By Anish Vishwakoti, ProWrestling.net Staffer, (@AVX_9001)
WWE 205 Live (Episode 207)
Orlando, Florida at Capitol Wrestling Center (WWE PC)
Streamed November 27, 2020 on WWE Network
Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuinness were on commentary…
1. Ariya Daivari (w/Tony Nese) vs. August Grey. The match started with the two taking it in and locking up fast, Daivari pushed Grey into the corner and backed off. They re-engaged a couple of times until Grey shot Daivari off the ropes and entered a running exchange, until Grey rapped Daivari on the head and pulled off a few strikes and slammed Daivari for a two count. Grey then hit Daivari with a corner splash and rolled him to the apron, where Daivari pulled his face on the ropes.
Daivari from the outside then pulled Grey to the post and rattled his legs into the post. Daivari then upped the offense in the ring and propped Grey in Tree of Woe position before stomping on him. Daivari continued putting the pressure on Grey and targeting his legs until Grey eventually tossed him to the outside and recovered enough to slam him against the barricade.
Grey rolled Daivari back into the ring and tried to follow up with a running attack but then Daivari countered and locked in a figure four. Grey was able to struggle out of it and eventually pushed Daivari out of the ring once more. Daivari rolled back into he ring and tried to jump Grey, but Grey was able to counter with a back suplex and followed up with a neckbreaker to earn a two count. Daivari one more rolled out of the ring, where Grey followed him with a dive and instantly tossed Daivari back in.
Grey continued the pressure with a series of moves capped with splash for another two count but couldn’t get the three count. Grey hesitated before continuing the offense, but Daivari once again was able to trip him and execute a figure four. Grey shuffled to the ropes and broke the count. Grey and Daivari got to their feet, where Grey hit his modified Vertebreaker for a two count.
Grey propped Daivari up on the top rope for a superplex, but Daivari pushed him off and hit a Frog Splash for a two count. Daivari immediately picked Grey up and slammed him down again with a uranage, but only got a two count. Daivari then set Grey up for his Devil Lock Lariat, but Grey reversed it and hit a fantastic looking Tornado Unprettier for the victory.
August Grey defeated Ariya Daivari.
Anish’s Thoughts: This was a great match to kick off the show. I loved the consistent story told with Daivari continually trying to get out of the ring, a tactic which eventually led to his defeat, as Grey simply got wind of his rhythm. It was a great way to showcase Grey’s moveset, which includes a cool finisher that I hadn’t seen before.
After the match we saw a Twitter promo from Raoul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde calling out Curt Stallion, which would be the next match and the main event. We also saw a promo from the Bollywood Boyz where they called out Ever Rise as well as Tony Nese & Ariya Daivari, saying they would be waiting for them whenever they wanted some action.
2. Raoul Mendoza (w/Joaquin Wilde) vs. Curt Stallion. The wresters started off without hesitation with Mendoza immediately taking Stallion’s back and throwing him to the ground before re-engaging. Stallion tried a couple of different entries, but Mendoza used his quickness to catch Stallion coming in with a headlock, wearing him down a little before hitting Stallion with some corner strikes followed by a rope run dropkick for a two count.
Mendoza tossed Stallion in the corner once more and stomped on him while Wilde yelled barbs from ringside. Mendoza then used a face lock in the middle of the ring to wear Stallion down further. He followed up with a corner clothesline and a running kick to down Stallion. Mendoza went for the cover but picked Stallion up before the ref even got to two and a half. Mendoza taunted Stallion, prompting him to get to his feet with a new wind.
Stallion prompted a striking exchange in which he knocked Mendoza out of the ring. Stallion then rolled Mendoza back into the ring and hit him with a running boot, knee and a dropkick in the corner. Stallion then hit Mendoza with the whip up DDT for a two count. Stallion then hit Mendoza with a standing stomp for a two count before heading to the top rope.
Mendoza met him there and started slugging with Stallion. Mendoza fell off for a second but hit a cartwheel kick to stun Stallion long enough to hit a Top Rope Springboard huracanrana for a two count. Mendoza then attempted a German Suplex, but Stallion flipped out. Stallion tried for a roll up, but Mendoza rolled out and kicked Stallion in the head. Mendoza tried to end it with the fisherman suplex, but Stallion rolled through once more and this time held on for three.
Curt Stallion defeated Raul Mendoza.
After the match, Legado Del Fantasma beat Stallion down and then posed at the top of the ramp to end the show while taunting the number one contender to the NXT Cruiserweight Championship…
Anish’s Thoughts: This was a fun match. I think it was clear that this was intended to further the rivalry between Stallion and Legado Del Fantasma and it did the job. I liked the clean finish, especially as Stallion foreshadowed that roll up, meaning it didn’t come out of nowhere and yet still felt like it surprised Mendoza due to his overconfidence. Stallion and Mendoza both looked good in this match, however I would say that it might have made more sense to kick off the show with this and end with the Grey vs. Daivari match just because that felt like it had more finality.
Overall, this was a pretty good show with two clean matches. Stallion and Grey have been nicely folded into the dough of 205 Live and it’s clear that the champion and the regulars such as Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, and others have some new, long term company. My weekly audio review will be available soon for Dot Net Members.
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