205 Live: What can WWE do to save it?

[Psykohurricane55]

I just saw photo's form last night crowd during the 205 live broadcast and i felt sad for the performers. They pretty much wrestled in front of a empty arena because there was so many fans that left the building before 205 live begin. The fact that it was a Los Angeles crowd which this type of wrestling is normally gathered for made me think that the brand is on life support right now and they need to either take time off after mania and reboot the whole think by having it not being live every week and maybe moving it into a smaller setting like Center stage or full sail.

But they need something to get peoples interest again because right now, even with this full 360 they did with how the product as been presented, they are still perceive as lower midcard guy that don't matter and fans don't want to stick around unless the dark match is worth staying for. And the viewership for the show is still suffering as well because even with the change in direction, it's seem like thinks didn'T change that much since nobody is reporting that the show is doing better as far as viewership is concern.

So what can WWE do to save the brand right now?

 

[Sammi]

The show has been amazing the last month. by far the best show in WWE this year in my opinion. I think its working right now, get guys like Balor,Gargano,Ciampa,Ricochet to the division, get a tag division, and bring Bollywood Boyz to 205.

They should copy the Option C storyline TNA did, maybe at each Summerslam, whoever is Crusierweight Champion gets to face the Universal Champion on Summerslam.

Let the Crusierweights challenge for the Intercontinental Championship, someone like TJ Perkins should win it, bring it to 205 for a period of 6 months. exchange it between a Perkins and Cedric. Imagine Rollins coming to 205 Live, just to challenge TJ Perkins for the IC.

 

[Khalifa]

It was a nice surprise to see the cruiserweights come back and in a perfect world I would love them to stay, it’s just too much for someone to watch all the product in a week. I really don’t see why 205 live needs to be its own brand anyway. Why can’t they just be on Raw or Smackdown. They don’t get as much time but they become an act you will see week in, week out.

One way I think you could get people interested is if you put two 205 guys together and let them dominate the tag scene for 4-6 months. Just beating teams left and right, doing flip after flip. I would imagine people would tune in a bit more to see how the other guys go in the singles matches. Just have them be speedy and smarter than the guys they go up against and make them look good. Actually now that I think about it, does them bein their own brand hurt. Of course WCW isolated the little guys from the rest of the card (to an extent) and that worked, but they were still on the same show.

I don’t have much confidence that the division survives, but I hope it does. It’s not so bad and it’s definitely been a lot better since they created the tournament.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Smackdown is so bad that I would just have 205 Live inserted into that show. So long as whoever is currently booking 205 Live are left to their own devices and the Smackdown crew don't start writing it.

 

[stingray11214]

There is no saving it. VKM will never let 205Live be anything more than a sideshow. For those who REALLY enjoy that type of wrestling, they go to New Japan. RoH or LU, where that weight class has been properly integrated with the rest of the lineup. WWE has been, since its inception, a "Character" and "Big Man's" promotion. Rich Swann, Austin Aries, and eventually, Neville, did themselves favors getting out at this juncture. 205Live for any athlete in WWE is basically a death sentence for their WWE careers, for they will never be seen as much for anyone.

 

[Spencesc11]

Add some big names to the roster and it could flourish. Give them 1 match every PPV and keep them off of Raw & Smackdown. Sometimes less is more.

1) Rey Mysterio Jr
2) Johnny Gargano
3) Lio Rush

 

[Hyorinmaru]

There is no saving it. VKM will never let 205Live be anything more than a sideshow.

Vince isn't in charge of 205Live anymore, Triple H is

For those who REALLY enjoy that type of wrestling, they go to New Japan. RoH or LU, where that weight class has been properly integrated with the rest of the lineup.

I love Cruiserweight Wrestling and rarely watch anything other han the WWE. It all depends on what you have available.

WWE has been, since its inception, a "Character" and "Big Man's" promotion. Rich Swann, Austin Aries, and eventually, Neville, did themselves favors getting out at this juncture.

The only one that belongs this list is Aries. Swann got arrested and as far as i know Neville just isn't on tv at the moment.

205Live for any athlete in WWE is basically a death sentence for their WWE careers, for they will never be seen as much for anyone.

That may very well change with Trips in charge. It's already so much better than before

 

[King Patrick Star]

In my opinion, there is no saving 205 Live. NXT would have been a better show in its place, and that would have failed as well. I think the Cruiserweight division should be moved to Smackdown (with a 3rd hour), and the Light Heavyweight division should be recreated on Raw, giving both shows a 3rd tier / lower card Championship Title Belt and division to even things out.

 

[stingray11214]

Vince isn't in charge of 205Live anymore, Triple H is

He still answers to VKM. If you think otherwise, you are a fool. If VKM does not like something, Trips or no Trips, it will be changed.

I love Cruiserweight Wrestling and rarely watch anything other han the WWE. It all depends on what you have available.

That is you. A lot of Wrestling fans do not turn to WWE for Cruiserweights/Jr. Heavyweights. They go to the promotions that have long taken that weight class seriously.

The only one that belongs this list is Aries. Swann got arrested and as far as i know Neville just isn't on tv at the moment.

Charges were dropped with Swann. Swann asked for his release. Neville is probably going to ride out his contract, and then go to New Japan or Mexico.

That may very well change with Trips in charge. It's already so much better than before

As long as it is stuck behind SmackDown, and performing before empty houses, it will not matter what Trips does. In the end, VKM never respected the smaller guys. WWE was, and will remain, a "Big Man's" promotion.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Nothing will save this show because there is no reason for it to exist. The cruiserweights should either be presented as equals on Raw or otherwise remove the division. It is unfair to make them look inferior and be stuck on a show that doesn't matter. Put them into tag teams (both brands need more) and send a few after the United States or Intercontinental Championships. Then 205 Live can fade into obscurity where it belongs.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

Of course in going to do shit if you don't even give it a chance.

The truth is with Trips in charge they're moving away for rom the character based format and concentrating more on the athletic ability of these smaller superstars. Since the soft reboot and this new tournament you may be surprised.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

VKM will never respect the small guys? Yeah I guess that's why smaller guys like Bret Hart,Shawn Michaels, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio to some of the current guys like Finn Balor (first Universal Champion), Seth Rollins (2x WWE Champion) haven't been given the ball and a chance to run with it.

Also have you seen 205 Live recently and heard who's running the creative process now? If not go back the past month or so and watch the Tournament.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Also have you seen 205 Live recently and heard who's running the creative process now? If not go back the past month or so and watch the Tournament.

Yeah i know who running Creative and i've seen 205 Live since HHH took over and that's why it's sad to see crowd like the one in L.A. which typically would enjoy that type of product, not stay for the show. So let's face it, unless you either tape the show before smackdown and stop being live, or move it to a smaller setting, no matter how good the product, nobody will cared to stay to watch theses guys wrestled after seeing the big stars do the same thing for 2 hours and not even HHH can save them in the current settings.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

Nobody left during 205 Live, im not sure what you were watching but it didn't look like anyone did. The LA Crowd looked about the same as it during Smackdown.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Nobody left during 205 Live, im not sure what you were watching but it didn't look like anyone did. The LA Crowd looked about the same as it during Smackdown.

Here the post with the pictures of the L.A crowd during the 205 live broadcast that Ryan satin posted

http://nodq.com/news/521835214.shtml

In these pictures, you can clearly see that the arena was half empty during that show.

 

[Ceen]

205, after Smackdown, is bad, as the crowd normally is dead and doesn’t react. If 205 was an active part of SD or RAW, and not a BRAND, it makes it more relevant. Mix them with guys bigger than them, and we can have good matches. After WM, 205 needs to die and get a Shake-Up and go to Smackdown, and we can have more Tag Teams, more feuds and more storyline for them.
After Enzo Era, I have to admit, it has grown on me, but still needs a IT factor

 

[MWRedskins]

Well 205 Live is on the up right now....really all it needs is to keep doing what it's doing. have great matches and tell the story in the ring while adding new guys

i see people keep saying, "add Balor" i say NO to that one. i am ok with adding new stars or current NXT guys, but i want Balor to be on Smackdown Live in the future (after WM) as a heel with Anderson and Gallows....but back to 205 Live....the FIRST thing i'd do is have the WM match be Roderick Strong vs. Drew Gulak and have Strong win.....then after that have him as the face champion facing other heels on the show and book the heels strong by giving them wins, then have Strong beat them....add Neville back (if he wants to be back on this show) and have him eventually feud with Strong. have the show be about the in ring talent and let it tell the story while having Drake (aka Spud) being a funny GM type and NEVER let a guy like Enzo hold this title again.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

Make it clear that it's not a dead end. The cruiserweights have struggled to get on the main card for any ppv. Why would anyone want to work a division where the champion doesn't even get a ppv bonus? Why would anyone get excited when there are little to no stakes?

The rotating cast of characters at the top of 205 Live has done it no favours. Aries and Neville both salted out of WWE altogether after being at the top. Enzo is as Enzo does. They've also struggled to get people to care about TJP, Swan, Cedric Alexander, and Kalisto.

How do you get people to care, and thus get the talent to care? In WCW, the crusierweights were the most exciting thing. They need to let the fliers fly. Why not have ladder matches on Raw? Why is everyone working the WWE style as small guys?

Bring in legends. Have Rey Mysterio work a program there. Turn Kalisto heel and have him and Mysterio go at it. Make Rey the champion. If it means bringing Rey to the main event of Raw or SDL and giving him a WWE title there to convince him to do it, then do it.

Which brings us to the most important change: don't let it be a dead end. Keep the title matches on the main card, and let guys graduate from the division. Eddie Guererro and Chris Jericho were crusierweights in WCW. Eddie moved seamlessly from the US title scene, to cruiser, and back again without question. Why can't guys do this in WWE?

Neville should have been moved main after they changed gears to Enzo. He could have declared himself "King of Wrestling" or "King of Sports Entertainment" as they prefer. Maybe he wouldn't have left.

Guys like Johnny Gargano, Tammaso Ciampa, Roderick Strong, Aleister Black, Andrade Almas, and even Finn Balor can and should have runs here. Inevitably, they need to graduate the division. Just like Eddie, just like Jericho, and just like Mysterio.

Rey is probably the only in WWE history to have won both the cruiserweight title and win the Royal Rumble to go on to main event WrestleMania. Sure, his match didn't go on last but the fact is that he did it.

The other important piece is to stop leaving the 205 Live guys in their own corner. Have them overlap with the bigger guys. When Kendrick returns, make him and Gallagher a team and send them after the tag belts. What happened to Goldust working with Alexander? Have Braun ruin a powerpoint presentation on Raw. Neville could have won the IC title and still been King of the Cruiserweights, bringing more eyes into the division.

What if they had Balor hold both the Universal title and the Cruiserweight title at the same time? The red would clash with the purple strap, sure, but it would make the cruiser belt seem more important when the main guy on Raw holds the belt.

They need to put main event talent into the show and give them reason to do a run there. They need to show that the buck doesn't stop there for the talent. They need to bring in legends like Rey, and they need to cross promote these guys on Raw. Most importantly, their matches need to stand out. Otherwise they're just C to D list guys working the same match type seen on other WWE programming.

 

[JoeMallard]

It takes more than a month to start seeing major changes, anybody who thinks it doesn't is stupid. As for the arena pictures, Smackdown has been half filled for months, even before 205 airs.

 

[d_henderson1810]

I am going to say something controversial here.

I think Enzo Amore is a big loss to the division.

Why? Because he has stickwork, and was building a character for himself.

I think for 205 Live to survive, it needs its talent to cut promos and show their personalities more. We need to get to know and care about them more. People will then more likely "embrace" them.

This doesn't mean not wrestling the same, but adding personality to the package. Enzo had heel heat, and having him be champion, and throwing challengers at him, would have created some interest.

Too bad Enzo is gone, because I would have liked to have seen him feud with 205 GM, Drake Maverick (nee Rockstar Spud). Both are good on the mike, and also in the ring, so I would have liked to see Maverick try to reign in Enzo, Enzo won't obey Maverick, and it leads to a match at Wrestlemania.

Imagine if they had them at Wrestlemania, this would draw attention. Their stickwork would build the interest, and their in-ring work would present a great match on the biggest stage. If you have a Cruiserweight Match as well, then you have two 205 Live matches at Wrestlemania.

But Enzo had to go and piss his career down the toilet. Most in WWE are probably happy to see him go, but 205 Live needs his promos, and others to deliver similar promos, and make them more well-rounded characters.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I am going to say something controversial here.

I think Enzo Amore is a big loss to the division.

Why? Because he has stickwork, and was building a character for himself.

I think for 205 Live to survive, it needs its talent to cut promos and show their personalities more. We need to get to know and care about them more. People will then more likely "embrace" them.

This doesn't mean not wrestling the same, but adding personality to the package. Enzo had heel heat, and having him be champion, and throwing challengers at him, would have created some interest.

Too bad Enzo is gone, because I would have liked to have seen him feud with 205 GM, Drake Maverick (nee Rockstar Spud). Both are good on the mike, and also in the ring, so I would have liked to see Maverick try to reign in Enzo, Enzo won't obey Maverick, and it leads to a match at Wrestlemania.

Imagine if they had them at Wrestlemania, this would draw attention. Their stickwork would build the interest, and their in-ring work would present a great match on the biggest stage. If you have a Cruiserweight Match as well, then you have two 205 Live matches at Wrestlemania.

But Enzo had to go and piss his career down the toilet. Most in WWE are probably happy to see him go, but 205 Live needs his promos, and others to deliver similar promos, and make them more well-rounded characters.

I completely agree with you, The division was picking up steam when enzo was on top. Other guys especially on the heel side we're able to show more personality with enzo on top. The same thing could be said when Neville was on top, too bad he saw being in the cruiserweight division as a demotion because he was a great addition to the division and had more personality during that small push in the division then any other period in his career.

I talk about this before, you need to find the balance between being just wrestlers and being just characters. If they are going to stick with having the show air live after smackdown, you need to find a way to create characters that fans will care about while letting them continue to delivered create matches. That what made the cruiserweight must see in WCW and the first time WWE had a the division and in the end you need the find a way to to keep the attention of the crowd and make fans cares about those characters and just having them wrestled isn't enough.