By Anish Vishwakoti, ProWrestling.net Staffer, (@AVX_9001)
WWE 205 Live on WWE Network
Streamed live on February 7, 2020 from San Jose, California at SAP Center
The show started with a recap of Jordan Devlin’s title victory at World’s Collide as well as the match between Angel Garza and Isaiah “Swerve” Scott on NXT and his actions on Raw. The open essentially pitted Garza against Devlin and gave us an indication that he would be gunning for his title back. Before the opening match we also got a recap of Oney Lorcan’s return last week to help Danny Burch fend off Brian Kendrick and Ariya Daivari… The broadcast team was Jon Quasto and Aiden English…
1. Ariya Daivari and The Brian Kendrick vs. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. The match started with Daivari and Lorcan in the ring. Lorcan knocked Daivari out of the ring with an Uppercut and the action immediately spilled to the outside. Lorcan and Burch attacked the two heels and Burch left Kendrick laying on the outside so that Lorcan could work on Daivari in the ring.
After a little bit, Kendrick recovered and managed to tag in, but Lorcan simply took control of Kendrick and tagged in Burch who struck at Kendrick. When Burch tried for a running clothesline, Daivari tripped him from the outside, turning the tables. Kendrick dragged Burch to the ground and used a sleeper to tire him out.
Kendrick and Daivari tagged in and out, stomping on Burch and going to work on his left knee. Lorcan tried to rally on the apron, Burch responded by trying to kick Kendrick’s face with his loose leg, but Daivari put the kibosh on his escape attempt and dragged him back to the corner.
Eventually, Burch was able to slither out of their clutches and tagged in Lorcan who rushed the ring and rammed both opponents with Uppercuts and a double Blockbuster. Burch and Lorcan tried to double team Kendrick but Daivari ran in with a chair to try and get the upper hand. Lorcan and Burch grabbed the chair from him and in frustration whacked him in the gut, giving their opponents the DQ win.
Brian Kendrick and Ariya Daivari won by DQ.
After the match, Lorcan tried to hit Daivari with the chair even more, but Burch grabbed it from him to stop him. Lorcan for a second thought his partner was going soft, but then he beckoned for a table Dudley Boys style. Lorcan pulled out a table and set it up, but Daivari escaped with the help of Kendrick before they could use it…
Anish’s Thoughts: I am sure the post match angle means that we will get a tables match or two in the near future featuring these guys, so I look forward to it. While the match was short and we didn’t get a decisive conclusion, I think this was the perfect way to build up anticipation and to continue this feud, all while giving Lorcan and Burch even more of a reason to want revenge against the heels.
2. Samir Singh and Sunil Singh vs. Joe Furrer and Devon Dixie. After the Singhs finished their dancing antics and entrance, the match got under way. Samir started the match against Dixie but simply continued to dance with his brother. Dixie dragged him to the corner and slugged away for a little bit, but unfazed Samir hit him with a middle rope dropkick. The Singhs then tagged in and out and hit a double backbreaker followed by a double elbow on Dixie, with some dancing thrown in for good measure.
Samir then used a chin lock to wear down Dixie and when Dixie wouldn’t relent, the Singhs tried for another double team maneuver. Dixie was able to resist for a little bit, but eventually the Singhs hit a double powerbomb followed by a double superkick to Furrer on the apron and finally the Backbreaker -Elbow combo to get the pinfall victory..
The Singh Bros defeated Joe Furrer and Devon Dixie.
Anish’s Thoughts: Sure this match happened. There was dancing in it as well, what any of this does to get either the Singhs or anyone else into a strong position, I have no clue. I feel like 205 Live has a good Singh Brothers appearance once every two months and that’s about it. This was not one of those, it was a rather boring time filler…
A recap aired of Tony Nese’s count-out victory over Lio Rush from a couple of weeks ago. This set up their rivalry, which would be interjected into the main event Triple Threat featuring new champion Jordan Devlin…
3. NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin vs. Tony Nese vs. Lio Rush in a non-title Triple Threat match. The new champion made his first appearance on 205 Live and unfortunately it was to a rather silent reception, which isn’t very surprising given the audiences for NXT UK and 205 Live do seem rather disparate.
Cleverly, the match started with Nese and Rush getting in each others’ faces, forcing Devlin to win the attention of the other two and the audience. The three exchanged in a quick exchange with Rush firstly getting the best of Devlin with an upkick and then Nese managing to rock Rush with a springboard moonsault.
Devlin and Nese then got into it with Nese smacking Devlin with a couple of kicks, but Devlin managed to catch him with a rolling DDT and earned a two count. Nese tried to retaliate with a pumphandle slam, but Devlin countered into a reverse DDT and caught Rush running in with a uranage onto Nese as well, eliciting a great response from the crowd.
Devlin and Nese battled to the outside and onto the apron, Rush knocked Nese off with a handspring kick. Rush then tried for a dive onto Devlin, but got caught with a clothesline. Devlin went to work on Rush, hitting him with a backbreaker and then wrenching his face with a chin lock. Devlin then propped Rush onto the top rope and tried for a superplex before Nese intervened.
Devlin and Nese entered into a shoving match, but when Rush looked to jump onto them both, they teamed up to try for a double superplex. Rush fought out and knocked them to the canvas and hit them with a cross body, followed by consecutive springboard stunners to both opponents. Rush covered Nese but only got a two count. Rush tried to follow up with a top rope dive, but Nese rolled to the outside.
All three men hit each other with topes in quick succession, followed by them all moving to the other side of the ring, where Nese tossed Rush over the announcers table. Devlin then hit Nese with a slingshot cutter and went for the cover, but Nese got his foot on the ropes. Rush then entered the ring again and he and Devlin exchanged a knee strikes and a headbutt.
Rush managed to knock Devlin on his back with a strike of some sort, but thanks to the world famous and critically acclaimed camera work of WWE, we instead saw an all-important shot of Nese’s forehead. Rush tried for a high risk move, but it didn’t pay off, as Nese and his forehead rolled into the ring and smacked Rush with an uppercut. Nese hit Devlin with a sunset driver, although this only earned him a two count.
Nese went for a 450 Splash, but Devlin rolled out of the way. Rush tried for the Final Hour, but Nese put his knees up. Nese tried for another 450 and hit it, but Devlin immediately picked him off and hit the Devlin Side (whip up belly to belly suplex) to get the pinfall victory…
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Devlin defeated Lio Rush and Tony Nese in a non-title Triple Threat match.
After the match, Devlin cut a promo about taking the title back to the UK…
Anish’s Thoughts: Props to Devlin for making a statement here and having a really great match with two of 205 Live’s regulars. He definitely had the crowd buzzing by the end so this was a great introduction of the new champion to 205 Live. Overall, the match was really fun and it seems like Nese and Rush will be continuing their feud as we go forward, while Devlin will likely take on Angel Garza.
I must mention that Devlin’s job was not made easy, as we didn’t even get a promo video about Devlin himself like WWE usually does. Plus, his entrance music, ring gear, finishing move, and its name are all extremely unmemorable. I hope they change at least one of these things going forward.
Overall, this was a good show, though not a great one as the crowd had to be warmed up multiple times thanks to the cold fish Singh Brothers segment and a lack of awareness about who the champion is. A good opener and closer though, and it definitely ended on a high note. I am a little concerned that we may not see much of the champion given that show closing promo. I guess we will have to wait and see how much he appears in the U.S.
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