WWE cancels 205 Live - reports

WWE's 205 Live show has come to an end, according to reports.

In its place, WWE has begun production on a new NXT show, entitled NXT: Level Up. Word is that episodes of the new show begin taping before tonight's episode of their live NXT program - which, due to USA's coverage of the Winter Olympics, NXT will be aired on Syfy tonight, instead.

205 Live spun off from the Cruiserweight Classic

In 2016, WWE created the Cruiserweight Classic tournament to help bolster its programming on the then-recently launched WWE Network. The tournament was such a success that it ushered in a new division in WWE, with the company crowning tournament winner T.J. Perkins their Cruiserweight Champion.

While WWE Raw would claim exclusivity over the division on the main roster shows, WWE also announced a new, stand-alone program, as well. 205 Live debuted on The Network on November 29, 2016. It was broadcast on Friday nights, following that week's episode of SmackDown.

Eventually, interest in both the show and the division waned and, despite its name, 'Live became a taped show. In 2019, WWE made the decision to make the Cruiserweight championship exclusive to NXT, thus removing it altogether from the narrative of the main roster programs.

This past January, NXT North American champion Carmelo Hayes defeated then-Cruiserweight champion Roderick Strong to unify the two titles, effectively retiring the brand's belt.

The television show behind that belt introduced a number of stars that would eventually make an impact on the main roster. Wrestlers like Buddy Murphy, Drake Maverick, Drew Gulak, Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, and Lio Rush were all involved in important stories on either Raw or SmackDown.

---

Are you going to miss WWE's cruiserweight show? Or do you think it has run its course? Let us know what you think in the comments section.