IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: August 14, 2018
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re less than a week away from Summerslam but that doesn’t mean much around here. Since there’s only one match on Sunday’s card (and that’s been moved to the Kickoff Show, shocking almost no one), this should be a show like almost any other. Hopefully Drew Gulak can help us through things. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Drake Maverick running down the card for the night. As this is going, a tribute to Jim Neidhart runs along the bottom. I still don’t get why they can’t just throw up a graphic, especially for shows that all aired live.

Opening sequence.

Lio Rush vs. Akira Tozawa

Rematch from a few weeks back where Rush won. On his way to the ring, Rush talks about how lucky the fans are to see him here. With all due respect to Tozawa, he’s only one of the best cruiserweights in the world. The problem is he’s facing the BEST cruiserweight in the world and tonight, Tozawa feels the rush. Tozawa isn’t interested in waiting on Rush to take off his jewelry and the fight is on.

Rush’s head speed is too fast for Tozawa but a hurricanrana takes him down. Rush throws him the bracelet but Tozawa throws it back, allowing Tozawa to kick him to the floor. That’s enough for Rush, who only gets a few steps up the aisle before Tozawa hits him in the back. The head fake right hand (I like that) rocks Rush again and they head back inside with Tozawa pounding him down. Eventually the referee breaks things up and Rush sends him shoulder first into the post to take over.

We hit a reverse chinlock for a few moments until Tozawa comes back with a kick to the chest. The backsplash hits knees though and Rush grabs a chinlock. You wouldn’t expect to see something like that on a cruiserweight show but it oddly fits here. Back up and they take turns sliding between each others’ legs until Tozawa kicks him to the floor. This time the suicide headbutt connects and it’s a Black Widow back inside. That’s broken up as well and Rush rolls over into a kick to the head. Rush heads up top, shoves Tozawa off, and hits the Final Hour for the pin at 7:49.

Rating: C+. Not bad here with Rush’s head speed and ability to move being a sight to see. Tozawa is one of those midcard guys who you could easily see moving up to the title picture in the blink of an eye so Rush beating him twice in a row is a good start for his time on the main roster. Now just learn how to stop the story and go somewhere else for both guys.

Video on Drew Gulak, the submission master who is rather serious and wants the Cruiserweight Title on Sunday.

We look back at the end of Mustafa Ali vs. Hideo Itami from last week with Ali losing his balance on the top rope due to his medical issues. Itami dropkicked him several times and the match was stopped.

Maverick says Ali is suffering from severe exhaustion and he will not be wrestling until Maverick determines he is back to health.

Hideo Itami vs. Trent Newman

Itami doesn’t seem to mind that he put Ali out. The beating starts slowly but we do pause for a RESPECT ME. Newman tries a rollup but can’t even get Itami down. A hard running clothesline sets up some strikes to the head for two with Itami pulling him up. Itami hits a Falcon Arrow for the same result and three straight basement dropkicks in the corner cause the referee to stop the match at 2:45.

Post match Itami hits his Twist of Fate/GTS hybrid. That still looks bad.

Video on Cedric Alexander, who is ready to defend the title at Summerslam. He knows Gulak is ready but he’ll be ready too. The Gulock is dangerous but he’ll never tap because the Lumbar Check will continue the Age of Alexander.

Maverick is with Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese. Next week: it’s a tornado tag against Lucha House Party.

Also next week: Noam Dar vs. TJP in the rubber match.

Cedric Alexander vs. Jack Gallagher

Non-title and Gulak/Brian Kendrick are banned from ringside. Gallagher hides in the ropes to start before taking over with some grappling into a few rollups. That’s fine with Cedric, who powers him up with a fireman’s carry. A dropkick puts Gallagher on the floor but he hides under the ring before Alexander can try a dive. The blind side attack works for all of a few seconds but Alexander backdrops him hard to the floor. Gallagher drives him head first into the post though as they’re still going back and forth in the early going.

Back in and Gallagher grabs a neck crank, with Nigel being smart enough to realize that it’s a way to set up the Gulock on Sunday. As usual, Nigel is smarter than the average commentator. It’s off to an armbar with Gallagher putting a foot on Alexander’s head before a swinging neckbreaker gets two. Gallagher chokes him with his own arms and puts some knees in Alexander’s back as Nigel again points to the Gulock. The cravate makes things even worse but Alexander reverses into some rolling suplexes (the second Eddie Guerrero tribute of the night after Aiden English’s frog splash on Smackdown).

The Neuralizer and the springboard clothesline get two each but Gallagher is right back up with a top rope knee to the arm for a near fall of his own. It’s off to a Crossface as Gallagher is nailing it with these submissions. The rope is good for a break and they slug it out until Gallagher slaps on a guillotine choke.

That’s reversed into a Falcon Arrow but the second springboard clothesline misses, sending Alexander into the corner where Gallagher is waiting with the running dropkick. Alexander is right next to the rope so Gallagher powerbombs him (barely able to get him up) for two more. Back up and Gallagher charges into a quick C4 to give Alexander the pin at 14:04.

Rating: B. Heck of a main event here with Gallagher doing exactly what he was supposed to do in softening Alexander up for Sunday’s title match. They were telling a solid story out there and that’s a lot more than I was expecting here. As a bonus, they went with the smart ending of a non-finisher getting the pin. There’s no need for every Cedric match to end with the Lumbar Check and it’s nice to see them go with another finish.

Cedric celebrates but Gulock and Kendrick jump him from behind. The beatdown is on and the Gulock ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show has gotten so much better as of late and this was no exception. The main event advanced Sunday’s big title match and the rest of the show set up a few more things that we can get to once Summerslam is over. I’m starting to look forward to this show every week and I couldn’t have imagined that to be the case just a few months ago. As usual, HHH has the magic touch as a booker and his stuff is almost guaranteed silver at worst.

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/

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 26, 2018
Location: Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s another big show this week with the in-ring debut of Lio Rush, but also what should be the final blowoff between Lucha House Party and Drew Gulak/Brian Kendrick/Jack Gallagher. Both of these are interesting stories, but Rush debuting could be a big deal. He certainly has talent, but this is the only place in WWE where he has any real chance of making it work. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video previews tonight’s card, even down to the match order, which you don’t see very often.

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. Tony Nese

Nese has Buddy Murphy with him. Tozawa doesn’t care to that Nese screams about being the Premiere Athlete and chops him down, followed by some stomps in the corner. Back up and Nese fires off some kicks, only to have Tozawa show him how to really throw some kicks. Nese bails to the floor and catches a diving Tozawa, sending him face first into the apron to really take over. Back in and a springboard moonsault gives Nese two but Tozawa is right back up with a Shining Wizard.

That’s enough to put Nese on the floor for the suicide dive and it’s time for the top rope backsplash. It’s a bit too early for that though as Nese breaks it up with a gutbuster, only to charge into raised boots in the corner. The backsplash is broken up again, this time with an uppercut that knocks Tozawa’s mouthpiece out in a great visual. A gordbuster gets Tozawa out of trouble again though and now the backsplash is good for the pin on Nese at 7:35.

Rating: C-. Tozawa is one of those guys who has been around the midcard/upper midcard of the show for a long time not but outside of that six day Cruiserweight Title reign last year, he hasn’t exactly done anything significant. It’s fine to keep him strong like this but it feels like he’s on a treadmill, just like so many others on this show. Like Nese for example.

We look at last week’s triple threat match.

Cedric Alexander comes in to see Drake Maverick and wants to know when his next title defense is going to be. Maverick says he’ll let him know but that’s not good enough for Cedric. He thinks it should be Hideo Itami (makes sense) but Maverick says he won’t reward bad behavior. Cedric pleads Itami’s case because he wants that notch on his belt. It will be considered.

Lio Rush vs. Dewey James

Rush is very cocky and has to take off his jewelry before we’re ready to go. After taking twenty seconds to take off his bracelet, Rush, does runs the ropes, only to keep stopping on a dime to avoid James. Some quick strikes put Dewey on the floor and a rolling kick to the head has him in more trouble back inside. Rush checks his non-existent watch and finishes with the Final Hour (Low Down) at 1:50. Impressive debut and exactly how it should have been.

Post match Rush says he’s the future (as everyone seems to be) and he does things that people in the back only dream of doing. He’s the man of the hour, and it’s Rush Hour.

Cedric is confident that he can handle Itami and wants the challenge. Itami comes in and a fight almost breaks out but Maverick and referees are right there for the save.

Next week: Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy in a No DQ match.

Lucha House Party vs. Drew Gulak/Jack Gallagher/Brian Kendrick

Elimination rules. The luchadors waste no time in diving onto the other three and we officially start with Metalik moonsaulting past Gallagher. Kalisto gets tossed into the air for a splash on Gallagher and the springboard elbow gets two, with Kendrick (still in his jacket) making the save. Gulak breaks up the rope walk and Gallagher headbutts Metalik out of the air for the first elimination at 1:16. Well that was fast.

Lince comes in and kicks Kendrick in the head but gets backdropped off the top for his efforts. Things slow down with Gulak coming back in as Nigel actually offers some strategy and analysis, which I forgot existed around here. Gulak goes even more harsh by pulling off Lince’s mask, sending him bailing to the floor to put it back on. We settle back down to Kendrick kneeing Dorado in the chest and driving a knuckle into the arm. Dorado isn’t done yet though as he handsprings into a kick to Gallagher’s head and scores with the Golden Rewind on Kendrick for the elimination at 6:41.

That’s not enough to get Dorado out of trouble though as Gallagher and Gulak take turns working on Dorado’s arm to keep him down. Gallagher grabs a very painful looking arm hold but Gulak gets caught with a spinwheel kick. There’s no hot tag though as Kendrick is back to pull Kalisto off the apron, leaving Gulak to Gulock Dorado for the tap at 10:00.

That leaves Kalisto vs. Gallagher/Gulak so Kalisto starts fast with the hurricanrana driver for two on Gulak. A few shots to the knees have Kalisto in trouble but he sends Gulak to the apron. Using him as a springboard, Kalisto grabs the Salida Del Sol for the pin on Gallagher at 13:40. Kalisto keeps things going with a flip dive over the top to take Gulak down again and a springboard high crossbody gets two. The Salida Del Sol is broken up with a rip of the mask and the Gulock ends Kalisto at 16:32.

Rating: C+. The match was fine but it really didn’t tell us anything that we didn’t already know. The Lucha House Party is better as a team but Gulak is better than any of the individual members and has firmly established himself as the awesome submission expert. That’s been established for weeks now and there’s nothing left for these six to do together. Move on.

Post match Gulak rips the mask off of Penelope the pinata and throws it into the crowd to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The ending brings about another problem: Alexander is still a boring champion and has Itami and Gulak coming after him, but given how slow this place is about giving title shots, it could be a LONG time before either of them take the title from him. With Cedric as the top guy, there’s nowhere for this show to go (along with all of its other problems that is) and things need to change. The problem is that could take a very, very long time. What we have here is fine, but there’s a very low ceiling to how far they can go.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick/Jack Gallagher vs. Kalisto/Lince Dorado

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cruiserweight Title: Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tony Nese vs. Keith Clayball

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

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

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

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

Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: March 13, 2018
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time to send someone to Wrestlemania. With four weeks left before the big show, we have two semifinal matches to get through before we know the finals of the Cruiserweight Title tournament. Tonight we have Cedric Alexander vs. Roderick Strong, which has the potential to be a heck of a showdown. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s episode if you need a recap.

The opening recap gives us a recap to open up, including a preview of tonight’s semifinal.

Opening sequence.

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

The build towards the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles continues. Dorado and Tozawa start things off and they actually go technical early on. It’s too early for Tozawa to hit the big kick so Dorado shoulders him down and dances a bit. Stereo dropkicks give us a standoff until Dorado’s second attempt works a bit better. Metalik comes in and gets caught in a hurricanrana before it’s off to Itami for some missed kicks.

Dorado actually gets the better of a strike off with Itami until Hideo takes his head off with a kick to the face. It’s time to get even more aggressive as Itami takes down his knee pad, only to do his reverse kick to the face of a downed Dorado. That’s such an arrogant looking move and it works so well. Tozawa’s missile dropkick gets two but he and Dorado kick each other in the face for a double knockout.

The hot tag brings in Metalik to clean house, including a reverse Sling Blade to drop Itami. With Metalik on the apron and leaning through the ropes, Dorado hits a great looking springboard to the floor. Metalik’s springboard bangs up his knee though and Itami grabs his Twisting Stunner for the pin at 8:08.

Rating: C+. I’m still not sure on having a tag division but it could be an option if they build up some actual teams. Lucha House Party and the resident Japanese team are a good start but you need more than two or three teams to fight over titles. This was good enough with some of the dives looking awesome, but nothing that hasn’t been done before.

Post match Itami and Dorado nearly get in a fight but Kalisto and Tozawa break things up.

Video on Roderick Strong, featuring a lot of the same clips from his introduction videos in NXT. He’s ready to face anyone of any style.

Jack Gallagher vs. Murphy Myers

Drake Maverick is on commentary. Jack actually lets him go up against the ropes to start before calmly snapping into Murphy’s arm. A few forearms and an enziguri actually stagger Gallagher but he catches Myers in the ring skirt and hammers away. The headbutt ends Murphy at 2:38.

Video on Cedric Alexander, who has earned the right to be here after coming up short in a chase for the title before. He can do anything and nothing will stop him.

Mustafa Ali is in a dark hallway with a shadow approaching from behind. He talks about Drew Gulak attacking Mark Andrews after the match was over but Ali isn’t scared of the bully. The shadow reaches him and the interview cuts off. These things have certainly been different and in this case they’ve made him stand out very well.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament Semifinals: Roderick Strong vs. Cedric Alexander

Neither can maintain a front facelock to start and they roll into a standoff. Strong gets two off a dropkick as Ali is watching in the back. A backdrop nearly sends Strong onto his feet but he’s fine enough to break up a springboard to send Cedric face first into the turnbuckle. Cedric seems to come up favoring his ribs so Strong grabs a seated abdominal stretch.

Back up and Cedric tries the handspring enziguri but Strong is waiting on him with a dropkick for a sweet counter. It’s off to a chinlock with Strong shouting that no one wants Cedric to be champion. Now that’s just cruel, yet also good trash talk at the same time. Cedric gets back up and hits a kick to the face, followed by a springboard cutter to send Strong outside. The springboard clothesline gets two more and something like a Michinoku Driver is good for the same.

Another springboard is countered into a backbreaker attempt but Cedric counters that into a crucifix for two. Strong isn’t going to be denied though and gets the first backbreaker to take over again. Back up and a quick Neuralizer sets up the Lumbar Check…..for two as Strong gets to the ropes. I don’t recall anyone ever surviving that, which makes the escape so much better. Why doesn’t WWE get that concept elsewhere?

They head to the apron with Strong slapping on a Torture Rack but throwing Cedric BACK FIRST ONTO THE BUCKLE in a scary looking crash. That’s not enough for a countout so Strong grabs a top rope superplex, giving Cedric that great lost look on the impact. That’s still not enough for the win so Strong knees him in the face and grabs End of Heartache for two with Cedric getting a boot on the ropes.

One heck of an elbow to the face drops Strong but Cedric can’t follow up. It’s time for the slugout but Strong can’t get the Stronghold. He can get another jumping knee to the face, only to get small packaged go send Cedric to Wrestlemania at 14:57. The shocked look on Cedric’s face is a great plus.

Rating: B+. These two were beating the heck out of each other and you bought the idea that they were both willing to do anything they could to get the win. I had a blast with this and Cedric is more than worthy of going to Wrestlemania. That’s the mark of a great tournament: you could see anyone winning, and that’s been the case with the final four. Great match here and one of the best ever on 205 Live.

They look at each other in a sign of respect. Strong leaves and Cedric says he earned this. Every morning he wakes up with his four year old daughter telling him he’s a champion. At Wrestlemania, that becomes reality. More good stuff on the mic here as I want to see Cedric win the title. That’s hard to do, especially with how low level the title really is. Well done indeed.

Overall Rating: B. That main event is more than enough to carry the show but you can also see some stories being added to the show. You can only go so far on the tournament alone so having something new, including the possibility of Gallagher vs. Maverick, gives me some hope for the future. Good show here, as 205 Live continues to rock.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com, follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: February 20, 2018
Location: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

It’s the final night of the first round of the Cruiserweight Title tournament, which means we only have two spots remaining in the quarterfinals. The first three weeks have been a lot of fun with some high quality action so hopefully the final week lives up to its predecessors. The two matches have already been announced so let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a refresher.

We open with a recap of last week’s matches and a preview of tonight’s matches in another well done package.

Opening sequence.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Buddy Murphy vs. Ariya Daivari

This is Murphy’s (former NXT Tag Team Champion) main roster debut and PLEASE let him get rid of the somehow still boring Daivari. In a pre-match promo, Daivari mocks Murphy for having to cut weight to make 205lbs. Buddy isn’t stealing Daivari’s Wrestlemania moment. Murphy, who looks like he’s shredded the bottom half of his shorts, runs Daivari over to start and does it again for good measure.

A running hurricanrana sends Daivari outside but he grabs Murphy by the hair and gets a reverse DDT on the apron. Buddy is sent into the steps for one and a hard hiptoss into the corner gets two. We hit the chinlock with a knee in Buddy’s back (at least there’s psychology) for a bit but Buddy fights up with a middle rope dropkick. Buddy takes too long getting to the top so Daivari rolls outside, meaning it’s a HUGE flip dive over the top instead.

Back in and Daivari scores with a discus forearm, followed by the frog splash for two. And that’s it for Daivari’s chances. We actually get a Let’s Go Buddy chant but the hammerlock lariat cuts that off in short order. That’s only good for two as well and Daivari is stunned. Buddy hits some quick strikes and grabs a reverse pumphandle, throws Daivari onto his shoulders and snaps him down into a Death Valley Driver for the pin at 7:35.

Rating: C+. It’s a good debut for Murphy, who looked sharp and athletic, but one day he’s going to mistime that finisher (which needs a name) and it’s going to look bad. At least the interesting guy won here as Daivari may be a veteran, but he’s certainly not an interesting veteran. I’m not seeing Murphy going very far in the tournament but at least he got in a good first match, including kicking out of Daivari’s best stuff to make him look even better.

General Manager Drake Maverick unveils the quarterfinal brackets:

Cedric Alexander

TJP

Roderick Strong

Kalisto

Buddy Murphy

Jack Gallagher/Mustafa Ali

Drew Gulak

Mark Andrews

These matches take place over the next two weeks. Cedric and TJP come in with TJP saying it’s time for Cedric to choke at the finish line again. That’s funny to Cedric, who doesn’t mind putting TJP in a back brace.

Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado vs. Evan Daniels/Corazon Delgado

Daniels and Dorado start things off as the announcers argue about being invited to the lucha house parties. A hurricanrana takes Daniels down before it’s off to Delgado, whose name Nigel pronounces about five different ways. Metalik comes in and counters a headscissors with a faceplant but a quick distraction allows the tag back to Daniels.

A few shots to the back allow Daniels to mock the lucha dance. That’s it for the offense though and it’s back to Dorado as things speed up again. Dorado scores with a double Golden Rewind, followed by the stereo dives to the floor. Back in and Dorado drops the shooting star press to end Daniels at 3:55.

Rating: C. Just a quick squash here and really, that’s not a bad thing when you have the tournament eating up so much time. Of course you could have just let the show be a bit shorter but why do that when you can pump out more content? I mean, quantity is what matters instead of quality right?

Drew Gulak scoffs at the notion that he went too fast last week. Mark Andrews is all flash and none of that will help him when he’s tapping out.

Mark Andrews doesn’t like the idea of a no fly zone because he’s going to fly to Wrestlemania.

Cruiserweight Title Tournament First Round: Jack Gallagher vs. Mustafa Ali

Jack is in regular gear (which looks Slytherin inspired) on Maverick’s orders. Jack backs him up against the ropes to start and actually allows a clean break. Gallagher’s wristlock into a hammerlock has Ali in early trouble as someone says “fifteen and a half more minutes”. Back up and Ali’s leapfrog is countered into a Fujiwara armbar to stay on the arm but Ali is too close to the ropes.

Instead Ali tries a headlock into a half crab but that’s broken up as well. Jack goes into the corner for the upside down wave, only to have Ali flip around into a wave of his own. A pinfall reversal sequence gives us some nifty near falls and Jack is looking annoyed at Ali for being that crisp. They go into the corner again with a far dirtier break (or lack of a break) this time around.

Ali seems to get the better of it by sending Jack outside but a baseball slide gets caught in the ring skirt so Gallagher can hammer away. Back in and we hit the chinlock with an arm trap as we get POWER RANGER/RUSEV DAY chants. Ali is right back up with some kicks to the face and the rolling X Factor. It’s too early for the 054 though as Gallagher snaps the arm over the top. The same arm gets posted and Ali is in major trouble. We hit the double wristlock but Ali stacks him up for the break in a smart counter.

A hammerlock keeps Ali in trouble until he sends Jack to the floor. Ali tries a corkscrew flip dive but Gallagher is down, meaning Ali has to bail out halfway for a nasty looking crash. It’s either that or the arm gives out, but if it’s not at least they have a good explanation. Ali dives back in at nine so Gallagher grabs another Fujiwara armbar. This time Ali gets his feet in the ropes, earning himself a dropkick off the apron to send the arm into the barricade. The arm is posted AGAIN as this is getting to be a bit much.

For some reason the referee doesn’t stop it, even as Ali is tossed upside down into the corner. That’s only good for two and the kickout only gets a lukewarm response. Gallagher ties up the arm and fires in elbows to the head for ANOTHER two, frustrating Jack even more. With the holds not working, Jack tries a belly to back superplex but Ali hands on his feet. A superkick to the back of the head sets up the 054 for the pin at 17:10.

Rating: B. It’s good but they didn’t reach the level of epic that they were shooting for. The arm stuff went on just a bit too long (the same being true for the whole match) and I stopped feeling bad for Ali’s pain at one point. Still though, Ali moving forward makes sense and I could see him making a deep run in this tournament. Gallagher looked good and I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough.

Nigel gives it a standing ovation, which is a bit much.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event as good but this was probably the weakest of the last four shows. The wrestling was fine enough and I liked the addition of Murphy but it wasn’t the most thrilling show in the world. At least they have the tournament quarterfinals set, which is exactly what had to be done. Things should get a lot better in a hurry and that’s a great thing to see.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/01/26/new-book-kbs-history-of-the-wwe-championship-2018-updated-version/

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

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205 Live
Date: January 23, 2018
Location: Capitol One Arena, Washington DC
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but there’s a big change to the Cruiserweight Title situation. In this case, there is no Cruiserweight Champion as Enzo Amore has been stripped of the title and released from the company. There is no word on what’s going to happen to the title but for now, Sunday’s Cruiserweight Title match is off. Therefore, enjoy another show with little advancement to the top storyline. Let’s get to it.

Daniel Bryan informs us that Enzo is no longer champion and gone from the show. He’s telling us this because of his connection to the company, mainly through the Cruiserweight Classic. Next week, there will be a General Manager announced and their first action will be to deal with this situation. No word on who that will be (Bryan said him or her).

Opening sequence.

The announcers recap what we just heard.

Kalisto/Gran Metalik/Lince Dorado vs. TJP/Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese

TJP misses an early swing at Dorado and gets taken to the mat in a headscissors. Back up and Dorado dabs at TJP before taking him down with a single chop. A little arm cranking is enough to send TJP over to Nese, who can’t keep up with Metalik from bouncing off the ropes. Nese finally takes him down and sends Metalik into the corner so Daivari can come in to take over.

Nigel asks where Drew Gulak is now that the Zo Train (not named) is over. Fair question actually. It’s off to Kalisto with slingshot hilo, followed by a kick to Daivari’s hands (rather than his head) for two. Nese’s distraction lets Daivari knock Kalisto off the ropes and out to the floor in a heap. We get to the standard beatdown in the corner, including a belly to back for two from TJP.

Nese comes back in for a chinlock but gets kicked in the head, allowing the ice cold tag to Dorado. I mean the people just did not react at all. A moonsault press gives Dorado two as everything breaks down. Kalisto and Metalik hit stereo flip dives but Dorado misses a shooting star (not a 450 as Nigel says). The Detonation Kick misses though and Dorado’s handsprings Stunner ends TJP at 9:12.

Rating: C. Pretty standard six man cruiserweight match and there’s not much to say about something like that. The three luchadors as a team is fine, but much like everything else on this show, there’s not much of a story to go with it. I need something more than an average match to keep my interest, especially when there’s very little character work to speak of. Well, outside of TJP crying of course.

Post match TJP yells at his partners but gets shoved down and blamed for the loss.

Drew Gulak, in a suit and standing in front of an American flag, supports a new General Manager but wants it to be someone who will have none of this high flying, chanting, flipping and flopping. They need to be on board with the idea of a Drewtopia. I fully support more Drew Gulak around here, especially in a bigger role.

Jack Gallagher vs. Hideo Itami

Before the match, Itami says what happened to Brian Kendrick was an accident. He respects Kendrick but not so much with Gallagher. An early kick to the face drops Gallagher in short order but a leather shoe to the ribs slows Itami down as well. An early headlock on the mat doesn’t get Gallagher very far as Itami is right back up with more kicks in the corner. With Gallagher draped over the middle rope, Itami goes up for a jumping kick to the back.

Gallagher uses a referee distraction to sneak underneath the ring and sneak up on Itami, sending him shoulder first into the buckle. Jack bends the arm around his leg and cranks on Itami’s hand for good measure. We hit a double wristlock on Itami but a suplex gets Itami out of trouble.

The arm is banged up but Itami is still able to throw a knee, followed by a top rope clothesline for two. The fans are just NOT responding to this and it’s kind of sad to see. A spinning fist drops Gallagher into the corner and Itami grabs a dragon sleeper, which he swings into something like a Twist of Fate Stunner with a kick to the head (it’s kind of hard to describe) for the pin at 6:23.

Rating: C+. Itami needs to pick a finisher already and it needs to be something other than that one, which was more complicated than it needed to be. In theory this should wrap up their feud but since it’s 205 Live, we’re probably in for another five weeks between these two. At least until Kendrick gets at the latest.

Akira Tozawa thinks he could be a good boss and practices firing someone.

Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali

Cedric says the plan hasn’t changed and he’ll be champion soon. They shake hands to start but Cedric pulls him back and says he’ll be champion. You said that already. Feeling out process to start with Ali’s wristlock getting him nowhere. A hurricanrana doesn’t work either as Alexander lands on his feet.

Back up and Alexander backflips into his ankle scissors for two, followed by an armbar on the mat. Ali fights up and hits a dropkick into an armbar of his own as they seem to be mirroring each other so far. Alexander breaks that up as well and shoves Ali off a springboard, sending him face first into the apron for a BAD looking crash. That’s only good for two so we hit a cross arm choke to keep Ali down inside. Ali gets back up and avoids a charge in the corner, sending Alexander face first into the middle buckle.

The rolling X Factor gives Ali two but his tornado DDT is blocked and reversed into a suplex. That’s reversed as well but Ali sends him into the corner. Cedric’s springboard Downward Spiral gets two more and Alexander wins a slugout. Ali is right back up with a running C4 and a wicked tornado DDT gets two. The 054 misses though and it’s a Neuralizer into the Lumbar Check to give Cedric the pin at 11:49.

Rating: B. That’s the kind of match 205 Live has been needed for months now and I’m very glad to be away from the constant Zo Train vs. everyone else story that we’ve been sitting through for such a long time. This was a lot of fun with both guys working hard and showing how awesome these guys can be if they’re allowed to put something together and not sit around waiting on Enzo to do his stupid lines.

They shake hands post match.

Overall Rating: B-. Strong main event aside, this was kind of a placeholder show as we wait on the GM. I’m still not sure what the point was in having this show go longer again when you probably could have cut it down to the previous week’s length. Last week’s shorter run time was a nice touch but the lack of Enzo does even it out. I’m very glad that they’ve gotten things a little more steady, but I’m not sure how strong this show can be, at least based on past experiences.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

205 Live
Date: January 9, 2018
Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

Another Raw (the show where the real cruiserweight stuff happens) has come and gone and Enzo Amore is STILL Cruiserweight Champion as he retained via countout last night. Enzo also came up with a bad ankle, which means we might wait even longer before getting the title off of him. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of last night’s title match with Amore injuring his ankle on a flip dive over the top, setting up the countout loss. You can probably pencil the rematch in for the Rumble and I think my head is going to explode if Enzo keeps the title any longer than that.

Opening sequence.

Earlier today, TJP came up to Gran Metalik and Kalisto in the back to brag about winning the Cruiserweight Classic. I love it when these grown men talk like thirteen year olds (albeit with the standard obsession with specific names and titles).

TJP vs. Gran Metalik

TJP returned last week and Metalik is back after his latest sabbatical for no apparent reason. Metalik now has a black mask which really doesn’t suit him very well. The early flip off goes in Metalik’s favor and a hard armdrag sets up an armbar on TJP. A basement dropkick has TJP in trouble as the announcers wonder if Metalik’s loss in the Cruiserweight Classic final is still bothering him. If he’s not over it in a year plus, he’s not getting over the thing.

Metalik misses a dive and gets caught with an uppercut on the floor. He’s fine enough to dive off the steps into a hurricanrana though and it’s time to head back inside. TJP kicks him in the ribs though and it’s off to the Tree of Woe. The running basement dropkick gets two and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and the springboard forearm gets two (minus the nipup, which TJP loaded up and then just didn’t do), followed by a belly to back suplex for the same. Metalik gets sent hard into the corner but is right back up with a sunset bomb off the post (cool looking move) to put both guys down. It’s Metalik up first though with the rope walking dropkick getting two. The double chickenwing gutbuster gives TJP two but Metalik slips out of the Detonation Kick. Instead he dropkicks TJP into the Metalik Driver for the pin at 9:04.

Rating: C. What was up with the booking here? TJP comes back last week and is losing clean to Metalik here? I like both guys quite a bit but TJP losing here makes no sense whatsoever. If Enzo’s booking has taught us anything, it’s that 205 Live needs star power more than ever. If that’s the case, keep TJP winning and find someone else for Metalik to beat. Or just keep doing what you’re doing and wonder why this show is death.

Post match TJP snaps and breaks a bunch of stuff, including the announcers’ area. It’s nice that they’re giving him something, but again STOP DOING IT RIGHT AFTER HE LOSES CLEAN!

We look at Nia Jax checking on Enzo Amore after his ankle injury on Raw.

A banged up Enzo says he’s thinking about getting the Ford logo tattooed on his back because he’s Ford tough. He’ll be back to take care of Alexander but here’s Tony Nese to say he wants back on the team. Not only that but he wants to be the top guy (the Bob to Enzo’s Joker if you will). Enzo likes the idea but doesn’t say yes. Egads can we get to the end of Enzo’s title reign so the heels can grow some spines again?

Here’s Jack Gallagher to talk about taking Hideo Itami out last week. Itami is out licking his wounds at the moment but as soon as he’s back, Gallagher has even more damage in store for him. Gallagher isn’t pleased with the fans not caring but shifts back to talks of torturing Itami. This of course brings out Itami, giving us an awesome sneer from Gallagher. The fight is on with Gallagher taking an umbrella shot to the head to send Jack running off. The fans didn’t quite react to this and Itami’s “COME ON” didn’t help matters. Just be the silent assassin because everything else isn’t working for him.

Cedric Alexander is ready to win tonight and Goldust comes in to compliment him on banging Enzo up last night. Alexander promises to hurt Enzo even worse next time and Goldust likes the idea. They almost have to be getting ready to have Goldust screw him out of the title right? I have no idea what that accomplishes but it wouldn’t shock me all that much. Whatever gives us more Amore right?

Tony Nese vs. Cedric Alexander

Enzo handles Nese’s entrance. After some long posing to start, Nese cranks on the wristlock (way too common of a start in WWE these days). Nese takes him down and makes sure to suck up to Enzo. Cedric is sent face first into the apron and then the barricade before we hit a neck crank back inside. Back up and Cedric’s chop doesn’t get him very far as a hard whip sends him into the corner. Nese misses a charge though and the slingshot Downward Spiral takes him down.

For some reason he thinks going outside is a good idea, apparently never having watched a Cedric match before. The running flip dive gives Cedric two more and the springboard clothesline is good for the same (at least both looked quite good). The Neuralizer is countered into a gutbuster and Nese takes over. Another fireman’s carry is escaped but Cedric hurts his knee. A very fast small package gives Cedric the pin at 8:56.

Rating: C-. Pretty standard 205 Live main event with Enzo running his mouth the whole time and taking away a lot of the focus that the wrestlers could have had. They’re doing a very good job of making me want to see him lose but knowing WWE, they won’t know when to pull the trigger and we’ll be stuck with Enzo bringing this show down until Wrestlemania or so.

Post match Cedric is perfectly fine (and pointing at his brain) as Enzo tells Nese to get out now. Cedric looks down at Enzo’s feet and kicks out the good ankle, followed by the Lumbar Check to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. As is always the case with an Enzo era show, none of this stuff feels like it matters. TJP loses to Metalik and Gallagher vs. Itami continues? Good for them, but none of those four are likely to be near the Cruiserweight Title anytime soon (well maybe Itami) and fans seem to know it. With so much of the time going to Enzo, everyone else gets left in the dust and that’s going to be a problem when you don’t have Enzo on top anymore. But hey, at least 205 Live cracked the top ten WWE Network shows a few times right?

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

205 Live
Date: January 2, 2018
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph

So this show’s lull is somehow STILL GOING as Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore was hospitalized due to the flu, meaning the title match against Cedric Alexander was postponed yet again. There’s really nothing going on at the moment because we’re stuck waiting on the title match (and hopefully the title change) so there’s a good chance this is going to be another lame duck show. Let’s get to it.

The opening recap looks at Amore being sick and Alexander teaming with Goldust of all people to defeat Ariya Daivari and Drew Gulak. If Goldust is this show’s idea of a big deal, just turned the Mixed Match Challenge into an hour show and be done with it.

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. TJP

This is TJP’s first match back in three months. Technical sequence to start until TJP hides in the ropes to avoid a charge. That’s fine with Tozawa, who slams him head first into the mat twice in a row. Some overblown stomping in the corner keeps TJP down as this is quite the welcome back to the roster. A suicide dive is blocked by TJP’s raised boot to the shoulder though, followed by said shoulder going into the post.

There’s a slingshot hilo and TJP holsters the finger guns. I still like this guy no matter how much he’s loathed more often than not. Tozawa’s shoulder is cranked in various painful looking ways before TJP just stands on his face. The fans want Enzo (mark Miami down as one of the dumb cities) as TJP gets two off a hammerlock belly to back suplex. I love it when they mix up the offense like that. It’s better than five armbars.

A double arm crank doesn’t get TJP very far but a kick to the head gets two. Tozawa is back up with a boot to the face of his own, followed by a snap Saito suplex. A suicide dive is good for two but the top rope backsplash is easily broken up. TJP sends him arm first into the post and the Detonation Kick is good for the pin at 9:55.

Rating: C. I still like TJP a lot and that’s likely to be the case for a good while. He’s smooth in the ring and is a good, cocky heel who can either be pushed or put someone over in almost any given circumstance. Unless he was injured, I’m not sure why he was on the shelf so long as he’s someone who should be around more often. Hopefully Tozawa doesn’t take his place on the list of talented people who are stuck on the sidelines for no logical reason.

Goldust comes up to Cedric Alexander in the back. After admitting that he’s not under 205 pounds, Goldust talks about how he’s here to help Cedric on his quest for gold. They could be a great team! Like Turner and Hooch! I know Enzo is out with the flu at the moment, but sweet goodness there was no one better than GOLDUST to replace him? That’s really the best option they have? That’s how much they think of this show?

Here’s Jack Gallagher to demand a rematch with Hideo Itami. First though, we see a clip of Itami injuring Gallagher’s friend Brian Kendrick. After looking at the clip multiple times, here’s Itami for the match, only to have Gallagher beat him down with the umbrella. Itami falls down in short order and a pipe falls out of the umbrella.  No match of course.  That’s quite the dastardly act and does the right thing here in getting Gallagher over more than anyone else in the whole thing.

The Zo Train says last night was an injustice because their open challenge was only for people on the 205 Live roster. Goldust comes up and insults their breath. Keep bringing that star power buddy.

Ariya Daivari/Drew Gulak vs. Cedric Alexander/Goldust

Cedric and Daivari feels each other out to start until Daivari pulls him down by the hair. That earns him a dropkick though and it’s off to an armbar. The fans want Goldust and get their wish as he cranks on Gulak’s arm for a change. Goldust tries to run the ropes but stops for a second because he needs to catch his breath in a funny bit.

For some reason Daivari stands there before kneeing him in the ribs (Politeness maybe?) and hands it off to Gulak for an armbar. We hit the chinlock for a bit until Cedric sends Daivari into the buckle. There’s no tag though and Cedric is sent face first in as well, cutting off whatever momentum he had built up.

It’s back to the chinlock as Nigel sends well wishes to Enzo. Cedric is sent into the steps and let’s hit that chinlock all over again. The Neuralizer finally gets Cedric out of trouble and the hot tag brings in Goldust. House is cleaned and Goldust powerslams both villains. A blind tag brings in Cedric with the springboard clothesline and Goldust helps him on a big flip dive. The Lumbar Check finishes Gulak at 11:55.

Rating: D. Didn’t we pretty firmly establish this last night? It’s no secret that Goldust and Cedric (or Cedric and a stuffed turtle at this point) can beat these goons but since WE MUST WAIT ON ENZO, this is all they can do anymore. It’s almost like the NXT: Redemption season where they would just throw people out there (including Goldust actually) when they needed to extend a story. Pretty dull match, mainly because everything was already established the night before.

Overall Rating: D-. And that right there is why Enzo is a major, major problem on this show. There’s really nothing else of value on the show and if he’s gone, there’s almost nothing important happening on the show. Due to multiple reasons now, we’ve been sitting around waiting on Cedric vs. Enzo, which will hopefully FINALLY get us back to a normal show around here. The problem though is if Enzo retains, we’re stuck waiting on another challenger to rise up and take the title.

Without Enzo around, there’s really no point in this show existing, and that’s not even considering that it’s become 2011 Smackdown: a place where you put Raw rematches for the sake of filling in TV time because there’s nothing else to air. Bring some people up from NXT for some one off appearances, have some crazy five way elimination match, do the freaking challenges from the original NXT or whatever. Just do SOMETHING more interesting than this waste of time.

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

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2017/11/22/new-book-kbs-monday-nitro-and-thunder-reviews-volume-vi/

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

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

205 Live
Date: December 26, 2017
Location: Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re continuing the slow crawl towards the Cedric Alexander vs. Enzo Amore Cruiserweight Title match, which of course is taking place on Monday Night Raw instead of 205 Live. As has been mentioned, it’s clear that this show is little more than a filler show anymore and that’s not fixing any of its problems. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Enzo Amore having issues with the Zo Train and having Cedric Alexander pick the members off without much trouble.

Cedric comes up to Drew Gulak, who is waiting on Enzo (his best friend) to call. Drew tells him to mind his own business but Cedric says it’ll be a wonderful life when Enzo is no longer champion. Cedric talks about how much better things will be once Enzo is out of power and Drew seems to entertain the thought.

Opening sequence.

Hideo Itami vs. Jack Gallagher

Before the match, Gallagher promises to avenge his friend in front of these Chicago pillocks. Nigel says he’s faced a lot of opponents in his career but he was always scared of Itami. I love it when wrestlers mention their careers like that as it reminds you that they actually do have a perspective that can matter in a match like this. Itami knees him in the ribs and again demands respect.

The kick to the face keeps Gallagher in trouble and a Fameasser with Gallagher on the middle rope gives us another respect demand. If you have have to shout it three times less than two minutes into the match, it’s time for a better catchphrase. Gallagher ties him up in the ring skirt to take over though and we hit a quickly broken chinlock.

Instead it’s a cravate to keep Itami in trouble and we’re right back to the chinlock. Itami finally grabs a dragon screw legwhip and there’s the tornado DDT across the top rope. Back up and Gallagher pulls him into the Captain’s Hook but Itami makes the rope. The running corner dropkick rocks Gallagher and a Rings of Saturn (with a leg wrapped around Gallagher’s head) is good for the tap at 7:38.

Rating: D+. Itami just doesn’t have the fire that he needs and it’s showing more every time. Throw in the lack of the GTS (which hopefully isn’t permanent) and there’s just not much to look forward to with him. He’s not the biggest guy in the world and he has limited charisma. He’s tailor suited to be the assassin style heel but for some reason he’s stuck in this lame face role. Oh right: Enzo has to be the top heel. What was I thinking?

Video on Tony Nese’s issues with the Zo Train, leading to him getting beaten down by the team.

Nese wants to take the Zo Train out but he understands that Enzo is a global superstar and the money is more than worth it. Akira Tozawa comes up to ask about Nese’s status and gets punched out. To recap: Enzo is the star and everyone else on 205 Live is a worthless nobody. Good to know.

Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa

That’s quite the fast turnaround. Tozawa charges in with some right hands at the bell but Nese hammers him down in the corner. The fake out right hand smacks Nese in the jaw though and Tozawa scores with his backsplash. Nese kicks him in the head though and drops some legs for good measure.

We hit the neck crank and then a chinlock with a bodyscissors to really keep Tozawa down. Tozawa finally comes back with a suplex and now the suicide dive connects. Back in and a good looking pumphandle sitout powerslam gives Nese two but he gets kicked in the head over and over. Tozawa’s top rope backsplash is broken up though and the running knee gives Nese the pin at 6:48.

Rating: C. Tozawa is far more charismatic than Itami and it’s no surprise that I liked his match more. Nese on the other hand is in a weird place as he should be teasing a face turn but I think WWE knows that it would be career suicide. He needs a little more development too as you can only go so far with great abs.

We look at Alexa Bliss breaking up Nia Jax and Enzo’s kiss on Monday.

Drew Gulak/Ariya Daivari vs. Cedric Alexander/Mustafa Ali

Before the match, Gulak asks how we are doing. Drew thinks we need a Best Of list and that means a look back at his best slide. What better way to do that than with a POWERPOINT PRESENTATION??? Cedric cuts him off again and Nigel wants to know who is in charge of music.

Alexander points out that we’re in Mustafa’s hometown and Ali has some valid points of his own to make. Ali says these two would never be friends outside of the Zo Train because Daivari is the kind of guy who would look down on a blue collar scrapper like Gulak. All that matters is Enzo would pick Nia Jax over the Zo Train every time, which doesn’t sit well with the villains.

Ali and Daivari start things off with Ariya hammering away with Daivari getting armdragged into an armbar. It’s off to Cedric and Drew, who fight over a wristlock of their own. Ali comes back in with some hard chops but Daivari offers a distraction so Gulak can drop Mustafa from behind. We hit the neck crank and the hometown fans are WAY behind Ali here.

Back up and Ali makes the hot tag for some house cleaning but Alexander gets kneed out to the floor. Alexander gets in a kick to the head though and it’s a hot tag off to Ali, though the fans don’t seem thrilled. A corkscrew flip dive to Daivari wakes them up a bit more and the rolling X Factor gets two. Daivari takes Ali up top but Gulak tells him nothing off the top. That earns Gulak a Lumbar Check and the 054 puts Daivari away at 8:51.

Rating: C. Now stop me if you’ve seen this one before, but odds are you’ve seen this one before. There’s only so much interest to be had in a match (or a show for that matter) when everything of note happens on Raw anymore. The title contenders were crowned on Raw, the #1 contenders match was on Raw and now the title match is going to be on Raw.

Overall Rating: D+. There’s just nothing going on around here and that’s quite the shame. Enzo being gone continues to be a problem whether he’s here or not. When he’s here, he dominates the entire show and nothing else matters. When he’s not here, almost none of the stories goes anywhere because there’s no point to them without Enzo around. Given that your big story is basically “Enzo is awesome and none of us matter”, that’s not the biggest surprise. This was another skippable show, which isn’t going to be made any better when the title match is on Raw, but that’s where 205 is these days.

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