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What’s the Story?
205 Live is expected to start hosting cruiserweight-exclusive live events about a week before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view according to a report published by PWInsider.
In Case You Didn’t Know...
205 Live premiered back in November 2016 months after the widely appreciated Cruiserweight Classic tournament. The cruiserweights were only seen on Monday Night Raw and Raw-exclusive pay-per-views prior to the creation of 205 Live, but the program eventually became the foundation for most cruiserweight storylines.
The Heart of the Matter
The dates of the first 205 Live house shows are rumoured to be between 18th January 2018 and 20th January 2018; days before the 25th anniversary of Monday Night Raw and little over a week prior to NXT Takeover: Philadelphia and the Royal Rumble.
The reports suggest that WWE is taking a slower approach to these live events and are expected to run their shows in venues similar to the size of NXT Live Events.
The 205 Live brand live events are said to be “experimental” and will be running once a month as opposed to every weekend like NXT and main roster live events.
This report comes days after WWE sent fans a survey regarding their interest in 205 Live. With this latest report about the proposed cruiserweight live events, the plans for 205 Live in 2018 may have been the reason for the survey to begin with.
What’s Next?
Enzo Amore is the reigning Cruiserweight Champion and is expected to defend his title at some point in the near future, presumably the 25th anniversary of Monday Night Raw or the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Amore’s presence on 205 Live has reportedly caused a boost in viewership for the program, but whether his charisma will carry over into ticket sales for 205 Live brand live events remains to be seen.
Author’s Take
The demand for 205 Live superstars doesn’t seem strong enough to warrant separate live events, but it appears the WWE is willing to take a chance on the cruiserweight division.
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