If it looks like a go-home episode, sounds like a go-home episode, feels like a go-home episode, but isn't a go-home episode... what is it?
That's the question posed by this action-packed episode of 205 Live, which showcases almost all of the relevant storylines on the show by containing them in one big six-man tag main event. It's a great move by the brand—one we haven't really seen them do since the Enzo Amore days—to get everyone as involved as possible, instead of highlighting them a pair at a time.
Now, the only weird move is that with the show's equivalent of a locker room-clearing brawl, the episode feels like Extreme Rules was supposed to be today. It kind of feels awkward to find out they've still got one more episode to build to the PPV, because I couldn't think of anything they could do after a brawl like that. The good thing is, 205 Live has shown us lately they've always got a plan.
205 Live 7/2/19 Final Grade: A decent tornado tag match and a big six-man tag billed as a double main event make this episode feel like a special one. A-
That's the question posed by this action-packed episode of 205 Live, which showcases almost all of the relevant storylines on the show by containing them in one big six-man tag main event. It's a great move by the brand—one we haven't really seen them do since the Enzo Amore days—to get everyone as involved as possible, instead of highlighting them a pair at a time.
205 Live should honestly be doing more multi-man matches like these, for reasons I've already mentioned before. Whoever they're pushing as the show's top stars should always be in front of the crowd, and I always found it weird that champions would take weeks off to let others steal the spotlight. While it made sense to rotate the roster and keep them from being oversaturated, the tradeoff is they had to hustle extra harder to make sure the crowd remembered who they were. Why do that when you could find different ways to keep the champ on the show every week?
If they can pair this approach up with big-match episodes they can build up to every month, 205 Live can have another renaissance on the horizon.
Now, the only weird move is that with the show's equivalent of a locker room-clearing brawl, the episode feels like Extreme Rules was supposed to be today. It kind of feels awkward to find out they've still got one more episode to build to the PPV, because I couldn't think of anything they could do after a brawl like that. The good thing is, 205 Live has shown us lately they've always got a plan.
205 Live 7/2/19 Final Grade: A decent tornado tag match and a big six-man tag billed as a double main event make this episode feel like a special one. A-
Short stops
- Am I the only one who feels like Lucha House Party didn't deserve that win at all? With very little interaction in the past weeks with the Singh Brothers, only appearing from out of nowhere, the Bollywood Boyz could've used the rub a lot more than luchadores who are always credible.
- I'm also not sure what to make of the tornado tag being somewhat of a signature stipulation for the Lucha House Party. I think the least they could do is acknowledge how they've got good records in tornado tags.
- Glad to see Mike Kanellis hasn't completely quit the show, but the added wrinkle of Maria now feuding with him pushes him closer to madness. I'm all here for the payoff, but they better wrap it up soon.
- I'm a sucker for continuity, so I loved how everyone in the six-man went after their specific rivals, and then some. Daivari had unfinished business with Tony Nese, so he got those licks in too. It's all very basic, I know, but I have to applaud all attempts at retaining logic.
Photo from WWE
*****
Romeo Moran (@roiswar) is the Editor in Chief of Smark Henry, one of the three hosts of the Smark Gilas-Pilipinas Podcast, and is associated with Philippine Wrestling Revolution. He gets by in this hard knock life through working in publishing. Smark Henry was his and Stan Sy's original vision of a watering hole for local wrestling fans. He roots for the undersized guys who hit hard, but really hates Davey Richards with his entire soul. He likes taking your wrestling questions over on his Curiouscat account.
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