Leighty’s WWE 205 Live Review 1.15.21

-SmackDown ended as you kind of figured with KO returning and getting another shot at Roman Reigns. Yes, I am all for it! Now to 205 Live where Dusty Classic Tag Matches will be taking place which is pretty sweet. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Vic Joseph and Nigel McGuiness
-Taped: WWE Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, FL

-Recap of the matches in The Dusty Classic from Wednesday as The Grizzled Young Vets knocked off Ever-Rise, MSK beat Swerve and Atlas and Undisputed Era eliminated Breezango. Tonight we get two more matches in the first round.

First Round: Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: The Bollywood Boyz vs. Legado Del Fantasma

-Vic makes a deal with The Bollywood Boyz as he will dance with them if they win the entire tournament. I think he is safe! Mendoza starts with Sunil as they work the ground game a bit. Sunil gets an arm and works that, but ends up eating a knee to the ribs. Mendoza then runs him down with a shoulder as the pace quickens. Sunil gets a monkey flip and hits a clothesline that sends Mendoza to the floor. Mendoza is a bit embarrassed and charges back it, but gets caught with an armdrag. The tag is made to Samir and we get some double team action. Samir continues the work on the arm, and gets a crucifix pin fo a two count. He snaps off a few more armdrags as as The Boyz are in control early. Wilde is able to get a tag as Mendoza gets to his corner, but he runs into another armdrag and Samir grinds him down with an armbar. A tag to Sunil and Wilde gets caught with a double hiptoss. Tag back to Samir and he gets distracted by Mendoza on the apron and gets planted with a DDT from Wilde. Mendoza back in and he delivers a running clothesline in the corner. Wilde in with one of his own and then back to Mendoza for a third one. Double suplex gets a two count and then we hit the floor. Samir gets dropped face first on the announce table and then back in the ring Wilde hooks a modified chinlock. Samir avoids a double backdrop and we get an awkward sequence as the heels get run into each other. Samir makes the hot tag to Sunil and he runs wild on Mendoza with a backdrop, inverted atomic drop and a spinning heel kick. To the floor and Sunil’s path of rage can’t be stopped as he abuses both members of LDF on the announce table. Back in the ring he drops a Macho Man double axe from the top for a two count on Mendoza. Samir is back in with a tag and he props Mendoza on the top rope for a superplex, but Wilde blocks. Sunil decks him which lets Samir hit the superplex and then Samir drops a flying elbow for a two count as Wilde is back to make the save. Love the Power and Glory shout-out there! Samir then gets shoved in the ring steps leaving Sunil alone and that goes as you would expect. LDF finish with the running kick into the Side Russian Leg Sweep at 9:45.

Winners: Legado Del Fantasma via pin at 9:45
-This was good though it got a little rough in spots towards the end. I like the aggression from The Bollywood Boyz but in the end the right choice was made with LDF advancing. **3/4

-LDF moves to the second round and will face the winner of Imperium vs Lucha House Party.

-Backstage Drake Maverick annoys Killian Dain as he is wearing matching gear. “I’m a jeans guy now.”

First Round: Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Killian Dain and Drake Maverick vs. Curt Stallion and August Grey

-Grey is sporting a Dusty shirt and polka dots knee pads. Nice! Maverick and Stallion start as Joseph mentions Dain is obviously over the 205 lb weight limit for this show, but this is The Dusty Classic. Nigel jokes he may no even make the limit for 305 Live. Drake flusters Stallion early and dances to celebrate. Stallion is annoyed, but can’t get his hands on Drake as he gets caught with a hip-toss and then a leg lariat. Stallion gets the tag to have a go and Grey is ready to go. He tells Drake he is ready and Drake tags out to Dain. Grey doesn’t look as cocky now. Lockup to start and Dain wins that with his power as he shoves Grey to the corner. They run the ropes and Grey tries a crossbody, but just bounces off Dain. Grey gets slammed and then Dain grabs his partner and slams him on to Grey. Next he uses Maverick as a battering ram as he screams for Dain to put him down. I like this team as Maverick is all in with it and Dain plays off him well. Stallion and Grey bail to the floor as the story has been that they are basically screwed anytime Dain is in the match. Maverick wants Dain to dive on them to the floor, but Dain just opts to toss Maverick to the floor on their opponents. Effective! “Why didn’t you just dive?” Maverick is great! Back in the ring Stallion is able to kick out at two and gets a backbreaker to change the momentum of the match. Maverick eats a belly to back suplex from Grey and then to a headlock. Maverick fires away with punches, but can’t get to his corner. He escapes from the wrong corner and crawls through Grey’s legs to make the hot tag to Dain. He comes in and tosses Grey and Stallion all over the ring. He hits a dropkick on Grey and a Senton Atomico on Stallion. Grey gets squashed with a cross body for two. Maverick is back in and gets a neckbreaker. All 4 men are in at this point and Dain hits another Senton Backsplash. Stallion gets an ugly German Suplex into a pin and has to cover by going to a regular pin for two. Maverick goes crazy fists on Stallion and Grey as this one is getting all kinds of out of control. Maverick comes flying off the top to take out Grey while Dain kills Stallion with a powerbomb. Dain then opts to powerbomb Maverick onto Stallion and that gets Maverick the pin at 10:01.

Winners: Drake Maverick and Killian Dain via pin at 10:01
-I was kind of surprised by that outcome, but I guess Grey and Stallion are just the 205 Live fodder in this tournament. Poor Stallion got that win to become #1 contender and has been kind of an afterthought since. As for the match it was good with a simple story as Dain was the difference and Drake just had to survive long enough to get the monster back in the match for the win. ***

-Maverick and Dain will get MSK in the second round.

-Next week we get Desmond Troy and Ashante “Thee” Adonis against Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari.

-Thanks for reading.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

The show had a purpose with The Dusty Tag Classic and it made for a nice change of pace even if everyone outside of Dain has been a 205 Live staple. The opener was good and the Main Event was fun as I enjoyed the Dain/Maverick act and Dain being the bully made for a good story. Good show as is usual with 205 Live.