Csonka’s WWE 205 Live Review 4.25.18

Csonka’s WWE 205 Live Review 4.25.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– #1 Contender’s Gauntlet: Kalisto defeated Tony Nese, Mustafa Ali, Drew Gulak, and TJP @ 38:55 [***¾]

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– We get a video package, hyping tonight’s #1 Contender’s Gauntlet match.

– Nigel is back!

#1 Contender’s Gauntlet: Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak vs. Kalisto vs. TJP: The winner faces Cedric Alexander at Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble event in a cruiserweight title match. No fucking around this week, we’re getting right to business. Ali & TJP start us off. They lockup and TJP dabs. Ali attacks, but TJP works into some slick grappling. Ali cuts him off with arm drags. TJP escapes, hits a shoulder tackle and gets a cradle for 2. Ali cuts him off with a dropkick, and then hit a spin kick. He sends TJP to the floor with another dropkick. TJP stuns Ali in the ropes and locks in an octopus in the ropes. The wrecking ball dropkick follows and Ali falls to the floor. Alexander gets a screen in screen interview as TJP keeps the heat. The senton atomico follows, and TJP then grounds things. Nice and effortless work from TJP here, Ali counters out but TJP cuts him off, hitting a Russian leg sweep and covers for 2. TJP now locks on the koji clutch. Ali escapes, picks up the pace, hits a RANA and enziguri. The rolling x-factor connects for 2. TJP fights back, but Ali rolls him up for 2. TJP up top, Ali cuts him off and follows him up. TJP shoves him off and hits a dropkick to the knee, and the knee bar follows. Ali struggles and makes the ropes. Ali tries to fire back, kicks TJP away and hits a tornado DDT. Ali up top and the imploding 450 finishes TJP (9:52). Ali moves on, but will have to battle through a banged up knee.

Gulak is in next. Ali goes for pin attempts, but Gulak cuts him off, attacking the knee and sending Ali to the floor. Ali back in, heads up top and hits a high cross, but Gulak rolls into a half crab. Ali escapes and cradles him for 2. Gulak turns him inside out with a lariat for 2. Gulak goes back to the knee as we get an ad for Friday’s show. These have become really annoying. Gulak lays in chops, and follows with a suplex for 2. Gulak keeps things grounded, focusing on the knee. Back to the half crab, but Ali manages to escape and hit an enziguri. Gulak cuts him off with a powerbomb for 2. Gulak goes back to the half crab, and then transitions into a bow and arrow variation. Ali manages to make the ropes. Gulak take shim u top and talks shit to him as he uses the ropes to work the knee. Ali fights him off, and he works a hanging half crab in the ropes. Gulak to the floor and Ali hits a high cross onto him on the floor. Back in and Gulak chop blocks him. Ali hits a desperation tornado DDT, heads up top slowly, allowing Gulak to cut him off and send him to the steps. Gulak drags him back in and applies the GU-Lock and Ali is out and done (22:12).

Nese arrives and former friends collide. Nese attacks with ground and pound right away. The backdrop follows as Nese is all fired up. He now lays in kick and knee strikes, and follows with a Fosbury flop to the floor. Nese continues the assault on the floor, slamming Gulak to the barricades. Nese tosses Gulak onto the announce table, and then into the table. Back in the ring they go, Nese talks shit and runs over Gulak and lays the bots to him. Nese follows with kicks and then works over Gulak on the floor again. Back in and Nese spends too much time talking. The running Nese follows and he doesn’t go for the pin. He sets him up to do it again, drops the kneepad, and Gulak moves. He locks in the GU-lock and Nese is done (30:10).

Kalisto is last out. Gulak stalls to get some recovery time. Gulak in and Kalisto attacks, dropkicking him to the floor and follows him out and lays in strikes. Kalisto goes for a suicide dive, but Gulak sidesteps him and Kalisto eats barricade. Nese gets a screen in screen interview, but refuses to talk. Back in the ring and Gulak takes the heat. Kalisto fights off the GU-lock, and hits a head scissors. The superkick follows, but Gulak cuts of the DDT and applies the GU-lock. Kalisto escapes, sends Gulak to the buckles and hits salida del sol and picks up the win! Kalisto defeated Tony Nese, Mustafa Ali, Drew Gulak, and TJP @ 38:55 [***¾] This was an overall very good match, and I loved that they went with the one match show deal here. I love when Lucha Underground does it and it’s an advantage of a one-hour show. I thought that the early portion, focusing on Ali played very well and, teased a miracle run very well until Gulak ruined that for him. I felt that Ali was protected well in loss, and that Gulak was the right man to beat him here. The Gulak vs. Nese segment also played well, with Nese’s thirst for revenge being what cost him, as Gulak remained completely focused on his goal of winning and again, moved on. Plus, Nese’s revenge should come at a later time in a properly built singles match and not in a gauntlet. But Gulak’s run finally ended with Kalisto. Kalisto was unfortunately a casualty of the Enzo era, but has been renewed since the re-boot. Kalisto vs. Alexander should be a fun babyface vs. babfyface match, but we just a had that at Mania. I don’t think him winning is a bad idea, but I think that Gulak winning may have made for a better pairing. Anyway, the cruiser lads delivered again, and this was a lot of fun.

– Lucha house party celebrates as Alexander arrives and claps for Kalisto.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.8

The final score: review Good

The 411

Tonight’s episode of WWE 205 Live was a one-match show in the best way possible. If you have 40-minutes, it’s well worth a look.