FanPost

WWE 205 Live recap & reactions (May 16, 2017): The First Step Of A New Path

WWE.com

Preamble

First up, f*** the Newark Raw crowd. With their "CM Punk" (seriously?) and "This is boring" chants, the unwashed of the five boroughs couldn't be more disrespectful to the display of dazzle Neville, TJP, Austin Aries and Jack Gallagher were putting on.

I understand when The Great Khali and The Big Show of old are lumbering around the ring - making a showdown between a sleepy snail and a slushy sloth look like Frazier/Ali - can illicit such chants, but for four of the brightest stars of one of WWE’s most electric divisions? Get-dafug-outta-here.

Hopefully tonight’s post Smackdown Live! crowd will be kinder.

Opening Video Package

We have a replay of aforementioned Raw tag match, plus the after video of Neville giving praise to Teej, Teej jocularly saying he wants the belt, only for Neville to rebuff him, saying he has to take out Aries first. "His knee is hanging on by a thread," Neville foretells. The story for the match, and the stakes, are set.

An interview with Aries runs down TJP as Neville’s "little lap dog yipping about", and re-emphasises his knee is indeed buggered ("You may have noticed I’ve been walking around with a bandaged up knee; I’m telling you, it’s not a fashion statement.")

Main event, with story, is set. Before then, we have our curtain jerker…

The Scottish Supernova Noam Dar w/ Alicia Fox vs. Gran Metalik

Mentionables

Yes! Metalik is back! And straight away I’m all in for this match. Something fresh on tha two-oh-five for once. Just what the division desperately needed.

We start with a recap of Alicia Fox’s surprise clean win over Sasha Banks, and Dar and Fox lording over the victory afterward.

Dar with some classic heeling to start; begging off in the corner before claiming a kiss from Fox.

Some gentle chain wrestling leads into a deep arm drag and crisp dropkick by Metalik. We’re going for the slow burn for this match.

Dar stomps a Fox-distracted Metalik as soon as he makes his way into the ring. But some showy backflips break Dar’s rhythm, allowing Metalik to ramp up the aerial assault. A slightly wonky flying head scissors; a wrist lock top rope arm drag; and a backward somersault from the top rope to the outside provide a fast-paced sequence, with the latter ascending to an impressive height.

Again, Metalik is distracted by Fox getting back into the ring, leading to a stiff running dropkick by Dar. This leads to two minutes of ground and pound and trademark Dar arm work (Dar can indeed torque the torque).

Metalik reverses a suplex with a suplex. Both men down and slowly dragging themselves to their feet.

Dar charges Metalik, who sends Dar facefirst into the turnbuckle.

There's a vicious-sounding swat my Metalik, shortly followed by a HUGE springboard back elbow with a hang time that would see Michael Jordan arch his eyebrow in respect.

A modified slingblade by Metalik leads to a 2-count.

Metalik attempts the Driver finisher. Dar holds onto the ropes and forces the break, sends Metalik tangling into ropes before walloping him in the thigh with a Beckham-grade kick.

Tightrope elbow drop - again, with great height - onto Dar. Nearfall 2-count.

Metalik lets out an audible "F***!" shortly after.

Metalik does that beautiful spin into position middle rope niceness which is unceremoniously cut off off by a Dar kick.

This sets up Metalik for the Dar Starmaker (not an official term) for the pinfall.

Noam Dar def. Gran Metalik after kicking Metalik from the middle rope for a hard landing, and executing the Dar Starmaker

Thoughts

Oh how good it is to have Gran Metalik back. I hope he sticks around and gets into a program where a number of wins can be chalked up. He’s far too good to be used as the jobber to the stars.

The man positively floats with his aerial moves. We didn’t see even a quarter of what he’s capable of here, so hopefully more will be rolled out as the match’s stakes get higher.

Video Package

Recap of The Brian Kendrick’s brutal beatdown after his loss to Akira Tozawa. This leads to the announcement of a Street Fight between the two next week. Great way to end the feud (one hopes), and I dearly urge both men to pull out all the examples of their exchanged lessons from the past months (with commentary pointing them out as they occur).

An interview with Kendrick talks up how the Street Fight stipulation suits his cunning style just perfectly.

Oh goody! A promo package for Cedric Alexander, who is returning next week! Next week’s two oh five is set up to be a bahnstormer. After a few weeks where the division’s programming was beginning to feel samey, we suddenly have Metalik and Alexander back in the mix, and a seeming end to the epic four-month long feud between Kendrick and Tozawa.

Second bout time!

The Premier Athlete Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali is skipping merrily down to the ring but only gets about halfway before a charging Drew Gulak king hits him from behind at great speed. A stiff looking beatdown comprising rib kicks, throws into the crowd barrier and nasty bump into the corner post (THWACK!).

But this is nothing compared to the incredibly well shot running knee by Nese, executed as Gulak hold Ali’s head in place against the bottom turnbuckle.

This is a proper heel beatdown. Vicious, stiff, purposeful and does the job of building sympy for Ali and great heat for Gulak.

Backstage Segment

A stagehand gives Ariya Daivari a package, which he believes to be his super expensive sunglasses made special in Abu Dhabi. "Wait, these aren’t my glasses," he says inexplicably without opening the package (X-ray vision, perhaps?) before further inexplicably putting the gift down.

Jack Gallagher slides into the picture and goes to take a surreptitious peek.

"Hey!," shouts Daivari. "Get your grubby hands off my package!"

And in a piece of perfect comic timing to capture the #phrasing of the line, Gallagher quips:

"I BEG your pardon?"

Long story short, Daivari opens the box and is greeted with an explosion of talcum powder for his efforts. That old chestnut.

To the surprise of no one, Daivari flips out, shouting "This is a $1500 jacket!"

I get the slight impression money, and having it, plays some part in his gimmick. Just a hunch.

Now… It’s time for youuuuuuuuuuur main event!

TJP vs. Austin Aries

Mentionables

Kidology to start. TJP heads to the outside; Aries takes a powder via his hammock top rope laze.

Some nice back and forth early. An "Austin Aries" chant starts up, which is nice.

A top rope 10-punch is thwarted as Aries seems to tweak his injured knee. Nice storytelling early.

An early attempt at The Last Chancery sees TJP scarper to the outside, and receive a flying top rope propelled crossbody for his efforts.

Some out of the ring chicanery occurs, with Aries sending TJP into the barricade with force.

Aries is crotched by the top rope; TJP dropkicks Aries which leads to the man tangled awkwardly putting pressure on the injured knee.

The knee work ramps up, with TJP wrenching the joint using the top rope as a fulcrum for the near 5-count.

TJP takes too long setting up for a knee brace, allowing Aries the opportunity to lay some shots into the breadbasket. TJP soon cuts this off with a Dragon corkscrew.

A ground and pound by TJP leads Corey Graves to quip: "He's beating Aries like he owes him money… With TJP it would be bit coin." Classic Corey.

Aries eventually counters with a Thunder clap around the ears of TJP. Aries rallies with signature moves, wincing at his knee throughout.

Aries top rope elbow to the back is a thing of beauty, especially the way he twists at the very last moment to land the blow.

But again, TJP targets the knee sending Aries to the outside, leaving him open to a Wrecking ball dropkick.

Back in the ring, and TJP executes some Daniel Bryan-esque knee strikes. A rollup with a handful of tights isn’t enough to put Aries away.

An "Austin Aries" chant starts up again, perfect timing for his counter run. Aries takes his time to muster up the strength/courage for his middle-to-bottom rope suicide dive. Which he does. To perfection.

Some top rope argy bargy ends with another Aries thundeclap, followed by a missed Missile dropkick and then… Wrestling’s most devastating of moves… THE CHOP BLOCK. ON THE INJURED KNEE!

TJP soon follows it up with the Knee Bar (or The Last Leg, as Cagesider mfedjr has now rechristened it). Teej, the scamp, holds onto the rope for that mythical extra damage, and doesn’t break the hold for a long time.

After the break, Aries quickly locks in The Last Chancery for win against the flow of play.

Austin Aries def. TJP via The Last Chancery

Neville rushes out (oh hi Neville! Good to see you in a 205 ring for once) and proceeds to brutally beat down Aries, targeting the knee.

As he has Aries locked into a knee smashing lock, out storms everyone’s hero Jack Gallagher to break the hold, and deliver some sharp shots via William III. He said he’d have Aries’ back, and he’s a man of his word. Storytelling consistency!

Thoughts

Good intensity from both men, with TJP looking focused throughout and Aries wearing his grim "I mean business" look.

The story of Aries’ injured knee was sold throughout the night, and the match itself, and the sudden nature of the match’s ending - with Aries hitting The Last Chancery "out of nowhere" - shows how quickly Aries can win a match against the flow of play.

Great face pop for Gallagher at the end.

Overall

Pretty solid episode with minimal storytelling but typically solid in-ring action.

Gulak’s brutal beatdown on Ali was pitch perfect. Get these two back into the ring already.

Gran Metalik is back and looking good, although he desperately needs some wins from here on.

After a number of losses, Gallagher gets his swag back with the end of show save.

Next week, however, is set to be a top show. Gran Metalik is back, Cedric Alexander returns, and Kendrick and Tozawa face off in a Street Fight.

Bring it on.

Grade - B

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Cageside Seats readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cageside Seats editors or staff.