After an initial boost from curious Raw fans, word was that Enzo Amore’s move to the cruiserweight division wasn’t a cure for what was ailing 205 Live. The arrival of The Certified G helped the Tuesday night WWE Network show’s viewership numbers, but it didn’t lead to a sustained increase in audience size.
But over the past few weeks, Vince McMahon and his team have really committed to Zo as the poster boy for the cruiserweights. He won the title at No Mercy - not on the Kickoff, but the main pay-per-view (PPV) card. And for the two episodes of Raw since, Amore’s been given the show-closing, 11PM overrun spot to help sell his storyline involving the rest of the 205 Live roster. On Sept. 25, that included a dark segment filmed for the web which also featured Braun Strowman, one of the hottest acts in the company.
In a positive sign that work is paying off, Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required but recommended) says 205 Live cracked the top ten of most viewed programs on WWE Network this week. The Oct. 3 episode placed seventh, up from it’s usual 12 - 16 finish.
But that’s only one show, and Enzo has “popped a number” for the brand before. Will he and the rest of the crew be able to keep people watching? The 11PM Raw slot isn’t what it once was - WWE seems to be shifting toward putting its biggest drawing person or story at 10PM - but it still gives the impression to fans that this is something important. It could be that using their Monday flagship and its latest PPV to showcase the cruisers is sending a message that subscribers are receiving.
Unfortunately, the latest edition of 205 Live was a pretty ho-hum affair which didn’t feature any big advancement in Amore’s angle as champ or his most charismatic and well-known rival, Neville. So if this is the one show folks decided to check out... will folks come back for more of The Zo Show?
We’ll find out next week.