a series of kicks to Mike’s face. Back up and Gallagher does his handstand in the corner but a Maria distraction lets Mike post him. That’s only good for an eight count so Mike hammers away to let out some frustration.

One heck of a clothesline gets two but Gallagher starts the comeback. He dives into the raised boots though and a Samoan driver gives Mike two. The superkick sets up a rollup with a handful of trunks for two, meaning it’s time to argue with the referee. That’s enough for Gallagher to hit the headbutt for the pin at 7:00.

Rating: D+. They’re trying something with Kanellis but there’s no way around the fact that he’s just not that interesting. His work is average, his talking is fine at best and there’’s nothing to him that makes me want to watch him. I’m not sure why WWE re-signed him, as I can’t imagine how much of an impact he could make in AEW.

Post match Mike tells Maria that this was a mistake and he’s done before walking out through the crowd.

Nese says Drew didn’t beat him for the title so tonight he’s becoming #1 contender and getting his title back.

Tozawa, getting the WHAT treatment from the crowd, says he had a chance to win the title on Sunday and won’t let it slip out of his grasp again.

Drake Maverick calls Mike Kanellis and yells at his voicemail about Mike’s unprofessionalism.

Humberto Carrillo vs. Rob Rollenbeck

Rob goes for a wristlock to start but Carrillo shows him how it’s really done. A whip into the corner lets Carrillo backflip away for some applause, followed by a kick to the face. The high angle springboard armdrag sets up a missile dropkick to put Rob down again. The Aztec press completes the squash at 2:35.

We look back at Ariya Daivari attacking Oney Lorcan last week after getting disqualified in their match.

Lucha House Party is getting their rematch with the Singh Brothers in a tornado tag.

Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa

The winner gets Gulak for the title at Extreme Rules. Nese flips out of a wristlock to start and kicks Tozawa in the ribs for an early one. Back up and a hurricanrana sends Nese outside and Tozawa hits a heck of a cannonball off the apron. Tozawa heads up top so Nese rolls forward and kicks him in the head for two as things get back to even. The bodyscissors goes on to keep Tozawa in some trouble and a waistlock doesn’t really change anything.

Back up and Tozawa kicks him in the face, followed by something close to an F5. That sends Nese outside and now the suicide headbutt can connect. A missile dropkick gives Tozawa two and it’s the Iron Octopus to have Nese in real trouble. That’s reversed into a tilt-a-whirl slam, with Tozawa nearly landing on his head. A spinwheel kick sets up the springboard moonsault but Tozawa gets to the floor. That’s fine with Nese, who hits the running flip dive and the springboard moonsault for two back inside.

They chop it out until Tozawa heads up top, where Nese hits him in the face again. Tozawa is fine enough to hit a Canadian Destroyer for two but the top rope backsplash misses. Nese German suplexes him into the corner for two but the running Nese misses as well. Some kind of spinning sunset flip doesn’t work for Tozawa though as Nese catches him in an over the back piledriver for the pin and the title shot at 14:10.

Rating: B-. Another good match in a series of solid main events of late. This was the right ending because there isn’t likely to be much interest in Tozawa getting another title shot after he lost the fall at Stomping Grounds. Nese makes sense and has become a rather solid worker in the last few months, so this is the right call.

Respect is shown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was a step below what they’ve been doing as of late but I still liked it well enough. 205 Live is still a good show and it offers such a nice breather after everything that Raw and Smackdown puts fans through earlier in the week. What we had here was fine and Nese vs. Gulak is usually an entertaining match. Fine enough show, but not a great one.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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: June 11, 2019
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Things are getting a little more interesting around here as there is a small army ready to challenge Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Title. This could set up a variety of title matches at Stomping Grounds, which could certainly use the extra help. Other than that we have Drake Maverick chasing R-Truth, because that’s what General Managers mean around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Maverick opens the show and addresses the criticisms against him for chasing the 24/7 Title. Therefore, tonight he’s made a fatal four way match to crown a new #1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title at Stomping Grounds. See? He can do his job and be obsessed over the comedy title at the same time.

Opening sequence.

Jack Gallagher vs. Chad Gable

Gable is a surprise addition to the roster. Gallagher takes him to the mat to start and puts on a leglock, but throws in a little smile to show it’s ok. That’s escaped with a roll out and Gable spins to his feet for a standoff. The handstand walk gets Gallagher out of a headlock (that’s always cool) so they fight over a test of strength, giving us the exchange of monkey flips into the stereo neck bridges.

Back up and Gable tries to take out the legs but gets rolled over, allowing Gallagher to dropkick him to the floor. A whip sends Gallagher into the steps and seems more than pleased with a countout. That’s only good for a nine though so Gallagher starts bending the fingers back (English: “Don’t let an Englishman get a hold of your fingers!!!”). Gallagher’s rather delayed vertical suplex gets two but Gable whips him hard into the corner.

Some rolling belly to belly suplexes into a dragon suplex gets two on Gallagher and we hit the ankle lock. That’s reversed into a loose Fujiwara armbar from Gallagher, which is reversed into a tiger driver for two. Back up and Gallagher blasts him with a clothesline and they’re both down. Gable gets sent outside but catches a suicide dive and hits a heck of a release German suplex. Gallagher gets up at seven, falls down at eight, and can’t dive back inside in time for the countout at 11:55.

Rating: B-. The ending was a little weird as it seemed that Gallagher messed up the timing a bit. If nothing else it’s strange to have Gable debut and win via countout, but the point was proven. What mattered most here was to make Gable look like a different kind of cruiserweight and that’s what they did. He’s tailor made for this show and he could easily become a top star around here in a hurry. Why it took them this long is beyond me, but at least it’s finally happened.

Mike and Maria Kanellis come in and rant to Maverick about how Mike should have faced Gable instead of Gallagher. Maverick is tired of their whining so Maria hints that Maverick might be losing his job.

We look back at Drew Gulak attacking Noam Dar last week and taking his spot in a match.

Dar doesn’t feel safe working here and wants to be in NXT UK permanently.

Singh Brothers vs. Dos Locales

They’re Sacramento’s Best Luchadors, but more importantly, the Singh Brothers have won the Boscar, which may or may not be an award the two of them invented. Sumir starts with we’ll say #1 but stops for some dancing. Sunil comes in and dances with #1 before getting dropkicked down. #2 comes in and gets kicked in the face but we need to stop for some dancing. Stomping in the corner sets up a superkick and the Bollywood Blast (Demolition Decapitator from the top) is good for the pin on #2 at 3:25.

Rating: D. The Singh Brothers are fine for a tag team around here, though they need some other teams to feud against. The Lucha House Party is going to be fine for part of that, but the Brothers need more than one team. Then again 205 Live specials in figuring out how to make the most out of a small roster so they can figure something out for everyone involved.

Tony Nese would be happy to face any of the four people in tonight’s #1 contenders match, though Drew Gulak seems to intrigue him more than anyone else.

Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Oney Lorcan

One fall to a finish and the winner gets the Cruiserweight Title shot against Nese at Stomping Grounds. Gulak dropkicks Carrillo at the bell and it’s Gulak and Lorcan catching a springboarding Carrillo for good measure. Carrillo is right back up to knock Tozawa down and hit a standing moonsault for an early two. Tozawa fights out of the half and half and hits a release F5 on Lorcan.

A sitout version hits Carrillo and, after a shot to the face, it’s another sitout version to Gulak. It’s Lorcan back up with the running uppercuts though, followed by a standing version to knock Carrillo out of the air. Gulak puts Tozawa in a torture rack and tosses him into an uppercut to the back of the head as we get the soon to be broken alliance. Indeed, it lasts all of ten seconds before they start fighting each other but Carrillo breaks it up.

Gulak German suplexes Carrillo for two with Tozawa making the save. Another suplex gets another two on Carrillo and it’s off to the neck crank. Gulak has to roll out of a half and half suplex attempt so Carrillo superkicks him instead. Tozawa and Lorcan double hiptoss Carrillo into Gulak in the corner but then get in the required argument over who can have the pin. Carrillo’s Gory Bomb is countered into a rollup for two and it’s a superkick each for Carrillo and Gulak.

Lorcan breaks up the top rope backsplash though, followed by a half and half to Castillo onto Gulak. It’s Tozawa breaking up the cover with a top rope backsplash though and all four are down. Everyone winds up on the apron and this is just dangerous. Carrillo is the only one who doesn’t get knocked to the floor so that means a big running flip dive onto Lorcan. Back in and Lorcan hits a double running Blockbuster on Castillo and Tozawa to send them outside again.

That leaves us with a Lorcan vs. Gulak showdown, which is actually quite the moment. They chop the heck out of each other but Lorcan dives onto the other two at ringside instead. Cue Ariya Daivari to chair Lorcan down though, leaving Tozawa to hit Trouble in Paradise on Carrillo. The top rope backsplash is broken up again though, only to have Gulak shove Carrillo to the floor. Gulak actually hits a top rope superplex on Tozawa but they lock their legs and it’s a double pin at 13:34.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a match and the ending should set up either a singles match next week or a triple threat match at the pay per view, either of which should be good. The four of them all worked very hard here and while I’m not overly interested in Lorcan vs. Daivari again (though their first match was good), they set up a bunch of stuff in one match here, which is quite impressive. Very well done here.

The referees argue as Maverick comes out to see what’s going on. There is no winner announced (Fans: “ROCK PAPER SCISSORS!”) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The Singh Brothers match didn’t help things here but 205 Live continues to become one of the best shows WWE puts on every week. It’s very light on the storylines but you’re guaranteed at least one if not two very good matches and that’s a lot more than you’re going to get on the big shows. How interesting is it that this, NXT and NXT UK are all rolling right now while Raw and Smackdown are just disasters? Funny how that works, no?

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 28, 2019
Location: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Aiden English, Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

We seem to be getting ready for Akira Tozawa to challenge for the Cruiserweight Title against Tony Nese, which is certainly an upgrade over Ariya Daivari. I’m not sure what we should expect with the rest of the show but this has become one of the better series around as of late, which says a lot about where things are in WWE these days. Let’s get to it.

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

Jack Gallagher is watching last week’s match when Humberto Carrillo comes in. They both enjoyed beating up the Singh Brothers but there is still an uneasiness between them. Gallagher needs to know that he can beat Carrillo so he’ll have a chance tonight.

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick vs. Mike Kanellis

Kendrick rushes him to start but misses a big boot. Instead it’s an early Captain’s Hook attempt with Kanellis bailing to the floor. Kendrick follows him outside though and Kanellis’ chop hits the post. Kanellis is fine enough to hit a suplex into the barricade, followed by a regular one for two back inside.

The chinlock sets up a spinebuster for two on Kendrick with the kickout stopping Maria’s proud strut. Kanellis puts him on top for some chops and shoves off a leg lariat after Kendrick gets back down. Kendrick is right back with the Captain’s Hook but Kanellis gets over to the rope in a hurry. They head outside with Kendrick suplexing him off the steps for a nasty looking landing.

Back in and Sliced Bread #2 is broken up so it’s right back to the Captain’s Hook. Kanellis fights up again and gets in a Samoan driver for a needed breather. They slug it out and trade superkicks before a pair of clotheslines give us a double knockdown. Kendrick is up first and now Sliced Bread connects with a delayed cover getting two. Kanellis hits another Samoan driver into the rolling cutter for the pin at 9:47.

Rating: C+. Kanellis is starting to get better but he needs something better than the rolling cutter for a finisher. That and a personality might do him a lot of good. Getting a clean win is a positive sign for him though and a match down the line against Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Champion could be a nice match.

Nese comes in to see Drake Maverick when Tozawa comes in. The champ offers Tozawa a title match and makes a formal request but Maverick says he’s only taking it under consideration.

Ariya Daivari yells at his barber and says he’s still coming for the Cruiserweight Title. Before he gets there though, he’s going to get even with Oney Lorcan for cutting his ear open last week.

Noam Dar vs. Mike Karma

Feeling out process to start with Dar not really taking Karma all that seriously. Dar throws him outside and poses, with a chant of EASY. Another toss to the floor keeps Karma down but he comes back in for some forearms. Dar isn’t having any of that and kicks the leg out, setting up the Nova Roller for the pin at 2:22. Just a squash.

Post match Dar says he’s back despite the jet lag from performing in NXT UK. Oh and Oklahoma sucks.

Maverick talks about the potential Cruiserweight Title match….but then chases after R-Truth and the 24/7 Title. He’s the boss of a show and he’s literally in a chase scene.

Oney Lorcan thinks Ariya Daivari is looking unbalanced after last week so he’ll bust open Daivari’s other ear to even things out.

Jack Gallagher vs. Humberto Carrillo

Feeling out process to start with Gallagher spinning out of an early wristlock in that very British way. Gallagher gets in a hammerlock with his leg and pulls back on the other arm, eventually getting it behind his back to bend back onto the mat (FREAKING OW MAN!). That’s broken up to avoid the death of Carrillo’s arm and he cranks on Gallagher’s foot for some near falls. A headlock keeps Jack in trouble until he walks on his hands to escape. An armdrag into an armbar has Gallagher frustrated again and it works so well that Carrillo does it again.

Gallagher is back up with his handstand in the corner so Carrillo mirrors him in the opposite corner. With that (hand) stand off over, Carrillo gets another armdrag into a dropkick but Gallagher sends him outside. That means a whip into the barricade, followed by a kick to the head back inside as Gallagher gets a lot more aggressive. We hit the chinlock and Gallagher pulls him back down to prevent an escape. It’s off to a reverse chinlock for a real change of pace, followed by the regular chinlock again.

The holds are finally broken until a dropkick puts Carrillo down again. That doesn’t last long as Carrillo hits the springboard spinning crossbody to send Gallagher to the floor. That means the suicide dive with Carrillo coming up holding his arm. The arm is fine enough for a standing moonsault, followed by a Disaster kick for two. Carrillo gets caught up top and it’s a belly to back superplex, meaning both of them head outside for a breather.

Gallagher charges into a hiptoss into the barricade. They head to the apron with Carrillo hitting a missile dropkick to the back to keep Gallagher in trouble. The top rope moonsault hits raised boots though and Gallagher hits the running dropkick to put him on the floor. That means a dive from Gallagher but Carrillo gets a rollup for two back inside. A double clothesline gives us a double knockdown and a quick breather. Gallagher is up first for a delayed vertical suplex, which is reversed into a hard DDT. A twisting 450 gives Carrillo the pin at 16:04.

Rating: B. This was your usual long but quality main event around here as Carrillo continues to be built up. He has the look and ability to make a run around here at the moment and that’s a good idea. The finisher helps too as they haven’t had a traditional high flying face in a little while.

Post match they shake hands and hug with Gallagher leaving.

Overall Rating: B. Another good show here, assuming you don’t mind the fact that a lot of the stars on the show aren’t the most interesting in the world. They’re starting to build up some people for the next generation, but there are things that still need to be done to make the show more interesting. At least the wrestling was good though, which is better than you get a lot of the time.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s History Of In Your House (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/05/31/new-paperback-kbs-history-of-in-your-house/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT UK
Date: May 29, 2019
Location: Braehead Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s time for some fallout as last week saw Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel interfered to cost Pete Dunne his rematch against Walter for the United Kingdom Title. It seems like Dunne needs some friends and that’s just what he has. Other than that we have one more week before the four way for the #1 contendership. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at last week’s main event with Dunne getting cheated out of the title.

Opening sequence.

Here are Walter, Barthel and Aichner to open things up, with the fans giving a loud WE WANT DUNNE chant. We have to wait a second for the fans to calm down as it’s another case of no one being bale to say a word. Barthel says they are here to lead us to a better NXT UK and raise the professionalism of their sport. They are the ones to lead because they hold true power. Aichner says Dunne and British Strong Style have expired. None of them can lead NXT UK in the right direction so now it’s up to the three of them.

Walter says this mat is sacred to them and the three of them will be known as Imperium. This brings out British Strong Style and they waste no time in starting the fight. A cameraman goes down so the camera sits on its side as referees come out….and we lose the feed. Nice job with the tease.

Sid Scala makes the six man tag for two weeks.

Mark Coffey/Wolfgang vs. A-Kid/Carlos Romo

Wolfgang runs Romo over at the bell and it’s off to Coffey for a toss across the ring as the destruction is on fast. The fans are behind Gallus for a change as Romo gets a rollup for two and brings A-Kid for a breather. That goes badly as well as Coffey hits a chokeslam and brings Wolfgang back in for more aggressive shouting. Coffey’s seated full nelson keeps A-Kid in trouble and he swings it around for a bonus. A jawbreaker gets A-Kid over for a tag….and Wolfgang ax handles him in the chest to knock him silly. Wolfgang powerslams A-Kid as Coffey adds an enziguri for the pin at 3:28.

Rating: C. Rebuilding Gallus isn’t the worst idea in the world as Imperium is going to need someone to fight after they get done with British Strong Style. Then again this was in Scotland so Gallus was going to be more over here than anywhere else in the world so it’s not likely to carry on from here.

Xia Brookside doesn’t like Jinny bringing in Jazzy Gabbert to do her dirty work. Isla Dawn comes in and offers a partnership, which intrigues Xia.

Joseph Conners wants to see how tough Ilja Dragunov really is.

Video on next week’s four way.

Kassius Ohno vs. Jack Gallagher

They take their time to start with Ohno’s headlock sending Gallagher over to the ropes for a clean break. Ohno takes him down and starts in on the leg but Gallagher spins up with ease to show off the technical skills. It’s right back to the ankle before Ohno switches over to an armbar. Gallagher tries three straight handstands before going with a headscissors to take over. Ohno uses his own bouncing escape before popping to his feet as it’s a chess match so far.

They go back to the mat with Ohno tying up the legs until Gallagher gets up again. This time Ohno tries a full nelson, which Gallagher breaks by raising his legs and pulling himself down. That means another standoff into a test of strength with Ohno taking him down again. Something like a spinebuster plants Gallagher but he spins out of another leg crank. The handstand in the corner legs Gallagher jump over Ohno….and he ties himself in a ball in the middle.

Ohno gets smart and stomps away before pulling on the leg again. Since we haven’t had an escape in a few seconds, Gallagher spins out and fires off forearms, only to get kicked in the head. The rolling elbow is blocked with a headbutt to Ohno’s arm and Gallagher, with a bloody nose, tries to take him down into an armbar. With that not working it’s off to a triangle choke but Ohno powers up for a slam. A backsplash crushes Gallagher and they’re both down. They chop it out until the rolling forearm knocks Gallagher silly for the pin at 12:33, with Ohno pulling the foot from underneath the rope after the pin.

Rating: B-. I had a lot of fun with this as they were going with the British style of counters and holds, making it quite the entertaining match. Gallagher’s foot being underneath the rope sets up either a rematch or gives Ohno another talking point when he talks to Scala and the invisible Johnny Saint.

Piper Niven is ready to fight Rhea Ripley whenever.

We recap the opening brawl.

Women’s Title: Nina Samuels vs. Toni Storm

Toni is defending. Feeling out process to start with Nina slipping out of an early armbar attempt. A kick to the chest sends Nina outside and Toni snaps off a cartwheel. Back in and a series of uppercuts give Toni two but Nina ties her up in the ropes for a dropkick between the shoulders. An armbar has the champ in some trouble and a Hennig necksnap gets two.

Two knees to the back get two but Storm is right back with a German suplex. Storm Zero is countered so Storm grabs an STF for something that looks a lot like a tap. The rope gets Nina out of trouble and she kicks Toni in the head to take over again. Toni headbutts the heck out of her for two, followed by Nina’s double underhook backbreaker for the same. Nina’s missile dropkick gets two more but Toni rolls some single underhook suplexes. Storm Zero retains the title at 9:44.

Rating: C-. This might as well have been a house show title match with no reason to believe that Samuels was going to win the title. The women’s division is too strong to believe that Storm is going to be threatened by a lower name like Samuels. Not with people like Jinny, Ripley, Gabbert and Niven around. It’s not a bad match, but the drama wasn’t there.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling was pretty good this week and the big angle at the beginning made the show work well enough. It’s not as good as last week but that’s not a fair comparison to make. At least we have two weeks worth of big matches to look forward to, which is something very few shows can pull off these days, or almost ever for that matter.

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: May 21, 2019
Location: Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Aiden English, Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back stateside now and we’re past Money in the Bank, meaning it’s time to start finding the next challenger to the Cruiserweight Title as Tony Nese defeated Ariya Daivari. It’s time to find someone new and odds are we’re going to be slowly getting there over the next few weeks. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Nese retaining on Sunday.

Opening sequence.

Here are the Singh Brothers for a match but first, they declare it BOLLYWOOD TIME. Therefore, it’s NOT Lucha Time, partially because Lars Sullivan has destroyed the Lucha House Party twice in a row. Therefore, they’ll take the forfeit win. Instead here’s Drake Maverick to say we have some replacements.

Singh Brothers vs. Jack Gallagher/Humberto Carrillo

Sunil shoulders Carrillo down to start and let’s hit that dancing. Back up and Carrillo flips over Sunil and knocks him into the ropes. The springboard spinning headbutt from Carrillo gives Gallagher one and it’s time to work on the arm. Jack ties up Sunil’s arms and legs (Sumir: “THAT’S MY BROTHER!”) and sits on his back as the psychological games/comedy are in full swing.

Back up and a blind tag brings in Sumir so Carrillo can get double stomped in the corner. The chinlock goes on for a bit with Carrillo quickly fighting up, earning himself a dropkick. A reversed whip sends Sumir into the buckle and Gallagher comes in to clean house (Aiden: “Gallagher like a well dressed tiger!”).

The very delayed vertical suplex gets two on Sumir but another blind tag lets Sunil come back in. A double superkick gets two with Carrillo making the save as everything breaks down. Sunil’s spinwheel kick is good for two more but Gallagher escapes a double suplex and brings in Carrillo. A very quick Aztec Press finishes Sumir at 8:41.

Rating: C. This felt longer than it actually was and I’m not sure what that means. Gallagher and Carrillo as an oddball tag team could be fine, though I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do. That’s the problem with tag teams on this show: they just move on from one mini feud to another, which is fine enough but it gets a little repetitive without them being able to move up to anything else.

Mike and Maria Kanellis are ready for the fatal five way as a means to get on track after the No DQ match against Akira Tozawa. It’s time to prove that he is better than the best.

Oney Lorcan sees tonight as a way to prove he should get a Cruiserweight Title shot. He pauses so long that Vic starts hyping up the match before Lorcan keeps going.

Ariya Daivari calls Money in the Bank a fluke and doesn’t like being stuck in this five way to prove his greatness again.

Akira Tozawa vs. Oney Lorcan vs. Mike Kanellis vs. Brian Kendrick vs. Ariya Daivari

One fall to a finish and Maria is at ringside. Kanellis heads straight to the floor and it’s Lorcan vs. Daivari to start. They’re knocked to the floor and it’s the friendly showdown between Kendrick and Tozawa. Kanellis is right back in so Tozawa and Kendrick take out all three others in a row without much trouble. That gives us Kendrick vs. Tozawa, with the latter not shaking hands. Daivari and Kanellis come back in to break that up again though and the villains take over for a bit.

Lorcan gets back up and low bridges Kanellis to the floor before chopping away at Daivari. That’s fine with Daivari who takes him to the floor for a whip into the barricade. Back in and Tozawa hits the right hand to Daivari, who is fine enough to superkick a returning Lorcan. Kendrick is back with a Captain’s Hook on Daivari but has to flip out of Lorcan’s half and half suplex. That means the Captain’s Hook on Lorcan with Kanellis making the save this time, setting up a superkick for two on Lorcan.

Since people don’t stay down long in these matches, Lorcan pops up for a chop off with Kanellis. The spinebuster gives Kanellis two but Lorcan is right back up again with the half and half on Kendrick. A double Blockbuster takes down Daivari and Kanellis, followed by the running flip dive to drop them again. Tozawa adds a dive of his own and there’s the missile dropkick to Daivari back inside. The German suplex gives Tozawa two as everyone else comes back in.

Kanellis catches Kendrick on top and the Tower of Doom is launched with Kendrick getting the worst of it. Daivari nails the Persian Lion splash for two on Kendrick but Tozawa sends him outside. Tozawa grabs the Octopus Hold on Kanellis so Maria gets on the apron for some LOUD screaming. Daivari takes Kanellis’ place so Tozawa kicks him in the chest. The top rope backsplash is broken up and it’s a lot of spot calling until Tozawa can break up a superplex attempt.

Tozawa has to deal with Kanellis, who takes a German suplex on the apron (THUD). Daivari gets punched in the face and the top rope backsplash gives Tozawa two with Kendrick making the save. Kendrick offers an apology but gets into a slugout with Tozawa instead. Stereo crossbodies put both of them down until Kendrick can get up for a Sliced Bread. The parade of finishers is on with Daivari hitting a heck of a hammerlock lariat on Lorcan, only to have Tozawa roll him up for the pin at 16:33.

Rating: C+. This was firmly in the “two in, three out” system for a long time and that’s not the most thrilling thing in the world. Tozawa winning is the best option they had as he’s by far the most charismatic on the show and could give Nese a heck of a match (if not take the title). After that No DQ win a few weeks ago, this was the only real option they had.

A bunch of highlights wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B-. Tozawa is a breath of fresh air here and that’s the best thing that could happen on this show. Nese is someone who could become a player for the long term in WWE and a match against someone like Tozawa is only going to help that. They need some more help around here though and having most of the bigger names on the roster in the main event didn’t exactly prove to be the most positive showcase. Good show overall, but I’m not sure how bright their future is.

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