This week on 205 Live, we really are rehashing the 205 Live OG story against other rookies, while Bollywood and Ever-Rise continue their collab.
There's no sense in being a 205 Live OG anymore
In this week's main event, Jake Atlas scores a win against Tony Nese... via rollup. After a distraction. Now, if you've ever been following my reviews, you'd know that I hate these finishes. Yes, technically it is possible to take someone by surprise and win via simple rollup, given enough top pressure. But resorting to a rollup after a distraction is so lazy—there is enough time to hit a quick finisher. The losing wrestler generally looks bad after being rolled up thanks to a simple distraction.
Now, I said before I generally like it when the 205 OGs get clowned by the new blood, but at this point I don't see how this is productive for anyone. Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari have very little stock left in their status as 205 OGs. Beating them proves nothing anymore, because they haven't been relevant in the revamped cruiserweight division. We're just reusing a tired old trope.
If they still care about this brand (and it seems like there are a few people who do) they could do with a shot in the arm. Have William Regal actually manage it so the show gets a new focus. It isn't hard—the show's still taped before or after NXT, and all of the people are still in the building. You can have Regal tape a few things. The Fatal Five-Way match for the contendership was a breath of fresh air because it gave the show some purpose, and sometimes, even a small purpose is all you need.
If anyone working on 205 Live reads this and you're still trying to keep the show going, this is the sign you need. I'm still watching this. I'm sure other people are still watching this. It's never too late to rebuild into a must-watch half-hour.
205 Live 2/12/21 Final Grade: B
*****
Romeo Moran (@roiswar) is the Editor-in-Chief of Smark Henry and one of the three hosts of the Wrestling-Wrestling Podcast. He gets by in this hard knock life through working in advertising. 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, and he likes taking your wrestling questions over on his Curiouscat account.
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