Chat! culturecrossfire.slack.com

205 Live

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
I laughed when I think I spotted some little girl in the crowd trying to answer Murphy's open challenge.

Then I was sad about the silence when Humberto Carrillo answered the open challenge. Carrillo is a fun performer who had a solid match with Johnny Gargano on NXT that aired the night after this. But a debut on the C show in Alabama for a guy from Mexico... may as well made him look like one of the squash guys. Heard this match was good though so hopefully his performance gets him some love in the next city. From the 14 people who watch this show (that probably already watched NXT).
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
205LIVE_WM35_Cruiserweight_Tournament_FirstRound_VB--3be223a8c442b30e1fa8b9d152ae20b9.jpg


I feel like Gulak is the guy who would deserve it based on he is the guy to be the biggest deal in the division without winning the title (since Ali is gone). My guess is we get Gulak-Carrillo final and maybe Carrillo beats Murphy at Mania to set up a new star and move Murphy up a la Mustafa.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
Pretty small tourney comparatively speaking. Nothing against Oney, but with all the NXT and NXT UK talent they have, it's weird that he was the one guy they decided to bring it for this. I say Carillo takes it.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaBtdJRvqx0

Looks like Steve Corino's influence was enough to get his boy some job work!
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
Can we talk about my hometown boy Tony Nese getting the cruiserweight title show at Wrestlemania ('s pre-show)? For someone who has followed his career for years, I'm happy for him.
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
It's cool that Nese will finally get a PPV match seeing he has been one of the longest tenured guys and hasn't yet. And it's cool he gets to be on Wrestlemania in his home town. But he should not be the one to beat Buddy. I like Nese but just don't see him as champion on that roster. I was really hoping someone would take the belt off him soon because I feel like Ali, Buddy is next on deck to go to main roster.

Though if they are really thinking of ending 205 Live with the rumors of 3-hour Smackdown, then I could see him ending as the champion (or taking the belt to the main roster), while a chunk of the roster gets disbursed to the NXT brands.
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
Been a bit behind on 205 Live but decided to squeeze in this week's show tonight to see the first night of the Gulak Era

Mike Bennett seems to be getting a new story now that he is copping Ciampa's look

Additionally, during the Gallagher-Kanellis match, the way they referenced the Chad Gable match from recent time makes it sound like that was a one-off, which I am still not sure if it is better or worse for Gable. Though hoping his note-taking on Smackdown lately turns him back into the early day American Alpha Gable because I still think that one that never got to come to the main roster would get over with the main audience.

205 is weird because it is not as good continuity wise as NXT but I think partially because it has main roster fingerprints on it still. They keep having fiery babyface Tony Nese act like he never fought Tozawa one-on-one. I felt I knew he did and a quick search of Google video brings up three 205 matches on YouTube from throughout 2017 and a fourth from 2018. Additionally, they rip on what a mess Drake Maverick is on commentary due to the 24/7 title but then do a cut away where he is back to normal trying to track down Kanellis after his walkout. Guess it is just because this show is caught in the middle of the main roster creative.

Humberto Carrillo is an interesting case. His entrance now is weird. He has this elaborate entrance gear which does not fit with him strolling out to his upbeat theme song. He's got some fun stuff in the ring but think he sometimes is off from a psychology standpoint.

I do enjoy seeing cray face Oney Lorcan though. Was worried they made him heel with the Cedric stuff when he first came up but nope, crazy face beating on Daivari.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
I strongly recommend watching the 5-on-5 Elimination Match from this week's show. It's over 40 minutes and EVERYBODY shines.

Garza is in a whole other league here and Swerve was great too. Watch it if you haven't.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,427
Reaction score
8,295
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
The Cruiserweight Title has been renamed the NXT Cruiserweight Title and 205 Live is off the schedule for this week.

Looks like this is the end of the line for 205 Live.

Hopefully, whichever dudes don't get used on NXT, get to do some cool indy (or at least, mildly interesting EVOLVE) runs.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,427
Reaction score
8,295
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
I agree that is the right call. 205 Live is definitely beyond salvaging at this point and WWE has too many things on its plate but it is a bad since realistically, NXT will only be able to really feature 5 or 6 205 Live guys at the absolute maximum.

Lots of talent on the 205 Live roster. Just too bad they had an absolute piss poor platform to perform on from day 1.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
This is a double shame for me. Everybody on 205 Live worked their fucking asses off and produced some damn good matches over the last 3 years. NXT's already bloated roster will now only feature like 2 or 3 of these guys regularly.

This is of no fault of the actual performers (who deserve a ton of praise) but rather the company for giving not giving an audience one reason to care.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,427
Reaction score
8,295
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
https://www.wwe.com/article/wwe-205-live-full-sail-november-8-2019
205 Live is FINALLY taping from Full Sail this week. About three years too late but whatever. I'll be tuning in this week.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,427
Reaction score
8,295
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
https://twitter.com/BensonRichardE/status/1244997086250258433
Woah. Only a few months until 205 Live surpasses WWECW's run and solidifies its spot as the least essential program in WWE history.
 

Baby Shoes

Baby Shoes
Messages
25,399
Reaction score
2,222
Points
293
205 is just running some of NXT’s Dusty Classic matches and since they did a women’s bracket, I assume that’s what it is. They had Killian Dain’s tournament matchup on the show last night indicating they’ve just fully given up.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
It's a shame the cruiserweight division never found it's footing despite all the individual performers giving their all. WWE haven't cared about 205 Live for quite a while now and the only reason it's still on the air is to give a little TV time to their bloated roster.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,427
Reaction score
8,295
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
Did WWE ever care about 205 Live? It's hard to say they stopped caring about it when they never really cared about it in the first place? I think the peak of its relevancy is when they moved Enzo there. SAD!
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
They definitely cared in the beginning by featuring it regularly on Raw and highlighting their top stars at the time (TJP, Gran Metallik, Rich Swann, Jack Gallagher) but when they realized that having their cruiserweights work WWE-style matches wasn't quite catching on, that's when they pulled the plug. It's relevancy declined year after year and has especially been irrelevant since Murphy's title reign and officially renaming it the NXT Cruiserweight title.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,427
Reaction score
8,295
Points
293
Location
Vacationland
IIRC, I feel like they started putting the guys on RAW in the Fall of 2016 cause they were going up against Presidential debates and Monday Night Football and knew they would get slaughtered RE of whatever they put out there and thought it'd be good for guys to get ring time in front of larger audiences.

I would say WWE levels of care for 205 Live were they kind of cared in 2016-17, barely cared in 2018-19, and have not cared for past year and a half or so! The show is only a half hour now! Is it going to get bumped down to 15 minutes next!?
 

Hawk 34

Integral Poster
Messages
7,564
Reaction score
2,759
Points
248
Clearly inspired by the return of EVA MARIE on Raw. Can’t blame the man for following in those footsteps.
 

King Kamala

Integral Poster
Messages
60,427
Reaction score
8,295
Points
293
Location
Vacationland

For some sick reason*, you got to applaud WWE. You wouldn't think they'd be able to mess up a light heavyweight division worse than their first two attempts but somehow they managed to do it!



*what was the '00s TSMer that always said that for things that really weren't that upsetting at all.
 

Epic Springs

Epic Reine
Messages
12,608
Reaction score
1,878
Points
253
Location
NYC
I mean, Joe Gacy is challenging for the title when he's a legit 250 lbs. so....
 
Top