IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 12, 2018
Location: Fed Ex Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Things took a sharp turn around here last week with Hideo Itami interrupting Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy. That’s the first time Itami has hinted at going after the Cruiserweight Title, which would be a bit surprising at this point given how uneventful his time in WWE has been so far. At some point he needs to do something with all of his potential and if this is the best they have for him, so be it. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Itami interfering in last week’s main event. If nothing else it’s an excuse to see that awesome DDT right before the finish.

An angry Drake Maverick says Itami is banned from tonight’s show.

Opening sequence.

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

Lucha House Party has a pinata with Gulak’s face on it. In the back, the villains say they just don’t like high flying so they’ve teamed up to combat it. Kalisto and Gallagher start things off with Gallagher easily taking him to the mat with a waistlock. With a nice wrestling exhibition going on, the announcers debate Watson’s mispronunciation. Dorado and Kendrick come in with the former walking over his back and sticking his tongue out at Kendrick.

Kalisto is back in and climbs onto Dorado’s shoulders for a splash, followed by Metalik’s rope walk splash. A dropkick keeps Kendrick in trouble and it’s one sided in the first few minute. It’s off to Gulak and a hurricanrana sends him to the floor, allowing Dorado to climb onto the ropes and flip dive onto everyone at once. Back in and Gulak just powers Kalisto into the corner so Kendrick can make a blind and pull Kalisto off the ropes for a nasty crash. How dastardly of him.

A suplex sets up a tag to Gulak and it’s time for a cross arm choke. Kalisto fights up but Kendrick distracts the referee, meaning there’s no referee to see the tag. Kendrick comes in legally this time and kicks Kalisto in the face to keep him in trouble. It’s back to Gulak for a half crab Liontamer with an arm trap to show off the submission skills. Kalisto kicks his way to freedom and scores with a middle rope tornado DDT, allowing the hot tag to Metalik.

The middle rope dropkick puts Kendrick down and Dorado comes in again to hurricanrana Gulak, followed by a stepover spinwheel kick to the face ala Rob Van Dam. Everything breaks down and it’s time for a parade of shots to the face. The double Golden Rewind stagger Gulak and Gallagher, leaving Metalik and Kalisto to hit stereo springboard flip dives onto the two of them. That leaves Dorado on his own and Kendrick slaps on the Captain’s Hook but gets rolled up for the pin (with tights, as Gulak had tried earlier) to pin Kendrick at 15:15.

Rating: B. It’s no classic but it feels like the blowoff of the feud and didn’t have Gulak take the fall, which keeps the important one strong. I’m still not sure if the House Party is going to mean anything long term as it’s not like they have anyone to feud with outside of makeshift teams. Still though, they’re fine enough to throw out there in singles and tag matches for some fun high flying.

Itami promises to get his hands on Murphy and Ali.

Speaking of Murphy, he wants Itami but Maverick says no. Ali has asked as well

Ali is ready to get back up against Tony Nese tonight.

Akira Tozawa vs. Steve Irby

Irby has a good look and trunks that say King of the Moonsault. Tozawa smacks away at him but gets kicked in the face to slow him down. That earns him a Shining Wizard and another kick to the face. Some shouting sets up the top rope backsplash for the pin on Irby at 2:26.

Video on the very cocky Lio Rush, who wants to know how you can have two Cruiserweight Title tournaments with out the greatest cruiserweight in the world.

Nese is warming up and says he’s ready to make a statement.

TJP might become a heavyweight and move up to the main roster. Maybe then Maverick will know that he was the big one that got away.

Mustafa Ali vs. Tony Nese

Buddy Murphy is in Nese’s corner. Therefore, here’s Cedric Alexander to even things out. Nese hammers away with left hands in the corner to start but hang on because we need to pose. I mean it’s really all he’s got so he does kind of have to do it. A kick to the head puts Nese on the floor where Murphy offers a distraction, allowing Nese to forearm Ali down.

Looking to keep things simple, Nese picks him up and throws him back first into the post. Back in and the bodyscissors goes on to keep Ali’s ribs in trouble. He avoids the running knee in the corner though and the rolling X Factor gets two. Nese is right back with strikes of his own though and a double clothesline puts them both down.

Back up and Nese hits another clothesline, followed by a pumphandle driver for another near fall. Ali shoves him off the top though and it’s Cedric and Murphy getting in a fight on the floor. They fight up the ramp, leaving Nese to buckle bomb Ali for two more. The running knee misses though and one heck of a tornado DDT plants Nese again. The 054 gives Ali the pin at 10:09.

Rating: C+. I liked the match, but it felt like some of the middle of the match was missing and was turned into the finish. In other words, it felt like the last part went on long but there wasn’t much of the middle part to build us up there. Either way, Ali continues to be a nearly guaranteed good match and that needs to lead somewhere for him somewhere down the line.

Post match Ali says he wants a triple threat next week with himself vs. Murphy vs. Itami. Backstage, Maverick makes the match.

Overall Rating: B. Another solid show here but it really does amaze me how completely inconsequential this show has become. They followed up on Itami’s angle last week but it still wasn’t the biggest thing in the world. They’re doing a logical move story progression though and that’s a fine way to go about things. Just find a way to make this feel even remotely important and it would be that much better.

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: April 3, 2018
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

It’s go home week for Wrestlemania and that means it’s the go home show for 205 Live as well. In this case we have a Cruiserweight Title match set for Sunday’s Kickoff Show, which means they might be able to set up some extra stuff this week. It’s hard to say what else is going on, but Buddy Murphy is being pushed strong as well. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening preview focuses on Hideo Itami/Akira Tozawa vs. Lucha House Party. It’s a smart move to focus on things other than the title match as they need something to go with after Sunday. We’ll also get a preview of the tournament final.

Opening sequence.

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

Itami and Metalik start things off with Hideo wasting no time in taking him to the mat and posing. Instead of following up, Itami shoves Dorado in the face, allowing Metalik to score with a superkick. Dorado comes in for two off a standing moonsault but it’s off to Tozawa to kick Metalik down without much effort.

The backsplash connects but Metalik reverses into a crucifix for two of his own. A hard right hand drops Metalik again and the villainous dominance continues. Metalik gets in a right hand and is promptly kicked down. A kick of his own is enough for the hot tag to Dorado, who strikes away as well. Itami’s demands for respect earn him the Golden Rewind and a big flip dive to the floor drops Itami again. Tozawa adds a dive of his own and a BIG twisting corkscrew dive from Metalik drops everyone at once. Back in and Itami goes for Metalik’s mask and everything breaks down, drawing the double DQ at 7:27.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one but you can see the Tag Team Title feud being set up from here. Itami is better in this role as Tozawa has more than enough charisma to make up for Itami’s severe lack thereof. Lucha House Party is a nice team in this role and that’s all they need to be until we get a big threat to beat them down.

Itami and Tozawa leave the masked guys laying.

Drew Gulak isn’t disappointed that his match with Mark Andrews has been canceled due to injury, but he wants Andrews to be healthy. He had a PowerPoint presentation ready about why he would keep the Gulock (dragon sleeper) on for a long time, but one slide summed it up: because he could. If you step to him, you tap out. Serious Gulak is a fun Gulak.

Andrews says he’s coming around the world to make things right against Gulak.

Tony Nese vs. Jonathan Pierce

Pierce brings it to Nese to start but Nese moonsaults over him and nips into a kick to the ribs to take over. That’s enough for Pierce who tries to walk out but gets clotheslined for his efforts. Back in and a springboard into a Lionsault gets two, followed by Pierce getting caught on the top. The running knee in the corner ends Pierce at 2:56.

Kalisto is checking on his buddies when he runs into Buddy Murphy. Buddy says tonight isn’t personal but Kalisto is standing in his way of being Cruiserweight Champion.

Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy

It’s an early stalemate to start until Murphy uses the size to run him over, meaning it’s time to crank on the arm. Back up and Kalisto tries a headscissors but Murphy cartwheels out in a bit of a surprise. Kalisto goes up top for a spinning armdrag (not much of a move for such a big start) and it’s another stalemate. With nothing else working, Murphy slaps on an abdominal stretch but Kalisto climbs the ropes and spins onto Buddy’s back for a sleeper. Cool counter.

A DDT gives Kalisto two and they head to the apron with Murphy suplexing him onto the apron in a sick crash. Back in and a hard Irish whip into the corner keeps the pressure on Kalisto’s back but a spinning kick to the head drops Murphy. Kalisto springboards into a reverse hurricanrana but Murphy drops him back with an electric chair for a sweet counter. A hurricanrana driver gives Kalisto two and it’s back outside, this time with Murphy hitting a monkey flip onto the announcers’ table.

That’s only good for nine as the fans are WAY into this. Back in and a powerbomb gets two on Kalisto as we get 205 and FIGHT FOREVER chants. Kalisto’s rolling kick to the head sets up a Code Red for two of his own as the fans are losing their minds over these kickouts. Back up and a bad looking Murphy’s Law (Murphy didn’t get underneath him enough) is enough for the pin at 14:49.

Rating: B+. This is the kind of match that the show should have been built around in the first place. These guys were beating the heck out of each other with as many high impact moves as they could think of until one of them couldn’t get up. I have a blast with this and Murphy is clearly the top challenger for whoever comes out of Wrestlemania as champion. Check this out if you have the chance.

Drake Maverick talks about how many great things have come from the Cruiserweight Title tournament. He pleads with us to make sure to see the Kickoff Show because Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali are going to tear the house down. That’s the match that everyone is going to be talking about. As usual, Maverick is a heck of a hype man and has some incredible emotion in his promos.

We get a long and very well done video on the Cruiserweight Title match. Both of their paths to the title match is chronicled, including how they’re both ready to win the title on the grandest stage of them all. Ali is making his pay per view debut on Sunday, which is quite the way to start.

Overall Rating: B. The main event and final hype video alone are worth checking out and I want to see the Cruiserweight Title match. This was a solid episode of the show and showcased what these people are capable of doing. It also makes you feel like so much of the first year was such a waste as this style is as entertaining as you can get. Really solid show here and the title match should be a blast.

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