WWE 205 Live results: Jake Atlas debuts

Oney Lorcan (w/ Danny Burch) defeated Chase Parker (w/ Matt Martel)

The 205 Live opening matchup kicked off with a collar-and-elbow tie-up that resulted in an extended chain wrestling exchange. Early in the exchange, Chase Parker gained control but he was quick to be bested by Oney Lorcan’s technical prowess. Parker fought for an escape only to be laid on his back with a shoulder tackle as soon as Lorcan granted him separation. Lorcan looked on as Parker began his recovery, only for Parker to land a cheap blow following a teased test of strength. 

Lorcan retaliated by driving Parker’s head into the turnbuckle. Lorcan drove the head of Parker into said buckle two times, but during his attempted third, Parker grew wise and returned the favor. Lorcan thwarted any offensive hopes Parker might have had with two echoing knife-edge chops. 

Parker rolled to the outside in an attempt to recover. Lorcan tried to catch him, but was met with a verbal taunting from Matt Martel who accompanied Parker to the ring. Lorcan took the bait as he engaged in the banter; to no one’s surprise, Lorcan was then on the receiving end of a rope-assisted arm drag. Parker jumped from the apron to deliver an elbow to the back of a recovering Lorcan. Lorcan kicked out of the pin attempt that followed prior to the referee’s count of one, he sold his arm following the kick out. 

Lorcan began a slow crawl away from Parker, but was followed. Lorcan would then have his arm stretched against the middle rope by his opponent. Parker drug Lorcan to his feet and sent him into the ropes. Parker partially connected with a dropkick and tried for a pin that was answered by Lorcan. Parker continued his assault to the arm of Lorcan on the ground. Parker contorted the arm with a hammerlock.

Lorcan slowly fought to his feet and drove Parker into the corner with his shoulder. Lorcan then used an atomic drop. Parker tried for a hook, Lorcan ducked and lifted Parker high for a second atomic drop. Lorcan continued to clutch at his arm with a furious agony. Parker then subverted a move by Lorcan only to be hit with a third atomic drop and an uppercut. Lorcan then teased for and connected with a running somersault neck breaker that resulted in the pinfall victory. 

Malcolm Bivens traveled down the ramp following the match’s end. As he stood in front of the ring he drew the attention of Lorcan and Danny Burch. Ever-Rise attacked the team as Bivens looked on. The Indus Sher then entered the ring and brutalized Lorcan and Burch. 

This match was minimalist in all the best ways. It was consistent and didn’t overstay its welcome. The selling was convincing, the acts were logical, and the right guy went over. The angle that ended the match was a fine way to draw continued intrigue to NXT and hopefully some in the direction of 205 Live. 

Jake Atlas defeated Jack Gallagher 

205 Live’s main event had an inauspicious feeling even prior to the opening bell. As Jake Atlas was to make his 205 Live debut, Jack Gallagher, while he surely didn’t know it at the time, was to make his perhaps unwilling farewell. To say the release of Gallagher and the events surrounding it did not weigh on the mind as this match unfolded would be a lie. 

Gallagher and Atlas had an intense staredown prior to the bell. The referee separated the competitors and signaled for the match to start. The match itself started with a collar-and-elbow tie-up that saw Atlas take control of Gallagher’s arm. Gallagher was tossed to the mat but maintained his composure. From the mat, Gallagher took the ankle of Atlas. Instead of taking full advantage, Gallagher kicked Atlas in the gut and broke the hold in the process. Atlas was given space temporarily, but was put in a headlock as soon as he rose to his feet.  

Atlas pushed into the ropes and broke the headlock. Atlas then ran at Gallagher, but Gallagher subverted his speed with a rollup attempt that was escaped. Atlas then tried to kick the head clean off of Gallagher’s shoulders, but Gallagher ducked from the line of fire. Atlas looked to go for a standing moonsault, but landed on his feet instead. Gallagher was then further taunted by a cartwheel and a bow. Gallagher did not take kindly to this teasing; he slapped Gallagher across the face in response. Gallagher then began to unload strikes on Atlas.

Atlas was able to escape the strikes via an Arabian arm drag. Atlas then mostly completed a brief lucha style sequence. In what seemed to be the sequence’s punctuation, Atlas tried to lift Gallagher for a slam or suplex but failed. Gallagher instead lifted Atlas himself and dropped his torso into the ropes. Gallagher kicked Atlas on the ground. As Atlas rose, Gallagher gained momentary wrist control which he used to deliver more strikes. Atlas crumbled to the ground. 

Following Atlas’s kicking. Gallagher stretched Atlas against his knee before and followed with a dropkick to the back of the head which resulted in another failed pin attempt. Gallagher returned to his strikes. Atlas responded with a knife-edge chop of his own that left Gallagher temporarily agape. Atlas then let loose with chops that echoed across the WWE Performance Center. 

Two strong kicks from Atlas seemed to indicate the beginning of the end for Gallagher as Atlas looked for something big. Gallagher wasted no time as he jumped from a seated position into a headbutt to Atlas’s midsection. Atlas fell down once more. While on his back, Atlas was met with ruthless ground and pound. Gallagher then transitioned into an armbar attempt that was met with balk. Atlas then rolled Gallagher up but Gallagher kicked from the surprise pin attempt. Gallagher stood up where he called out to the crowd. The crowd showered Gallagher with boos. 

Atlas began to strike Gallagher from the ground. As he rose he maintained a state of struggle which added to his striking authenticity. Gallagher was sent into the ropes by Atlas. Gallagher would not receive any offense from this but instead would secure an abdominal stretch. Atlas powered out of the stretch and connected with multiple forearms with a flip intermixed. Atlas tried for a pin but Gallagher kicked out. Atlas was then once again caught off guard with a standing guillotine. Atlas rolled into the ropes to cause the break. Gallagher unloaded with strikes on the limp Atlas, who was positioned on the apron. The referee forced Gallagher to pull back, allowing Atlas to connect with a suplex. Atlas then climbed to the top rope and connected with a top rope cartwheel DDT. Atlas pinned Gallagher, who did not kick out.  

This match was good but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Gallagher’s striking and mat work was fantastic as always and Atlas had smooth execution throughout. With that being said there are really only a couple things one can really say in response to this match in the current context;  Atlas’s successes are inspiring and hopefully, never again will there be a professional wrestling match held under the same circumstance – taped or otherwise.