3 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE 205 Live (January 24, 2017)

1. Homogenised Action

Nese Perkins
WWE.com

In the opening match, Tony Nese, with his impossibly chiselled physique and greasy streak of jet black hair, wrestled the excavated TJ Perkins in what was a match of not inconsiderable quality. The two shared an interesting dynamic; Nese was the more powerful of the two, cutting off Perkins’ more flamboyant, aerial-based offence with his deadly power game.

In the main event, Neville, with his impossibly chiselled physique and greasy streak of jet black hair, wrestled Cedric Alexander in what was a match of not inconsiderable quality. The two shared an interesting dynamic; Neville was the more powerful of the two, cutting off Alexander’s more flamboyant, aerial-based offence with his his deadly power game.

Facetiousness aside, Tony Nese deserves his push. He’s a fantastic talent. But the timing is all wrong.

While the content of the opener was too similar to the main event, the booking of the aftermath was still very astute. Perkins recaptured some relevance in victory, and Nese was positioned as a monster during his retaliatory post-match attack. That victory was realistic. It ruins suspension of disbelief, when WWE cools on a performer and jobs them out. Weren’t they meant to be really quite good just a month ago?

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!