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205 LIVE TV TAPING REPORT
NOVEMBER 6, 2019
WINTER PARK, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY
REPORT BY TOM STOUP, PWTORCH CORRESPONDENT
Commentary: Aiden English, Tom Phillips
In alteration to a prior announcement that this week’s 205 Live would feature NXT UK talent and emanate from Manchester (on tape delay), on Monday, November 4, WWE issued a deliberately vague announcement stating, “205 Live will be airing live from the NXT Arena at Full Sail University this Friday at 10|9c on WWE Network!” It was unclear whether the taping was to be a one-off or a new regular event at Full Sail, nor whether it would take place on a separate night or sensibly be taped before and/or after NXT on USA. This taping wound up taking place prior to the night’s live NXT episode, in place of the usual pair of dark matches that tend to last from around 7:40PM EST to around 7:55PM EST.
Alicia Taylor told the full NXT crowd they would be a part of 205 Live, then introduced Triple H, who entered to his “King of Kings” theme. Triple H said he had a special announcement, and that a real hero was in attendance. A video played for Jeremy Ganger, a bar bouncer who saved lives during the Dayton, OH mass shooting. Triple H introduced Ganger, who received a deservedly fantastic reaction from the crowd. Triple H said Ganger is “one of us” and awarded him with an honorary NXT title belt. Ganger would later be seen enjoying NXT from a ringside seat.
(1) Mansoor pinned The Brian Kendrick. Official: Jessika Carr. Kendrick received a good reaction, and warmly acknowledged a fan who shouted “Welcome back, Spanky!” Mansoor escaped Kendrick’s blows in the corner with a head scissors takedown. Kendrick worked Mansoor’s left hand, stomping it and once trapping it in the metal barricade and kicking it. Mansoor resisted an armbar, but Kendrick caught his retaliatory superkick. Mansoor tried to handstand out of the counter but his left hand was too hurt to support his weight. Mansoor fired up with clotheslines and another kick that Kendrick again caught, but this time Mansoor managed his handstand counter using only his right hand. The wrestlers briefly exchanged suplexes and went counter-for-counter until Mansoor rolled Kendrick up for the win. In his frustration Kendrick tried to attack Mansoor after the bell, but Mansoor slipped away, smiling.
Alicia Taylor hyped the crowd for a live spot on USA to promote NXT before the next match. During the spot a video of Raw’s OC attacking NXT’s Undisputed Era outside Full Sail was shown.
(2) Lio Rush pinned Raul Mendoza. Official: D.A. Brewer. Rush zoomed around the ring then outside of it before Mendoza finally dove onto him, then dropkicked him from the turnbuckle, sparking a “205” chant. Rush exclaimed “hold this” and fed Mendoza a play kick before leaping up to really kick Mendoza with his other foot. Mendoza rolled Rush around the ring in a surfboard stretch, then locked the champ in a chinlock. Escaping the hold, Rush rolled Mendoza up for two, then the wrestlers went blow for blow. Rush hit his seated springboard stunner for a believable two, then Mendoza packaged him up and drove him to the mat for a near fall of his own. Rush finally hit a rolling cutter for the win, with seven minutes to spare before NXT for the event crew to change the ring aprons and sweep the mat while NXT’s commentary team was introduced.
While 205 Live has long felt as though it may thrive before the infamously enthusiastic Full Sail crowd, this abrupt and abbreviated taping was treated no differently than the usual pre-NXT dark matches, save for sporting a 205-branded ring apron.
If you attend a live event, please send results with details on the matches, crowd reactions, and attendance to pwtorch@pwtorch.com. Thanks!
Tom Stoup co-hosts the “PWT Talks NXT” Dailycast and reports on NXT TV from inside the Full Sail Live studio. Follow @TomStoup on Twitter.
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