By Zack Zimmerman
WWE 205 Live on WWE Network
Aired live from Louisville, Kentucky at the KFC YUM Center
A video recapped TJ Perkins turning heel… The opening video played… Inside the arena, pyro went off and the commentary team of Tom Phillips and Corey Graves checked in from ringside. A graphic promoted the main event match of the show between Austin Aries and TJ Perkins.
Akira Tozawa made his entrance to open things up. A replay from last week showed Tozawa cost Brian Kendrick his match against Mustafa Ali by dressing up and ringing the bell to distract him. Anthony Nese was out next.
1. Akira Tozawa vs. Anthony Nese. Nothing happened through the first few minutes. Brian Kendrick came out and watched on from ringside. Nese used a delayed vertical suplex to drop Tozawa gut-first across the top rope.
He went back to the well on the suplex, which allowed Tozawa to fight back. He knocked Neze to ringside and wiped him out with a dive through the ropes. Back in the ring, Tozawa connected on a bicycle knee for a two-count. A short time later, Kendrick was going to cheap-shot Tozawa but the referee stopped him. The distraction actually allowed Tozawa to roll Nese up and score the pinfall
Akira Tozawa pinned Anthony Nese in about 5:45.
Post-match, Kendrick got in the ring but Nese leveled him. Tozawa took a microphone and laughed at Kendrick that this week’s lesson is “always have eyes in the back of your head.” Replays aired… [C]
Zim Says: I’m so done with this never ending Tozawa/Kendrick feud.
Back in the arena, Rich Swann made his entrance. A replay showed him punking Noam Dar and Alicia Fox last week. He had a microphone in the ring and said that Fox has had a week to think things over, so he wants her to come out. Instead of Fox, Noam Dar interrupted.
Dar said that last Tuesday was the most embarrassing night of his life. He called Swann a “stinkin’ little rat,” before Alicia Fox’s music hit and she made her way to the ring. She stood between the guys in the ring and addressed each of them. She said she thought Dar would be the face of 205 Live, but he’s immature, wears bad cologne, and can’t cook. She admitted she’s been using Dar and said she never really cared about him. She said the most annoying thing is the way he says her name “Foooooooooooox.”
Fox dismissed Dar and told him they’re over. The three people in the crowd who cared sang the “Na Na Na Goodbye” song. She turned to Swann and said all of his gifts were thoughtful. He went over all of the things he got her and he said she deserved them. She said she was going to give him what he deserves. He put his hand in her face and said that she has something else that she deserves.
Swann asked if Fox remembers Cedric Alexander. Swann said that Cedric is hurt, but he’ll be back, and Fox did him dirty by ditching him for “that eurotrash pervert.” Swann said that the entire world now knows the type of person that Fox is, and that’s the gift that truly matters. Swann left Fox alone in the ring and strutted up the ramp. Fox went off in the ring about how being single is better because she can do what she wants. The crowd gave her the “what?” treatment and Fox snapped on them. [C]
Zim Says: Thank goodness that’s finally over. Was THAT payoff really worth all of the TV tim they invested in this story though? I mean, geez.
Mustafa Ali made his entrance for a singles match. Aria Daivari was out next, wearing sunglasses, gold chains, and a new jacket. He was shown arriving to the arena earlier in the day behind the wheel of a brand new Corvette. He didn’t tip the valet, and he ordered him not to scratch it.
2. Mustafa Ali vs. Ariya Daivari. Daivari stalled throughout the opening minute as he dusted his wrestling boots off. The commentators were telling the story of Drew Gulak is campaigning for Ali to stop using high-flying offense, and they awkwardly pointed it out when the competitors were chain wrestling but not when Ali hit a big flip dive over the ropes around the two-minute mark.
Moments later, Daivari dropped Ali back-first onto the ring apron with a back suplex drop. It was good for a nearfall, but it allowed Daivari to obtain and maintain control. Ali tried to pick up some momentum, but Daivari caught him coming off the middle turnbuckle and planted him with a hard spinebuster.
Around the five-minute mark, Ali made his comeback and hit his front roll into a leaping neckbreaker for a two-count. Ali caught Davari with a dropkick as he was coming off the ropes, and then Ali went up to the top turnbuckle himself. As he did, Drew Gulak marched down the entranceway blaring a megaphone siren, carrying a “No fly zone” sign, and declaring “I am not lying – no high flying” repeatedly.
Daivari yanked Ali’s legs out from under him and he crashed and burned. Daivari followed up with a hammerlock lariat and scored the pinfall.
Ariya Daivari over Mustafa Ali in about 6:45.
Backstage, one of the interviewers caught up with Gulak and asked why he did what he did. Gulak stated that Ali’s brand of “reckless” high-flying has no place in the bright future of 205 Live. Gulak said he speaks on behalf of the WWE Universe and will not stop until we achieve “A Better 205 Live…” [C]
Zim Says: Funny that they just saddled Daivari with the “mega-douche” gimmick out of nowhere, but ultimately I expect it’ll lead to nothing other than stupid storylines. I’m not surprised to see Gulak doing his campaigning character, as anyone who’s read my reviews regularly would know, but now it’s on them to make it entertaining and worthwhile rather than just another piece to plug into stupid 205 Live stories like Dar/Fox/Swann and Kendrick/Tozawa.
Speaking of superdou… er… Back in the arena, TJ Perkins made his entrance for the main event, followed by Austin Aries.
3. TJ Perkins vs. Austin Aries. Perkins spat in his hand before offering the pre-match handshake, so Aries slapped it away hard. Perkins wasted the opening minute outside of the ring, but he quickly took control when he re-entered. The two went back-and forth on the mat as Perkins used headscissor variants and Aries looked for the Last Chancery to no early avail.
Aries knocked Perkins to ringside and then wiped him out with the Heat Seeking Missile through the ropes. Aries tossed Perkins back in and went to the top rope, but Perkins crotched him and took control. He used a springboard crossbody and grounded Aries in a butterfly lock, but Aries fought back with the pendulum elbow and began to gain momentum.
Aries hit a neckbreaker across the middle rope from the apron and then went to the top rope. Perkins avoided the 450 splash and Aries landed on his feet, but came up selling his knee. Without missing a beat. Perkins sank in the TJP Clutch and Aries looked to be in trouble. He managed to reach the ropes, but Perkins continued to wear down the leg with repeated low kicks.
The two traded shots mid-ring before Perkins avoided a rolling elbow and botched his chicken wing gutbuster. He hoisted Aries in a fireman’s carry, but Aries fought out with the shinbreaker into the release back suplex. Aries charged and leveled Perkins with an elbow in the corner. He followed up with the 450 and looked to have it won, but Perkins got his foot on the ropes.
Aries applied the Last Chancery, but he was selling the damage to his leg which allowed Perkins to escape. Perkins looked to deliver the Detonation Kick, but Aries slipped out and connected with the discus elbow for the win.
Austin Aries beat TJ Perkins in about 11:45.
After the match, Neville’s pyro and music hit and the Cruiserweight Champion charged the ring. Aries briefly managed to get the better of him, but TJ Perkins ran back in and joined Neville in beating down Aries. Perkins hit the Detonation Kick and Neville locked him in the Rings of Saturn. Referees pleaded with him to release the hold and he eventually did, but the damage had been done. Neville and Perkins left together while the officials tended to Aries as the show closed.
Zim Says: Fine main event. Fine closing angle. This show just did nothing for me. I’ve had a long day and there’s not much to break down on this show, so I’m going to wrap it up here and whatever more I have to say I’ll say for DotNet members in audio form tomorrow. Until next week folks, thanks for reading along, and my apologies for the delay and my current mental state of “quite done with this day.”
Throw comments, questions, criticisms, or corrections @DotNetZim or DotNetZim@gmail.com; always happy to discuss.
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