The Cruiserweights have a huge episode to kickoff 2021!

It’s a Happy New Year as the 205 Live OG team up as Ariya Daivari and the Bollywood Boyz take on Curt Stallion and Ever-Rise in a Six Man Tag!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Mansoor VS Jake Atlas; Mansoor wins.
• Six Man Tag: Curt Stallion & Ever-Rise VS Ariya Daivari & The Bollywood Boyz; Stallion & Ever-Rise win.

PLAY BY PLAY

205 Live shares Mansoor’s trip to Riyadh.

Mansoor returned home and reconnected with family, friends, and the places he went to as a kid. But of course, his favorite part was eating homecooked meals. Mansoor also went to Fifth River Fitness, a gym open to men and women, and then a local boys & girls club, and even the General Entertainment Authority, the WWE’s partner in Saudi Arabia. They helped make a dream come true for Mansoor and the community by bringing big events to the area.

Mansoor VS Jake Atlas!

The Star of Saudi Arabia continues an undefeated streak in the WWE, and hopes to keep it going on New Year’s Day! But will Atlas shrug and end the streak before it grows any larger?

The bell rings and the two circle. They tie up, Atlas wrenches to a wristlock, but Mansoor rolls and hooks a leg while also getting a chinbar. Atlas shrugs that off to wrangle Mansoor, but Mansoor kicks back. Mansoor rolls and handsprings to wrench and headlock. Atlas powers out, Mansoor gets a headlock and flying takeover! Atlas fights up, powers Mansoor to a corner, but Mansoor uses the corner to get around and get another takeover! Fans rally as Mansoor cranks on the hold but Atlas headscissors back. Mansoor pops out to get another headlock takeover! Atlas pushes back, Mansoor grinds the headlock more, and fans rally up again.

Atlas fights up, fights out, and back suplexes, only for Mansoor to land on his feet. Atlas powers out of the headlock, handsprings to evade, then hits an arm-drag to an armlock! Mansoor endures as Atlas clamps onto the shoulder, and Mansoor fights up to go around with the ropes and arm-drag free! Atlas baits Mansoor in, steps over and arm-drags Mansoor back. Mansoor comes back, jumps over, and uses a leg to get an arm-drag! Cover, TWO! Mansoor brings Atlas up, but Atlas kicks. Mansoor blocks the kick, and drops a knee on the knee! Mansoor has a standing toehold but Atlas endures. Atlas grabs at Mansoor, Mansoor twists harder and fans rally.

Atlas kicks Mansoor out to the apron, hurries over but Mansoor slingshot sunset flips, TWO, and Mansoor has a heel hook! Mansoor turns Atlas for a Half Crab! Atlas endures again as Mansoor sits deep! Atlas powers up, turns and boots Mansoor away into buckles! Mansoor clutches his head, Atlas covers, TWO! Atlas grits his teeth and stalks Mansoor to a corner. Atlas brings Mansoor up to CHOP him, then he whips him into another corner. Atlas CHOPS again, turns Mansoor and drops him with a neckbreaker! Cover, TWO! Atlas grows frustrated but he drags Mansoor back up. Atlas cravats but Mansoor endures now as fans rally back up.

Atlas snapmares Mansoor and grinds him down as fans now duel. Mansoor fights up, throws short elbows, but Atlas CLUBS Mansoor down! Atlas whips, Mansoor holds ropes and boots back! Mansoor is in a corner, he elbows Atlas away, then boots. Atlas blocks the boots, turns Mansoor sideways and CLUBS him down again! Deep cover, TWO!! Mansoor survives but Atlas is after him with another cravat. Mansoor endures, fights up, throws body shots, spins and gets a leg for an ankle lock! Atlas rolls out, dodges Mansoor and blocks boots gain. But Mansoor rebounds to boot after all! Atlas handsprings to dodge again but the leg buckles, and Mansoor chop blocks! DRAGON SCREW!

Mansoor keeps on Atlas’ leg and hits a takedown! HALF CRAB! Atlas powers up and powers out of the hold, and leaps at Mansoor, only for Mansoor to catch him and hit a SPINEBUSTER! Figure four, to the SCORPION DEATHLOCK! Atlas endures as Mansoor sits deep, but he crawls to a ROPEBREAK! Mansoor lets go, grits his teeth, and drags Atlas up by his leg. Mansoor hooks the leg but Atlas elbows out hard! Atlas turns Mansoor, but Mansoor turns neckbreaker into backslide, TWO! Mansoor wants the leg, Atlas blocks and turns, to hit a straitjacket neckbreaker! Cover, TWO!!

Fans fire up as Atlas grows frustrated. Atlas drags Mansoor up, suplexes, but the leg gives out! Mansoor cradles, TWO! Atlas trips Mansoor, high stacks, TOW and Mansoor pops Atlas to a cover, TWO! Atlas sits on the prawn hold, TWO! Mansoor kicks the bad leg! But Atlas powers up to BRAIN BUSTER!! Atlas crawls to a corner, climbs up and aims at Mansoor, but Mansoor gets the leg! SUPER DRAGON SCREW! Figure four CRADLE! Mansoor wins!

Winner: Mansoor, by pinfall

Mansoor brings out a new addition to his playbook, and he keeps his undefeated streak alive! Atlas is frustrated, but he does shake hands with Mansoor to show sportsmanship. Both men are the future of the Cruiserweight Division, but who makes their dreams come true first?

Curt Stallion speaks.

The Lonestar is back on 205 Live, and a lot of people have been asking him who he wants to see win in Santos Escobar VS Gran Metalik. Normally, Stallion would say “May the best man win,” but he wants to get his hands on Escobar so badly. But that’s down the line. Tonight, Ariya Daivari has some friends, so Stallion found himself some studs! Ever-Rise joins Stallion, and Matt Marthel says if Daivari and the Bollywood Boyz have a problem with “Cowboy Curt,” they’ve got a problem with Ever-Rise!

Chase Parker has Marthel calm down. Stallion isn’t a cowboy, and no one calls him “Cowboy Curt.” But he’s been calling them “partner” all day, like a cowboy. Parker says Marthel has a point there. Stallion says he was calling them tag team partners. Oh duh. But now these three ride off into the sunset, because Ever-Rise Rules! Wait, what kind of rules are Ever-Rise rules? Well, maybe these three can get on the same page in the main event…

Six Man Tag: Curt Stallion & Ever-Rise VS Ariya Daivari & The Bollywood Boyz!

The Lonestar is waiting for his chance to challenge the Cruiserweight Champion, but who he’s after could change with New Year’s Evil. Meanwhile, Parker & Marthel look to expand the franchise with the Singh Brothers! Will Stallion riding with them keep things copasetic? Or will Daivari Dinero backing the Lights, Camera and Bollywood Action finally flip the script?

The teams sort out and Daivari tells the Singhs he starts against Stallion. The fans rally up as Stallion circles with Daivari and they tie up. Stallion headlocks, Daivari pulls hair to power out, but things speed up as Stallion dodges only to get a kitchen sink knee! The Singhs want in but Daivari denies that as he bumps Stallion off buckles and CHOPS away! Stallion CHOPS back but Daivari throat chops! Daivari hits a BIG back suplex, covers, ONE! Daivari says he is NOT going to tag the Singhs because he doesn’t actually need them. Then why agree to a Six Man? Daivari kicks Stallion low and runs to BOOT Stallion down! Cover, TWO!

Daivari talks trash on Stallion, drags him up and tells the Singhs to see how it’s done. Stallion cradles him! TWO, and Stallion dropkicks! Samir tags in but Stallion dropkicks him, too! Stallion brings Samir over, tags in Marthel, and Marthel takes the hand-off wrench, only for Samir to knee low. Tag to Sunil, the Singhs double whip but Marthel dodges the double clotheslines to GIVE double clotheslines! Marthel wrenches, tags Parker, and they hit a backbreaker KNEE combo! Cover, ONE!! Parker yanks on Sunil’s arm to bring him over, wrench and tag to Stallion. They mug Sunil and Stallion puts Sunil in a corner to CHOP!

Stallion stalks Sunil, tags Parker back in and then Marthel tags in. Ever-Rise brings Sunil around to wrench and wrench and crisscross and wrench for double shoulder tackles! Then Stallion runs in for a TRIPLE FIST DROP! Marthel brings Sunil up, wrenches and clamps onto the arm, but Sunil whips free. Things speed up, Sunil hurdles but Marthel sees the monkey flip coming and he stomps Sunil down! But Sunil still puts Marthel in the Bollywood corner, then runs in. Marthel fights out with elbows but Sunil kicks low. Sunil climbs up, tags Samir, but Marthel hits an atomic drop! Samir CLOBBERS Marthel from behind!

Samir rains down rights on Marthel then talks trash on Stallion and Parker. Samir CLUBS Marthel, kicks him low and chokes him on ropes. The ref counts, Samir lets off, but he tags Sunil in. They’re giving Daivari a taste of his own medicine, and double suplex Marthel. Cover, ONE! Sunil keeps on Marthel, CHOPS him, then tags Samir. Daivari grows frustrated as Samir boots Marthel, Sunil jawbreakers, and Samir hits a FLYING BULLDOG! Cover, TWO! Samir grinds Marthel down with a chinlock but Marthel endures. Parker and Stallion coach Marthel up as fans rally. Marthel fights up, fights back but Samir clubs him again.

Samir throws haymakers, whips but Marthel reverses hard! Samir bounces off buckles and now both men are down! Fans rally, both men crawl, Samir anchors Marthel and tags in Sunil! Sunil drops down on Marthel with a chinlock and grinds him down. Marthel fights up, Daivari wants in, and Marthel jawbreakers free! Daivari tags in and he DECKS Parker! Daivari taunts Stallion as he goes after Marthel, and turns him, only for Marthel to turn neckbreaker to backslide! Daivari slips out, swings but Marthel dodges. Marthel comes back, DOUBLE CLOTHESLINES wipe both men out!

Fans rally up again as both men are down! Daivari and Marthel crawl, hot tags to Stallion and Samir! The Lonestar dodges, mule kicks, front kicks and ROLLING ELBOWS! Samir flounders, Stallion hits Sunil and Daivari! RUNNING BOOT for Samir! KNEE WASH! Stallion goes corner to corner, HESITATION DROPKICK! Fans fire up as Stallion STOMPS the feet, and hits the SPIKE DDT on Samir! Cover, TWO!! Stallion stays on Samir with a facelock and brings him over to tag Marthel. Marthel mugs Samir, tags Parker and whips him in for a forearm! Tag to Stallion and he gets to do the “BOOYAH!” elbow drop! Then Parker hits his “BOOYAH!” elbow drop!

Stallion goes up, Daivari gets in, but Stallion leaps to CROSSBODY Daivari down! Sunil tags in, sneaks up on Stallion and rolls him up! TWO!! Sunil hits a WINDMILL KICK! Cover, TWO!! Stallion survives again, Daivari demands he be tagged in. Sunil gives Daivari a tag, and Daivari fires off furious fists! Daivari then tags in Samir, and he holds Stallion as Samir climbs. Samir climbs and leaps, but Stallion escapes and Daivari gets hit! Daivari is frustrated and wants to ditch but the Bollywood Boyz get in his face. Ever-Rise helps Stallion FLY and take them all out at the ramp! Stallion puts Samir in, tags Marthel, and Parker tags in.

Ever-Rise bring Samir up, for a SWEET TASTE on ropes! Stallion hits the RUNNING HEADBUTT! Cover, Stallion & Ever-Rise win!

Winners: Curt Stallion & Ever-Rise, by pinfall

This unique trio tastes sweet, sweet victory together, meaning Daivari and the Singh Brothers taste bitter defeat! Stallion is patiently waiting for his chance at the Cruiserweight Championship, will he stampede over whoever has it after New Year’s Evil?

My Thoughts:

A really good 205 Live to start the year. We got a nice video package for Mansoor’s return home, and reminds us that he’s representing the hopes and dreams of a more “progressive” Saudi Arabia in terms of being open to the world and more equal as a society. Mansoor VS Atlas was a very good match, and naturally Mansoor wins to build his streak and his story. But for how long as he’s been in NXT so far, and by extension 205 Live/the Cruiserweight Division, I’m surprised he hasn’t been given bigger opportunities.

Stallion has a good promo to plug the Cruiserweight Championship match this Wednesday, and Ever-Rise has a good part in it. The Six Man Tag main event was really good, but it was a bit confusing for Daivari to have a part in this Six Man if he doesn’t want to team with the Bollywood Boyz. Maybe Daivari didn’t consider how Stallion’s promo framed the match? In the end, not wanting to work with the Singh Brothers is a good way to book how his team loses. Again, I thought the Bollywood Boyz were going to be Faces, so maybe their dysfunction with Daivari is a way of turning them back that way?

Stallion and Ever-Rise did make a very good trio, though, and I can see why NXT wants Ever-Rise as Faces. Marthel and Parker have good charisma and talking ability, and that works well for Faces, on top of them being a very capable and united tag team. Maybe with the Dusty Cup returning, Ever-Rise gets a strong showing to build themselves up in the division.

My Score: 8.2/10