Leighty’s WWE 205 Live Review 8.14.20

-SmackDown is done and that means it’s time for 205 Live. Quick note I am a sucker for the addition of Bliss to the Strowman/Fiend feud. The news today is the WWE is going to be leaving the PC and while it has been a saving grace for the WWE during this time, it will be nice to see a change of atmosphere. Also it seems a new episode of Timeline is dropping on Sunday and looks like it will focus on the Bret/Owen feud. Give me all that! Before that though, it’s 205 Live. Let’s get to it!

Announce Team: Vic Joseph and Drew Gulak
Taped: WWE PC, Orlando, FL

Legado Del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) vs. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker and Matt Martel)

-Martel starts with Mendoza and they exchange some arm work and then pick up the pace. Martel drops Raul with a back elbow and makes the tag to Parker. He goes to work on the arm with a hammerlock, but Raul elbows out to escape. Parker gets caught by a blind tag as Wilde sneaks in with a DDT. He stomps the hand to get in some small joint manipulation. To the corner where Wilde pounds away with right hands. Wilde gets a back elbow of his own and then some sweet tag combo moves as Mendoza hits a sling shot suplex on Wilde on to Parker. That was swank! The crowd is rallying behind Parker as I guess they are the faces in this one, but Martel just seems like a natural heel that I can’t buy it. Parker is getting some good sympathy with this beating right now though. Parker fights to his feet, and slides out of a slam to make the hot tag. Martel is on fire as he delivers backdrops and clotheslines Mendoza to the floor. Ever-Rise get a double team for two as Mendoza makes the save. He gets tossed back to the floor. Ever-Rise look to finish, but Mendoza low bridges Parker. He then makes the blind tag and Martel is screwed as the running kick into the side Russian leg sweep finishes at 5:52.

Legado Del Fantasma via pin at 5:52
-This was solid as they crammed a decent amount in the 6 minutes they had. Ever-Rise got the SQUASH win last week and proclaimed they were the best team and they lost here as they should. Legado Del Fantasma continues to roll along! **1/4

-We got back to last week where Ariya Daivari made his return and attacked Oney Lorcan.

-Commercial for NXT Takeover XXX and I am all on board with McAfee vs Cole. Again, I may be biased as a McAfee fan and considering he is a local Western PA kid (Plum High School), but I think he is going to do well. He certainly seems to be taking this seriously and has stated he isn’t going out there to embarrass himself.

Ariya Daivari vs. Jake Atlas

-This is Daivar’s first match since March so let’s see what he’s got. Daivari immediately yells for the crowd to shut up and I will say these “fans” seem to have a lot more energy this week. Atlas gets a headlock takeover to start and then another. Daivari rolls him over for a one count. To their feet and Atlas breaks the hold and gets a shoulder tackle for one. To the corner and Daivari gets in a shoulder, but gets caught charging in and Atlas goes back to the headlock. Daivari breaks with a knee, but misses a clothesline as Atlas back flips out of the way. Atlas goes back to the headlock and again Daivari is able to escape. He gets in a heavy shot to the back as they fight on the apron. Atlas gets caught with a knee to the face and gets sent to the floor with a dropkick. Daivari follows out and sends Atlas flying into the plexiglass and then bounces him off the announce table. Back on the apron Daivari hits a sweet neckbreaker that snaps Atlas over the middle rope. Nice! Next he targets the left arm and gets a one count off a forearm to the face. Effective! Back to the arm as the crowd is into this one as they rally Atlas to his feet. He ducks some strikes, but gets caught coming off the ropes with an elbow. Atlas fires up after some trash talk and fires away with strikes. He hits a dive in the corner to the ribs and a German suplex followed by a dropkick to the face for two. This match is starting to rock! A charge to the corner eats a boot from Daivari. Atlas fires back with a pump kick to the head and gets a two count off a bulldog driver. Atlas heads up top but Daivari stops that noise, so Atlas adjust and hits a springboard Blockbuster. Daivari smartly rolls to the floor to avoid the cover, but Atlas is right on him with a tope. Back inside Daivari side steps a charge as Atlas gets flipped into the corner landing on his head. Daivari removes the padding from the buckle and gets into an argument with the ref which Atlas uses as a chance to get a roll-up for two. Atlas goes for a belly to back, but a well placed thumb to the eye leads to the hammerlock lariat for the pin at 9:24.

Winner: Ariya Daivari via pin at 9:24
-This was pretty darn good as they were rocking it out there. Both men looked great and Daivari working in a thumb to the eye to get the win worked well. Definitely check this one as it was one of the best matches I’ve seen on my run reviewing this show. ***1/2

-Thanks for reading!

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Easy thumbs up here and one of the best shows of my run reviewing it. The tag match was solid and the main event delivered a quality banger. Spend the 20 minutes to check this out as 205 Live is finding a groove. At this point I would call it easily the best weekly show the WWE is producing right now.