By Anish Vishwakoti, ProWrestling.net Staffer, (@AVX_9001)
WWE 205 Live on WWE Network
Streamed live on February 28, 2020 from Boston, Massachusetts at TD Garden
There was a cold open to the show with just the opening promo package playing before we got right into match one. The commentators were Jon Quasto and Aiden English…
1. Joaquin Wilde vs. Raul Mendoza. The match got off to a hot start with Mendoza hitting a running dropkick on Mendoza and immediately taking control of the match. Mendoza grounded wild and slowed him down, using a couple of arm locks to keep him out of breath. After being grounded for a while, Wild was able to finally hit Mendoza with a snapmare and a couple of running forearms to turn the tides. Mendoza got control back for a second, and tried to hit a moonsault, but Wilder caught him in powerbomb position and hit a powerbomb.
Wilde then forced Mendoza to the outside and hit a head scissors whip into the stairs. Mendoza and Wilde then fought into the ring, where Wilde managed to hit a rolling lungblower on Mendoza but only got a two count. They made their way to the top rope where they slugged back and forth for a while.
They each got each other into superplex or rana whip position until eventually, Mendoza hit Wilde with an enziguiri to knock him off balance. Mendoza then tried for a super electric chair, but Wilde reversed into a super hurcanrana and went for the cover. Mendoza managed to get his foot on the ropes, frustrating Wilde and prompting to try for the Wilde Thing, but Mendoza reversed and caught Wilde with a Spanish Fly, getting him a two count.
Wilde and Mendoza slugged back and forth, each landing elbows until Mendoza suddenly caught Wilde with a package half nelson driver. Even this couldn’t keep Wilde down, with Mendoza uttering the words ‘what are you.’ Mendoza tried for a Death Valley Driver and this lead to a series of reversals where each man tried to hit a big move or grab a pinfall, with Mendoza eventually hitting a soccer kick. Mendoza tried to follow up with a bottom rope moonsault, but Wilde got the knees up and hit the Wilde Thing, double boot to the face to get the pinfall victory via a roll up…
Joaquin Wilde defeated Raul Mendoza.
Anish’s Thoughts: This match really made up for their second one which didn’t go completely smoothly. This one was about as good an opener as you can get on 205 Live. Both men played to their strengths and built off the two previous matches, each having scouted the others moves and tendencies, not allowing themselves to get caught by surprise. I have an odd feeling that in typical wrestling fashion these two will gain a newfound respect for each other and start teaming up until Mendoza gets salty that Wilde got the better of him/Wilde thinks that Mendoza is holding him back. Let’s see which one comes to fruition.
It was also announced what the teams would be for the upcoming NXT cruiserweights vs 205 Live originals match with Lio Rush leading the team of Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan, Tyler Breeze and Isaiah Scott. Meanwhile Tony Nese leads the team of Jack Gallagher, Ariya Daivari, The Brian Kendrick, Mike Kanellis…
2. Tony Nese with Mike Kanellis vs. Lio Rush. While I don’t usually have any complaints about the broadcasters, I found it rather amusing that I kept thinking that Quasto was calling this the ‘cactus challenge’ as opposed to ‘captain’s challenge.’ With that confusion out of the way, the match got underway.
Nese and Rush locked up but before they could get serious, Nese kneeled and flexed his abs. Rush was having no part of it and charged Rush, who used his strength to back Nese into the corner. Rush was able to dodge a few punches thanks to his speed and used this speed to trip Nese and catch him with a couple of strikes.
Rush then caught Nese with a head scissors whip and kicked him out of the ring with an enziguiri. Rush quickly got back in the ring and while Rush was trying for a tope, tripped him up and raked him with a kick to the face. With Nese now in control, he tossed Rush onto the apron. He couldn’t take advantage here however as Nese backdropped him to the floor and rolled him into the ring.
Rush went up to the top rope and tried for a dive, but got distracted by Kanellis for just a second, allowing Nese to yank him off and hit a gutbuster for a two count. Nese then locked in a body scissors to squeeze Rush, but Rush managed to get out after a little struggle. The two went back and forth in a kick exchange again, eventually leading to Nese grounding rush with a hotshot and then hitting the springboard moonsault to Rush.
This also only earned a two count, prompting Nese to stomp Rush in the corner. Nese then propped Rush up onto the top rope and get ready for a superplex, eventually Rush was able to punch Nese off and hit a standing cross body. A stunned Nese flung his arms at Rush wildly, but Rush ducked under and hit a head scissors DDT to get a two count.
Nese and Rush went back and forth now, with Nese managing to catch Rush off the top rope in a Northern lights suplex, following up with a Boston crab. Rush tried to crawl to the ropes, but Rush reversed and hit Nese with an up kick. Just as he was about to take advantage, Kanellis distracted him again. This didn’t stop Rush for too long however as he hit Kanellis with a handspring kick and then caught Nese with a springboard stunner. Just as he went for the cover, Kanellis broke it up, prompting a disqualification…
Lio Rush defeated Tony Nese by DQ.
After the match, Kanellis and Nese beat down Lio Rush before Burch and Lorcan came to Rush’s aid and escorted them out of the ringside area. Just while Rush was about to be declared the winner, Jack Gallagher returned, with a new haircut and a new Pirate looking tattoo on his chest, headbutting Rush and ending the show with himself standing tall…
Anish’s Thoughts: A fun match that was able to keep up a really fast pace from beginning to end. Because they were setting up this old school 205 Live vs NXT dynamic, Kanellis at ringside added an interesting dynamic, putting Rush under the gun to get to Nese before Kanellis could affect the match. This meant that both guys didn’t let up and each got in a load of offense before the eventual DQ finish that prompted the brawl and kept us guessing which way this tag match will end up falling.
A great show tonight, while there were only two matches, one of which didn’t even have a clean finish, both were definitely entertaining and built towards something bigger. While I do hope that they do something a little more unique with Wilde and Mendoza, it seems to be that they will end up together for a little bit.
The main was also action packed, with Nese and Rush going at each other with no end in sight, while we didn’t see a brawl with all members of both teams getting into it, this was a good starting point for the fight between the new additions to 205 Live and the OGs.
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