By Jon
COMMENTATORS: Vic Joseph & Nigel McGuiness
Curt Stallion looks for revenge this week on 205 Live as he takes on Tony Nese in the main event. The Bollywood Boyz also make their “long-awaited” return to the joy of…well, Nigel McGuinness mostly.
LINEUP
- Mansoor vs. Brian Kendrick (**1/4)
- Curt Stallion vs. Tony Nese (**3/4)
*****
Mansoor vs. “The” Brian Kendrick
These two wrestled a year ago with Mansoor sneaking out a roll-up win over the former Cruiserweight Champion. Kendrick comes into this one on a two-match losing streak and it’s WWE so you probably know how this is going to go.
Kendrick takes control early with a side headlock and goes for an armdrag, which Mansoor rolls through into a chinlock. Kendrick shoves Mansoor around arrogantly then gets sent on his ass, and Mansoor continues the offense with a dropkick and a flying bulldog for a two-count. Kendrick regains control, countering a slingshot armdrag attempt with a good ol’ kick to the spine which hurts his own leg in the process but he feels better by the end. Mansoor fights back with forearms, Kendrick takes him to the mat with a drop toehold and really wrenches in a hammerlock, bending the arm in unnatural-looking positions. Feeling cocky Kendrick kicks at Mansoor, yelling
“C’MON KID” which fires Mansoor up leading to a comeback string of offense including an inverted atomic drop/spinebuster combo which I’m surprised doesn’t get used more. Mansoor connects with back-to-back rolling suplexes and muscles Kendrick up into a Falcon Arrow for the 1…2…Kendrick kicks out. Kendrick turns a rude awakening neckbreaker into a facebuster against his knee for the 1…2…kickout. Mansoor goes for a buckle bomb, Kendrick counters with a rana that sends his opponent into the buckles instead. Kendrick spears him in the kidneys, then connects with a middle-buckle butterfly suplex. Jackknife cover for the 1…2…Mansoor reverses it and rolls him up for the 1…2…3. Oof tough break.
Mansoor defeated Brian Kendrick via pinfall (8:49)
- An okay match that felt more like Kendrick doing a lot of work to make Mansoor look good. Mansoor did look pretty good though, so job well done. I love that inverted atomic drop into a spinebuster combo more than I probably should. (**1/4)
Kendrick solemnly shakes hands with Mansoor and raises his arm in the air before leaving, despondent at another loss. This poor guy.
-VIDEO: Jordan Devlin is fired up about NXT crowning a new Cruiserweight Champion when he never lost the title, stuck in the UK due to the pandemic. Devlin says he’s the best pro wrestler on the planet and the title belongs to him as he never lost it; if they want it back they’ll have to come get it from him.
- Well-produced video with justified rage from Devlin, who feels like NXT tried to gloss over him when he couldn’t return to the States to defend the title. I like that a lot. I feel like a unification match is in the future at some point, but I wonder when WWE will want to actually pull the trigger on that due to pandemic reasons.
-NXT CLIP: Legado del Fantasma, which includes the current CW Champ Santos Escobar, defeats Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Ashante Thee Adonis, & Jake Atlas in a six-man tag team match two days prior.
–The Bollywood Boyz (Samir & Sunil Singh) make their long-awaited return to 205 Live, dancing around the ring, Nigel especially getting into it while Vic could care less. The Boyz are back in 205 Live to bring the charisma and to bring back the lights, camera, and BOLLYWOOD action. More dancing commences.
- Nigel McGuinnes did some great work here, playing along with the Bollywood Boyz and clowning Vic Joseph for not wanting to join in. I don’t hate The Bollywood Boyz, I just wonder what their point is on a show that has no actual tag team division. Feels like WWE either workshopping stuff or letting them spin their wheels to justify contracts.
-LAST WEEK: Curt Stallion has Ariya Daivari beat until Tony Nese interferes and causes a DQ.
-EARLIER TONIGHT: Curt Stallion has some words via the 205 Live Twitter account. He calls Nese “scooter” and feels sorry Nese has to live in his shadow.
- WWE is going to make this motherf*cker ride a horse at some point, aren’t they?
Curt Stallion vs. “The Premier Athlete” Tony Nese
Bell rings and Ariya Daivari makes his way out to join the commentary team, distracting Stallion long enough for Nese to attack from behind. Stallion fights back with a belly-to-back suplex and a rolling forearm. Stallion climbs the buckles, Nese wipes him out then kicks him ONTO HIS SHOULDERS for a gutbuster and a two-count. That was cool. Nese hits a springboard moonsault for another two-count, Daivari says he’s here to scout new 205 Live talent and repeatedly talks about being an “original” like Nese and how it should be his show. Nese locks in an Argentine Backbreaker (Torture Rack), Stallion fights out with elbows and connects with a release German suplex. Stallion drops Nese in the corner, hits a leaping dropkick, then stomps the feet and pops him up into a DDT for the 1…2…Nese kicks out. Nese rolls to the floor as Stallion climbs the buckles but it turns out to be a bad idea as Stallion changes gears and connects with a beautiful moonsault. Stallion rolls Nese in and jaw jacks with Daivari before headbutting him. Unfortunately it does as much damage to Stallion as it did t Daivari; he stumbles around and into the ring, Nese takes advantage with RUNNING NESE for the 1…2…3.
Tony Nese defeated Curt Stallion via pinfall (7:36)
- Much longer look at Curt Stallion in this one and I think he did a good job availing himself to the 205 Live audience (all five of us). I enjoyed the match for the most part, Nese kicking Stallion onto his shoulders and Stallion’s moonsault to the floor being the high points. I don’t like this whole “WE ARE ORIGINALS” thing they got Daivari doing though; they played this same hand back in the WWECW days and it wasn’t all that good back then. (**3/4)
Daivari attacks Stallion but gets pulled off by Nese, who says he’s not worth it because he doesn’t belong here. HE DOESN’T EVEN GO HERE. Daivari and Nese stare the fallen Stallion down as the show concludes.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Fine show this week, both matches were watchable which is always a plus. I do like that Curt Stallion is getting a chance to run with it on 205 Live instead of going the “job on NXT” route, glad WWE realized he’s good to go already.
