12/6 WWE “205 Live” Review: Kendricks gets rematch against Swann, Aries on color again, Darr vs. Cedric, Daivari vs. Gallagher

By Joey Galazia, PWTorch contributor


SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...

WWE 205 LIVE
DECEMBER 6, 2016
HOUSTON, TEX. AT TOYOTA CENTER
AIRED ON WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY JOEY GALIZIA
(@RamJam89), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Corey Graves, Austin Aries

Joey G here. Let’s do this.

Show opens with a recap of last Tuesday’s premiere “205  Live” show. They show an old Swann interview talking about losing his parents and how he feels like he was never suppose to make it. They show his title win over Kendrick right before they kick to the opening credits.

Ranallo, Graves, and Austin Aries are back. Graves says that AA was so good last week he invited him back. AA says that he’s going to take away Mauro’s job since he is the greatest man who ever lived. They all hype the title rematch between newly crowned king Rich Swann and “The Brian Kendrick.”

The “Scottish Super-Nova” Noam Dar’s music hits and our first match is about to kick-off.

Alicia Fox is backstage with Cedric Alexander and says she’ll be watching all of his moves, before planting a kiss on his face. Graves mentions that they may be dating now, or at least that’s what he heard.

Charles Robinson (LIL NATCH!) is officiating. They shake hands and were off.

(1) Noam Dar vs. Cedric Alexander

Lock-up and clean break. Dar takes control early with a side headlock takedown. They shift position but Noam remains in control and locks in an arm-bar. Corey states that although Noam is young, it’s very smart of him to keep the pace slow. Cedric breaks free and hits a dropkick sending Noam outside, then fakes a suicide dive with a wrecking-ball dropkick. As Alexander tries to get back in the ring Dar hits a stunner off the ropes.

The two trade chops until Noam hits a low-roundhouse kick and snatches on another arm-bar. Dar hits a STIFF European Uppercut and gets a two-count. Cedric fires back with some chops but Noam continues to stay on top of Alexander and wretches his arm around the ropes. AA says that Cedric was in a match with him in NXT and that he probably learned a lot from that experience. Cedric goes for a sunset-flip but Dar counters and again goes after the arm. Crowd which has been pretty quiet starts a “Let’s Go Cedric” chant and he responds with some running forearms, then blocks a kick and hits a STIFF back-elbow. Alexander drops Noam and catches him with a spring-board cross-body for a two count. (Man he got some height on that spring-board) Cedric goes for a handstand off the ropes but Dar cuts Cedric off with a kick to the face then locks in the fubuji arm-bar and nearly gets Alexander to tap out. Cedric uses the momentum to roll up Dar for a two-count.

Alexander charges Noam but Dar throws Cedric in between the turnbuckles on his bad arm. He then hits a running dropkick and gets the win.

WINNER: Noam Dar at 8:11.

-Noam gets interviewed after. He says that he’s 23, just signed a big money contract with WWE, and dedicates the debut win to Alicia Fox (calling her Cedric’s girlfriend).

-Cut to an outside shot of the Toyota Center which leads to a Mustafa Ali promo package.

-Mustafa says he’s going to change how the crowd sees him. He has no doubt or uncertainty that he is the best. He then states that he is a jack-of-all trades: strong-style, lucha-libre, technical, brawling. He has it all, before calling himself King Ali.

-Cut to champ Rich Swann in the locker room and TJP comes in.  They high five. T.J. says that Rich has been getting lucky, like last not when he beat him. Rich says it’s better to be lucky, and T.J. agrees as we go to an ad for Roadblock.

-Back from break and Ariya Daivari is on his way out for our next match up. Clip from Raw showing Daivari’s loss to Gallagher, and the beating he gave Jack afterwards targeting the knee specifically. Jack’s music hits. He has a knee brace on.

(2) Ariya Daivari vs Jack Gallagher

AA says he’s wearing sunglasses because of Jack’s lack of a tan. Daivari immediately goes after Gallagher’s leg. Jack turns the tables with his unique technique and does a double-knee stomp onto Ariya. Daivari catapults Jack into the corner but Gallagher lands his signature turnbuckle headstand that he debuted last week.

Frustrated, Ariya plays to the ref then sucker punches Jack and starts targeting the knee with bonzai drops. He goes for some lazy covers to no avail. He then drapes Jack’s leg over the apron and slams it off the post very Bret Hart esque.

Back in the ring Jack escapes a powerslam and hits Ariya with some straight rights before Daivari kicks his leg out. He goes for two covers again but not even close. Daivari drives his knee into Jacks and wrenches it over for pressure. Jack escapes and hits a small package and then crucifix, then MURDERES Daivair with a head-butt for a close two count.

Jack hobbles as he gets up so Daivari rakes the eyes, kicks out the leg again, then hits a frog-splash for the win. AA calls it the Persian Lion Splash.

WINNER: Daivari at 6:50.

-Cut to video package of Lince Dorado. The package really showcases his pitch-perfect Shooting Star Press. No VO, just highlights.

-T.J. Perkins video game intro hits joining the commentary team. Ranallo reminds us that he was the winner of the Cruiserweight Classic. At the table TJP says it was fun being the first champ, but he’s still ready to have a lengthier reign.

-Backstage Tom Philips interviews The Brian Kendrick about Rich Swann having his number. Kendrick says his head was in a million different places last week. How he was stressed about being the face of a new brand, but tonight he is focused. Tonight he is going to win back his championship. His music hits, and Brian makes his way to the ring.

 

(3) Rich Swann vs. Brian Kendrick – Cruiserweight Championship match

“Can you handle this hits” and out comes the outlandish Rich Swann. Perkins reminds the announce team that he had to beat five of the best to become champion. Aries is happy that T.J. isn’t sitting next to him.

Aggressive handshake. They start with a test of strength. Brian swings in a hammerlock and starts to work the arm, but Rich regains control with a headlock. Brian goes for a back drop but Rich falls on Kendrick for a one count. A nice sequence where Brian dodges a dropkick, Rich lands a standing 450 and he nails Kendrick driving him to the outside. As Rich follows outside, Brian catches with Sliced Bread onto the floor. He rolls Swann in for a cover and a two count.

Brian hits Rich with some cross-face elbows and then a reverse chin-lock wearing Swann down for his finisher. Kendrick then throws and hits a standing big boot and Dragon Suplex and immediately goes after Rich’s hurt neck by locking in the Captain’s Hook right in the center of the ring. Rich somehow gets to the ropes. TJ cheers his friend on, and Aries questions why he’s even there. “You should be out looking for a Pikachu. Perkins reminds him that AA was not in the CWC because he wasn’t good enough.

In the ring, Brian charges Rich in the corner, but Rich hits his roundhouse-kick sending Brian to the outside. (He definitely didn’t get all of it.) Also it should be noted that the fans are cheering for Aries.

Swann takes the crowd back with a Phoenix Splash variation onto Brian outside. They crawl back into the ring. Rich sets up Brian for a Tiger Bomb and hits it for a 2 count. Swann’s neck is really bothering him. He pulls Kendrick for the standing 450 but Brian rolls him up for two. Swann then slaps him and hits some type of modified driver for a two count. (Graves makes a good comment about how the driver was so modified that even Mauro didn’t know the name of it)

Swann goes for another Tiger Bomb but Kendrick reverses with a hurricanrana, and then nails Rich with a standing boot. Swann reciprocates with a kick of his own and they both fall to the mat. This is awesome chants start (only slightly though).

Graves asks TJP who’d he rather step in the ring with, Swann or Kendrick. Perkins says that’s tough. Brian goes for the Captain’s Hook again but Rich blocks it! They roll out but Brian catches him with the headlock-takeover and transitions right into the Captain’s Hook again. Brian is REALLY cranking hard on it. He has the hold in for a while, and every-time Rich tries to counter Brian locks it in more. SOMEHOW, Swann gets to the ropes. AA says that Rich has a lot of heart.

Kendrick locks Swann in a headlock on the ropes and uses the 5 count to his advantage. Both on the apron, Brian hits a boot then goes for Slice Bread but Swann blocks it! Brian then hits a flatliner driving Rich’s head into the ring post. The referee counts but Kendrick goes for a dragon sleeper on the outside. Swann pushes Kendrick into TJP and the two have an intense stare-down. Kendrick goes back in and eats Swann’s spinning heel kick and takes the pin.

WINNER: Swann retained the Cruiserweight Championship at 16:34.

-Graves jokingly tells Perkins he got an assist on Swann’s win for barely distracting Kendrick. Brian charges Perkins and starts beating him down. Swann who was leaving comes back to his friends aid and starts unloading punches onto Kendrick. TJP goes for a super-kick on Brian but accidentally hits Swann! Brian then throws Perkins into the barricade and Brian salutes to the crowd after taking care of the two fan favorites as the show fades off.

JG FINAL ANALYSIS: Not as exciting a show as last week. The first two matches were much slower-paced and didn’t really show off the division’s unique agility (especially Alexander’s) as much as it could have. Both those matches weren’t bad, but each had the heel working a body-part so they both seemed too familiar with one another. The main event was another solid outing from Swann and Kendrick, and the commentary team did a great job in causing dissension between Perkins and Swann, and possibly even setting up an Austin Aries TJP feud.

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