IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: March 27, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Jon Quasto, Aiden English

We’re still in the new version of the show here and that’s the kind of thing that 205 Live has been needing. It’s just a showcase show these days with no pressure or stories, but more importantly they don’t have the vanishing crowds or extended shows. It’s a good sign, even though the show is little more than filler on the Network. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Isaiah Scott vs. Joaquin Wilde

Wilde goes with the hammerlock on the mat to start before switching over to the armbar. Scott is right back up and they trade headscissors to a standoff. Another headscissors sends Scott to the floor but he pulls the ring skirt aside to trap Wilde. Some kicks to the back set up some forearms to the face as Scott is a bit more aggressive this time. The chinlock sets up a Gory Stretch of all things, cranking the arms together rather hard.

Scott even leans down into a backslide for two but Wilde is fine enough to shove him off the top. A top rope hurricanrana sends Scott outside again, followed by a ram into the announcers’ table. Back in and Scott blocks a tornado DDT, setting up the slugout. Scott gets the better of things and hits the House Call for two, only to have Wilde get in a kick to the head. Wilde goes up top, only to get pulled down into a flipping slam (Quasto calls it a pop up Michinoku Driver so good enough) for the pin at 8:34.

Rating: C+. Scott is officially on a roll around here and it would be nice if he had somewhere to go as a result. This was a good enough match and that’s all it needed to be. The entirety of 205 Live has turned into little more than good exhibitions and until things change in a big way, that’s all it needs to be.

We look at Jordan Devlin retaining the Cruiserweight Title on NXT UK.

Tony Nese vs. Oney Lorcan

Nese bails to the corner to start as the announcers bicker about whether or not Lorcan cheated in the elimination tag. Nese’s hammerlock doesn’t get him very far so Lorcan takes it down into a headscissors on the mat. That’s reversed into a front facelock, which is reversed into a quickly broken Fujiwara armbar. That means a standoff until Nese is right back with another chinlock.

Lorcan slips out in a hurry and starts cranking on the wrist before going to a headscissors. Back up and they strike it out with Nese having to bail to the floor. That doesn’t last long as Nese elbows him down and slaps on a bodyscissors to keep Lorcan down for a bit. Lorcan fights up again and hits the running Blockbuster for two but Nese snaps the throat across the top. The Lionsault gets two and it’s a German suplex into the corner. The running Nese finishes Lorcan at 9:47.

Rating: C. Just a match here though Nese getting a win is a nice way to keep him relevant around here. I’m still a little tired of him after his rather long time around this show but he’s established and fine enough in the ring. Lorcan is rather hot and cold most of the time and this was another week where he was fine but lost again, as tends to be his case.

Overall Rating: C+. I know it’s a nothing show but this has turned into something fairly refreshing most of the time. They don’t waste time with nonsense and are in and out with nothing going on that shakes things up these days. Just go with what they need to do and get out, which might have been the solution all along: let the wrestlers wrestle and stop pretending that this show is ever going to matter.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: March 25, 2020
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton

We’re back to a little more normal this time around with NXT having regular matches instead of a mini documentary show like last week. Since there was no Takeover: Tampa Bay, those matches and stories will have to be addressed and HHH will be here tonight to start that process. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano getting in their huge brawl last week.

Tom Phillips confirms that matches originally scheduled for Takeover will be taking place on NXT TV instead.

Austin Theory vs. Tyler Breeze

Theory has his own phone with him to mock Breeze. The lockup goes nowhere so Theory talks trash, saying he’s the future and Breeze is the past. Back up and Breeze hits a dropkick, allowing him to chill on the top rope for a bit. The Supermodel Kick has Theory distracted so Breeze hits a clothesline instead. Theory is right back with a running Blockbuster though and the pace slows down a bit. The reverse chinlock keeps Breeze down and Theory keeps talking trash about how great he is. A rolling dropkick puts Breeze on the floor and we take a break.

Back with Theory hitting a spinning torture rack bomb for two, meaning Breeze needs to roll outside again. Theory throws him through the barricade (Theory: “LET’S TAKE A PICTURE TYLER!”) and hits a Buckle Bomb back inside. Breeze hits a quick Supermodel Kick for two and Theory slows down a bit. He’s fine enough to go up top and hit a shot to the back of the neck for two. A bunch of stomping has Breeze down but Theory goes to get his phone and film himself talking trash. That lets Breeze come back with the Beauty Shot for the pin at 13:25.

Rating: C. They’ve got something with Theory, who is only lacking experience to get him to the next level. The loss here doesn’t mean much as the idea is that he spent too much time bragging, meaning that he could come back a lot more serious next time and win a rematch in more dominant fashion. Good storytelling here, and Theory will be fine.

Post match Breeze grabs Theory’s phone for his own selfie.

Killian Dain vs. Tehuti Miles

Miles gets an entrance and has some swagger to him. Some early shots have little effect on Dain and it’s a pump kick to put Miles on the floor. Back in and Dain knees him in the chest as the beating is on. The neck crank goes on for a bit but Dain misses a charge into the post. Dain forearms him in the head though and hits the backsplash. The Vader Bomb finishes Miles at 3:43.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here and that’s something Dain needs. He keeps going away and coming back for matches like this so if they want to push him, they have to reignite him every little while. The match wasn’t the point here and there’s nothing wrong with having something like this involved, as they kept it short and dominant.

Cameron Grimes vs. Tony Nese

Grimes doesn’t think much of the bicep pose and they lock up in a hurry. Nese takes him down with an armbar, followed by an armdrag into another armbar. A clothesline puts Nese down for two but Nese blocks a powerbomb. Grimes walks into a spinwheel kick and the Lionsault gets two. The sunset driver is countered though and a Superman forearm rocks Nese. He’s fine enough to hit a superkick into the corner though, only to get forearmed again. The Cave In finishes Nese at 5:38.

Rating: C-. This didn’t do much for me but the Cave In always looks good. They didn’t have a ton of time here but at least Nese made him sweat a bit. Grimes is someone who could go somewhere around here and that’s a good thing to have no matter where you are. Not a bad match, but it didn’t go very far.

We look at Aliyah having her nose broken by Xia Li four months ago.

Women’s Title #1 Contenders Qualifying Match: Xia Li vs. Aliyah

Well done on remembering something mostly forgettable that happened four months ago. Hold on though as Li has been attacked. We need a replacement.

Women’s Title #1 Contenders Qualifying Match: Io Shirai vs. Aliyah

Shirai dropkicks her in the corner to start and shrugs off Aliyah’s right hands. A butterfly backbreaker sets up the perfect moonsault to give Shirai the pin at 1:22. Total squash.

Here’s Keith Lee for a chat. Two weeks ago he powerbombed Dominick Dijakovic but now he knows it was Damian Priest who attacked him. Therefore, he owes Dijakovic an apology so here’s Dijakovic in person. He doesn’t want an apology though because all he cares about is the North American Title.

Lee took the food off of Dijakovic’s family’s plate, but here’s Priest to interrupt. He wants the title because it will give him more women, money and legacy, but first he needs to win the title. Lee says the champ is right here so Priest busts out his baton, meaning the three way fight is on. Priest and Lee fight outside so Dijakovic hits a big flip dive to take both of them out and stand tall.

Adam Cole is by the pool and talks about being the longest reigning NXT Champion in history. He’s been thinking about his altercation with the Velveteen Dream and it shook him up a bit. However, he isn’t the only member of the Undisputed Era who wants some of that experience. Therefore, next week, it’s going to be Dream vs. Bobby Fish.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Shane Thorne/Brendan Vink

The rather large Vink shoves Burch around to start and powers him into the corner for the tag off to Thorne. That means it’s time to start in on the arm so Burch fights up without much trouble and hands it off to Lorcan. It’s already back to Vink for a Rock Bottom out of the corner to plant Lorcan for two more. Burch gets over for the hot tag a few seconds later though as everything breaks down. A dropkick puts Vink down and the Crossface goes on, followed by Lorcan’s half crab on Thorne for the double tap at 3:44.

Rating: C-. Just a quick match here to keep up Lorcan and Burch’s ability to wrestle on more shows than is healthy for anyone around. I’m not sure if they are ever going to become Tag Team Champions but they can have a good match against almost anyone so it makes sense to keep them strong. The Aussies were fine enough here, but they were just there to get beaten up.

Women’s Title #1 Contenders Qualifying Match: Candice LeRae vs. Kayden Carter

LeRae headlocks her down to start and grabs a rollup for two. They trade stereo missed dropkicks for a standoff and seem to wait around for applause that isn’t coming. Carter takes over with a whip into the corner and clotheslines her down a few times. A running knee to the face gives Carter two more but she has to roll out of the Gargano Escape attempt. LeRae misses a Lionsault but slips out of a rollup and grabs the Gargano Escape for the tap at 4:29.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t very good with little more than Candice shrugging off some clotheslines until she got in the hold for the win. I get why NXT would want to see her in the ladder match but it still wasn’t all that much to see. The Lionsault didn’t look great either, and the whole match just didn’t give me anything to care about.

Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong

There are no seconds here and Riddle does fist bumps with the non-existent fans. They go to the mat to start with neither of them being able to get the better of it. That’s the same result when they try it again so they do it a third time with Strong grabbing a front facelock. Riddle shoves him away to the ropes so Strong tries striking away. Strong drops him ribs across the top rope and we take a break.

Back with Riddle fighting out of a camel clutch and kicking away to put Strong in the corner. A t-bone suplex looks to set up a running kick to the chest but Strong reverses it into the Strong Hold. That doesn’t last long either so it’s the Bro To Sleep for two on Strong instead. The Bro Derek is broken up as well so Strong hits an Angle Slam for two. Strong hits the running forearms against the ropes, only to try one too many and get caught in the Bro Derek for the pin at 10:53.

Rating: B-. This was a good grappling match to start and then turned into a fight, but it never got close to the next level. It didn’t help that neither partner was here and the feud between the two teams seems to have wrapped up. Riddle didn’t seem to be in much trouble here either and that kept things slow as well. Good match, but you would expect more.

Post match two big guys come out and beat Riddle up, despite his best efforts to fight back. Cue the debuting Malcolm Bivens (formerly Stokely Hathaway) to say it’s a shame that Pete Dunne isn’t here because this is the future of the tag team division. No names are given but I think the point was made.

Here’s HHH to address the Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano war. Before he can get that far though, here’s Ciampa to interrupt. He knows it’s time to end this with Gargano and wants him out here now. HHH says there can be no physicality between the two of them tonight and tells Gargano to get out here as well. Gargano comes out and stands on the stage because he knows Ciampa will start something. Why was Gargano fined for wrecking the Performance Center when Ciampa started things in the first place?

HHH doesn’t want to hear it and tells Gargano to get in the ring. He understands what the two of them are doing because he and Shawn Michaels did it as well. This has to end and it should end on the biggest stage in the world. Gargano says it was supposed to end last year but Ciampa broke his neck. It’s a shame Gargano didn’t get to break Ciampa’s neck for him. Gargano knows this has to end and says they can do it anywhere. Put a ring in an empty building and give them a referee so they can finish it.

HHH says that works for him and we’ll do it in two weeks. After that, it’s done and neither can touch each other after or they’re gone. Gargano promises to prove that he’s the better man and wrestler….and those videos about death pop up on the screen. This time, a voice is included speaking something other than English, with Killer Kross’ face appearing a few times. A clock hits midnight to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. It was good enough and I like where things are going, but at the same time it felt rather flat in a lot of ways. That is going to be the case for a lot of these shows going forward and there aren’t a lot of ways around that reality. Having the Takeover matches is a good idea though and hopefully we can get somewhere else in the future with some other stories. Not a bad show, but at least it worked well enough.

Results

Tyler Breeze b. Austin Theory – Beauty Shot

Killian Dain b. Tehuti Miles – Vader Bomb

Cameron Grimes b. Tony Nese – Cave In

Io Shirai b. Aliyah – Moonsault

Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan b. Brendan Vink/Shane Thorne – Crossface to Vink

Matt Riddle b. Roderick Strong – Bro Derek

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: March 13, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Jon Quasto, Aiden English

And then everything changes. Instead of wrestling in front of a shrinking crowd after a show or a filing in crowd before a show, they’re wrestling in front of no one because this show is cursed. It’s actually a big show this time around with an elimination tag between Team NXT and Team 205 Live Originals. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Team NXT vs. Team 205 Live Originals

NXT – Isaiah Scott, Tyler Breeze, Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan, ???

205 Live – Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, Brian Kendrick, Jack Gallagher, Mike Kanellis

The Singh Brothers are here with the 205 Live originals and NXT’s mystery partner is….Kushida. Nese takes Kushida down to start and strikes the pose but Kushida is right back up with a wristlock. That’s broken up so Kushida hits the handspring elbow, meaning it’s off to Kanellis vs. Burch. The latter works on the arm and hands it off to Lorcan for more of the same. Nese comes back in to forearm Lorcan in the face but it’s already back to Burch for some right hands.

Burch throws Nese outside but has to beat up the Singhs. The distraction doesn’t mean much as Burch grabs a Crossface on Nese, causing everything to break down. That leaves Nese and Burch in the ring so the distracted referee misses the Singhs coming in. Burch takes care of them but a camera shot to the face lets Nese get rid of Burch at 5:32.

Nese stomps away at Breeze on the way back in but refuses to tag Gallagher. He’ll tag Kanellis, who tags Nese right back in to stomp on Breeze as well. Gallagher tags himself in though and hammers away but Breeze is right back with a sunset flip. Gallagher counters that with a rollup for the elimination at 7:45 though and 205 Live is up 5-3. Lorcan comes in and gets kicked into the corner before it’s back to Nese….who is promptly half and half suplexed for the elimination at 8:58.

Kanellis is in next and gets chopped in the corner but superkicks Lorcan right back down. Hold on though as Nese pulls Gallagher off the apron, earning himself a headbutt. Gallagher headbutts Kanellis as well, sending him into a rollup from Lorcan for the pin at 10:34. We’re tied up again as Kendrick elbows Lorcan in the back of the neck. Daivari’s neckbreaker gets two and we hit the chinlock (you shouldn’t need that in an elimination tag. Lorcan fights up and it’s a double clothesline for the double knockdown.

Kendrick and Scott come in with the latter cleaning house but a Daivari distraction lets Kendrick knock him to the floor. It’s Daivari coming in legally for a change but he misses a charge into the corner, allowing Scott to roll him up for the elimination at 15:05. Kendrick comes back in and gets small packaged for the pin at 15:13.

That leaves us with Gallagher vs. Scott/Lorcan/Kushida, but Kendrick and Daivari beat Scott up before leaving. Kushida gets sent into the announcers’ table and Lorcan goes into the steps, leaving Gallagher to pound on Scott. Gallagher gets tossed to the floor but comes back in for a discus elbow to get rid of Lorcan at 17:30. A dive off the top takes Scott down and the running dropkick in the corner gets two on Kushida. Gallagher cranks on the arms but Kushida slips out and hits him in the face, allowing Scott to come back in. The House Call gets two and it’s Pop Culture into Kushida’s cross armbreaker for the win at 20:22.

Rating: C+. The thing that makes me happy here is how they built something up and then had a pretty good match. It wasn’t the best show in the world but what we got was good enough for a major match, at least by this show’s standards. I’m not sure if it is enough to go anywhere, at least not with Kendrick and Daivari as such big heels, but all in all, pretty good stuff.

Scott and Kushida show respect but stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. These one idea shows are always weird. This one was good though as it’s an effort and some thought going into this show, and that’s what this show has been lacking for months. I could go for some more of this, though having the title mainly on NXT (or NXT UK at the moment) is making this show seem less and less important every week. Just try in some way though and maybe there can be a need for this thing. Given how the wrestling world is going at the minute, anything is better than nothing.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: March 6, 2020
Location: Keybank Center, Buffalo, New York
Commentators: Jon Quasto, Aiden English

We actually have something to build to for once as next week will see the five on five elimination match between 205 Live Originals and NXT. That has the potential to be an awesome match or the potential to be rather disappointing. Either is equally possible but I’ll take any kind of a direction over none whatsoever. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We open with a look at the end of last week’s show, including the return of Jack Gallagher. Due to the attack, Lio Rush is out of the elimination tag.

Isaiah Scott promises payback and there won’t be a new captain to replace Rush. There will be a fifth member, but no captain.

Isaiah Scott vs. Ariya Daivari

Scott’s attempted armbar sends Daivari straight to the rope so he settles for a dropkick to the side of Daivari’s head. With Daivari out on the floor, Scott kicks him in the head and grabs the modified Rings of Saturn, with Scott using the leg to wrap the arm back. Daivari gets out and hits him in the neck, followed by a hanging neckbreaker to really take over. The throat is laid across the middle rope so Daivari can kick the rope into said throat and we hit a neck pull to keep Scott in trouble.

Back up and Scott scores with a discus lariat and there’s the middle rope elbow to the back of the neck. Some YES Kicks against the ropes set up the rolling Downward Spiral for two on Daivari. Scott has to slip out of the hammerlock lariat and grabs a rollup for two, only to get DDTed for the same. Another hammerlock lariat attempt is broken up and it’s the House Call….for two? With that not working, Scott stomps on the arm to bend it back (Pop Culture) and finishes with the top rope double stomp at 8:34.

Rating: C-. That’s probably as good as you’re going to get from Daivari and it’s nice to see Scott getting a win. I’m not sure what the two of them are going to do in next week’s elimination match but the more Scott and less Daivari the better. The House Call only getting two was weird, but the double stomp might be an even better finisher for Scott.

Tony Nese/Mike Kanellis vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

Nese shoves Burch away to start and hits the bicep pose, only to get knocked down so Burch can do his own. Lorcan comes in to headlock Kanellis but gets run over with a shoulder so it’s back to Burch to take over. A wishbone pull has English wondering how many more kids he can give Maria so Mike slaps Burch in the face. The chase is on outside and Nese gets in a cheap shot to take over.

Back in and the tag brings in Lorcan, who is taken down with a quick blindside clothesline so the villains can stomp away. Kanellis gets two off a knee to the face and we hit the chinlock. Nese comes in for his own chinlock but misses a Lionsault, allowing the hot tag to Burch for a kick in the corner. A DDT out of said corner puts Kanellis down but Nese breaks up a Doomsday Device. The pumphandle slam/middle rope knee to the head finishes Burch at 8:31.

Rating: C. Better match than the opener here and hopefully we get something bigger and better next week in the huge elimination tag. Burch and Lorcan are great for the face tag team around here as they can have good matches against anyone and that includes getting Kanellis and Nese over as a team. Fine enough match and that’s what you need for the 205 Live version of a go home show.

Overall Rating: C. That’s what they’ve been building towards for a few weeks now and if that goes well, I’m curious to see where this is going. If nothing else, it’s nice to see the show getting ANY kind of attention after months of nothing. Just please let next week work. Otherwise, I’m not sure what else is going to actually matter around here because they don’t even have to build up an entire show, but just one match. Make it work and have even a passable mystery partner and everything should work out well enough.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: February 28, 2020
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Joe Quasto, Aiden English

It’s time for a special edition of the show, and by that I mean one that was taped before Smackdown went on the air. My guess is that this is just due to the travel situation because it would make too much sense to do this regularly. We’re coming up on the big ten man tag match so maybe we have something good here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Raul Mendoza vs. Joaquin Wilde

Rematch from last week when Mendoza won to even their series. Mendoza hits a running dropkick for an early one and we’re already in the armbar. That’s switched to a cobra clutch but Wilde fights up and gets in a powerbomb off the ropes. Wilde sends him outside for a flip dive, followed by a kick to the chest for two back inside.

They fight on the corner with Mendoza saying that Wilde isn’t better than him, earning himself a super hurricanrana for two. Mendoza snaps off a Spanish Fly for his own two and a pumphandle driver is good for the same. The Wilde Thing is countered so Wilde gets two off a backslide before ducking Mendoza’s running kick to the chest. Mendoza knees him in the face but a bottom rope Lionsault hits knees. The Wilde Thing into a rollup finishes Mendoza at 8:12.

Rating: C+. These two have good chemistry together and that’s what matters. It’s a fun, fast paced match and after weeks of the Singhs and Ariya Daivari having the same boring matches week after week, this is a huge upgrade. Now do something with them and send them to other stories around here so they can stay fresh. That’s how you build something from scratch, which is what they need to do around here.

Here are the teams for the elimination tag in two weeks:

Team NXT: Lio Rush (Captain), Tyler Breeze, Isaiah Scott, Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan

Team 205 Live: Tony Nese (Captain), Mike Kanellis, Jack Gallagher, Brian Kendrick, Ariya Daivari

Lio Rush vs. Tony Nese

Mike Kanellis is here with Nese. Hold on as Nese needs to pose at the bell. That’s not cool with Rush, who hammers away but gets taken into the corner by straight power. Rush hammers away and grabs a springboard hurricanrana, only to get kicked in the face. Nese gets sent outside and it’s a springboard flip dive to take him down. Back in and Nese hits a fireman’s carry gutbuster and grabs a bodyscissors but Rush is back with a rollup for two.

Nese kicks him down again and hits a Lionsault for two of his own. Rush knocks him off the top for a high crossbody but Nese spinwheel kicks him down. A backbreaker sets up a Boston crab to put Rush in more trouble so he grabs a rope. Kanellis’ distraction doesn’t work so Rush hits the springboard Stunner, drawing in Kanellis for the DQ at 10:00.

Rating: C+. Another good back and forth match here to help set up the big tag. As usual, it’s a good idea to have a match like this end in a DQ so you don’t put one of the wrestlers at a disadvantage going into the elimination tag. Rush continues to show off very well in matches like this because he can move in a way that no one else can. Good match here, and the ending sets up more stuff in the future.

Post match the beatdown is on but Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan come out for the save. The four of them brawl to the back, leaving Rush alone. This brings out the returning Jack Gallagher to beat Rush down and plant him with a headbutt. Gallagher takes off his tracksuit to reveal a bunch of tattoos, making him look a bit like Conor McGregor.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a big upgrade over recent weeks for the simple reason that there was a focus. There was a point to the show and it felt like they were building to something for a change. I can go for that after weeks of lackluster shows and matches that meant nothing. This show was also about fifteen minutes shorter than the usual edition and it helped a lot. I don’t think that’s going go be the case going forward, but it’s nice for a one off show.

Results

Joaquin Wilde b. Raul Mendoza – Wilde Thing

Lio Rush b. Tony Nese via DQ when Mike Kanellis interfered

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: February 14, 2020
Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Commentators: Jon Quasto, Aiden English

We have a new #1 contender now that Lio Rush defeated Angel Garza last week on NXT. Notice that the big stuff is taking place there, which isn’t a good sign for anything going on with this show. Then again there hasn’t been anything to get excited about around here for years now and that hasn’t changed a thing. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a look at Rush beating Garza last week.

Opening sequence.

Singh Brothers vs. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch

The Brothers are the hometown boys and come out in Vancouver Canucks jerseys. They actually get a big face reaction for a change and I don’t know how to handle this. The two of them met Wayne Gretzky at some point and he told them to have fun….and get out of Vancouver as soon as possible. They pull off their jerseys to reveal Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys, which bring out Lorcan and Burch to start the fight in a hurry.

Sunil offers a distraction though so Samir can take over as we really get going. A double superkick lets Samir dance some more and the chinlock goes on. Samir comes in for a front facelock and an elbow to the face gets two. The chinlock continues the theme we’re working on here but Lorcan fights up and gets over to Burch for the hot tag. Everything breaks down and a double superkick sets up the Bollywood Blast for two on Burch. Lorcan takes care of Sunil and it’s the elevated DDT to plant Samir for the pin at 5:59.

Rating: D+. As weird as it is to see the Singhs as faces (at least for a second), it doesn’t make the match any better. They’re not good at keeping interest and we’ve seen them so many time snow that there’s no reason to car about anything going on. Burch and Lorcan are far ahead of them on the totem pole and that doesn’t leave us with much to get excited about here.

Post match Brian Kendrick and Ariya Daivari run in to beat down Burch and Lorcan with a chair. It’s like my nightmares coming together.

Video on Joaquin Wilde.

Video on Raul Mendoza. He meets Wilde last week.

Lio Rush has been up against aces his whole life and he’s going to be the next Cruiserweight Champion.

Jordan Devlin tweeted a response, basically saying nu uh.

Kendrick and Daivari are STILL in the ring with Kendrick bashing Canadians everywhere. We get some of the most generic Canadian jokes and Daivari says that they’re OG’s around here. The two of them are going to be wrestling tonight so get some opponents out here.

Brian Kendrick/Ariya Daivari vs. Tony Nese/Mike Kanellis

You have to pay for the baby somehow. Kanellis and Nese jump them to start and it’s a brawl at the bell. Kendrick grabs Nese’s foot so Daivari can take over, plus yell at Canadians as a bonus. Nese fights up and drop toeholds Daivari into a Kanellis’ knee. Commentary actually uses CONTINUITY to talk about Kanellis and Kendrick being friends when Kanellis most recently disappeared. I’m as shocked as you are.

Kendrick pulls Daivari away from the springboard moonsault and it’s a camel clutch to keep Nese in trouble. That’s broken up with a quick jawbreaker and it’s back to Kanellis to pick up the pace. A spinebuster gets two on Kendrick but Daivari low bridges Kanellis to the floor. The kneebar has Kanellis in more trouble and Daivari grabs a chinlock. That’s broken up and it’s a double clothesline to put them both down. It’s Nese coming in to clean house again with Kendrick being thrown outside.

Now the moonsault connects for two on Daivari and it’s a pumphandle slam/top rope knee to the head combination to plant him again. Kendrick makes the save and grabs the Captain’s Hook on Kanellis, which is broken up as well. Nese’s 450 gets two on Daivari with Kendrick making another save and it’s Sliced Bread to put Nese down. The Persian Lion splash gets two more and it’s time for the chairs. Cue the bandaged Lorcan and Burch for the distraction so Nese can roll Daivari up for the pin at 14:07.

Rating: C-. It was halfway to being a MOVEZ match and that’s not the best thing in the world to see. It was weird to see Nese and Kanellis as the de facto faces here. That’s not exactly how you tend to see them out there and the match was good enough, but making me care about Kendrick and Daivari just isn’t happening.

Burch and Lorcan grab the chairs and clean house to end the show.

Overall Rating: D-. To recap: we have a show long angle involving Ariya Daivari and the Singhs. How in the world is that supposed to be something that makes me want to come back and watch again later? The wrestling wasn’t good and the story (not stories) was even worse. Mike Kanellis returning as a highlight isn’t an acceptable result but that’s what we were given this week. Just do…something. I don’t know what it needs to be, but do something.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: February 7, 2020
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Joe Quasto, Aiden English

This show continues to vex me every single week. I’m not sure what to expect here but that never changes on any given week. The big deal this week is Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin is here for the first time. If nothing else, maybe he can bring some energy into the show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari/Brian Kendrick

This has been built up over a few weeks. Lorcan punches Kendrick to the floor at the bell but it’s Daivari being thrown inside instead of Kendrick. Burch gets the tag as the fast paced start continues. Some kicks to the head have the villains in trouble but Daivari trips Burch down. Leave it to him to stop something entertaining.

Kendrick gets in some choking on the ropes and it’s Daivari coming back in to work on the knee. We’re already back to Kendrick with a leglock but Burch breaks it up in a hurry. The hot tag brings in Lorcan as everything breaks down. Daivari brings in a chair but it gets dropkicked into his face because Daivari is rather inept. Lorcan grabs the chair as well and hits Daivari with it for the DQ at 6:34.

Rating: D+. Just a tag match here until the ending, which likely sets up a rematch that the world is waiting for. The problem is Burch and Lorcan are a fine midcard (if not a bit higher) tag team but Kendrick and Daivari….well they’re Kendrick and Daivari. They’re such low level villains that there’s no reason to worry about what they’re doing to Burch and Lorcan. But now we’ll get to see it happen again because we’re that lucky.

Post match Burch tells Lorcan to get the tables but Kendrick and Daivari bail in time.

Singh Brothers vs. Joe Furrer/Devon Dixie

Sunil starts with Dixie but hold on because the Brothers need to dance. A middle rope clothesline means, of course, more dancing. Samir comes in for a double basement dropkick and the Paisan elbow gets two. We hit the neck crank and Sunil comes in to clap his movie slate. Dixie tries his comeback and gets powerbombed down. A double superkick gets rid of Furrer and the Bollywood Blast finishes Dixie at 3:24.

Rating: D-. What is there to say at this point? These guys have done the same match with the same shtick for the better part of a year now and they still aren’t going anywhere. It’s another match that doesn’t advance anyone and more TV time wasted on people who might be able to develop into something. Another nothing match and that’s all you ever get with these guys.

Tony Nese vs. Lio Rush vs. Jordan Devlin

Non-title. Rush dropkicks Nese down to start and gets headlocked for his efforts. Devlin gets kicked in the face but it’s Nese coming back in to snap Rush’s throat across the top rope. Nese strikes away at Devlin, who snaps off a DDT for two. Devlin slips out of a pumphandle slam from Nese and Rock Bottoms Rush onto Nese, setting up the standing moonsault.

It’s Rush being sent outside so Devlin elbows Nese in the head, only to be legswept out to the floor. Back in and Devlin’s standing Spanish Fly gets two on Rush as Nese is down on the floor. Devlin works on Rush’s ribs before switching to a neck crank. Nese is back in to break it up so he and Devlin crotch Rush on top. Rush knocks them both down though and hits a double high crossbody. The springboard Stunner hits Devlin and there’s one for Nese as well with the latter kicking out.

The Final Hour is loaded up but Nese rolls to the floor, with Devlin moonsaulting onto Rush. Nese hits his Fosbury Flop onto Devlin before sending Rush over the announcers’ table. Devlin’s slingshot cutter gets two on Nese with Rush making the save. A headbutt sends Rush into the corner but Nese grabs the Sunset Driver for two on Devlin. Nese’s 450 misses Devlin but he gets his knees up to stop a quick Final Hour from Rush. Nese hits a second 450 on Rush but gets pulled into the Devlin Side for the pin at 12:40.

Rating: B. This was your standard yet exciting triple threat match, even with the cousin of the annoying ending (at least Devlin didn’t pin Rush after throwing Nese outside). Devlin had to win here and while it would have made more sense for Nese to face him one on one after Nese beat Rush two weeks ago, at least we had some good action to make this one work. Good main event.

Post match Devlin says he’s keeping the title for a long time because you never bet against an ace.

Overall Rating: D+. That main event came close to saving the show but my goodness. How in the world do they think that this is the best that they can do for the first half? Throw ANYONE out there from NXT or even the NXT house show circuit and it would be an improvement. I know none of the WWE higher ups care about this show so maybe swap some people in for Daivari and the Singhs to see who else is out there? This has become Friday night Main Event (or at least parts of it have) and that’s a very bad thing to see.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: January 24, 2020
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Commentators: Jon Quasto, Aiden English

What is there left to say about this show at this point? The show has turned the clock all the way back to the beginning when there is almost nothing going on and a bunch of people just having random matches for no particular reason. That’s a horrible shame given what this show can be but if WWE doesn’t want to try, there isn’t much that can be done. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ariya Daivari vs. Tyler Breeze

Yeah, because THIS needed a rematch. Breeze snaps off a dropkick to start and hammers away in the corner, possibly trying to let out some frustration at being stuck with Daivari. They head outside for a few seconds with Daivari taking over and hammering away back inside. Another dropkick puts Daivari in the corner but he’s right back with a kick to the face. A neckbreaker across the middle rope gives Daivari two and the chinlock stays on Breeze’s neck.

Breeze breaks out of that in a hurry and sends him outside so Daivari comes right back in with a bunch of right hands. A neck stretch/pull slows Breeze down again but he’s back up for stereo crossbodies. Breeze kicks away and hits a lariat for two, followed by a catapult into the corner. The Supermodel kick gets two and the Unprettier is the same with Daivari getting his foot on the rope. The Beauty Shot misses but so does the hammerlock lariat, allowing Breeze to counter a sunset flip into a cradle for the pin at 9:24.

Rating: C-. The wrestling was decent enough but it was a boring rematch of a match that wasn’t very good in the first place, featuring one of the least interesting people in WWE today. For some reason they keep putting him out here while a bunch of people are sitting on the sidelines. When someone is making you long for Mike Kanellis, you can tell something is bad.

Post break, Daivari gets to the back and Brian Kendrick offers some friendship. We’re really doing this again???

Brian Kendrick vs. Danny Burch

Fallout from Kendrick hitting him low a few weeks back. Burch starts fast by knocking Kendrick around, setting up a Thesz press with right hands (must be a bald guy in black trunks thing). Kendrick gets knocked outside so Burch sends him head first into the steps a few times. A Russian legsweep into the post rocks Burch though and Kendrick grabs the Captain’s Hook back inside.

Burch reaches a rope so Kendrick slaps it on again. This time it’s broken up so Burch uppercuts away, setting up a middle rope dropkick for two. Burch’s headbutt to the chest gets two so Kendrick rakes the eyes. Sliced Bread #2 is broken up and Burch hits another clothesline as Daivari is back. The distraction lets Kendrick grab a rollup and hold Daivari’s hands for the pin at 8:04.

Rating: D+. Daivari. Again. Somehow they actually see something in him??? DAIVARI??? I don’t get it and I don’t want to get it, with Kendrick being better but not a lot better by any stretch. This is a great example of what is killing the show from a wrestling standpoint and while there are other problems, nothing is going to get better while this is one of the top storylines.

Lio Rush vs. Tony Nese

They talk trash to start until Nese runs him over with a shoulder. That’s brought back with an enziguri but Nese is right back with the left hands to the face. It’s way too early for the 450 though and Rush rolls to the apron. Nese is sent outside for the hard suicide dive but he sends Rush at the steps, with Rush diving over them with ease.

Back in and Nese kicks him in the head for two and there’s a hard whip into the corner. A dropkick gives Nese two and we hit the bodyscissors. Rush fights up and slips out of a pumphandle slam, setting up the rapid fire strikes to the face. The springboard Stunner gives Rush two but Nese kicks him down again.

The Lionsault misses so Nese hits the pumphandle powerslam for two more. Rush strikes away again and kicks Nese off the top, only to have the Final Hour broken up again. Both guys go up top and punch each other to the floor for the big crash. Nese throws him over the announcers’ table though and that’s enough to win by countout at 11:32.

Rating: C. It was better than some of the matches we’ve been seeing around here lately and a lot of that is due to Rush’s athleticism. It’s weird that he was so good as the annoying hype man for Bobby Lashley and now he’s getting rather awesome as the simple hero. It’s working well so roll with it, though having him lose by countout here wasn’t the most thrilling way to wrap up a bad show.

Overall Rating: D. I’m not sure what you want me to say here. This show has gone from something interesting and entertaining to little more than a place to put cruiserweights with nothing else to do. The wrestling was nothing you need to see and the idea of watching Daivari and Kendrick as the new big bads, especially after Daivari has lost to Breeze two weeks in a row, makes me sad about what we could have around here compared to what we’re getting.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: January 3, 2020
Location: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Aiden English

It’s back to this show as we couldn’t just continue with the Best Of format that worked so well to end the show. Angel Garza is the new Cruiserweight Champion and needs something to do around here, which we might start setting up tonight. Or more random matches like back when the show first started. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Garza defeating Lio Rush to win the title in December.

Opening sequence.

The announcers welcome us to the show and Aiden wants to have more fun this year.

Ariya Daivari vs. Danny Burch

During his entrance, Daivari talks about needing to protect the division because he’s a 205 Live original, because we’re still on that for some reason. Daivari runs him over to start and lays on the top as we go to the low camera angle to try and hide the empty seats. Burch works on the arm and takes it to the mat with a headlock.

After a few more headlocks, Burch stomps away in the corner but gets pulled off the middle rope with Burch having to roll outside. Back in and Daivari hits a running knee to the face to set up the chinlock. A reverse DDT gives Daivari two as we continue the match in search of a crowd reaction. Daivari goes to the middle rope, mocks the Jerry Lawler strap drop (ok that was good), and dives into a raised boot.

Burch starts his comeback with uppercuts and the middle rope dropkick, followed by the headbutt for two. The Crossface is broken up in a hurry and Daivari gets his own two off an Iconoclasm. Burch is right back with the Crossface but a masked man, who is pretty clearly Brian Kendrick, jumps the barricade as Daivari taps. The distracted Burch lets go and it’s the hammerlock lariat to finish Burch at 11:29.

Rating: D. It wasn’t even that bad of a match but anything involving Daivari and Kendrick just shows you how dull and stale this show is. Kendrick can do some good things but we’ve seen him so many times now that it doesn’t mean anything. Daivari is far from the worst performer but he’s just so dry and uninteresting with the most generic rich villain character that I groan every time I see him. Terribly uninteresting match, as tends to be the case around here far too often.

Post match Kendrick reintroduces himself to the crowd and talks about starting the cruiserweight division. He wants someone to do something and hits Sliced Bread #2 on Burch. Kendrick smiles at Daivari and DEAR GOODNESS NOT AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN THESE TWO! Come on already people.

Sunil Singh is now a father. That’s rather nice.

We hear about some of the great things to happen to the Singh Brothers in 2019 and Aiden’s resolution of having more fun is ruined.

Singh Brothers vs. Corey Storm/Anthony Wayne

Storm is from OVW for Tom is now a Singhs fan. Wayne gets kneed down to start and it’s a double elbow to the face to make it worse. Storm (Casey according to Tom) comes in and gets stomped down in the corner until Samir is accidentally whipped into the buckle. It’s back to Wayne who looks a bit confused, only to have Sunil kick him in the face. The Bollywood Blast finishes at 2:21.

Tony Nese vs. Angel Garza

Non-title. Garza bails to the floor to start and says it’s his time with the amount of empty seats depressing me even more. They do it again with Garza getting some kisses on the cheek before heading inside to offer a handshake. Nese shoves him away and waistlocks him down as they finally do something.

That means we get some bragging about the abs as commentary has to acknowledge the complete silence from the fans. They fight over a test of strength for a bit until Garza gets in a springboard wristdrag. Garza avoids a whip into the ropes and…..Nese won’t let him TAKE OFF HIS PANTS! They head outside with Nese being sent into the steps so Garza can VIVA MEXICO. Fans: “THIS IS AWFUL!”

Back in and Garza gets two off a kick to the chest, followed by a hanging reverse DDT for the same. Nese finally crotches him on top and we hit the bodyscissors because the fans need a reason to lose even more energy. Garza gets back up and they trade kicks to the face for a double knockdown. The comeback is on with some clotheslines and there’s a wristdrag into the corner. Now GARZA CAN TAKE OFF HIS PANTS and a superkick gets two.

Nese palm strikes him down and snaps off a hurricanrana. They botch….something that looked like a sunset flip and Nese has to fall on top for two. Nese sends him outside again and Garza hits a middle rope moonsault but the Wing Clipper is countered into a suplex. Nese’s Boston crab sends Garza crawling to the rope and they’re back up. Finally willing to put the match out of its misery, Garza blocks the Lionsault and hits the Wing Clipper for the pin at 13:44.

Rating: D-. This is a complicated one because there are two factors at play here. First of all, the match wasn’t very good because they didn’t have a lot of chemistry together and Garza’s charisma was turned off for some reason. That being said, these two were left out there to die in front of a crowd that wouldn’t have reacted had Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan gone out there and had a match. The crowd shook them as they’re capable of having a perfectly good match but we got this disaster instead. A lot of it was their fault but they were in a no win situation.

Overall Rating: F. I know I’ve said this several times before but if this didn’t kill off 205 Live, nothing is going to. Look at this show and tell me what in the world was good about the whole thing. The crowd just was not interested and most of them had left by the time the show was over. What are the wrestlers supposed to do? They’re put in a situation where they can’t do anything about it and the company isn’t willing to change a thing about the show. Awful show in no way is it entirely on the wrestlers.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: December 25, 2019
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida/Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Tom Phillips, Beth Phoenix
Hosts: Pat McAfee, Cathy Kelly, Sam Roberts

It’s a Christmas night show because that’s something we needed this year. Last week’s show was a huge one with Rhea Ripley finally ending Shayna Baszler’s crazy long Women’s Title reign in a great moment. In addition to that, Johnny Gargano returned and annihilated Finn Balor to set up a huge match probably in the near future. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s big (and awesome) show.

The hosts welcome us to the show and do some bickering because that’s what WWE does.

From Full Sail.

Roderick Strong is issuing an open challenge for the North American Title.

North American Title: Roderick Strong vs. ???

Strong is defending against….Austin Theory, making his NXT TV debut. They go to the mat with Strong getting an early near fall and smiling a lot. Strong’s headlock doesn’t last long as Theory flips him over and even offers his cheek without much fear. The trash talk goes to Theory so Strong forearms him in the face and stomps away. Theory is back up with a nice dropkick for one and a hard whip puts Strong into the corner.

A standing moonsault connects for two and they head outside, with Strong hitting an Angle Slam into the post to start in on the back. That’s only good for nine so Strong stomps away again with the aggression starting to flow. Strong hits his own great dropkick and sends Theory outside, only to have Austin roll in….for a backbreaker to give Strong two.

Theory snaps off a snap suplex before rolling through the ropes for another dropkick. The fans are split as Theory kicks Strong away and hits a buckle bomb to rock Strong again. A fisherman’s buster onto the knee gets two on the champ but he’s right back with a superplex. Theory counters a backbreaker though and grabs a torture rack into a spinning powerbomb for his own two.

Strong takes him to the top for a backbreaker onto the buckle but Theory is out again. Theory is right back up with something like a fisherman’s buster onto the apron for a VERY close two and the shock is rather nice. They slug it out with Theory hitting a superkick (Mauro: “AUSTIN THEORY JUST JINGLED HIS BELLS!”) so Strong is right back with End of Heartache. The Stronghold finishes Theory at 16:46.

Rating: B. Theory looked like a potential star here and the fact that he is 22 years old puts him near the heights of Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate who should not be that good at that age. Strong was the right choice of an opponent for him too as he has a style that works with everyone, including Theory, and we got a rather awesome match out of the two of them. This was about Theory doing everything he could and Strong focusing on the back because that’s what he does to set up his finisher. Theory will be back.

Theory gets a standing ovation and we get a lot of replays.

The hosts chat a bit with McAfee shouting a lot.

From Brooklyn, after a Smackdown taping.

Isaiah Scott vs. Jack Gallagher

Scott starts working on the arm but Gallagher grabs a leg to get out. Now it’s Gallagher cranking on the arm and fingers (Beth: “Taking those phalanges to a place they’re not supposed to go!”) and then a chinlock to mix it up a bit. Scott is right back on the arm with something like a short armscissors and Gallagher can’t spin out of things. He finally flips away so Scott dropkicks him in the side of the head.

Scott sends him over the top for a face first drop onto the apron. Back in and we hit the chinlock as they’re certainly keeping things slow and mat based early on. Gallagher slams him away though and we take a break. Back with Scott’s arm a bit banged up but he uses the good arm for a heck of a discus lariat. The middle rope elbow to the back has Gallagher in more trouble and it’s time for some kicks to the chest against the ropes.

A rolling Downward Spiral gives Scott two more and a backbreaker gets him away from Gallagher cranking on the arm. Gallagher headbutts the heck out of him for two of his own and they’re both down. It’s back to Scott’s arm but Scott reverses into an arm hold of his own, only to have Gallagher reverse into a cross armbreaker attempt. Scott reverses that into a Pentagon style arm snap, albeit with his foot instead of pulling back. The House Call is good for the pin on Gallagher at 13:48.

Rating: C+. Scott is someone who has more starts and stops to his run in NXT than I can even imagine. He keeps coming and going without being able to really get very far. That becomes an issue, but the talent is there and he can do all kinds of things in the ring. It helps that the fans are with him and Gallagher is the same way, with the ability to have a good match against anyone.

The hosts talk about how important the Barclays Center has been for NXT.

Next week: the NXT Awards.

From Full Sail.

Candice LeRae vs. Taynara Conti

Conti can’t sneak in a kick to the ribs as LeRae knocks it away and hits a neckbreaker across the middle rope. A suicide dive connects and Candice adds a springboard crossbody to the floor for two. The chinlock goes on but Conti fights out in a hurry and hits a running knee as we take a break.

Back with Conti getting two off a tilt-a-whirl Boss Man Slam and then covering again for a bonus. Candice is so annoyed that she ties her hair back and slaps away, setting up a missile dropkick for her own two. The step up backsplash sets up the Lionsault to finish Conti at 7:55.

Rating: C-. LeRae is someone who can wrestle a fine enough match but she doesn’t exactly break through to the other side. I could see her getting a Cinderella run towards the title but I’m not sure if she will ever win the thing. Conti is fine as a midcard dragon to slay, though she needs to win a few matches to get her back to that status.

Arturo Ruas is coming.

Back to Brooklyn.

Dominick Dijakovic vs. Bronson Reed

They do the power lockup to start with Dijakovic getting the better of things off a headlock. Reed reverses into one of his own as he gets his turn to grind Dijakovic down for a change. An exchange of shoulders goes nowhere so Dijakovic tries and fails at a suplex attempt instead. Reed runs him over and sits on Dijakovic’s back as we take a break.

Back with Reed forearming him in the face and snapping off a German suplex. A running hip attack in the corner gives Reed two and there’s a suplex for the same. Dijakovic still can’t suplex him so he kicks and strikes away instead. Now the toss suplex connects for two on Reed and the Cyclone boot gets the same.

Just to show off, Dijakovic busts out a moonsault for another near fall and the fans are getting into these kickouts. The chokeslam is broken up with headbutts to the hand (that’s a new one) and Reed busts out a middle rope Thesz press for two more. Some headbutts to the head look to set up the splash but Dijakovic catches him on the middle rope with a chokebomb for the pin at 12:16.

Rating: C+. I can go for a good hoss fight like this and that’s what they did here. Reed has gotten to show off multiple times now and I’ve been having a good time watching him look so good. At the same time, Dijakovic is a monster and someone who should be pushed towards the main event in a hurry. He’s that good and NXT knows it.

Video on When Worlds Collide.

Video on Bianca Belair.

Bianca Belair vs. Shotzi Blackheart

Shotzi, recently signed, takes her into the corner to start and snapmares Belair down for blowing bubbles. Belair spins out though and drops a seated senton to take over. A sunset flip doesn’t work for Shotzi and Belair blows more bubbles. This one is broken up with a slap to the face and a springboard hurricanrana sends Belair into the ropes. A running reverse Cannonball against the ropes puts Belair on the floor but she counters a dive and drops Shotzi onto the apron.

Back from a break with Belair clotheslining her down and posing a lot on the cover. Shotzi gets caught with a running dropkick and we hit the cravate. That’s broken up and Shotzi hits a running faceplant to get a breather. There’s a kick to Belair’s head and a rolling faceplant gets two. Shotzi gets creative with a running tornado DDT onto the apron and Belair is rocked. Back in and a big boot misses though, allowing Belair to send her into the corner. The KOD finishes Blackheart at 10:15.

Rating: C. This was a way to showcase Shotzi and that worked out well enough. You knew she wasn’t going to beat a bigger star like Belair but at least she hit a bunch of nice stuff. It was designed as a get to know you match and for what it was, that worked out well enough. Shotzi is going to need some more work but she had a good first outing here so at least her first foot came off well.

The hosts discuss Shotzi and the women’s division.

Keith Lee/Lio Rush vs. Tony Nese/Damian Priest

What an odd pair of teams. Nese and Rush start things off but it’s off to Priest for the ridiculous visual on the staredown instead. Rush slaps him in the face for some reason but he gets in a kick to the chest as well. A blocked kick allows the tag to Lee though and now let’s have a staredown.

Priest makes it personal by pulling off Lee’s Santa hat and it’s time for them both to miss a lot of shots to the face in a far more fast paced exchange than should be legal for people their size. Lee hits a crossbody and smiles at Nese for trying to interfere. The chase is on outside with Nese being Pounced over the announcers’ table for a .6 Cole. Back from a break with Priest punching Rush out of the air to take over.

Nese comes in to kick Rush in the face and we hit the bodyscissors. A big kick to the head misses and Rush flips out of a belly to back suplex. The bottom rope springboard Stunner puts them both down though and it’s back to Lee to clean house. Lee’s running clothesline gets two on Priest but the Spirit Bomb doesn’t work. Nese knocks Lee down and gets two off a Lionsault but Rush comes back in for a springboard hurricanrana.

Rush strikes away and kicks Nese in the head but Priest chokeslams him onto the apron. Back in and….Lee, in the Santa hat, rises up next to Priest and throws him to the floor. Lee catches a diving Nese in the air so Priest tries a running flip dive….and Lee catches THAT, holds him up, and powerbombs him onto the apron. You know, because HE CAN DO THAT. The Limit Breaker into the Final Hour off of Lee’s shoulders finishes Nese at 13:25.

Rating: C+. The more I watch Lee, the more I’m convinced that he was built in a lab somewhere. The guy is a complete athletic freak with the power and athleticism being as impressive of a combination as you’re going to see. Throw in another rise into the camera and how can you not be impressed? Much like Dijakovic, he needs to be pushed up the card in a hurry, just because it’s hard to leave him out of the main event if he keeps this up.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that you may not have needed to see but it was entertaining and flew by with no stories and little more than a bunch of showcase matches. There’s nothing here you really need to see, though Theory and Shotzi both had some valuable performances. We’ll be back to normal soon enough but for a one off special, this worked very well.

Results

Roderick Strong b. Austin Theory – Stronghold

Isaiah Scott b. Jack Gallagher – House Call

Candice LeRae b. Taynara Conti – Lionsault

Dominick Dijakovic b. Bronson Reed – Chokebomb

Bianca Belair b. Shotzi Blackheart – KOD

Keith Lee/Lio Rush b. Tony Nese/Damian Priest – Final Hour to Nese

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

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