Although this week’s episode of 205 Live was incredibly simple, it was very effective, and entertaining. The main event pitted two of 205 Live’s most physical superstars against one another as Oney Lorcan took on Ariya Daivari in an anything goes match. And in the opener, we witnessed one half of The Singh Brothers, Sunil Singh taking on The Brian Kendrick.

The show flowed very well, and a big reason why was WWE allocated the appropriate amount of time to each segment. Sunil vs. Kendrick did not overstay its welcome. Oney Lorcan and Daivari were gifted over twenty minutes, which they took full advantage of. Plus, a well put together video helped hype Tony Nese and Drew Gulak’s title bout at Extreme Rules.

Sunil Singh vs. The Brian Kendrick

There is not a great deal one can say about this particular match, but to credit both men, they were effective in their roles, and there was not one time where I felt like this match was dragging. Plus, when you have Nigel McGuinness with his arms in the air screaming “Balle, balle, balle” and imitating The Singh’s dance moves, you cannot help but enjoy what is on your TV screen.

Kendrick did a nice job early on getting the fans on his side by doing his own version of The Singh’s dance moves, which the people seemed to enjoy. Samir Singh also did well on the outside, distracting Sunil’s opponent, and taking advantage anytime the referee was not looking. Nothing in this opener was new or groundbreaking. It just worked as the crowd booed at the appropriate times, and cheered the babyface.

Ultimately, Kendrick won with his captain’s hook finish and suffered a post-match attack from both Singh Brothers until Akira Tozawa made the save.

‘Gentleman’ Jack Gallagher vs. Local Competitor  

Jack Gallagher showcased his technically sound, and imaginative offence during this squash match. However, the most noteworthy part of this entire match was Mike Kanellis coming out and trashing the ringside area, while saying he’s ruining the show because Drake Maverick ruined his life. After Drake Maverick came to the ring with an official and (the older) Daivari, Mike Kanellis was forced to leave, and Jack Gallagher survived a brief scare to pick up the win.

Mike Kanellis then had a backstage segment with general manager Drake Maverick, where Drake acknowledged his pursuit of the 24/7 title has led to him falling short in other parts of his life, including in his duties as GM of 205 Live. Drake tried connecting with Mike, but after hitting him with a fine, Mike warned Drake by explaining he will do a lot worse next week. Another little tease in this ongoing narrative that still has me curious to see where this will end up.

Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari (Anything Goes Match)

Some superstars are a perfect fit for one another. Going back in history, you had rivalries like Sting vs. Vader, William Regal vs. Finlay – guys who just seemed to mesh and complement each other’s style. I would put Oney Lorcan and Ariya Daivari in a similar category. They both have an incredibly physical style and combine that style with Oney’s technical skill, and intensity, their matches have gone from good to great.

The two kicked things off immediately as Oney rushed to meet Daivari on the entrance ramp during Daivari’s entrance. As they brawled around the ring, we started to see weapons appearing. Chairs, trash cans, chains, and even ladders came into play.

Simplicity was a big part of this match. Neither man is known for their incredible aerial manoeuvres, so they did not fill the bout with a plethora of high spots. It was ugly and intense. During Daivari’s period of offence, he wrapped the chain around Oney’s face and repeatedly hit his face against the top turnbuckle. A nasty looking sight, might I add. The use of the ladder was good and quite exciting because we do not usually see a ladder unless it’s on a pay-per-view. Also, Oney launching a trash can at Daivari while Daivari was in midair came off brilliantly, and looked, and sounded like it hurt.

As Oney (who was well received by the live crowd) made his fiery comeback, he cemented his babyface status in the eyes of the fans by introducing a table, which the fans had been clamouring for earlier. Before we could see anyone use the table, Daivari suplexed Oney onto a collection of chairs, and hit a splash off the top of the ladder, giving us an excellent near fall.

However, after absorbing everything his rival dished out, Oney Lorcan hit a top rope suplex on Daivari, putting him through two tables in the process to score the one, two, and three. A nicely worked finish which concluded a great 205 Live main event.

Appropriately, the show closed with a video package explaining the long history between Tony Nese and Drew Gulak, the two men that will square off this Sunday at Extreme Rules. The video detailed their paths to Extreme Rules by incorporating a lot of old footage and even personal pictures of the two as friends. Plus, all of that combined with both superstar’s comments made this an engaging video that gave you more reasons to tune in on Sunday.

Overall, this may have been the most entertaining episode of 205 Live since the Chad Gable episode. Nothing felt like a waste of time, everything flowed, and WWE capped the show off with a main event you should all check out, and a successful hype video for their cruiserweight title match. All in all, it was a job well done.

All images are courtesy of wwe.com