Did WWE Fix 205 Live In One Night?

WWE 205 Live kicked off in a big way on Tuesday night (see the full report here), as Smackdown General Manager Daniel Bryan introduced Drake Maverick—the former Rockstar Spud—as the brand new General Manager for the purple brand.

Holding down the GM role in your company debut is no easy task, but Maverick is the man for the job. Losing a name the knowledgeable Philadelphia/Royal Rumble crowd knows very well did not help.

Side Note: I have no problem with Drake Maverick. Its WWE, a place where Lance Cade had to become Garrison and Shane Helms had to become Gregory. And right now there can only be one Rockstar in the company, and he just won the Royal Rumble.

Very relieved Shinsuke was able to duck out of the way of those letters in time. pic.twitter.com/AJC7RYHbQI

— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) January 31, 2018

And that’s okay, because Drake Maverick delivered in his first promo, despite the crowd wanting to hate his new name.

Party like a Rockstar. pic.twitter.com/dBVsgFCWs4

— TDE Wrestling (@totaldivaseps) January 31, 2018

Just what did Drake Maverick deliver in his first promo? Let’s see…

• Energy – this brand is all about energy
• Attitude – change the name, he’s still Rockstar, ma’ Lords and ma’ Ladies
• Competition – the Cruiserweight Championship is immediately back to being about competition
• Build – the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament is going to culminate at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans
• New Life – Tyler Bate wrestled on this episode of the show, and Roderick Strong debuts next week

And that continued throughout the show. 205 Live has a purpose now. It has meaning again. The roster is hungry, and the new General Manager isn’t afraid to assert himself.

We have so much potential. Who else can show up? Pete Dunne? Adam Cole? Ricochet? Can we get some Trios Championships as well? The possibilities are endless.

The Cruiserweight Championship hangs in the balance on 205 Live

But is that enough?

The title of this article is “Did WWE Fix 205 Live In One Night?” and that remains to be seen. The next two months are money. You have a 16-man tournament that the hardcore fanbase will love. It culminates at WrestleMania, and I won’t be shocked to see them get a spot on the “main card,” even if it is right before the main event.

But that doesn’t define success for 205 Live. What happens after WrestleMania? That defines success for 205 Live. And in my opinion, they’re off to a great start.