Wrestleview.com reader Andrew C. Elder who attended last night’s Friday Night SmackDown and 205 Live at FedEXForum in Memphis sent in the following report.
SmackDown –
Most of the Upper Deck was blocked off except for a small section. For wrestling the Forum can seat up to 12,000. At the best estimate I can say probably the crowd was at best 9,000-8,000.
After SmackDown for 205 Live with the mass exodus with about low as 3,000 or less left. People weren’t interested in staying for that and the people who did thought we were going to get the advertised dark match of the Fiend vs. Daniel Bryan which did not happen after the Tony Nese vs. Angel Garza match.
Greg Hamilton just said thanks Memphis and see you next time.
Mustafa Ali beat Curtis Axel in the opening dark match.
Announcers didn’t have much of a pop.
Crowd wasting too much into the women’s tag match. Bayley got her boos but boy is she even weak as a heel. Lacey was over in the crowd, not much of a reaction to Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross.
Elias segment was weird. I actually thought until I read online that it did make it on the show that it was part of the break.
Otis was big time over. Who doesn’t like a round dude having fun.
The crowd was into Sheamus returning, even when he beat up Shorty G, the crowd loved and cheered that.
New Day and Miz got the normal reactions, Big E and the balls dropping was hilarious.
Biggest Pop was John Morrison coming out of Miz’s Locker room.
A New Day vs Miz/Morrison feud would be good.
Biggest crowd reactions was for The Fiend coming out and attacking Bryan and the Usos saving Roman. Roman and Usos celebrated after SmackDown went off the Air. Not sure where Naomi will end up with the Usos apparently on SmackDown now and if there will be any trades.
Overall not a bad SmackDown but surprises really what got the crowd into it.
Also advertised for NXT House Show at Minglewood Hall in Memphis on the 23rd and said seats were still available. Definitely still in a down period for pro wrestling as a whole with the crowd size and things.
205 Live results –
Danny Burch lost Ariya Daivari – very little to no reaction at all
Brian Kendrick showed up after in a mask, thought some dude from the crowd had sneaked thru. Cut a promo and the attacked Burch, no reaction from the crowd.
The Singh Brothers beat some local jobbers, the bald guy almost looked like Sonjay Dutt but it wasn’t dude was small, you could tell the Singh’s were calling the match you could see them telling the guys what to do. no reaction to this match either
Final Match was Tony Nese losing to Angel Garza. Garza’s gimmick is cool of wrestling with the warm up pants then ripping them off later. It got an ok reaction but not great.
Feel bad for the guys because you could tell people were just not into 205 Live and we just waiting for a dark match main event that didn’t happen. Honestly 205 is suited better for Full Sail or just merge it with NXT.
Garza was announced as the NXT Cruiserweight Champion.