By Anish Vishwakoti, ProWrestling.net Staffer, (@AVX_9001)
WWE 205 Live on the WWE Network
Taped October 30, 2018 at the Atlanta, Georgia at State Farm Arena
The show tonight was taped once again at the Smackdown before and like in recent weeks was kicked off with a video package featuring GM Drake Maverick previewing tonight’s matches. He especially put focus on the two big storylines of the evening; Gulak and Gallagher vs Kendrick, as well as the hunt for the Cruiserweight title with Mustafa Ali taking on Tony Nese.
Anish’s Thoughts: Short, sweet and to the point. 205 should definitely keep using this format regularly to hype up the shows.
1. Brian Kendrick vs. Jack Gallagher (w/Drew Gulak).. As the match got underway, Drew Gulak made his way to commentary and immediately started talking about losing his edge. This allowed Gallagher to take control early as the action spilled outside in the first few seconds and a distracted Kendrick was rammed into the apron. Gallagher drove his knee into Kendrick’s back to start the match off, focusing on wearing Kendrick down.
Gulak and the commentators argued vehemently as the camera cut to them, with Gulak continually saying that Kendrick was essentially done. As this went on, Gallagher used calculated and slow strikes and snapmares to keep Kendrick down. Kendrick urged him on however, drawing Gallagher in to an elbow so that he could build some space.
Kendrick then turned the tables, hitting Gallagher with a backdrop and a series of forearms and a standing dropkick to get a two count. Kendrick attempted a Captain’s Hook, but Gallagher blocked it, forcing Kendrick to use a Tiger Suplex and then go back to the hook. However, Gallagher got to the ropes and managed to use that space to moonsault over the ropes and catch Kendrick in a spiffy looking rear naked choke.
They picked up the pace, with Gallagher attempting a corner senton that Kendrick blocked, and the veteran attempting Sliced Bread No.2. However, Gallagher slithered out, forcing Kendrick to settle for a superkick. As Kendrick attempted to hit Sliced Bread No.2 again, Gulak stepped out from commentary to interfere, but before he could cause any damage, Akira Tozawa ran out from the crowd and hit Gulak with a spinning kick to allow Kendrick to hit his finisher and get the pin unimpeded.
Brian Kendrick defeated Jack Gallagher
Anish’s Thoughts: A fun opening match for as short as it was. Kendrick proved once again why he has been in this business for so long, making the most of a very short amount of time. He and Gallagher didn’t let everything out of the box, but they definitely had a few fun spots in there along with a simple match structure to keep the crowd into it. The addition of Tozawa into this feud is a smart one, and gives the heels a reason to lose, as it would be rather odd if they couldn’t get the better of Kendrick with the numbers advantage. Definitely looking forward to seeing what they can do in the future.
2. Gran Metalik vs. A local wrestler. Gran Metalik had a quick match against a local talent. Metalik hit a few of his flashy moves and finally his top rope splash to pin the competitor. The real story here though was TJP rushing Metalik after the match and quickly demasking him before the rest of Lucha House Party could run down and make the save.
Gran Metalik defeated a local talent.
Anish’s Thoughts: Obviously, the real story here is how TJP got to take off Metalik’s mask, and while I have commented that this storyline isn’t the most complex, the crowd certainly have been booing TJP rather loudly for his work. No doubt he will have a match with Metalik sometime in the near future.
After we came back from break, we saw a backstage interview between Mike and Maria Kanellis that was interrupted by TJP. The Kanellis couple were bragging about Mike beating Lince Dorado last week, and had their interview interrupted by TJP barging in on them with Metalik’s mask in hand. Maria didn’t allow TJP to speak and instead stated that she knew why he was here, to get help from Mike Kanellis in his feud against Lucha House Party.
3. Mustafa Ali vs Tony Nese in a number one contender’s match. Immediately the story of this match had an added element to it as Ali walked out with a heavily taped up ribs. Nese started the match by targeting Ali’s ribs and shoved him into the corner. Even when Ali rebounded in the early stages and whipped Nese out of the ring with a head scissors, he took a little time in the ring to sell his ribs and really emphasize that he isn’t wrestling at 100%.
Ali then tried to hit Nese with an outside plancha but got caught and slammed onto the steel rampway. The referee attended to Ali as Nese showed off, but Nese didn’t let Ali get too much rest, throwing him into the barricade and then back into the ring where he applied a seated bearhug submission.
Ali tried to fight out but Nese was on the ball, kneeing Ali in the ribs repeatedly to keep breaking his torso down. As Nese worked on Ali, the crowd started chanting heavily for Ali, no doubt in part as a result of Ali’s agonizing looking selling. This allowed Ali to build up some space and try to pop off a tornado DDT, but Nese caught him and hit an impressive looking northern-lights suplex to keep Ali in pain.
Nese locked in a body-scissors submission to keep crushing Ali’s ribs, even smacking him in the belly hard once to elicit a strong wince from the crowd. Nese took his time, allowing Ali to recover a little bit every time he hit him with a strike or a slam that targeted Ali’s ribs. Nese then tried to pull Ali up to the top rope, but Ali swept his legs off the rope, forcing Nese’s head to ricochet off the turnbuckle and leave Ali with some space. Ali had to work to do some damage however, as he and Nese exchanged bulldog and Moonsault attempts, before Ali managed to hit a rolling powerbomb. However, the powerbomb took a lot out of Ali as well as he put a ton of pressure on his ribs to execute it.
Ali managed to get rolling with his facecrusher maneuver and a tope con hilo in quick sequence to hurt Nese. He attempted to finish the match with a high cross body back in the ring, but Nese kicked out at two. The two then went kick for kick trying to get the advantage, with Ali almost getting the victory after hitting two superkicks to the front and back of Nese’s head. Definitely bit hard for that near fall.
Ali tried to capitalize with his 054 splash, but Nese didn’t let him hit it easily. Ali had to settle for a tornado DDT as Nese ducked and dodged the inverted 450 attempts. Nese managed to block one more 054 attempt and instead hit a vicious looking top rope gutbuster, however Ali kicked out, much to the delight of the Atlanta crowd. Nese continued to elicit a reaction, ripping the tape off Ali’s ribs and soccer kicking his gut. However, this would be his downfall as Nese got too caught up in the reaction of the referee and the boos of the crowd, allowing Ali to hit a double-leg takedown and then a roll-over cradle to get the pinfall victory by surprise.
Mustafa Ali defeated Tony Nese.
After the match, Cedric Alexander came out in order to ward off Nese and make sure that Nese and Murphy didn’t attack him. As he got in the ring, Alexander stared down Nese and picked up Ali from the ground. Alexander got a huge shocked “Aahh” from the crowd as when he went to put Ali’s arm over his shoulder he, far too obviously to be coincidental, swung his arm over his shoulder like he was readying Ali for a lumbar-check. The crowd bit-hard and so did I, really thought that Alexander might have turned here, and gauging the reaction of the crowd, I feel that this could certainly be the case in the future.
Anish’s Thoughts: A really fun match between Nese and Ali that showcased both of their strengths. Nese’s strength being his great heel work and ability to get heat on himself, and Ali’s being his elite selling capabilities that just get everybody watching him on his side. Once again, both men managed to have a phenomenal match without needing to go all out. Undoubtedly, they can have more matches in the future that I look forward to seeing. This was a good way to build towards Ali vs Murphy as well as Ali has placed himself as a real underdog against the bigger man and the more crafty in Murphy. The post match was a fun way to end the show as Murphy came out to stare down Ali and Alexander. Good build towards Ali vs Murphy in the near future, and maybe even Ali vs Alexander in the far future.
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