By Colin McGuire, ProWrestling.net Contributor
WWE 205 Live
Live from Orlando, Florida at Amway Center
Streamed September 18, 2020 on WWE Network
Vic Joseph checked in from the commentary table with a returning Nigel McGuinness…
McGuire’s Musings: While Drew Gulak did a fine job filling in for all these months, it’s nice to have Nigel back.
1. Ariya Daivari vs. Eli Night. Joseph noted how Daivari claimed he is Daivari-Claus on social media today, offering three cruiserweights a chance to beat him for $10,000. First one up was Night.
Daivari landed a belly to back suplex before getting Night in the corner and stomping him to the ground. After throwing him into the rope, Daivari landed a leg lariat to send Night to the mat. Davari then hit the Hammerlock Lariat for the win
Ariya Daivari defeated Eli Night in 1:28.
2. Ariya Daivari vs. Bobby Flacco. Flacco went for the legs, but Daivari quickly countered. “I’m the best around, nothing is going to keep me down,” McGuinness said Flacco told him earlier in the day. It wasn’t long before Daivari began to toy with Flacco outside the ring after hitting him with a series of kicks.
McGuinness gave Daivari a thumbs up as the two were outside. The action moved inside and Daivari landed a vicious chop. Flacco got a foot up, went to the top rope, but Daivari moved out of the way and then got Flacco to his feet to hit his Hammerlock Lariat for the win.
Ariya Daivari defeated Bobby Flacco in 1:58.
3. Ariya Daivari vs. Jason Cade. Cade came in with a furry and hit Daivari with a huracanrana. Daivari threw Cade into the corner, who botched a run up the ropes. Daivari went on the offensive before Cade landed a couple near falls.
Daivari caught Cade with a super kick before the Hammerlock Lariat connected for the win.
Ariya Daivari defeated Jason Cade in 1:59.
After the match, Daivari celebrated nonchalantly before the crew cut to a recap of the Danny Burch/Tony Nese match from a few weeks ago. Joseph labeled the win as the biggest of Burch’s career.
McGuire’s Musings: Well, there’s that. Daivari gets to keep his ten grand, and three anonymous wrestlers got two minutes apiece of TV time. Did anybody really win? Who knows. Either way, the gimmick was fun for what it was, despite there being little to no drama about the outcome. Cade got in a few nice near-falls, but it never felt like Daivari was in jeopardy. As an aside, social media is the devil in a lot of ways, but perhaps one of its biggest failures comes in the form of allowing WWE to set up nonsensical angles on the fly whenever they need a reason to book a match. Or in this case, three. But I digress.
4. Danny Burch vs. Tony Nese. Burch entered the ring first. Nese then made his entrance, flexing his abs and strutting to a C-list theme song that sounds like it could show up on the Kids’ Choice Awards. The wrestlers locked up and traded moves before both got to their feet and locked up again.
Burch got Nese on the ground but Nese quickly made it to the ropes. McGuinness plugged NXT UK. The two engaged in a test of strength and Burch got the best of Nese. Ultimately, Nese got Burch into a front face lock on the mat. Burch worked his way to his feet. Burch worked Nese’s left wrist.
Nese countered Burch’s holds but couldn’t grasp momentum and broke his opponent’s holds via a rope-break. Daivari then reappeared and Burch confronted him up the ramp. Nese attacked Burch from behind as Daivari walked arrogantly to the commentary table. Nese threw Burch back in the ring and landed a two-count and a series of punches.
McGuinness and Daivari bonded over Daivari’s three wins earlier in the show. Nese, meanwhile, hit a running elbow for a two-count. He then slowed things down with a headlock. Nese got in a hard chop across the chest of Burch. Nese then toyed with Burch in the corner, kicking him and running his foot across Burch’s head.
The two traded chops and Nese landed a pretty high dropkick for a two-count. Nese got Burch back in a headlock on the canvass. Burch worked his way out of it and got to the top rope before Nese jumped up for a punch. A headbutt from Burch sent both to the ground.
Burch hit a series of strikes and a high back-body drop. He then got in a dropkick from the second turnbuckle for a two-count. Burch went for his draping DDT but Nese countered and went for the springboard moonsult but missed. Burch hit a German suplex and strong lariat for a close near-fall.
Nese hit Burch in the head with a kick and went for a springboard but missed. Burch got Nese into a crossface, but Nese made it to the ropes. Burch hit an uppercut before Nese landed a pump-handle driver for a very close two-count. Nese went for the Running Nese but missed and both wrestlers spilled outside.
Daivari stood as Burch and Nese laid on the floor. Burch then confronted Daivari at the commentator table and threw Nese back in the ring. Daivari distracted Burch and Nese hit his Running Nese for the win.
Tony Nese defeated Danny Burch in 14:04.
Tony Nese posed in the ring to end the show while Daivari smiled outside the ring…
McGuire’s Musings: A strong main event for 205 Live, if only because the wrestlers got the time, and while it came close to overstaying its welcome, Nese and Burch worked well together, as they have in the past. The Daivari interference felt predictable once he walked out to the ring, but even as it might have made sense from a story standpoint, I’m not sure how hot I am on 205 Live becoming “The Ariya Daivari Half-Hour,” which is what this week was.
In all, though, a good wrestling match to close the show. Plus, having Nigel back is always a plus. And even though we saw Danny Burch, the constant showcase of Ever-Rise, Legado Del Fantasma and the Burch/Lorcan team has run its course, especially considering how 205 Live has no tag titles. I can appreciate a fun angle (and especially when it has $10,000 attached to it), but in all, Ariya Daivari would have done well to disappear after this three matches. Here’s hoping for some forward movement on something – anything – next week.
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