Csonka’s WWE 205 Live Review 2.05.18

Csonka’s WWE 205 Live Review 2.06.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Cruiserweight Title Tournament Match: Kalisto defeated Lince Dorado @ 11:50 via pin [***¾]
– Cruiserweight Title Tournament Match: Roderick Strong defeated Hideo Itami @ 17:06 via pin [****]

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– TJP & Cedric Alexander won tournament matches last week.

Lince Dorado vs. Kalisto: These two are buddies and have been tagging a lot, with Metalik as of late, as the Lucha House Party. Not my name for them. They shake hands and we’re friends to begin. They work some solid back and forth to begin, picking up the pace and both looking for control and a pin attempt. They end in a stand off. Dorado hits the dropkick, but Kalisto cuts him off and lays in kicks. The head scissors follows and Kalisto follows with a suicide dive. Back in they go, but Dorado counters a sunset flip and hits a superkick. He dumps Kalisto and hits a cannonball suicide dive. Dorado follows with chops, and rolls Kalisto back in. Dorado grounds the action, and then spill to the floor as Dorado is getting more aggressive the longer we go. Dorado covers for 2, and again grounds the action. Dorado heads up top, but hops down, and then runs into a superkick. That came off oddly. They both work up top, head butts by Dorado connect and then the SUPER RANA connects! They work to their feet, and trade strikes. Dorado lays in chops. But Kalisto cuts him off with kicks and hits the corkscrew high cross. Dorado rolls through the short RANA, rolling up Kalisto for 2. They battle back up top, and Kalisto hits the roll through into the pin attempt of the ropes for 2. Dorado counters salida del sol, and then hits the lethal injection. Dorado heads up top, and the shooting star press connects, but Kalisto rolls to the floor. Back in and Kalisto gets a roll up for 2. Salida del sol gets 2 as Dorado just made the ropes. Dorado counters salida del sol and gets a backslide for 2. Kalisto then KILLS Dorado with a reverse RANA and hits salida del sol for the win. Kalisto defeated Lince Dorado @ 11:50 via pin [***¾] This was a very good back and forth match and exactly the kind of thing you want to kickoff the show. They worked a great pace, kept the crowd involved and Dorado looked the best he’s ever looked on 205 live and the near falls made it believable that Dorado had an actual chance to win here. This was so mush fun, and a really good performance from both guys, who felt as if they were looking to prove something.

– We get a Roderick Strong video package, taken from the great series of videos that aired on NXT TV.

– We get a Cedric Alexander promo, as he comments on the cruiserweight tournament Mustafa Ali sneaks up on him. Cedric says it’s all fun and games until some gets a lumbar check.

– TJP comments on the negative reaction to his win last week. He did what he had to do to win, because he’s not doing this for us, he’s doing it for himself.

– Next week we get Akira Tozawa vs. Mark Andrews.

– We get a mark Andrews video package.

– Gulak & Nese meet with Drake Maverick. Maverick wants to know why Gulak changed into a goof. He also says Nese is too concerned with counting abs and says both are wasted potential, and have become comedy acts. Maverick says that train has left the station, and they face each other next week.

Hideo Itami vs. Roderick Strong: They work to the ground right away, but Strong counters into a bow and arrow. Back to the feet and then talk some trash. Strong targets the arm, looks for a back breaker, but Itami counters out. Strong cuts him off with a leg lariat, covering for 2. He then follows with chops, but Itami cuts him off with kicks and then the knee strike off the ropes, covering for 2. Itami follows with a series of kicks to a grounded Strong, and takes time to pose. Itami lays I more kicks, but Strong cist him off, hitting a gut buster and covering for 2. Strong takes control, grounding Itami, and working over the previously injured left arm of Itami. Strong now hits a pump handle back breaker, covering for 2. Strong actually yells, “come on Kenta” at one point before correcting himself. Strong follows with the dropkick and again grounds Itami. Itami battles to his feet, hits a jawbreaker, and DDT for the double down. Itami follows with clotheslines and kicks, and the suplex follows. Itami heads up top and hit the flying clothesline for 2. Strong counters out of GTS, hits the Angle slam, and covers for 2. They work to the apron, trading strikes and Itami kicks Strong to the floor. They brawl to the floor, and Strong about kills Itami with an apron back breaker. Strong rolls him back in, and covers for 2. Strong lays in clubbing strikes now, follows with chops but Itami does the deal with a falcon arrow for 2. Itami follows with a knee strike, but Strong counters for the stronghold, but Itami kicks his way out. They trade strikes, but Itami locks on a rings of Saturn variation, but Strong makes the ropes. Itami hits the running kick, covering for 2. They work a series of counters, Strong hits a pop up gut buster and cloud nine connects for a really close 2. Strong takes Itami up top, but Itami fights and catches him with a kick. Itami looks for the superplex, lays in head butts, and does the super deal with the super falcon arrow for a great near fall. They trade strikes now, lighting each other up and Itami follows with the hesitation dropkick. Strong battles back with the jumping knee and end of heartache for the HUGE win! Roderick Strong defeated Hideo Itami @ 17:06 via pin [****] This was an absolutely great match, worked in a completely different style than the opener. They took an exhausted crowd, that you could feel wasn’t all that familiar with them and pulled them into the match with hard-hitting action, which beautifully escalated throughout, and kept you guessing in terms of who was going go win. I think most expected Itami, the 205 regular, to walk away with the win, but the Strong win came of as a refreshing surprise, and perfect closure to a great match to close out a stellar show.

– Advancing so far are TJP, Cedric Alexander, Kalisto &, Roderick Strong

– Next week we get Akira Tozawa vs. Mark Andrews & Tony Nese vs. Drew Gulak.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

The reboot of 205 live feels like a perfect storm, as the shorter time frame, the departure of Enzo, and title tournament along with the introduction of Drake Maverick are all clicking. This was the best edition of 205 Live in a long time, and the series is finally turning into the must-see TV many of us have been waiting for.