source: WWE
This week, 205 Live gave us a surprisingly entertaining bout between Tozawa and Itami and the "Lucha House Party", and on NXT, we finally got to see both Candice LeRae and Zelina Vega's NXT debut!
205 Live
source: WWE
Mustafa Ali vs. Ariya Daivari
Winner: Mustafa Ali
Highlights:
Daivari pulls Ali off the ropes in the corner and gives him a backstabber
Ali sidesteps Daivari and sends him into the turnbuckle, giving him a superkick from the apron
Ariya delivers a spinebuster to Mustafa on the floor outside the ring
Daivari hits Ali with a frog splas
Ali gives Daivari an 054 for the win
Opinion:
I’m glad Ali is getting a push for sure, but I don’t think they are executing it correctly. It seems like they are trying to make him the “comeback kid”, having him take a beating in every match but finding the endurance to come back and win. I like this idea, but having him get absolutely no offense throughout the match makes him look weak. It’s hard to believe that he could get so beat up and then get one move in for a victory.
source: WWE
The Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher vs. Vinny Scalise and Kevin DiTebris
Winner: The Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher
Highlights:
Kendrick stretches Scalise and elbows his face repeatedly
Brian dropkicks DiTebris
Gallagher slams DiTebris’ face on the apron three times
Kendrick locks in the Captain’s Hook and Scalise taps out
Opinion:
The pairing of Gallagher and Kendrick doesn’t make much sense to me. They have been teaming for a while and get along well, but they aren’t similar at all in style or personality.
source: WWE
Akira Tozawa and Hideo Itami vs. Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik)
Tornado Tag Team Match
Winners: Lucha House Party
Highlights:
Hideo and Akira put submissions on Metalik and Dorado simultaneously
Itami rips Lince Dorado’s mask open by his eye but doesn’t get it off
Dorado and Metalik both hop off the top rope and onto Itami and Tozawa on the outside
Itami sends Lince flying onto and over the steel steps
Hideo and Akira send Lince into the ropes and he bounces off into a double springboard stunner
Metalik dodges a superkick from Towaza and the superkick connects with Itami
Dorado and Metalik do splashes off the top rope onto Tozawa and Itami and get a pin at the same time
Opinion:
While I’m not a huge fan of either team in WWE, they did put on a good match. I want to be critical and say that it was a “spot fest”, but just because it was loaded with high flying moves doesn’t mean it was bad. They utilized their assets, but it would have been better if more characters had been developed beforehand. However, with the kick to Itami, it looks like there may be some tension brewing between soon the two Japanese stars.
NXT
source: WWE
Johnny Garagano thanks everyone
Gargano comes out to the ring with his wife Candice LeRae, thanking the fans for their support. He says he dreamed about the moment he could come back to NXT and that after 37 minutes, he defeated Ciampa and he can put it behind him.
He and Candice say that there is some unfinished business—Candice will defeat Zelina Vega tonight, and if Almas tries to get in the way, Gargano will drop him like he did Ciampa. Then, Gargano says that he will challenge Aleister Black for the NXT Championship.
Opinion:
I love when Candice and Johnny are on screen together, and I fully support them being the babyface Mr. and Mrs. NXT. If Gargano’s challenge rings true, I can’t wait for him to go face to face with Black at the next TakeOver!
source: WWE
Ricochet vs. Fabian Aichner
Winner: Ricochet
Highlights:
Aichner gives Ricochet a tilt a whirl backbreaker
Ricochet hits Aichner with a springboard European shooting star press
Ricochet gives Aichner a 630 degree senton for the victory
Opinion:
Ricochet shined in his NXT TV debut. His post match promo was pretty good too. I can’t wait to see what NXT has in store for him—I’m sure he’ll be an even bigger star than he already is in no time.
source: WWE
War Raiders vs. JC and Chris
Winners: War Raiders
Highlights:
Hanson picks up JC and drives his knee into his midsection
Hanson gives JC a pop up powerslam
Rowe and Hanson deliver the Fallout to Chris for the three count
Opinion:
Rowe and Hanson are looking pretty dominant in their NXT debut. I find it funny that they didnt even give real names to the jobbers they faces (and I don’t know which was which). In my opinion, they should continue to do this for a few more weeks before challenging the Undisputed Era.
source: WWE
Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan
Winner: Lars Sullivan
Highlights:
Dain whips Sullivan into the steel steps
Lars suplexes Killian onto the mat outside the ring
Sullivan climbs to the top rope and jumps off, diving onto Dain on the outside
A bloody Dain gives Sullivan a Vader bomb
Sullivan dives onto a chair after Dain rolls out of the way
Dain and Sullivan crash through the table
Sullivan gives Dain a Freak Accident, sending him down onto a chair
Opinion:
Since this week’s card was pretty stacked, I think this match got less time than it should have. After each of their performances in the ladder match at TakeOver, they’ve proven that they’re impressive in the ring, and this match could have easily been on a TakeOver itself if Dain wasn’t going up to the main roster.
source: WWE
Candice LeRae vs. Zelina Vega
Winner: Candice LeRae
Highlights:
Early on, Candice climbs to the top rope when Andrade “Cien” Almas jumps on the apron
Vega rips LeRae down by her air and sends her out of the ring
Zelina Vega gives Candice a meteora in the corner
LeRae gives Vega a flying headscissors and traps her in the Gargano Escape
Almas tries to interfere, but Gargano jumps in the ring and gets him in a flying headscissors and a Gargano Escape
Vega taps out as both Johnny and Candice force her and Almas to submit simultaneously
After the match, Gargano calls out Black, who stands on the stage and tells him he has an opportunity next week
Opinion:
Going in, I knew that this match wasn’t going to have enough time. It started with nine minutes left in the episode, and these two women were two of the best women on the indies. I know they had a lot to fit in after Wrestlemania, but it would have been acceptable for this episode to go long if it meant we got to see a 20 minute bout between LeRae and Vega (not a 7 minute one).
I dont like how Gargano kind of took LeRae’s spotlight after her match. The finish was really cool, but he doesn’t need to speak for her. All in all, I think that this week’s match card was a bit too stacked, and there wasn’t enough time for an Aleister Black callout. I also think that, while Black isn’t in a position to lose his title so close to his win at TakeOver, this match could easily main event a TakeOver.
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