SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE 205 LIVE
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
ONTARIO, CALIF. AT CITIZEN’S BUSINESS BANK ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK
Report by Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTorch Contributor
Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Corey Graves, Austin Aries
Joey G here. (In Joker Voice) And here… we… GO.
Show opens with highlights of the contract signing that occurred last night on Raw between Jack Gallagher and King Neville. The video reminds us that both dudes are supes British, and supes good at fighting. Also Jack is not playing a gentleman… he is one.
“Hail the Crown” and we’re off. I think this song is growing on me. (JK STILL TERRIBLE.)
Announce team welcomes us. Mauro asks AA if he has any new inside scoops. AA says that he had orange ice cream. Corey Graves praises his research. (GOLD.)
The Brian Kendrick makes his way down to the ring. A clip of last nights encounter with Akira Tozawa plays and sets up their match. If you are just joining us: Kendrick has been asking Akira to let him be his mentor, but Akira says he doesn’t need Kendrick because he doesn’t like him.
Tozawa comes out next and he looks PISSED. Brian offers him the handshake again. (He gave Akira a cheap shot last time this happened.) NOT THIS TIME BRY BRY.
(1) Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Kendrick
Akira immediately nails Kendrick with a forearm and a senton. An early cover but only two. Powerslam. Akira ground and pounds Kendrick and shouts “I don’t need you!” Mauro says Kendrick needs a plan B. (No pregnancy joke there I’m just reporting what was said. ☺)
In the corner Akira lights up Kendrick with knife-edge chops. Kendrick gets a couple of strikes in but is overwhelmed by Akira. Mauro calls him the stamina monster. Kendrick finally takes control with a standing big boot. He tries to wretch Akira’s neck over the turnbuckle like he did last night but Akira blocks it. As Kendrick falls to the outside he smashes Akira’s head off the ring-post.
Kendrick tries for the Bully Choke but Akira blocks it. However, Akira is still hurt from the post so Kendrick works him down with a suplex. Cover but only two.
Akira counters the Bully Choke and goes for his German Suplex. Kendrick blocks it. Frankensteiner and Kendrick is on the outside. AIR TOZAWA (suicide dive). Kendrick tries to scamper away but Akira catches him. Kendrick…THE CRAFTY VETERAN…hooks Akira’s ankle inside the ring apron and gets the win by count-out.
WINNER: Brian Kendrick in 5:43
Corey and Aries really commend how smart Brian Kendrick is. The ref needs to help Tozawa out of the apron.
Immediately backstage Tom Philips asks Brian Kendrick if he thinks he is done with Akira. Kendrick says last night he beat Akira to a pulp, and tonight he beat him fair and square because he knows all the ways it takes to win. He says he’s NOT done teaching Akira Tozawa lessons.
Also backstage Noam Dar (who is rocking quite the shiner) gets interviewed by Dasha. He is shown a clip of Rich Swann insulting ALICIAAAA FOXXXXXX from last week’s 205. (Which I detailed perfectly in my recap last week. Also I’m super handsome.) Dar calls Swann a low-life for speaking to another man’s lady. Noam dedicates his performance tonight to his lady who unfortunately (JK I’M SO HAPPY) isn’t present this evening.
Commercial for Fastlane. I’m rooting for Goldberg because KO stabs his friends in the back and that is NOT COOL.
Back from break and Noam Dar is out. Followed by his opponent Mustafa Ali. (All of the matches were announced beforehand in case you were wondering.)
Corey says true love doesn’t wait. He’s referring to the love between Alicia and Noam.
Handshake.
(2) Noam Dar vs. Mustafa Ali
Hammerlock by Ali onto Dar. Dar reverses the pressure. Kip up by Ali sends Dar to the outside.
Back in the ring Ali lands a backflip and a flush dropkick which sends Dar to the outside again. Frankensteiner by Ali inside the ring followed by a spinning heel-kick. Noam is on the outside again. TOPE CON HILO FROM ALI OVER THE REF. (This crowd is weak and was even weak during SD.) Flying cross-body by Ali and he nets a two count.
On the apron Dar hits a penalty kick to Ali’s shin and Ali hits the apron and the floor hard. In full advantage Dar wears Ali down with stomps on the arm. He goes for a cover and only gets a one, but stomps on Ali’s hand. (Looked great.)
Neutralizing the arm still Dar snatches on an arm-lock. Ali counters a sunset flip and hits a basement dropkick to Noam’s stupid sleazy face. A few axe handles and Ali is gaining momentum. Crescent kick into rolling neckbreaker and Ali gets a two count. (Crowd started chanting Ali then realized they suck and stopped.) Dar charges Ali in the corner and he hits an uppercut and a FLUSH tornado DDT. The announce team mentions the Oscars are on Sunday and Corey says that Noam is in LA LA Land. (Good one Corey, but that movie is like Kalisto…just okay.) Ali goes for the inverted 450 but Dar hits another kick to the knee which makes Ali bounce off the top turnbuckle. Dar hits a shining wizard for the win.
WINNER: Noam Dar in 7:42
Graves says that there will be a very happy lady waiting for Noam Dar at home. Austin Aries says we’ve seen a lot of impressive superstars on 205 live, but not anything like this next man.
HOLY SH*%! It’s a promo package for Austin Aries! They show clips of NXT including his great matches with Nakamura, No Way Jose and who cares it’s DOUBLE-A. Back to the announce team and Mauro and Graves are clapping for AA. Aries looks prime and ready to get back in the ring. Graves says that he likes AA so much that he did some VO for the package video. They hype the main event between Jack Gallagher and Tony Nese before getting sent to a break.
We see an exclusive interview from Neville from after Raw last night. He calls Gallagher a mosquito, and then calls him a cockroach and looks forward to making him suffer.
Backstage Dasha asks Jack Gallagher what his game-plan is to defeat Tony Nese tonight. He says he will use some fancy footwork, and his awesome mustache. “Now if you will excuse me, I know that the queen is watching.” (DEAR GOD THIS MAN HAS NO FEAR.)
Gallagher is out first, followed by the “premier athlete” Tony Nese. Graves says lets admire Tony Nese’s abs. AA says he did a report on them. Mauro says he may have more abs than either of them.
(3) Jack Gallagher vs. Tony Nese
Right out of the gate Tony slams Jack to the ground. MUSCLE POSE. Jack takes Tony down, and captures him into a submission that even Mauro can’t name. He strokes his mustache with flair.
On their feet. Tony throws Jack into the corner. HEADSTAND SPOT. Jack locks on a rear chin-lock. As the ref breaks up the hold Tony hits a kick to Jack’s head.
The two trade forearms but Tony throws Jack to the outside. Tony fakes a dive, does a cartwheel and then a lands a BRUTAL SUPERKICK OH MAN THAT SOUNDED GREAT.
Aries makes a great point that Nese has something to prove since he had to be taken out of the Fatal-5 way that occurred two weeks ago. (Going to miss Aries at the announce table.)
In the ring Nese works down Jack with a body-scissor. A vicious Irish-whip gets him a two count. Corey reminds the viewers that he was one of the first guys on the Jack Gallagher bandwagons, but after seeing Neville’s interview last night he’s decided to be the first to jump off. (At least we still have Corey.)
A powerslam and some wear down holds and Tony is in full control. He yells that Jack can’t beat him. Jack responds with a few forearms, a couple dropkicks and a flying cross-body for a two count. Headbutt by Jack. A nice sequence that sees Jack and Tony reverse and counter. They charge each other and Jack MURDERS Tony with another headbutt. Both guys are in the corner. Jack teases his running dropkick but Nese slides out of the ring. He rings Jack’s neck over the ring ropes.
On the top rope and Tony goes for a backdrop but Jack hits another headbutt that knocks Tony into the tree-of-woe. He does a sit-up and hits a German Suplex and doesn’t take the impact because he holds himself up. (It was awesome and the crowd didn’t make a PEEP.)
Tony goes for a top rope splash but Jack runs up and hits a belly to back superplex on Tony. Jack sets him up again for the dropkick and this time he hits it for the win.
WINNER: Gentleman Jack Gallagher in 10:01.
The commentary team gives props to both guys, remind us about Fastlane, and that’s the show!
JG FINAL ANALYSIS: Not sure how to feel about this show. Three good matches that didn’t feel good because the crowd was the deadest of any WWE event I’ve seen in a while. Enjoyed the finish between Kendrick and Tozawa because it perfectly fits their angle and will make the inevitable beating that Tozawa gives to Kendrick that much sweeter. Mustafa Ali is fun to watch but 50-50 booking kills any momentum for these guys in the middle of the spectrum. Tony Nese in my opinion should be sent to NXT because if packaged correctly he could be a star, and 205 could afford to lose at least one guy. Gallagher picked up a necessary win to keep him strong for his title match. Nothing from King Neville on this show so I didn’t have this fear that anyone was going to be murdered. (I DON’T LIKE WHEN WE CAN’T SEE WHAT HE’S THINKING.) In all honesty, the best part of the show wasn’t just the announce team again, but the video-package for Austin Aries in-ring return. It may have been the only thing that really got this terrible Ontario audience a little bit excited. Aries presence alone could give 205 an extra boost in viewership; not to mention the wrestling clinics he can put on with anyone on the purple roster. I CAN’T WAIT. Until then…another show not worth watching.
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