Isaiah "Swerve" Scott picked up a critical win when he narrowly edged The Brian Kendrick, while Ariya Daivari brought back the Daivari Dinero Challenge and defeated Anthony Greene and Curt Stallion.
205 Live Results: Oct. 16, 2020:
Ariya Daivari def. Anthony Greene
Ariya Daivari kicked off 205 Live with an arrogant strut to the ring, a briefcase in hand and the boisterous proclamation that he had chosen Performance Center recruits Anthony Greene and Curt Stallion to participate in his $10,000 Daivari Dinero Division.
Up first, Greene, who commentator Nigel McGuinness described as “a retro rising star straight out of the ’80s,” caught Daivari by surprise by blocking a cheap shot and firing back with a series of stinging strikes to the face.
Daivari quickly responded with a back elbow to the jaw and a flurry of right hands and stomps. Save for a beautiful headscissors takedown by Greene, Daivari remained in control of the bout, and he scored the win with a savage Hammerlock Lariat.
Curt Stallion def. Ariya Daivari via disqualification
Up next, Stallion committed the mistake of entering the ring under the bottom rope, and Daivari made him pay with a series of brutal stomps before flinging him over the top rope to the ringside floor.
An incensed Daivari repeatedly asked Stallion, “Do you wanna take my money?!” while slamming his head off the announce desk.
A Persian Splash seemed to spell the end for Stallion, but the newcomer kicked out at the last possible second. Stallion came within an eyelash of winning the $10,000 with a crafty roll-up and a backslide, but right after Stallion wiped out Daivari with a dive through the ropes and reentered the squared circle, Tony Nese bolted into the ring and tattooed Stallion with Running Nese.
Daivari, who announced before his two matches that he would only lose his $10,000 if he was pinned or submitted, quickly grabbed his briefcase and exited.
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott def. The Brian Kendrick
205 Live’s main event saw a heated collision between arguably the brand’s two most confident Superstars, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and The Brian Kendrick.
Showing excellent ring awareness, Kendrick landed the first big blows of the bout when he yanked Scott out of the ring to the floor and followed up by viciously shoving his opponent into the steel ring steps. Kendrick strengthened his advantage when he dropped Scott with a wicked neckbreaker.
Kendrick, however, appeared to suffer an arm injury and was unable to apply a potential match-clinching Captain’s Hook, and Scott countered a Sliced Bread No. 2 attempt with a clubbing blow to the back and a unique suplex.
When the fight spilled back to the ringside area, “Swerve” struck with a nasty kick to the head, but when he attempted to follow up, The Man With a Plan forced his foe to the mat and locked him in the Captain’s Hook.
Scott wiggled loose, only for Kendrick to make good on his second attempt at Sliced Bread No. 2, but “Swerve” dug deep to kick out just in the nick of time.
Moments later, Kendrick found himself on the defensive and attempted to maintain his grip on the middle rope to prevent Scott from doing more damage, but Scott grabbed hold of his opponent and nearly drove him through the canvas with the JML Driver.
The Man With a Plan initially refused a post-match handshake from Scott, but after taking a moment to gather himself, a reluctant Kendrick indeed accepted the olive branch as 205 Live concluded.
