205 Live 1/23/18
At the top of 205 Live, Daniel Bryan announces that Enzo Amore has vacated his Cruiserweight Championship and is no longer a part of 205 Live, and there will be a new 205 Live General Manager announced next week. In such an unexpected and awful situation, it’s very difficult to proceed with the show smoothly.
The news of a new GM is a fantastic idea, as it could give way to more relevant storylines for the purple brand. Some superstars on the 205 roster have been campaigning for the position, and if done right, this could be a new beginning for the cruiserweights.
WWE could go two ways with the new general manager: they could give it to a cruiserweight competitor like Cedric Alexander or Drew Gulak and trust them with the brand, or they could secure a legend, such as a former cruiserweight star like Rey Mysterio or someone who’s thrived in the GM position before. It would probably make more sense to appoint the latter, even though Gulak kills it as a candidate.
Lince Dorado, Kalisto, and Gran Metalik vs. TJP, Ariya Daivari, and Tony Nese
Winner: Lince Dorado, Kalisto, and Gran Metalik
It is not lost on the fans that the three luchadors are all best friends. Why? Because they all wear masks. Much like a lot of cruiserweight action, the in-ring skills are very fun to watch, but don’t really mean anything. The three high flyers bounce around the ring, taking control of most of the match as they utilize their flips and jumps.
The fate of Enzo’s “Zo Train” is unclear at the moment, and hopefully the announcement of a GM next week will help out with that (Drew Gulak??). TJP’s character seems to be in some sort of limbo as he just whines and acts like a baby, not joining the dissolving stable of heels that has hold on 205 Live.
Cruiserweight superstars campaign for 205 Live GM
Gulak voices his support for the decision to appoint a general manager to 205 Live, adding that the brand would be best as a “No Fly Zone” without showboating and bouncing around. I pray for the next seven days that WWE finds a way to make Gulak work as 205 Live GM.
Akira Tozawa appears in a cell phone video speaking about how he could be a good boss. He goes up to a random crew member and “fires” him. Nice try, Tozawa.
Hideo Itami vs. Jack Gallagher
Winner: Hideo Itami
In a pre-match promo, Itami expresses his disrespect for Gallagher in pretty good English. He may not be the most charismatic Japanese inquiry, but his extensive time in NXT has helped prepare him for sure.
This feud seems to be about gaining one another’s respect, which puts Itami in a weird place. He demands respect, but he’s facing a disrespectful heel. Itami seems to float between face and heel, and it doesn’t make much sense.
Hideo Itami’s hard strikes earn him the pin, but did he earn the fans’ respect?
Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali
Winner: Cedric Alexander
The competition between friends breeds a bit of tension between the two throughout the match. In a series of back and forth exchanges, both of these men show what they’ve got, out to prove that they deserve to take the vacant Cruiserweight title.
When the match began, fans were tired and not very enthusiastic about cruiserweight action, as they usually are after watching hours of wrestling with Smackdown and the MMC. However, these two men capitalized on their chance to impress the future GM, earning a “this is awesome” chant and much respect from the audience. It’s clear that both of these men are stars.
NXT 1/24/18
Cezar Bononi vs. No Way Jose
Winner: No Way Jose
While Cezar Bononi showed promise as a future competitor in NXT over the next year, Jose gets the best of his Brazlian opponent. This match wasn’t anything special, and it makes me wonder why WWE is still trying with Jose’s gimmick. Fans cheer along with it sometimes, but it just doesn’t seem to make sense why a fun-loving and positive party guy needs to wrestle.
Bianca Belair vs. LaToya
Winner: Bianca Belair
As the EST of NXT, Belair further proved that she’s the strongest women’s wrestler in NXT. She utilizes her ability to strike and slam her opponent nearly through the mat. She even uses her long braid as a way to harm LaToya, and she unsurprisingly pulled it off in the end. With a little more grooming, Bianca looks to be a real threat to the women’s division in NXT in the next year or so.
Percy Watson interviews Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler
I dont know if its the intense stare down or the eerie music, but wow, you could cut the tension with a knife in here before a word is even said. Both women were insanely believable and Moon’s red eyes seemed to pierce through the screen. I was just waiting for one of them to attack.
Before this, I needed to be a little more sold on Baszler’s personality, but now, I’m itching to see this match on Saturday.
TM61 Preview: Part 2
As this part chronicles the team’s journey through NXT. It shows footage of Shane Thorne’s injury last year. They proceeded to the finals for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, where they fell short of winning the tournament. After a match with the Revival, Thorne was confirmed to be out for several months. This tugged on fans heartstrings as they watched him in the hospital and with a cast covering his leg.
Next week, TM61 make their in-ring return, and I believe that this was the best way to get fans excited. I wasn’t very into the Australian team before hearing their story, but now I just cant help but cheer for the up and coming babyface heroes.
Authors of Pain vs. enhancement talent
Winners: Authors of Pain
The match didn’t even start—AOP just laid waste to two jobbers and then yelled in another language. In what was their first microphone debut, they seemed to impress. This team doesn’t need to say much and are best when Paul Ellering speaks for them, but it’s good to know that they aren’t mute.
Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream
Winner: Johnny Gargano
Velveteen Dream comes out to the ring in a cropped Johnny Wrestling shirt, playing mind games with his competition. The fans are clearly psyched about this match: loud chants for both parties.
These two men bring out some of the best in each other. In every match, Dream brings it and pushes his opponents to the limit. Both of these competitors have potential to create legendary matches in NXT. It isn’t often that matches get over 15 minutes on NXT TV, but I don't think fans wanted this match to end. For several minutes, the winner of this match was a toss-up, but Gargano pulls through and wins the match.
Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega come out to the ring to confront his opponent for this Saturday. He tries to ambush Gargano but Gargano strikes back. Almas gets the advantage momentarily and celebrates by holding up his title. Then, Johnny Wrestling makes another comeback. He hits the champ with a DDT and holds the title that could be his this weekend.
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