Leighty’s WWE 205 Live Review: 12.24.21

-Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. As I mentioned this show was going to wait until Saturday as I couldn’t catch it last night due to celebrating Christmas at my in-laws. So, before my two boys gets up and see what Santa brought it’s time to see what WWE 205 Live has to offer this week. Let’s get to it!

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

Ivy Nile (w/ Malcolm Bivens) vs. Fallon Henley

-Lockup to start and Nile powers Henley down. Another go and Henley catches Mile with an armdrag and then another. Henley gets a pin attempt, but not even a one count. She drives Nile face first into the mat and gets two, and that ends the run for Henley. Nile gets a suplex and then a German Suplex as she starts tossing Henley around the ring. She lands a running kick and then drops an elbow to the middle of the back. She gets a go behind and Henley fights but turns into a bearhug. Nile stomps away, but charges into a boot which lets Henley get a roll-up for two. Strikes from Henley as she lands some kicks and that gets a two count. Ivy avoids a whip in the corner and catches Nile from behind with a Dragon Sleeper to force a quick tap at 4:15.

Winner: Ivy Nile via tap-out at 4:15
-The crowd likes Nile and she continues to roll. This was more competitive than I anticipated. It was fine for what it was and continued to make Nile look dominant. *

-Commercials!

Andre Chase vs. Damon Kemp

-The Chase U Student Section with flag is still awesome. This is Kemp’s debut as he is from The University of Minnesota which has produced Brock Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin. Lockup to start and Chase gets a go behind, but Camp escapes and goes for a single leg. Chase gets to the ropes to break. Chase tries a kick, but gets caught and Kemp gets a take down. He rides Chase on the mat, but gets caught with an elbow when they get to a standing position. Chase works the fingers by bending them around the ropes. He pounds away on the mat as he has realized wrestling Kemp isn’t going to work. The CHASE U stomp follows and again, I am a sucker for it. That gets a two count. Kemp back with some chops, but a Side Russian Leg Sweep from Chase snuffs that rally and gets two. He goes back to work on the damaged hand before locking in an elbow submission and then switched to an top wristlock. Kemp rallies with a clothesline and overhead suplex and gets a roll-up but continues through into a German Suplex. Kemp goes to pick Chase up and the sweater nearly comes off which distracts Kemp and lets Chase land a headbutt. The Hammerlock Flatliner finishes at 5:26.

Winner: Andre Chase via pin at 5:26
-Kemp looked another and will be worth watching. Chase in the bigger star currently so him winning isn’t a surprise. Nothing much to the match but it was to get Kemp’s feet wet and Chase was a solid choice for his first match. *3/4

-Commercials!

-Back to RAW as get the entire segment with leads to Big E and Lashley vs. Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. We then join that match in progress to the end. Again, WWE pads this show on Hulu to get it to around a 45 minute run time.

-Commercials!

Ru Feng vs. Soloa Sikoa

-Lockup to start and they collide with nobody backing up. They each try to land a strike and it’s a stalemate. Another go and Feng lands some kicks and gets a splash in the corner. A kick to the spine gets a one count. Sikoa catches another kick and gets a leg trip. He lands a jumping headbutt for two. A clothesline in the corner is followed by another as Feng stumbled to the middle of the ring. That gets two. He sets too early on a backdrop and eats a kick for it. Another kick and Feng goes to a reverse chinlock. Sikoa breaks with a belly to back suplex. He then shrugs off some kicks and gets cocky, but Feng catches him with an armbar. Sikoa gets his hands together and is able to get Feng on his back and stomps to break the hold. Sikoa lands a spinning heel kick and then a Back Senton. He hits two more and that gets a two count. Feng misses a leaping kick and gets dropped with a spinning back first. Solo heads up and lands a splash for the win at 4:51.

Winner: Solo Sikoa via pin at 4:51
-Solo stays undefeated and looked good here. Feng also looked good so this was solid for a sub five minute match. Both guys look like stars on this show so makes sense they got to close the episode. **

-Thanks for reading!

5.5

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

This show is becoming hard to grade as the point isn't about trying to have great matches. This show is about getting new faces in the ring in front of a crowd and letting potential future stars get some experience working TV and in front of a crow as well. Nothing this week is must see, but the show isn't bad as it flies by thanks to being three short matches. Nothing ever gets a chance to really end up being bad or good, so it's just kind of there. Again, the name change will help as it needs to distance itself from 205 Live as that show produced good to great matches. For what this show has become this was perfectly fine, but compared to other shows it's lacking in ring quality. Which you would expect with a bunch of developmental talent.