The John Report: WWE 205 Live 07/16/19 Review
I have been a casual 205 Live viewer from day one. The reason I never really wrote about it is because writing about Raw and Smackdown every week is a lot. Most of the time when I watch 205 Live it’s to focus on the main event and I’m sitting on my couch when I do it. This week I figure I’m going to write about it because I want to get more content posted here on TJRWrestling on a daily basis. This will likely be a Wednesday afternoon or evening post. We’ll see how the numbers do on the site and if people are interested in these reviews.
We all know the 205 Live audience on WWE Network is not that big. However, there’s usually one great match every week and this week I know the main event is outstanding, so I feel like I should review it. I’m going to try to commit to doing these 205 Live reviews until the end of August at least and then re-assess if I want to keep doing it. I think September is going to be when we do a TJRWrestling Writer Search. What will most likely happen is another writer can either cover 205 Live for us or do more of the news posts, which would give me more time and energy to devote to this. Also, Chad Gable is one of my favorites in WWE and he’s in the main event, so that helps me in terms of making me want to review the show.
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Live from Worcester, Massachusetts, this is 205 Live for episode #138. Follow me on Twitter @johnreport. Thanks to Melo Man for the banner up top. Please visit TJRWrestling.net daily for our regular updates on the wrestling business featuring WWE news coverage along with reviews about wrestling’s past and present.
The opening video package showed highlights of Drew Gulak beating Tony Nese at Extreme Rules, which I reviewed here.
Drew Gulak, the Cruiserweight Champion, said that after Extreme Rules, he has erased all doubt and now his grip on the Cruiserweight Championship grows tighter by the day. He wondered who would step next? “My name is Drew Gulak and I am your WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Welcome to my 205 Live.”
Analysis: They used the Extreme Rules match to further establish as the Cruiserweight Champion since he won the title in a triple threat, so beating Nese in a singles match made him stand out more.
The announcers for 205 Live are Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness and Aiden English. I think English has done well on commentary, but I firmly believe he has untapped potential as a wrestler too.
Akira Tozawa (w/The Brian Kendrick) vs. Samir Singh (w/Sunil Singh)
Tozawa worked over Samir with chops followed by a punch to the face. Samir came back by sending Tozawa face first into the turnbuckle. Samir with a hard whip that sent Tozawa into the turnbuckle. Tozawa with a kick to the gut, then he picked up Samir and slammed him off the shoulders. Running dropkick by Tozawa sent Samir to the floor. Tozawa to the apron leading to a running flip dive into Samir against the barricade. Tozawa up top, Sunil distracted him, Samir charged, Tozawa moved and Sunil hit the ropes. Tozawa rolled him up with a sunset flip into the pin for the victory after three minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Akira Tozawa
Analysis: *3/4 This was a decent match to put over Tozawa after fighting off the cheap tactics of the heels. Sunil can do a lot more in the ring, but he wasn’t really there to do much in this match. This was about Tozawa winning with the surprise win.
Post match, the Singh Brothers tried a double team attack, but Kendrick saved his buddy and Tozawa kicked Sunil out of the ring. The Bollywood trophy that the Singhs bring to the ring was in the ring, so Tozawa held it up in the air.
The announcers were shown on camera talking about the show.
There was a video about Humberto Carrillo. They did this a week earlier also. He just said the only thing on his mind is the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
Mike Kanellis entered alone for his match. His wife Maria was backstage watching the match.
Mike Kanellis vs. Jackson James
James is an enhancement talent that was also used on Raw. Kanellis hit James with a running boot to the face followed by several chops to the chest. Kanellis with a spinebuster, corner clothesline and a running clothesline. Kanellis with another running clothesline. Kanellis hit a reverse neckbreaker that sent James face first into the mat for the pinfall win. The match was over in under two minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Mike Kanellis
Analysis: 1/2* An easy squash victory for Kanellis while James got no offense at all.
After the match, Kanellis stomped on James and tossed him out of the ring.
Mike Kanellis did a promo calling out 205 Live GM Drake Maverick and told him to fine him for that if he wants. Maverick walked down to the ring. Kanellis said that two months ago his contract expired, he could have gone anywhere in the world, but he decided to stay here at WWE for two reasons. The first reason is he wanted to prove to his wife that he’s as good as he says he is by becoming the Cruiserweight Champion. The second reason was because he wanted to kick Drake’s ass. Drake told Kanellis to take accountability and he told him the reason that he’s not where he is due to his own actions. Maverick mentioned other cruiserweights that have worked hard on 205 Live unlike Kanellis. Maverick mentioned Kanellis having a short match on Raw, so Kanellis brought up Drake’s “performance” with his wife. That drew an “oooohhhh” reaction from the crowd. Maverick said he’s never going to fight him, he’s not going to fight him – he’s the General Manager. Kanellis said that Maverick has neglected his duties because he’s been chasing the 24/7 Title and he’s walking down the street in his damn underwear. Kanellis said he’s not the joke, Drake is and Drake said he never thought Mike was a joke. Kanellis told Drake he’s not the bigger man or even half of a man. Kanellis told Drake to go home, talk to his wife and prove to her that you’re a man. Kanellis said a real man wouldn’t back down from a fight or let somebody talk down to somebody like Mike is doing to him right now. Kanellis said that a real man would get mad, then he said Drake’s wife is a filthy…and Drake punched him in the face. Drake hit a dropkick on Kanellis leading to Kanellis bailing to the floor. Kanellis had a smirk on his face while Maverick was mad in the ring.
Analysis: Good promo work from both guys. Kanellis was perfect as the antagonizing heel that tried to get under Drake’s skin by regular trash talk and then he made it more personal leading to Drake punching him.
After 205 Live, Drake Maverick announced that Kanellis can get a Cruiserweight Title match if Kanellis wins a match against…Drake.
Analysis: That should be interesting. The storyline is working and both guys did well on the show this week. Drake is not a regular wrestler in WWE. Drake is a trained wrestler, though, so having him in a match with Kanellis is the right move. Mike should win that match and go on to face Gulak unless WWE wants to go another route with somebody else.
A commercial aired for Raw Reunion on Monday.
There were highlights shown from last week’s great Anything Goes Match with Oney Lorcan beating Arya Daivari after a superplex through a table.
It was time for the main event with “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher up first. They showed highlights of their match from 205 Live one match earlier where Chad Gable beat Gallagher by countout. Chad Gable was up next. He is more tanned and with more baby oil on his body than he used to have going into a match.
Chad Gable vs. “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher
There was a handshake to start the match. Gable with a headlock leading to Gallagher countering by getting to his feet. They did some slick mat wrestling with counters and reversals of several moves leading to a staredown. Gallagher caught Gable, he sent him throat first into the top rope and flipped over into a pin attempt for two. Gable with a leaping arm drag, then a cradle and another arm drag into an armbar. When Gallagher grabbed an armbar, Gable picked him up and slammed him onto his back. Gable with a hard whip into the corner where Gallagher sold it with a sternum bump. Gallagher charged, Gable caught him and hit an overhead belly to belly suplex for two. Gable worked over the left knee of Gallagher with knee drops and a dragon screw leg whip. Gallagher got a backslide pin for two followed by a standing dropkick. Gallagher got some momentum for the first time with a punch to the face and delayed vertical suplex showing off his power. The crowd liked that spot. Gable got a roll through into a waistlock, Gallagher with a wristlock submission and Gable managed to crawl to counter into a nearfall for two. Gallagher with a back elbow to the face followed by a dropkick off the middle ropes. Gallagher knocked Gable to the floor and he whipped Gable into the barricade. Gallagher went for a suicide dive, he did not land comfortably on Gable and then Gable hit him with a German Suplex on the floor.
Gable tossed Gallagher back in leading to Gallagher getting an inside cradle for two. Gable with a double underhook Powerbomb for two and Gable transitioned into an Ankle Lock. When Gallagher got near the ropes, Gallagher dropped to the mat with the heel hook and Gallagher had a sweet escape by turning out of it. Gallagher with elbows to the face. The crowd cheered both guys for their effort. Gable with a rolling kick to the head, Gallagher off the ropes and a headbutt got a two count. Great nearfall there. The crowd was really coming alive now. Both guys were down selling for nearly a minute. Both guys were on their knees as they exchanged palm strikes, forearms to the face and Gallagher won the slugfest with punches. Gallagher sent Gable to the ropes, he charged, Gable caught him, put him on his shoulders and hit a sitout slam that sent Gallagher to the mat on his stomach. That was good for two as the crowd really popped big for that nearfall. On the replay, it almost looked like a DDT with the way Gable brought Gallagher to the mat. Gable went up top, he jumped off with a moonsault and Gallagher got the feet up to block it. Gallagher charged with the running dropkick on Gable against the turnbuckle. That was an impressive dropkick and as Gallagher covered, Gable got his foot on the bottom rope. Another great nearfall in this match. Gallagher set up Gable on the top rope for a belly to back suplex, but Gable shifted momentum and landed on top. Gable with rolled through into the bridging German Suplex (that’s called Chaos Theory) and that was enough to get the one…two…and three. It went 16 minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Chad Gable
Analysis: **** That was an excellent match. Four stars out of five. The crowd got into a lot by the time it was finished. That’s an example of winning over the crowd. It’s what all wrestlers want to do. They worked at a slow pace in the first half, but then it really picked up and they had a really fun match. It was very even the whole way although the pace really picked up when Gallagher made his comeback in the second half of the match. Both guys busted out some moves that I haven’t seen that often from either them, which makes it more special when they bust out moves that we are unfamiliar with. Gable executed his finisher perfectly in what was an impressive move to win the match.
After the match, the crowd applauded them. Joseph called it a “standing ovation” although it really wasn’t all of the crowd clapping. A lot of people were standing to watch, but not necessarily clapping. The announcers praised the match heavily. Replays aired of the key moments in the match.
Gable got to his feet first while Gallagher was seated up against the ropes. Gable helped Gallagher to his feet. Gable tapped him on the chest as a sign of respect and he left. Gallagher nodded in approval. The announcers put over the match as being outstanding and the definition of what 205 Live is all about.
Analysis: Gable getting the win here could lead to him being pushed as the next challenger to the Cruiserweight Title because he’s not doing anything else on the main roster right now. It depends on if Kanellis wins over Maverick to get the next shot at the title.
This episode of 205 Live had a runtime of 46:02 on WWE Network.
Three Stars of the Show
- Chad Gable
- Jack Gallagher
- Mike Kanellis
Drake Maverick did very well too!
I’m not going to do The Scoreboard or rate the show out of ten like in my Raw and Smackdown reviews.
Final Thoughts
It was a one match show this week and that one match was excellent as I covered above. Watch Gable vs. Gallagher if you have 15 minutes of free time because it’s worth your time. The promo exchange between Kanellis and Maverick was pretty good too.
I’ll be back for more 205 Live next week.
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Thanks for reading. My contact info is below.
John Canton
Email mrjohncanton@gmail.com
Twitter @johnreport