8 Ways WWE Can Build Interest In 205 Live

4. Tell Better Non-Title Stories

While the Neville/Austin Aries rivalry lost a lot of steam towards the end, it’s no coincidence that their storyline ran parallel with 205 Live’s upturn in quality. Repetition eventually killed it, but the feud was successful in putting both men over as genuine stars, and produced a number of quality matches, with their WrestleMania 33 bout standing out in particular.

WWE haven’t done a great job building storylines outside the title picture, however. The Rich Swann/Sasha Banks vs. Noam Dar/Alicia Fox story had little purpose, Akira Tozawa’s allegiance with the Titus Brand is only marginally intriguing, and while Drew Gulak’s “No Fly Zone” shtick is fun, it doesn’t seem to be heading anywhere.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. If 205’s wrestlers aren’t fighting for the title, they’re usually spinning their wheels in bland, heatless feuds that do nothing to enhance their position on the card. Building these middling wrestlers up would make 205 feel like a less top-heavy show, give the fans more people to cheer for, and hopefully trigger increased investment - something the brand needs more than anything else at the moment.