SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE 205 LIVE
JANUARY 3, 2017
JACKSONVILLE, GLA. AT MEMORIAL ARENA
REPORT BY JOEY GALICIA (@RamJam89), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Corey Graves, Austin Aries
Joey G here. I’m Back and ready for the Buzzsaw!
Show opens with a recap of last weeks 205 main event between Rich Swann and Neville. We are BRUTALLY reminded that Neville laid a vicious beat-down on Swann post match.
Intro song and we’re off.
Our dream announce team is back and still going strong. Corey lets us know that Rich Swann is not medically cleared because of the attacks by Neville. Graves then hypes the main event between Swann’s good friend TJ Perkins and the man that gravity forgot.
Tajiri comes out! (Pants are off) AA lets us know that he’s not a fan of imports, but he is a fan of Tajiri. His first opponent will be against Sean Maluta. (Dude that lost to Ibushi in round 1 of the CWC) They shake hands and we are under way.
(1) TAJIRI vs. SEAN MALUTA
Collar and elbow tie up. Tajiri takes control with a leg-sweep. He wretches the arm but eats a knee from Maluta. Sean takes Tajiri down with a shoulder bump but eats an arm drag and some elbow strikes. Ranallo calls Maluta the Samoan Dragon. (Works for me) Tajiri gets throw into a turnbuckle but counters with a big boot before he locks in the Tarantula. Graves comments, “He turns everyone he faces into arachnophobes. (HAHA SPIDER HUMOR) Tajiri then measures Maluta out and hits him with three stiff standing kicks.
Handspring back-elbow and another strike sets Maluta up for the Buzzsaw Kick, which gets Tajiri his first 205 win.
WINNER: Tajiri wins by pinball at 3:03.
Post match Brian Kendrick comes out. He welcomes Tajiri to the 205 roster and tells him that he hasn’t lost a step since their days being on Smackdown together. (Brian is wearing his blue leather jacket today just in case you were wondering)
Kendrick reminisces for a moment then extends his hand to greet his old friend. Tajiri responds with the green mist (to a nice pop) right into Kendricks face then slides around Brian doing his best Randy Orton impression. (The green does not clash with Brian’s blue leather jacket in case you were wondering)
Backstage Neville gets interviewed. He is asked about how he feels about facing a former champion in TJ Perkins. He reminds us that he would have never been champion if he were included in the division when it began. He’s still sick and tired about how he was treated from Americans. “When the system is broken, you create your own system.” My God Neville is going into crazy Wyatt mode or he’s commenting on Brexit or I’m just terrified and am reading to much into this. Either way, he tells TJ that his 15 minutes of fame are up.
Back to the announce team before we cut to another promo package for a 205 superstar. This one is for Tony Nese aka The Premiere Athlete. Clips of the CWC are shown. Tony is certainly one of the bigger looking cruiserweights, but he also has incredible agility and isn’t afraid to go high-risk. His goal is to take everyone who ever said no to him, and shove it down their throats. He has something to prove.
The extraordinary gentlemen Jack Gallagher comes out! Graves provokes Mauro by saying that his suit is from Wal-Mart and that his double-breasted vest was approved by Gallagher so his attire is better. Clips of last weeks duel between Daivari and Jack are shown, including Jack’s pinpoint accuracy with an umbrella.
Back in the ring we await for Jack’s opponent. It’s the dude they just promoted. The dude from Long Island: Tony Nese. With him is a very well dressed Drew Gulak (Human Torture Device).
Surprisingly, these two honor the pre-match handshake and away we go.
(2) JACK GALLAGHER vs. TONY NESE
Nese immediately goes to the arm. (Don’t know if you want to try and get into a hammerlock war with Gallagher). He maneuvers around Jack’s counter and locks in a headlock with his legs. Irish Whip and Jack gets a jackknife cover for a 1 count.
A headlock takes both men into the corner and then Tony smashes Jack with an elbow. Gallagher counters with his infamous headstand spot in and then drop-kicks Nese outside the ring. As he stands to taunt Daivari comes in and chop-blocks ole Jacky boy.
WINNER: Jack Gallagher wins by DQat 2:18.
Post match BEATDOWN by Ariya. He ties up Jack in the corner with the tree-of-woe and stomps him repeatedly. He screams that he was embarrassed by the duel and you can tell that it REALLY upsets him.
We go backstage and Cedric and Alicia are having a conversation. Alicia feels like it’s her fault that Cedric keeps losing. He tells her just to be more careful before they kiss and we go to commercial.
NXT is showing the full cage match between Shinsuke and Joe tomorrow.
We’re back and the creeper Noam Dar comes out for a match. Graves calls him Mr. Steal Your Girl and suggests that the WWE Universe hide their wives.
Mustafa Ali comes out. He’s introduced from Pakistan and not Chicago. (Strange)
Handshake. (Everyone is so good tonight!)
(3) MASTAFA ALI vs. NOAM DAR
Tie-up. AA says Ali is a big Austin Aries fan. Ali gets in a hammer-lock. He counters a snap-mare and locks the hammerlock in tighter before Noam snaps a back elbow. Mustafa takes control with a hurricanrana and a heel kick for a two count. They both slide to the outside.
On the way back in the ring Noam hits Ali with a drop-kick and immediately goes to work on the arm. He wraps it around the ropes, slams it to the mat, and applies an arm-lock. Mustafa escapes and rolls up Noam for a pinfall but only gets a two.
Dar whips Ali into the corner but Mustafa flips over him and lands a PRETTY tornado DDT on the other side. He can’t make a cover though because of the injured arm.
Back on their feet and Ali takes down Dar with a few shoulder tackles then lands a Roundhouse-Kick and a neck-breaker but only gets a two-count. Mustafa charges Noam in the corner then goes for a spring-board high risk maneuver but Dar catches him in the fujiwara-armbar right in the center of the ring. Ali attemtps to make it to the ropes but he’s pulled further to the center of the ring. He reverses momentum and crucifix pins Dar but only nets another two count. Noam then charges Mustafa in the corner but gets hit with a big boot, setting him up perfectly for the Imploding 450 and the victory.
WINNER: Mustafa Ali wins by pinball at 6:08.
The announce team is impressed with Ali’s technique, and praise him for notching the victory after his arm was worked on so long.
Dar gets interviewed in the ring. He says that in order for 2017 to be a good year for him, he needs lady luck by his side. He then says that Cedric Alexander isn’t enough of a man for Alicia Fox, and invites her to be in his corner instead. (Tough words from a guy who just lost)
Promo package comes on showing off Akira Tozawa. His highlight video is narrated by Cesaro, who puts Akira over big, proclaiming that not only is he different then every other competitor, but he hits harder then all of them as well. If the Swiss-Superman says it, it must be true as we go to commercial.
UK Tournament is promoted. It’s going to be live on the WWE Network in case you didn’t know that.
Neville comes out TO A NEW EVIL THEME BECAUSE NOW HE’S THE BADDES MOTHER F^&KER ON THE PLANET AND MAN THIS THEME IS GOOD.
Tom Philips is backstage with TJP. He asks why he decided to challenge the king of the cruiserweights. Perkins says all Neville does is complain, and that the best way to handle a bully is by kicking them right in the face. Back in the ring Neville looks un-phased. (Why would he be phased he’s literally Lord Voldemort)
TJ’s music hits and our main event is about to begin.
No handshake on this one. Actually it’s TJ who denied it. Graves says “why would you want to shake hands with the man who is intent on destroying you?”
(4) T.J. PERKINS vs. KING NEVILLE
Tie up. Duel chants for both guys (WAY TO GO FLORIDA!) In fact this could be one of the liveliest crowds 205 has had yet. Perkins takes Neville down with an arm-drag. They’re both taking their time between every spot to open.
Neville takes control until TJ counters with a cork-screw takedown and holds the lock in. Neville escapes but runs into a bulldog and flying head-scissor which sends Neville to the outside.
AA and Corey think it’s a mistake for Perkins to not follow and continue his assault on the outside. They were right, Neville gets back in and power-slams TJ down then lands a top rope dropkick for a two count. Knife-edge chop for another two.
Back on their feet and TJ counters with a spinning up-kick but doesn’t have the momentum to take control. Neville misses a second rope Phoenix Splash and he’s hurt. TJ takes advantage and hits a series of kicks and a neck-breaker which sends Neville to the outside. Cork-screw dive over the rope and TJ is in full control. Back in the ring he nets a two count with a flying cross-body.
They trade strikes and then Neville sets up TJ for a super-plex from the apron. Perkins counters and with a spring-board Frankensteiner but only gets a two.
Graves calls TJ Yoda and Neville Darth Vader. (He must have just seen Rogue One) TJ hits his wrecking-ball triangle dropkick. He goes for the knee-bar but Neville catches him and delivers a beautiful stalling german-suplex for a two count.
Perkins nails Neville with a roundhouse kick. He goes to the top again but Neville crotch shots him. He looks for the super-plex again but it’s countered. Neville counters with an enziguri and finally hits the top rope super-plex for the victory.
WINNER: Neville wins by pinball at 12:08.
Both men are praised by the announce team. Graves exclaims, “Neville is the King. Bring him his crown.” That’s the line that ends the show.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Very good show. Feuds continue to grow in a positive way with a stronger focus on detail and intensity. Tajiri’s debut was fun and feuding him with a well-known cruiserweight like Kendrick is a good place to start. For the second week in a row Mustafa Ali has gained popularity, and that Imploding 450 finisher is almost as exciting as the Red Arrow (ALMOST) Gallagher and Ariya’s rivalry took a nice step away from the comedy gimmick they went for last week and I’m legit excited for them to tie up again. Main event was as solid as you could imagine it would be, but TJ still struggles to cut a good promo. He’s trying too hard. Neville continues to get better. Not crazy about the foreigner aspect but even that con he sells well. And of course, the commentary combination of Aries, Graves, and Ranallo continues to mesh well. In my opinion, this is the best commentary team in all of WWE programming.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 12/27 WWE “205 Live” Review: Swann vs. Neville in non-title match, Gallagher has his Gentlemen’s Duel with Daivari, Alexander vs. Nese
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.