WWE issued the following press release on Wednesday to announce 205 Live – a new live television show for the cruiserweight division.
A one-hour, in-ring program called 205 Live, showcasing WWE’s new Cruiserweight division, will premiere Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 10 p.m. ET, exclusively on WWE Network. The live weekly show will be called by Mauro Ranallo, the voice of SmackDown LIVE, and Corey Graves, color commentator for Monday Night Raw.
Coming off the success of WWE Network’s recent Cruiserweight Classic tournament and the formation of the new Cruiserweight division, which airs exclusively on Monday Night Raw, 205 Live will feature Superstars that are 205 pounds and under, including: new WWE Cruiserweight Champion The Brian Kendrick, as well as TJ Perkins, Rich Swann, Noam Dar, HoHo Lun, Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado, Gran Metallik, Tozawa, Jack Gallagher, Gurv Sihra and Harv Sihra.
“205 Live is a natural progression to showcase the depth of our roster,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “With world-class talent such as Brian Kendrick, TJ Perkins, and Rich Swann, 205 Live will be a must-see program on WWE Network.”
“With the addition of 205 Live to an already robust programming schedule, WWE continues to enhance the value of WWE Network for our subscribers,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. “We take pride in listening to our fans and delivering even more live, premium content that they are asking for.”
Powell’s POV: This is good news for the cruiserweights in the sense that there will be more spots available and they should get more focussed booking and storylines than they have had on Raw thus far. It was unclear earlier today whether the cruiserweight will continue to be featured on Raw, though the press release does mention them being exclusive to the brand. Prowrestling.net has learned that Talking Smack will air immediately after the cruiserweight show on the WWE Network on Tuesdays. 205 Live will air live from the same venue where Smackdown Live is held.
Jason, Will they put JBL BACK with Cole again so Graves can travel with Mauro?