The WWE Cruiserweight Civil War is coming!
But the 5v5 Elimination Tag is still a week away! As for tonight, WWE 205 Live wants to know what Jack Gallagher’s return means!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Isaiah “Swerve” Scott VS Ariya Daivari; Swerve wins.
- Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch VS Tony Nese & Mike Kanellis; Nese & Kanellis win.
PLAY BY PLAY
205 Live looks back at last week’s chaotic finish!
Just as Lio Rush was about to beat Tony Nese, Mike Kanellis jumped in to throw the match out! But while the Premier Captain and his new pal pummeled Lio, out came Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch! The BritAm Brawlers saved their team captain and they fought Nese and Kanellis all the way to the back. But Lio was then all alone for the return of Jack Gallagher! A Gentleman’s Dropkick AND Headbutt left the Living Piece of Gold out on the mat! The WWE medics have not cleared Lio Rush for competition, and that includes next week’s 5v5!
WWE Media catches up with Isaiah “Swerve” Scott.
Team NXT is without its captain, but Swerve assures us that he and the other four members have come to an agreement. There does not need to be a captain, but they will get their payback. While the “205 Live Originals” claim this is their home, they’re going to find that this is whose house? Swerve’s House. But does that mean they have a fifth man to fill the empty position? “Oh, yes it does.” Who will the new fifth man be?
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott VS Ariya Daivari!
Speaking of Swerve and the 205 Live OG’s, Swerve throws down with the Persian Lion for a last chance at momentum before next week’s Cruiserweight civil war! Who earns big points for their team before it all goes down?
The bell rings and Daivari circles with Swerve. They tie up, go around the ring, and then break. Daivari talks trash and shoves but Swerve shoves back. Swerve blocks Daivari’s kick and keeps out of his reach, to then get an arm. Swerve wants the armlock but Daivari gets the ropebreak. The ref counts and Swerve lets up, but Daivari sucker punches him! The ref reprimands Daivari but Daivari just goes after Swerve. Swerve dodges the punch to JAB back. Swerve rolls Daivari to then Eddy Gordo headscissors Daivari down! Fans cheer as Swerve continues to bob ‘n’ weave, body shot and basement dropkick!
Swerve goes up top fast but Daivari bails out. Swerve hops down to BOOT Daivari from the apron! Fans cheer and Swerve drags Daivari up and into the ring. Cover, TWO! Swerve grabs an arm and wrenches to a wristlock. He one-arm suplexes Daivari and traps one arm to pull on the other. Fans cheer as Swerve traps the other arm and pulls back. Daivari endures as he’s put into a cover, TWO! Daivari escapes but Swerve circles him like a shark. Swerve brings Daivari up but Daivari throat chops! Daivari puts Swerve through the ropes for a draping neckbreaker! “Who’s the man now?!” Fans boo Daivari as he stalks Swerve to a corner. Daivari CHOPS Swerve to another corner, then CHOPS him again.
Daivari whips Swerve but Swerve reverses. The 205 Live OG holds the ropes and boots Swerve back! Daivari mule kicks then puts Swerve on the ropes, to kick the ropes! And hit another neckbreaker! Cover, TWO! Fans rally for Swerve but Daivari brings him up for a neckbreaker stretch. Swerve endures being bent back and fans rally again. Swerve turns things around to backslide Daivari down! TWO as Daivari escapes again. Daivari throws haymakers on Swerve in the corner, but the ref counts. Daivari backs off at 4 to egg Swerve on. Swerve hits back and they start brawling! Fists fly, Swerve ROCKS Daivari! And hits a discus LARIAT! Fans fire up with Swerve as he runs into the corner to back elbow Daivari down.
Swerve snapmares Daivari and hops up for the falling uppercut! Swerve gives Yes Kicks to Daivari, even against the ropes! Kick after kick after kick then a snapmare, for a somersault COMPLETE SHOT! Cover, TWO!! Daivari survives and Swerve grows frustrated. Swerve drags Daivari up and half nelsons, but Daivari backs him into buckles. Swerve tries again, but Daivari arm-drags out of the driver! Daivari runs into Swerve’s elbow, but he dodges Swerve’s shoulder thrust to KICK him down! Daivari drags Swerve up, hammerlocks but Swerve rolls him! Crucifix pin, TWO! Daivari spins Swerve and reels him in for a DDT! Cover, TWO!! Swerve survives and Daivari is the one frustrated now.
Daivari storms around with wild eyes but fans boo and jeer. Daivari drags Swerve up, hammerlocks, but Swerve ducks to SOBAT! Swerve gives Daivari a HOUSE CALL! Cover, TWO!?! Swerve won’t let himself be frustrated, he traps an arm and grabs the other, to SNAP!! Daivari writhes as Swerve goes to a corner. Swerve hops up, for KILL STOMPS!! Cover, Swerve wins!
Winner: Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, by pinfall
A huge victory over the OG, and Team NXT has a big win before the 5v5 war! Will this new wave roll right over the old guard on this Road to WrestleMania?
Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch VS Tony Nese & Mike Kanellis!
Team NXT’s One Two have had rough goings on NXT, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the fight! Will they challenge the Premier Dad Bods to all out life in the ring tonight?
The teams sort out and Nese starts with Burch. They circle and tie up, and Nese waistlocks to shove Burch. Nese says he knows what Buffalo wants, and he flexes. Burch ROCKS Nese with a right hand! Things speed up and Burch catches Nese out of the air! Burch flexes and fans cheer for that. Nese gets up and tags out to Kanellis, but Burch gets him with a drop toehold! Burch headlocks then tags in Oney. Oney takes the headlock hand-off, but Kanellis powers out. Things speed up here, too, and Kanellis back elbows Oney down! Kanellis double guns then bumps Oney off buckles. Kanellis throws hands then wrenches Oney to whip. Oney ducks and comes back to pop Kanellis up for an atomic drop!
Tag to Burch and the One Two double whip. Burch gives Kanellis another atomic drop then tags in Oney. They double wrench and double atomic drop! Then they split the wish bone! Kanellis bails out but Nese runs in, to get an atomic drop for himself! Oney and Burch split the wish bone on Nese now! Nese hobbles and the One Two throw Nese out onto Kanellis! Fans fire up and cheer, “One Two! One Two!” Burch goes out to fetch Kanellis and put him in. Kanellis begs for mercy but Burch is after his leg. Kanellis has the rope so the ref backs Burch off. Burch comes back but Kanellis slaps him! Burch glares but Kanellis runs away. They go out of the ring, Nese gets Burch but Burch ROCKS Nese first. Kanellis baseball slide dropkicks Burch!
Nese complains to the ref while Kanellis stomps Burch down. Kanellis puts Burch in the ring and scoops, but Burch slips out to tag Oney! Nese tags in but Oney rallies with fast hands! Oney hits Kanellis then EuroUppers Nese! Or as Aiden English says it should be, the American Uppercut. Oney unleashes more CHOPS then runs, but into a table top and basement dropkick! Nese drags Oney out hard and stomps him down at the barriers. The ref counts but Nese pumps himself up. Nese puts Oney in the ring and kicks him down. Nese tags Kanellis and they double whip Oney for a drop toehold onto a knee! Cover, TWO! Kanellis keeps Oney away from Burch with a chinlock. Oney endures and fans build to a rally.
Oney fights his way up and pries out of the hold to arm-drag Kanellis away. Kanellis clobbers Oney just before he gets the tag! Kanellis drags Oney over and Nese tags in to stomp Oney down. Nese throws crossface forearms and stalks Oney to ropes. Nese CHOPS Oney but fans rally up. BIG scoop slam and cover, TWO! Nese clamps onto Oney with a chinlock but fans still rally. Oney fights his way back up and throws body shots. Nese shoves and Kanellis swipes at Oney, Nese adds the hotshot bulldog! PREMIER TRIANGLE, but it FLOPS! Tag to Kanellis and he runs at Oney, to miss in the corner! Hot tag to Burch!
The Governah rallies on Kanellis, dropkicks Nese out, then throws EuroUppers on Kanellis. Burch corner clotheslines and enziguris Kanellis! Nese runs in but Burch sends him into Kanellis! And then enziguris Nese, too! Burch pushes Nese aside to DDT Kanellis down! Burch clotheslines Nese, snapmares him and gives him a DDT! Buffalo is fired up as Oney rises. Burch Electric Chairs Kanellis, Oney is up top, but Nese shoves him down! Kanellis slips out but Burch ROCKS him with rights! Burch runs, into a SUPERKICK! Nese tags in, he whips Burch into Kanellis’s rabbit forearm! Kanellis hops up as Nese pump handles Burch, flying knee to the powerslam! Cover, Nese & Kanellis win!
Winners: Tony Nese & Mike Kanellis, by pinfall
The 205 Live OG keep pace with Team NXT! Will Nese, Kanellis, Daivari, Gallagher and THE Brian Kendrick ride out this new wave of Cruiserweight talent? Or will that fifth man be what helps NXT take over the WWE Cruiserweight Division?
My Thoughts:
A pretty good episode, but there are still a lot of non-content based concerns. With WWE moving 205 Live to before SmackDown to be taped, and even then still only for 30 minutes or less, I feel like 205 Live has become Main Event for Cruiserweights. I know WWE is trying to keep 205 Live a touring brand, but I will say once again, they GUTTED this show with the last WWE Draft. Why don’t they just bring this to Full Sail? The 5v5 Elimination Tag match shows there are literally more Cruiserweights in NXT than on this show. Just have 205 Live be at Full Sail as the dark matches to NXT, and then all the WWE Cruiserweights can converge on one location for some real crossovers.
As for the actual content, that’s still solid. Swerve VS Daivari and Lorcan-Burch VS Nese-Kanellis were both really good but things went by so fast, this didn’t even feel like a half hour of action. It’s very effective for Gallagher’s return that he is why Lio Rush can’t be part of the match next week, I really hope this newest transformation is given a better push than the original jovial Gentleman or the menacing middle phase. Another reason for WWE to keep 205 Live at Full Sail is so that floating Cruiserweights like Gallagher and Kendrick only have to travel between Orlando and wherever NXT UK is for tapings. As for Lio’s replacement, I’m really hoping it’s Kushida. He hasn’t done much as of late, and this would be a great way to return while also sparking some possible stories for him in this division.
My Score: 8/10
