By Anish Vishwakoti, ProWrestling.net Staffer, (@AVX_9001)
WWE 205 Live (Episode 240)
Orlando, Florida at Capitol Wrestling Center (WWE PC)
Streamed July 16, 2021 on WWE Network
The show kicked off with the broadcast team of Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness welcoming viewers. The entrances of Guru Raaj and Asher Hale took place…
Anish’s Thoughts: I can’t tell if Hale changes his entrance music every week or not because it might be the most generic knockoff video game wrestling entrance music I’ve ever heard.
1. Guru Raaj vs. Asher Hale. The two started tentatively, with Hale throwing a kick and then trying a single leg entry to take Raaj down. Raaj then bucked off a headlock attempt and danced around the ring before hitting Hale with a quick arm drag before Hale caught him with a takedown and took his back. Raaj twisted out of Hale’s grasp and tossed Hale to the outside. Hale got back in and prompted a running exchange, but Raaj hit a pair of arm drags and a well placed dropkick to knock Hale to the mat.
Hale looked a little stunned and rolled to the apron to recollect. Hale caught Raaj with a gut strike as he went to the apron too and used a rope hanging neckbreaker to turn the tides. Hale then slotted Raaj with a chest kick and rolled him back into the ring before the ten count. Hale dragged Raaj into the ring and used a leg twist neck crank to focus on Raaj’s neck. Hale then used a chin lock to continue that attack and as Raaj fought to his feet, Hale laid him back down with an uppercut. Hale then hit a snap DDT for a two count, really laying into Raaj’s neck.
Hale then tried for a suplex, but Raaj rolled him up to force the break. Hale then struck him to the ground and used a trio of lateral presses to force Raaj to kick out. Hale rushed at Raaj in the corner but Raaj got his foot up and countered with a series of strikes, but Hale was the better striker and fought back, forcing Raaj to push Hale into the corner and use some shoulder thrusts to set up for a Bulldog and Cutter variant.
Raaj then used a series of kicks to chop Hale to the ground and dropkicked him into the mat for another two count. Hale then used a wrist lock and a series of stomps to get back at Raaj, trying for a Northern Lights Suplex, but Raaj was able to counter into a backslide to get the pinfall victory…
Guru Raaj defeated Asher Hale.
Anish’s Thoughts: Asher Hale plays his role really well, I don’t know that there was any real reason for Hale to be presented as heel considering he was a face even last week, but he really sold me on it even during his entrance and made the match as interesting as it was. Raaj sells well too, and I really thought Hale would get a straightforward victory the way the match was going. The commentary was effective at making Raaj seem like a credible threat throughout, so props to them and props to both men for pulling me in and executing on a well sold surprise backslide victory. Maybe I’m a little more sold on the result because they used a backslide and not a roll-up or a small package, either way I thought it made sense.
2. Ari Sterling vs. Grayson Waller. The wrestlers barbed at one another before locking up, with Sterling being pushed into the corner for a second before forcing Waller to the ropes and disengaging. They continued to each flex and verbally jab while trading lockups until eventually, Waller took Sterling’s back and brought him to the mat. Not for long however as Sterling did the same, with both men continually squirming out of prolonged action. The two eventually got into a shoving match and traded wrist locks with Sterling flipping out and arm dragging Waller to the mat and using a front face lock.
Sterling and Waller each ran at each other with Sterling winning out for a second before Waller responded, each dodging clothesline and kick attempts, cartwheeling and flipping out of the way of strikes and splashes. Eventually, Waller took advantage by pulling the hair of Sterling as he tried a cartwheel escape. Waller targeted the arm of Sterling, pulling it on the ropes and following up with an arm trap leg sweep before simply stomping on it.
Waller continued to target the arm, and while Sterling used a small package to try and break his rhythm, Waller hit him with a basement dropkick and brought him to the mat again. Waller then used a double arm lock to try and continue his assault, but Sterling muscled out and forced another running exchange. While Sterling was able to keep Waller on the run for a second, Waller caught him in a triangle submission and forced Sterling to get to the ropes, breaking his momentum and allowing Waller to catch him with a crescent kick for a two count.
Waller then used a chicken wing on the ropes to wrench Sterling’s arm before hitting him with a kick and trying for a Fujiwara armbar, forcing Sterling to grab the ropes. Sterling tried to force a striking exchange, but Waller used a cartwheel kick to the head to knock Sterling to the mat for another two count. Waller switched strategy and used a Torture Rack to attack Sterling’s back, transitioning into a reverse Steamroller to ground Sterling again.
Sterling finally had enough and fought to his feet, but Waller kicked him right down to the mat, breaking Sterling’s second wind. Waller got a little distracted with some trash talk and some lazy kicks at Sterling before trying for a Kimura, but Sterling punched his way out and tossed Waller to the outside. Sterling tried for an Asai Moonsault, but Waller caught him and rammed him into the apron before stomping on his arm again. Waller then dragged Sterling in the ring and attacked his arm with some elbows and a corner Triangle.
Waller followed up with a rolling Stunner and a middle rope elbow for a two count. Sterling seemed out of it, but Waller took his time to try finish him with more elbows and an arm lock. This allowed Sterling the time to recover and turn Waller around for some ground and pound. Sterling was able to use this to weaken Waller enough for a one-armed powerbomb and some stomps.
Sterling and Waller slugged it out, with Waller still swinging for Sterling’s arms. Sterling won out and hit a heel kick to stun Waller and elbow him to the apron. Sterling hung Waller in the middle rope and hit another heel kick before landing the Asai Moonsault and rolling Waller into the ring for a 450 Splash. Waller dodged the splash and missed a stomp attempt and was then caught with a Frankensteiner by Sterling, followed by the rolling Sidewalk Slam, christened the ‘Baja ‘86’ for the pinfall victory…
Ari Sterling defeated Grayson Waller.
Anish’s Thoughts: This was a really great match and deservedly so as they had a fair amount of time and the crowd was pretty into it as well, even getting ‘205’ chants at a point. Waller looked two steps ahead for most of the match and essentially brought his downfall on himself by acting a little cocky and ditching his arm-oriented offense at points during the match. The commentary definitely sold the match like Sterling was going to lose so that’s twice today where everyone in the match did a good job deluding me. Props to 205 for giving me two surprising finishes on one show.
Waller didn’t look bad in losing because he was dominant for so long, if anything he looks like he can beat anyone as long as he keeps focused, which is a great way to position a cocky heel like him. A pretty great show tonight. I might be riding the wave of the first Smackdown with a crowd in a year and a half. It was a good night. My weekly 205 Live audio reviews are available for Dot Net Members.
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