SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE 205 LIVE
JANUARY 24, 2017
TOLEDO, OHIO AT HUNTINGTON CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON WWE NETWORK
Report by Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTorch Contributor
Announcers: Mauro Ranallo, Corey Graves, Austin Aries
Joey G here. Ready for some magic.
Show opens with highlights of last week’s 205 and the epic brawl between champion Rich Swann and your soon to be Crowned King Neville.
Package ends and Tom Philips is backstage interviewing THE MAN. Neville says he made a mistake thinking that Swann had learned his place. He says at the Royal Rumble, he will not show any mercy. Tom reminds Neville of his match tonight with Cedric Alexander (PANTS ARE OFF). Neville says he will make Cedric kneel before the king.
This is War (or whatever it’s called who cares this song sucks) and we’re off! (It’s called Hail the Crown if you do care)
Mauro calls this the most exciting hour on television. AA and Corey hype the Rumble, and TJ Perkins music hits for our first match of the evening. Corey calls TJ the king of the retweets. (Sick burn Graves)
His opponent is the premier athlete. Ranallo reminds us of his victory over Mustafa Ali last week, and wonders if Tony can continue to ride this momentum. AA really likes Nese’s german suplex into the turnbuckle. (Aries approved)
(1) T.J. PERKINS vs. TONY NESE
Tie-up and Nese with a quick-takedown. On the second go Nese takes advantage with multiple waist-lock takedowns but TJ surprises him with a frankensteiner for a two-count.
Tony reverses an irish whip and Perkins catches himself in the ropes Tyler Breeze style. A roll-up by TJ and another two-count.
Action moves to the corner and Nese blocks a neck-breaker attempt and rocks Perkins in the jaw with a flying-elbow. He snags on a head-lock, whips TJ into the turnbuckle, and then starts to pose. As he charges TJ catches him with a kick, but Nese reverses a tornado DDT with an impressive vertical suplex. He goes for the cover but only nets a two. Mauro believes that if Tony can notch another victory he could very well be inserted into the title scene.
A let’s go TJ chant starts (KUDOS TOLEDO!) but Perkins can’t gain any momentum. Tony hits his spring-board moonsault and continues to work the back. Aries suggests that TJ should…ya know…try and comeback.
To the corner and Perkins goes up for a high-risk maneuver but Nese sweeps his leg out and transitions right into his gut-buster. Tony suffocates TJ with a body-scissor. TJ breaks out, arm-drag, and then nails a spinning-back kick. Nese tries another suplex but Perkins uses his lightning-quick offense and hits a series of moves that lead to the detonation kick which sends Tony to the outside. Perkins goes for a suicide dive but Nese cuts him off with a strong clothesline.
As Nese goes to pick Perkins up TJ rolls him up for the win?
WINNER: T.J. Perkins wins by pinball at 8:29.
Immediately after the bell Tony attacks TJ and hits the aforementioned German-suplex into the turnbuckle, followed by his explosive running knee. Nese rolls to the outside and screams at the announce team that he won the match…AA disagrees. Corey Graves says that Tony’s knee strikes are so strong it could set off Semtex.
TJP is hurt. A few refs check on him as Tony leaves.
Cut to the announce team and they hype next week’s debut of Akira Tozawa. You know what that means….YUP….VIDEO PACKAGE.
Cut to that video package and more highlights of the CWC featuring Akira. Sami Zayn (ROCKING ONE HELL OF A SHINER) is the narrator for this one. He believes Tozawa will make an immediate impact on the division.
Back to the ring and TJ is being helped out by a doctor and a ref. (It should be noted that fans are clapping for him. This is good.)
Corey Graves and Austin Aries have a rare moment of disagreement. Graves believes that Tony acted out for no reason, AA believes that he was trying to make a statement. They stare.
Commercial for Rumble. It’s this Sunday! (On the WWE Network in case you didn’t know that) We are reminded that Sheamus won the big match in 2012. (BOOOOOOOOOOOOO)
Back from break and Brian Kendrick is out. His opponent, Tripp Bradshaw is already in the ring. Kendrick is on the mic and he says that Tripp will not be taking away his spot. He says the world doesn’t care about him, but does put over the fact that we are in Tripp’s hometown. Kendrick says he snuffed out Sean Maluta’s dreams, and when Tajiri returns he’ll snuff out his as well. He ends by saying that in front of all of his (Tripp) loved ones, his dreams will be broken.
Handshake and we’re off.
(2) BRIAN KENDRICK vs. TRIPP BRADSHAW
Kendrick picks the leg and instantly starts bullying Bradshaw. He smashes into him with stiff back blows, and even slaps him in the face. Tripp doesn’t like that and responds with some fists before Kendrick catches him with a crescent kick.
In full control, Brian lays into Tripp with cross-face forearms. Eventually he locks on the Bully Choke and the hometown boy taps out in short order.
WINNER: Brian Kendrick wins by submission at 2:12.
Backstage Cedric Alexander is preparing for his bout until Rich Swann comes in. Cedric asks for some advice, and Swann says “believe in yourself.” He reminds Alexander that Neville is going to try and intimidate him, but that if he picks his spots, the king will eventually make a mistake. Rich ends his lecture by asking Cedric to leave him some of Neville for the Rumble.
Commercial break for Takeover! #teamGLORIOUS
Commercial break for Talking Smack with AJ Styles.
OH GOD. THE KING IS ON HIS WAY OUT (Man this new theme is insanely dark. Imagine a horror version of Guardians of the Galaxy) which means it’s time for our main event.
Cedric’s theme hits (MUCH LESS CHILL) but he looks focused and ready to go. Announce team hypes how important this match is for Alexander, but how dangerous it will be as well.
Cedric goes for a hand-shake…YEAH OKAY SAYS NEVILLE WITH HIS EYES.
(3) KING NEVILLE vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER
Tie-up. No one budges. (These two are perfect for each other). Neville gets the first advantage with a hip-toss then screams “THIS IS MY RING.” AA doesn’t blame him, reminding us that Neville has run through everyone in the division. Corey praises Cedric, saying that Neville hasn’t faced anyone like him yet.
The two switch off on hammer-locks before Neville finally takes control with an arm-bar. Off an irish whip Cedric hits a corkscrew takedown and then a dropkick which sends THE KING to the outside.
As Neville attempts to come back in the ring Cedric surprises him with a drop-kick and then a penalty kick to the face off the apron. Some fans are cheering CM Punk.(DAMMIT TOLEDO) Neville shuts them off by slamming Cedric into the barricade…twice.
Back in the ring Neville hits a missle-dropkick for a two-count. In full control THE KING wears Cedric down with choke-holds and vicious Flair chops. A standing boot to the face puts Alexander on his bum REAL QUICK.
Snap-suplex and a running forearm (WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A SHOTGUN) gets Neville another two count. AA says that Cedric probably thinks he’s dating Alicia Fox again after such a forearm. Alexander mounts a comeback and hits a STIFF elbow followed by his spring-board enziguri which sends Neville to the outside again. Cedric takes advantage with a Tope Conhilo (and lands on his feet).
Back in the ring Cedric nails his spring-board clothesline but it only nets him a two-count. He goes for the Lumbar-check but Neville thrusts some knees to counter. Off the ropes and Cedric catches Neville with A STANDING SPANISH-FLY. (ASDLFHJEWIOFGHASDLGK) Only a two count though.
Alexander is screaming at Neville. Neville screams back with another vicious forearm. The two trade OOOOOOOO and AHHHHHHH strikes. Cedric goes for the Lumbar again but Neville counters and hits a release German-Suplex. He hovers over him for the dead-lift German which gets a VERY close two.
Frustrated, THE KING moves Cedric to the corner for his super-plex finisher. Alexander fights out and goes for a reverse powerbomb but Neville flips and lands on his feet which gives Cedric the creeps. However, Cedric lands a kick and sets up for another high-risk maneuver but Noam Dar shows up and distracts Cedric. Alexander attacks him, but on his way back to the ring he slips (not a botch, planned) right into a submission. He taps.
WINNER: Neville wins by submission at 14:29.
Afterwards Dar is in the ring to trash-talk a hurt Cedric, but Neville NEEDS NO HELP and dispatches Noam to the outside. As Neville begins to continue his attack on Alexander, Rich Swann runs to the ring for the save and he and Neville start trading blows.
As Noam and Cedric fight to the backstage Swann and Neville really start laying into each other. It takes a large team of security and refs to break them apart. THAT’S THE SHOW.
JG FINAL ANALYSIS: An instantly forgettable hour unfortunately. Former champ TJ Perkins did have a decent showing and there was some great heat for The Premier Athlete Tony Nese with a post-match beatdown. Brian Kendrick further cemented himself as the number 2 baddie in the division, but Tajiri’s injury has certainly left his character sort of floating by. Main event was really heating up before the VERY ODD finish left a sour taste in my mouth, and no one seemed the better for it afterwards. The final pull-apart brawl between Swann and Neville was good stuff (as all pull-aparts are) but for a go-home show to the Rumble, this was a swing and a miss that not even the AA commentary team could save.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S REPORT: 1/17 WWE “205 Live” Review: Gallagher vs. Daivari in an I Forfeit match, Cedric vs. Gulak, Nese vs. Ali
I’m honestly shocked a site owned by Wade Keller allows this kind of juvenile coverage on their website. Are you 13?