‘WWE 205 Live’ Review (Jan 24th 2020)
Welcome to this review of 205 Live, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have more cruiserweight action from the thing Eric Bischoff built and then Vince McMahon took credit for. Hopefully, this show will turn out better than it has in previous weeks.
Match #1: Tyler Breeze def. Ariya Daivari
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Last week on WWE 205 Live, Ariya Daivari was defeated by the Cruiserweight division’s newest arrival, Tyler Breeze. Not satisfied with the outcome of the match, The Persian Lion had another opportunity to stop Prince Pretty’s momentum in a rematch. As the opening bell sounded, Breeze wasted little time going after Daivari. Although The Gorgeous One enjoyed an early advantage, a melee on the outside of the ring allowed The Persian Lion to mount a flurry of offense. Nevertheless, the competitiveness of both Superstars took precedence and they battled back and forth. Daivari channeled his ruthlessness and pressed forward with high-impact maneuvers meant to maximize damage. Breeze battled back and delivered a jawbreaker before catapulting his opponent to the outside. Daivari Dinero managed to recover and once again turned up his aggressiveness, executing a unique submission hold that targeted Prince Pretty’s head and neck. Recovering and scoring a near-fall, both Superstars bounced off the ropes and collided in the center of the ring. Recovering first, Breeze’s fast-paced offense put Daivari on defense, eventually leading the Persian Lion to strike back only to be taken out of mid-air by a supermodel kick. Following a near-fall, Breeze tried twice to execute the Unprettier and was successful on the second attempt, but Daivari managed to put a foot on the ropes. Back on their feet, both Superstars traded blows as Daivari barely ducked a Beauty Shot. Attempting the Hammerlock Lariat, Daivari missed and as he tried to roll up his opponent for a pin, Breeze countered with a pinfall of his own to secure the victory.
My Opinion: 2.9 out of 5 – Breeze added some flavor to a match with a guy who’s usually very boring. I’m glad Breeze won this solid bout.
Match #2: The Brian Kendrick def. Danny Burch
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
On the first WWE 205 Live of 2020, The Brian Kendrick distracted Danny Burch to help Ariya Daivari pick up a victory against the British Superstar. Before the match, Kendrick confronted Daivari and said he could use a friend, reminding The Persian Lion he’s already “scratched his back.” As Kendrick and Burch squared off, the strong-style Brit wasted little time going after the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Decimating The Man with a Plan, Burch was no doubt unloading three weeks’ worth of frustration at his opponent’s expense. Kendrick struggled to counter Burch’s fury and found himself completely dominated by the hard-hitting Superstar. Every attempt at offense was met with a counter, and Burch fired up the WWE Universe as he exercised his will on Kendrick in and out of the ring. Battling by the steel steps, Kendrick finally managed to stop Burch’s momentum by slamming him into the steel steps. Barely beating the official’s 10-count, Burch then found himself at the mercy of Kendrick’s patented Captain’s Hook. Countering a first attempt, Kendrick recovered and once again applied the hold. Feeding off the energy of the WWE Universe, Burch rose to his feet and was able to break the maneuver. Fired up, Burch delivered a series of strikes that allowed him to regain control. Burch continued to press forward, but Kendrick refused to stay down, desperately jabbing Burch in the eyes but failing to execute Sliced Break No. 2. Taking down Kendrick once again, Burch was ready to deliver a final blow, but he was distracted by Daivari. Diverting his attention to The Persian Lion, Burch was caught in a roll-up by Kendrick as Daivari grabbed The Man with a Plan’s hand for leverage. The assist from Daivari allowed Kendrick to secure the victory.
My Opinion: 2.7 out of 5 – This was a decent match that gave Burch some TV time, but with Kendrick (who I like) winning, another top prospect in Burch falls to the side just to create drama for when he does win. Why not just put him over now get on with it? This is not a brand that can afford to take things easy. Any-way, at least Burch got a match for himself.
Match #3: (Main Event) Tony Nese def. Lio Rush (Count-Out)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Looking to make their way back to title contention, former NXT Cruiserweight Champions Lio Rush and Tony Nese faced off for the first time in singles competition. As the contest started, both Rush and Nese exchanged unpleasantries before the WWE Universe was treated to an impressive display of Rush’s speed and agility. The Premier Athlete attempted to counter Rush’s speed with power but was unsuccessful. Finally taking control of the bout after pulling Rush from the ropes, Nese started to utilize his power advantage. However, his momentum was stopped as Rush dove through the ropes, driving Nese into the announce table. Not wanting to win by count-out, Rush went after Nese and once again a battle of power and speed took precedence. Despite Rush avoiding The Premier Athlete’s advances, Nese was soon able to crush his opponent by using his strength to throw Rush into the corner multiple times. Keeping Rush on defense, Nese executed an explosive dropkick before wrapping his legs around Rush’s ribs to maximize pressure. Trading chops, The Man of the Hour broke free and brawled with Nese much to the delight of the WWE Universe. The two Superstars continued to battle back and forth as Rush managed to maintain his speed before delivering a Come Up that nearly put Nese away. As Rush ascended the ropes for The Final Hour, Nese rolled away and drove his opponent throat-first into the ropes. Frustration mounted as Nese was unable to secure a pinfall following a huge slam. As The Premier Athlete taunted The Man of the Hour, Rush’s anger was triggered and he took down Nese with a roundhouse kick before once again preparing for the Final Hour. Nese recovered and a desperate struggle broke out on the top turnbuckle that resulted in both Superstars landing a punch that made them each tumble to the outside. As Rush made his way back into the ring, Nese grabbed him and tossed him over the announce table. The Premier Athlete was then able to return to the ring and beat the official’s 10-count to emerge victorious.
My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This was quite exciting, until the lame finish. Also, this match didn’t go long enough for a main event between two of the best in the world today. Nese and Rush deserve better than what little they are getting from Vince’s “please don’t make me do things” squad, but they did sign the contracts to be here. Still, not using great wrestlers to their potential is a damn shame no matter how you look at it. Thankfully, these two fighters made the most of their time together and showed some of the things they can do.
Final Verdict: 3.1/5
The main event was a good ending, but this whole show felt deflated, even if the flappy balloon that was this show was still fun to look at in all its feeble glory.
