WWE 205 Live Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for November 29

Rich Swann Vignette

Like some of the others, we got a vignette for Swann before his first title match in WWE. Another great job at introducing someone. It will go a long way when fans buy a ticket just to see 205 Live after SmackDown.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
Brian Kendrick (c) vs. Rich Swann

Result: Rich Swann defeats Brian Kendrick via pinfall to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

We have kicked off 205 Live with a bang!

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Coming into this match, Jack Gallagher had somewhat woken up the crowd. However, everyone still seemed mild heading into the WWE Cruiserweight Championship match.

That changed quickly.

Swann and Kendrick went all out from the start and had the hottest start of any cruiserweight match since the Cruiserweight Classic. The crowd, that had been there for nearly four hours, woke up from the moves and bumps that both Kendrick and Swann took in the ring. Some of them were nasty, included the suplex the former WWE tag team champion took on his neck, and the neckbreaker the Baltimore native sold; both made you cringe, but fans wanted to see something that would make their eyes pop.

The false finishes also woke the crowd up more than anything. The Whole Loaf (not really, it’s the Sliced Bread) got hit on Swann, it seemed like he would be down and out. However, the kick out was stunning and set the wheels in motion that it would be the former EVOLVE star’s night.

Moves like the Sliced Bread off the top rope and some of Swann’s high-flying action is what made the cruiserweights popular in the first place. This seemed to go away once the cruiserweights arrived on Raw, but maybe this is a sign of the old ways returning.

Swann is your new WWE Cruiserweight champion, though, and it’s great. He gets 205 Live off to a hot start and has people talking with his win. Losing with a lackluster finish wouldn’t have done much and may have made fans turn away from the Tuesday night show quickly. Now, they’re going to want to tune in to see what will happen next. Others may even buy a ticket just to see 205 Live after SmackDown because of this wild ending and great match.

Swann had an incredible moment to close 205 Live too. His passionate speech saying how he did it and honored his late mother was special. It capped off his emotional night and title win in grand fashion. He now gets to carry the cruiserweight division, and based on everything he has shown these past two months, WWE may have chose the right guy.

We are only one week into the show, though, and title changes aren’t going to happen every week. So, expectations should still be tempered for the next few weeks. Then, we’ll be able to evaluate what 205 Live, its potential, and if it can stay as a post-SmackDown live show.

Related Story: 3 Potential Stars of the WWE Cruiserweight Show

So, what did you think of the debut episode of WWE 205 Live?