By Anish Vishwakoti, ProWrestling.net Staffer, (@AVX_9001)
WWE 205 Live
Taped earlier in the week in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Streamed July 24, 2020 on WWE Network
Vic Joseph and Drew Gulak were on commentary once again…
1. Drake Maverick vs. Leon Ruff. With Drake Maverick no longer in his GM role, he opened up 205 Live in a match against Leon Ruff. The match started with Maverick slowly taking his jacket off, clearly still feeling the beatings that Legado Del Fantasma have put on him in recent weeks. Maverick and Ruff locked up with Ruff trying for two quick roll ups, but Maverick kicked out.
The two re-engaged, with Maverick using a hammerlock to keep Ruff on the ground, applying pressure to his left arm. Ruff struggled to his feet and hit Maverick with a back elbow to build some space. Ruff tried to follow up on Maverick but was met with a strong clothesline that grounded him. Maverick followed up with a running heel kick and a corner forearm and bulldog, ending the combo with a senton.
Maverick then hit Ruff with a standing Sunset Flip Bomb into the turnbuckle and hit Ruff with an elbow drop to get the pinfall victory…
Drake Maverick defeated Leon Ruff.
Anish’s Thoughts: Very short match, that was clearly there to show Maverick’s frustration with Legado Del Fantasma and their attacks. What was interesting was that the PC crowd were booing him, even though Maverick didn’t really do anything heelish. Ruff is a face talent, so that does bring into question whether Maverick will be turning heel in the near future, but at the end of the day there was nothing in this match that shouted heel to me. Maverick looked good and I don’t think Ruff lost anything by eating the pinfall here.
An Isaiah Scott video aired and gave viewers a little bit about his back story and especially his love for dance. It was also announced that next week Isaiah Scott and Tony Nese will have a tag team match…
2. Mansoor, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs. Tehuti Miles and “Ever Rise” Matt Martel and Chase Parker. Mansoor and and Parker started the match with Parker applying a hammerlock to start off with. Mansoor tripped Parker and used a headlock. Parker tugged on Mansoor’s hair, but Mansoor didn’t let up and forced Parker to make the tag to Matt Martel. Mansoor caught Martel coming in with an arm drag and tagged in Lorcan.
Lorcan then tagged in Burch who hit Martel with a slow arm drag and stomp to the hand, before tagging in Lorcan again who hit an Atomic Drop. Mansoor then tagged in and hit a dropkick for a two count. Mansoor then used a headlock, but Martel struck Mansoor and tagged in Miled. The three heels tried to outnumber Mansoor, but Lorcan and Burch jumped in and warded them off. Mansoor then tagged in Lorcan who engaged Miles, trying for a roll up but Miles kicked out and with a distraction from Ever Rise, Miles was able to take control of Lorcan.
The heels tagged in and out, keeping the pressure on Lorcan. Parker hit Lorcan with a middle rope fist drop and then worked with Martel to hit an Irish Whip and step-up elbow combo. Martel then used a wrist lock to keep Lorcan under pressure, followed by a head strike. Parker then followed up with some ground and pound and tried for another fist drop, but Lorcan got his foot up and was able to tag in Burch.
Burch rushed Martel who also tagged in and hit him and Parker with a dropkick. Miles got in the ring as well, but Burch hit him with a German Suplex and a clothesline. Burch then tagged in Mansoor to try for a Magic Killer but Ever Rise blocked it. Mansoor recovered however and hit the Slingshot Neckbreaker on Miles. Mansoor couldn’t follow up immediately as Miles rolled out so Mansoor hit him with a Corkscrew Splash to the outside.
Burch and Ever Rise brawled in the ring and once they left, Mansoor tried for the Slingshot Neckbreaker again, but Miles reversed into a backslide. Mansoor however, rolled out of the backslide and rolled Miles up to get the pinfall victory…
Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, and Mansoor defeated Tehuti Miles, Matt Martel, and Chase Parker.
Anish’s Thoughts: If you simulated a six-man tag on one of the old Smackdown versus Raw games, it would look like the main event of 205 Live tonight. I don’t want to blame any of the wrestlers for that, but this just wasn’t a fun match to watch. It was slow and never really picked up pace, even the brawl section of the match felt a little sluggish, with Mansoor and Miles really doing the same ending sequence from their last two matches. In fact, it was less entertaining because Mansoor didn’t hit his Two-Winged Angel maneuver. Miles again looks like a dope, having a backslide reversed into a roll-up, which I actually don’t know if I’ve ever seen before, but that was a uniquely lame way to lose.
This was a nothing show, Maverick looks good coming out of it I guess, no one else really benefited from this show being run. I’m sure it was an audio issue, but the PC crowd even sounded like they were booing that main event. I hope they were booing the effort that WWE puts into 205 Live nowadays however, as this show clocked in at around 25 minutes. I believe including the opening promos, makes this 205 Live shorter than the Swamp Fight at Extreme Rules. The only difference is, I think 205 today could have been improved given more time.
Be the first to comment