By Jon
COMMENTATORS: Vic Joseph & Nigel McGuinness
This week’s 205 Live features an odd-couple tag team pairing as Sunil Singh of The Bollywood Boyz and Matt Martel of Ever-Rise put their new truce to the test as they take on Ariya Daivari & Tony Nese. Also on the show Jake Atlas and August Grey get their proper singles match and we find out if Curt Stallion was able to wrestle away the Cruiserweight Championship from Santos Escobar on NXT this past week. The roll-call below this paragraph is probably going to give that away though, huh?
Side note this episode of 205 takes place on February 5th (2/5) which is kinda cool if you stretch your definition of what cool is.
CHAMPION
- NXT CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION: Santos Escobar
LINEUP
- Sunil Singh & Matt Martel vs. Ariya Daivari & Tony Nese
- Jake Atlas vs. August Grey
*****
Sunil Singh & Matt Martel vs. Ariya Daivari & “The Premier Athlete” Tony Nese
The Bollywood Boyz & Ever-Rise buried the hatchet and signed a truce over the week, and decided to send one member from each team into battle against the 205 Live Originals. Nese mockingly throws his t-shirt at a fan, the plexiglass blocking it, which is pretty funny. McGuinness calls the new Ever-Rise/Bollywood Boyz union as “Bolly-Rise” which is pretty good.
Singh and Nese trade holds to start, Singh floats over Nese in the corner and connects with an armdrag into an armbar. McGuinness roots for all of these teams so he’s just excited to call the match. Nese muscles Singh up, Singh changes momentum into an inside cradle for a two-count. Martel tags in, Nese catches him with a knee and tags out to Daivari who buries rights into the back of the head while calling him garbage. Martel catches Daivari with a back elbow and tags Singh back in, but they miscalculate and Martel accidentally runs into Singh, giving Nese & Daivari control. Nese gets a two-count off a double suplex and slows it down with a waistlock. Singh gets to his feet, Nese throws him back to the canvas and keeps the hold applied. Daivari tags in, Singh rolls under a clothesline and makes the tag to Martel. Martel dropkicks Daivari and brings Nese back into the ring with a belly-to-belly, then hits another to clear him back out. Martel connects with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex on Daivari, Daivari escapes a fireman’s carry but Martel catches him with a DDT for the 1…2…not yet. Singh tags in and connects with a flying elbowdrop for the 1…2…Nese pulls him off and gets clotheslined out to the floor by Martel. Martel tags in, Bolly-Rise go for a double suplex but Nese breaks it up and Daivari connects with an inverted DDT for the 1…2…Singh makes the save. Nese throws Singh into the barricade, Daivari tries to use the chain but Martel ducks and he’s forced to drop it. Martel rolls Daivari up behind the ref’s back, Nese catches him with a Running Nese, and Daivari covers for the 1…2…3.
Ariya Daivari & Tony Nese defeated Sunil Singh & Matt Martel via pinfall (7:50)
- Bollywood Boyz & Ever-Rise deciding to bury the hatchet by teaming with each other is an interesting story to tell and feels unique to a lot of what I’ve seen from WWE over the years. Sunil & Martel showed their inexperience as a unit though and it cost them, which isn’t surprising and honestly was the way to go because if Daivari & Nese got owned by a BRAND NEW team that would have made ‘em look even more incompetent.
—
-NXT: Legado del Fantasma defeated Lucha House Party to get to the semi-finals of the Dusty Classic, Santos Escobar defeated Curt Stallion to retain the Cruiserweight Championship. Karrion Kross attacked Legado del Fantasma after the latter’s match, and threatened Escobar. Is Karrion Kross 205 pounds and under?!?
—
Jake Atlas vs. August Grey
Atlas and Grey were supposed to have a singles match on last week’s show but Ariya Daivari interjected himself and made it a triple threat…and proceeded to win it. Now these two, who DID NOT win last week, are getting the main event spot while Daivari, who DID win, had to work the undercard. UNFAIR.
Atlas starts with a waistlock, Grey escapes with a side headlock takeover, Atlas counters with a headscissors but Grey quickly kicks out and goes back to the side headlock. McGuinness takes this time to remind everyone that Jordan Devlin is still the REAL Cruiserweight Champion doing his thing on NXT UK which I appreciate. He’s keeping the masses informed. Atlas can’t escape so he backs Grey into the corner to force a break and reset. Atlas brings Grey to one knee with a cravat, holding through an Irish whip attempt and even rolling through a bodyslam. Grey finally escapes and floats over in the corner, Atlas counters a hip toss with a backslide for the 1…2…Grey gets the shoulder up and rolls Atlas up with a sunset flip for the 1…2…Atlas kicks out, Grey misses a kick, Atlas misses a moonsault but lands on his feet. Both men get tired of the technical stuff and start throwing bombs, Atlas kicks Grey’s legs out and connects with a straitjacket-like neckbreaker for the 1…2…Grey kicks out. Grey surprises Atlas with a rana and sweeps the legs into a lateral press for a one-count. Atlas bails to the corner, Grey makes him pay with a pair of knife-edged chops. Atlas tries to reverse a whip but Grey reverses THAT into a bulldog for the 1…2…Atlas kicks out and this match kicks ass. Atlas connects with a chop of his own, Grey responds with a straight right hook. Atlas blocks a whip attempt and connects with a back elbow followed by a running kick and elbowdrop for the 1…2…Grey kicks out. Atlas connects with a standing moonsault, Grey escapes before a count can even be administered. Atlas folds Grey with a suplex and a left-arm lariat for the 1…2…Grey kicks out! Grey clotheslines Atlas to the floor and follows up with a tope suicida into the announce desk. Grey immediately rolls Atlas in and connects with a tightrope crossbody for the 1…2…3!
August Grey defeated Jake Atlas via pinfall (9:29)
- This one is going to fly under the radar for a lot of people since 205 Live doesn’t have the reach of the main shows, but if you get a chance check this one out. I appreciated the build, starting a technical match full of mutual respect before delving into one upmanship and at points bomb-throwing. It wasn’t totally successful, the cravat spot for example went on a little longer than it needed to at least for my attention span, but I appreciated it overall and it ended up being a real kick ass match, with a surprising victor to boot. I didn’t think August Grey was gonna get the nod here, that was cool.
Grey doesn’t get a chance to celebrate as Ariya Daivari and Tony Nese attack BOTH men, Atlas getting thrown into the ring steps and Grey eating a hammerlock lariat that damn near takes his head off.
- So instead of Curt Stallion & August Grey feuding with Daivari & Nese it’s gonna be Grey and Jake Atlas. Same story, one different person. Only so many stories 205 Live gets to tell I guess.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: I enjoyed this episode of 205 Live a lot, from the oddball pairing of Singh & Martel to the near-banger of Grey vs. Atlas. I’m a little bummed WWE can’t seem to find a better use for Daivari & Nese other than “two guys mad they’ve been stuck on the same go nowhere brand for years and are taking it out on the newcomers” but it is what it is.
