SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE 205 LIVE
MAY 9, 2017
LONDON, ENGLAND AT O2 ARENA
REPORTBY JOEY GALIZIA (@RamJam89), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Tom Philips, Corey Graves
JG here. This review don’t want none… NO… it don’t want none.
Show opens with highlights of T.J. Perkins conversation with Neville from Raw. T.J. believes that he’s worthy of a title shot for solving the Austin Aries problem, but Neville informs him that although he hurt A.A. he did not defeat him. Neville then says that if T.J. could beat Jack Gallagher he would give him a title shot. Perkins would go on to win and lay a beating on Gallagher afterwards but Aries would come in to make the save.
“Hail the crown.” (More painful that T.J.’s knee-bar.)
Philips and Graves welcome us to the most exciting hour on television. (That’s right… more than “Modern Family”, “Chrisley Knows Best,” and “NCIS.”) They put over London as being a great crowd, and Graves mentions that he’s getting quite good at speaking British.
Jack Gallagher comes out first, but not for a match. HE’S SUITED UP. He gets on the microphone and talks about how Theodore Jeeves Perkins jumped him after their match, but thanks to A.A. he was saved. This brings out Aries. (He’s eating his lucky banana. Also SUITED UP.)
Both men compliment the other, and eventually have a toast with a couple pints of beer. Aries says that he’s more of a red-wine guy because it’s good for the heart. (Word.) Jack then leads the UK crowd in “He’s a jolly good fellow.”
Neville comes out and says that he’s ashamed of the London people because they cheer for these guys. Aries says he’s just upset because he had to intentionally disqualify himself in order to keep his belt at Payback. Neville says that if they’re toasting that he wants to get in on it. He raises his belt and toasts to Aries last night on 205.
Aries is attacked from Perkins who comes out of LITERAL nowhere! Neville rushes the ring and they target Aries knee. Jack lands a dropkick! The four men have a vicious brawl to the outside. Perkins and Gallagher end up in the ring alone and Jack spits beer in T.J.’s face. Vicious head-butt. Neville surprises Jack with a kick, but then gets laid out by the discus five-arm from A.A. The babyfaces stand tall, get two more beers, and complete their toast! (Awesome.)
Backstage Rich Swann walks into Noam Dar and Aliccccciiiiaaaaaa Fooooxxxxxxx. Swann can’t believe Dar would go back with her after she left him. Fox says she never “really” left him, because she’d never leave a real man. Swann says they deserve each other. Dar agrees, and threatens Swann that he’ll get what he deserves for trying to break them up in the first place. (NOT Awesome.)
Commercial for Backlash.
Back from break and Tony Nese is on his way out for 205’s first match. (Time to play the flex drinking game!) His opponent…
Mustafa Ali.
Philips reminds us that the last time these two faced each other Nese won via DQ. That’s because of Drew Gulak who didn’t want his friend to receive an inverted 450 splash.
(1) Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali
Tie-up. FLEX. (Take a drink.) Second tie-up. ANOTHER FLEX. (Take a drink.) Ali pushes Nese and Nese responds by kicking him in the gut.
After a shoulder bump Ali hits some quick pace offense including an arm-drag and a spider-lock. Ali rolls him up but doesn’t even get a one count. Nese charges from the corner but runs into a dropkick which sends Nese to the outside.
Ali gets MAD height on a tope con hilo. We see Drew Gulak who is watching backstage. He is very upset. The two men brawl towards the announcer table. Ali goes up on the barricade but Nese sweeps his leg and he hits hard.
Back in the ring Nese goes for a suplex but gets cradled by Ali! Two-count. Nese explodes out of the pin attempt and destroys Ali with a lariat. Nese goes for another suplex and drops Ali off the ropes. He follows that up with a torture-rack and his signature springboard moonsault. Cover but only a two count.
In the corner Nese goes to the top, but Ali nails him with a dropkick. Nese blocks a Frankensteiner attempt. He goes for a top rope powerbomb but Ali counters and hits the Frankensteiner!
To the other corner Ali hits a crescent kick and his roll through neckbreaker. Cross-body from the top and a cover! Two count.
Both guys lay into each other with knife-edge chops. Nice sequence where Nese dodges a clothesline and then hits a flurry of strikes and then a double-foot stomp. He picks Ali up and slaps him. Nese goes for his pump-handle finisher, but Ali shifts his weight and lands a tornado DDT. Then sets him up perfectly for Ali’s inverted 450 finisher. He lands it and gets the win.
WINNER: Mustafa Ali in 9:58
Backstage Daivari is yelling at a guy for failing to shine his shoes correctly. He walks into Tozawa (literally) and yells at him because his shirt cost $1,500 and he doesn’t want Akira’s sweat all over it. Akira RAHS at him until he goes away. Commentary teams tells us he’s on his way out for a match with Brian Kendrick for tonight’s main event!
Commercial for the “Pardon the Interruption” rip-off that WWE is pushing.
Promo ad for Cedric Alexander who is coming back from his injury!!! (YASSSSSSS)
Kendrick comes out first. Philips says that this rivalry has been on-going for three months. (YEAH I KNOW THAT.) Graves says that he’s rooting for Kendrick, because during his interview with Kendrick (where Corey says he was doing expert journalism) Akira kicked him in the face.
Tozawa comes out next and looks ready to go.
(2) Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Kendrick
Kendrick hits a boot to the face to open things up. Tozawa charges and lands his signature fake-out strike. Screaming senton! He goes for the cover but only gets a two. Kendrick flees the ring to gather himself.
Akira chases him and sends him into the barricade. After constant pursuit Kendrick slams Akira off the announcer table. He nearly gets a count-out victory but Brian breaks the count to deal more punishment. Sliced-Bread on the floor! Ref starts counting again, but Akira just makes it back in the ring at 9.
Kendrick lands a butterfly-suplex and is in full control. He wears Akira down with an arm-bar. (He’s clawing at his face at the same time.) Seated cobra-clutch by Kendrick.
Tozawa starts his comeback with a some stiff forearms. Hurricanranna! Kendrick goes to the outside. Tozawa charges and hits a suicide dive.
Back in the ring Akira hits a shining wizard! He goes for the cover but only gets a two count. Akira goes for a German suplex but Kendrick surprises him with a spin wheel kick. Dragon Suplex from Kendrick and he transitions right into the Bully Choke! He doesn’t have it fully locked in and he has to break the hold. Tozawa hits a back suplex and then goes up for a top rope senton. He misses and Kendrick locks on the Bully Choke again! Tozawa breaks out. Great sequence where the two counter several moves in a row. Kendrick goes for sliced bread but Tozawa rolls him up for the win.
WINNER: Akira Tozawa in 11:34
Kendrick attacks Tozawa as soon as the match is over. He throws him multiple times into the ring stairs, and then puts his head under the steps and kicks it repeatedly.
Brian gets a microphone. “This is your last lesson. No one messes with The Brian Kendrick.” Mic drop. End of show.
JG FINAL ANALYSIS: A fairly good show considering it’s the same matches and storylines that we’ve had FOR A LONG TIME. The opening segment brawl between Aries, Gallagher, Perkins, and Neville was good stuff, and the two matches were solid. I’m not going to even comment on the Swann, Dar, and Fox interaction because it’s literally the angle that never ends and it’s exhausting. At this point, as much as I enjoy watching 205 live, I can’t recommend it in its entirety.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 5/2 WWE 205 LIVE REPORT: TJP vs. Dorado, Gulak vs. Mustafa Ali, Swan vs. Noam Dar
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