WWE 205 Live Review - October 24, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Mike Kanellis def. Lince Dorado

While Dorado was probably a good first opponent for Kanellis on 205 Live, I was surprised by how competitive this ended up being. It should have been an extended squash for Kanellis in order to allow him to showcase his skills, but Dorado actually had the stronger showing between the two. Obviously, I'm glad Kanellis picked up the victory, but he could definitely do better and should have made more of an impact in his in-ring debut for the brand.

Mustafa Ali def. Hideo Itami in a Falls Count Anywhere Match

These two have had a hell of a feud over the last few months and the storytelling has just been spectacular. They've done a terrific job of playing up their bad blood for each other and, as always, Ali makes it incredibly easy for fans to rally behind him. This was easily the best bout these two have had together and they more than made the most of the stipulation by taking their fight all around ringside. The finish was especially fantastic with Ali delivering a 450 Splash to Itami through a table, definitively putting their rivalry and earning himself a spot in next week's No. 1 Contender's match against Tony Nese in the process.

Overall Show

I really love the two-match format 205 Live tends to put together because both bouts serve a purpose from a storyline standpoint and the main event is almost always guaranteed to be great. This week was no exception as Ali and Itami ripped it up in their Falls Count Anywhere matchup and blew off their feud in spectacular fashion. Meanwhile, Kanellis' official arrival on 205 Live was decent but could have been booked better. There was also build for next week's show with Ali vs. Nese in a No. 1 contender's match being announced.