By Colin McGuire, ProWrestling.net Contributor
WWE 205 Live
Live from Orlando, Florida at Amway Center
Streamed September 25, 2020 on WWE Network
Byron Saxton checked in from the commentary table alongside Nigel McGuinness as Mansoor made his entrance.
McGuire’s Musings: Conspicuous by his absence? Vic Joseph.
1. Ashante “Thee” Adonis vs. Mansoor. The two locked up before Adonis threw Mansoor over his shoulder. The two then went for a test of strength, but Adonis kept backing away while taunting Mansoor. Mansoor got a hold of a standing arm bar.
McGuinness noted how Monsoor is undefeated on 205 Live as he continued work on Adonis’s arm. Mansoor blocked a hip-toss and eventually landed a reverse DDT for a two-count. Mansoor went back on the offensive with a headlock and the two worked toward the ropes. Adonis tried to springboard Mansoor over the top rope, but the wrestlers were too close and the sequence didn’t look all that smooth.
Adonis went to work on Mansoor on the outside, ramming him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Adonis hit a neck-breaker for a two-count. Adonis wrapped Mansoor in a chin-lock and Mansoor countered before Adonis landed a flapjack. Mansoor looked like he landed in a scary manner, but the replay revealed that it was safer than it initially appeared.
Mansoor eventually went back on the offensive with a series of chops. Off a springboard, Mansoor jumped off the second rope for a splash. He then hit a face-first slam and a spine buster. Mansoor hit a second-rope bulldog for a two-count. Mansoor lifted Adonis, but Adonis countered into a Captain’s Hook. Mansoor, on the second time around, countered, and landed his finish for the pin.
Mansoor defeated Ashante “Thee” Adonis in 7:55.
McGuire’s Musings: The result was never in doubt, considering how Adonis can’t get a win and Mansoor is undefeated. Still, both guys worked hard, and despite a few clunky moments, it would be good to see them get another two or three shots together in the ring. I continue to be high on Adonis, and because the commentary team hyped his connection with The Brian Kendrick, my hope is they eventually form a tandem. But this isn’t anything you haven’t already heard.
An Isaiah “Swerve” Scott video aired, highlighting his quest for the Cruiserweight Title. The show went back to the ThunderDome as Scott made his entrance.
2. Ariya Daivari vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. Saxton noted how Daivari isn’t putting up $10,000 this week, and God bless him for that. Daivari worked Scott’s wrist and arm, took him down and got a one-count. The two then sized each other up before they launched into a quick test of strength that never quite formulated.
Scott smiled at Daivari as the two traded moves. Eventually, Daivari got the better of Scott and wrestled him to the ground. Scott countered to get Daivari into a headlock. Daivari backed Scott into the corner and came out with a headlock of his own.
Scott bent Daivari’s body in half and jumped on his arm. Daivari made his way to the ropes to get back on the offensive and then landed some hard chops. Scott got in a head-scissors takedown for an eventual two-count. Scott kept working Daivari’s arm and hand.
The action moved to the outside and both wrestlers exchanged punches. Scott went for a suplex, but Daivari countered and rolled in the ring. He then hit a draping DDT on Scott as he tried to get into the ring. Scott took a hard whip into the turnbuckle and Daivari landed a neck-breaker for a two-count.
Daivari worked a chin-lock before Scott slipped out and the two traded forearms, elbows and punches. Scott got the best of the exchange with a clothesline. Scott hit an elbow from the second rope and then took Daivari down before rolling him to the outside. He then hit Daivari with a kick from the apron and rolled Daivari back in the ring.
Scott hit a flatliner for a close near-fall. Scott went for a half-and-half-suplex but Daivari backed Scott into a corner. Scott then hit a weird-looking suplex/backdrop driver from the corner for another near fall. Daivari came back with a uranage and landed a Persian Lion (frog) splash and got a two-count. Daivari went for his Hammerlock Lariat but Scott countered and hit the House Call for the 1-2-3.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott defeated Ariya Daivari in 10:40.
Scott posed on the second rope to close the show…
McGuire’s Musings: I’ve been a fan of the former Shane Strickland for some time, so to see him back on 205 Live was a treat. As John Moore alluded to in his NXT review, it’d be nice to see him go back to his Killshot days at some point during his run in WWE, but I digress. In any case, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that these two matches were cobbled together as WWE deals with another COVID-19 outbreak. If it wasn’t the lack of preview on the 205 Live website this afternoon that told the tale, then perhaps the lack of story on this episode gave it away.
Still, Daivari and Scott work well together and much like the first match, I wouldn’t mind seeing these two cross paths at some point down the road. Maybe it’s just me, but with the position Scott is in, in relation to the Cruiserweight Title, this sort of felt like Scott checking off his 205 Live box for his once every six to eight weeks appearance. No matter. He still looked good, despite constantly smiling for reasons not even Nigel McGuinness could figure out. In all, it’s a missable episode, if only because this didn’t move anybody anywhere, and if anything, it brought Ariya Daivari back to earth a little, and I’m not so sure that’s a good thing for the purple brand. Either way, cheers to you, Mr. Scott. Good to see you back.
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