4 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE 205 Live (Dec 27)

Downs...

2. A Hot Opener Cooled

Nese Alexander
WWE.com

The opening bout, between Cedric Alexander and Tony Nese, was on its way to becoming something quietly special.

The two men shared winning chemistry, exchanging pacy sequences as fluid as they were convoluted in a suspenseful and exciting match - but it was sacrificed at the altar of rote, contrived trademark WWE storytelling. Towards the finish, Alexander’s beau, Alicia Fox, argued with Drew Gulak on the outside. Cowering at the sight of her, he fell on his backside. In a very obvious movement, she then kicked the boot from her foot, which Gulak claimed was used as a weapon. She was then ejected from ringside, allowing Nese to drop Alexander with the match-winning palm strike.

The finish was almost comically contrived, and Alexander - whose star arguably shone brightest during the Cruiserweight Classic, owing to his Match Of The Year-calibre outing opposite Kota Ibushi on 14 July - was left looking like a dope. Outsmarted by the second heel in as many weeks, he has been reduced to ancillary player in a dreary soap opera angle.

At least Noam Dar provided some comedy in the post-match, adding a masochistic layer to his inexplicably funny sex pest act by enjoying the hard slaps Fox subjected him to. It’s a far cry from the rewardingly novel approach taken by the CWC - but Dar is somehow contriving to enliven a DOA gimmick.

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!