3 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE 205 Live (Dec 20, 2016)
Thank you, Neville.
Sunday’s Roadblock: End Of The Line PPV lived down to its nonsensical name.
The main event was a glorified television match with a tainted finish, designed purely to set up a rematch between Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns. The predictability was eye-rolling. WWE can never just promote a one-shot deal; every top-tier title bout must end with some sort of contrivance to necessitate a rematch. And, when a title does change hands, the mandated rematch clause just adds to the overexposure.
The very good Women’s Championship match was mired by a stupid ending; Sasha Banks tapped with just seconds to spare, seemingly to save herself from serious harm - and yet, they ran with an injury angle anyway.
At the end of a nothing Cruiserweight Title match, however - which Jim Ross rightly slated on Twitter for its alienating approach - The Man WWE Forgot, Neville, made his return. While it was an indictment of the Cruiserweight division that fans thanked him for his heelish beatdown of its top two babyfaces, Neville’s cameo was excellent. The feigned clapping, the sudden bait and switch, the intensity of his attack - Neville really did establish himself as the King of the Cruiserweights.
For once, WWE’s hyperbole was fully justified…