[2018-01-02-WWE-205 Live] Akira Tozawa vs TJP

[ShittyLittleBoots]

This was very good. I never think of TJP as a really good wrestler or anything, but he often has these sneaky good performances. This was one of them. Loved his arm targeting & overall control of Tozawa - he was awesome on the offense. Tozawa was really good selling & fighting from underneath as well. Very good dynamic, very good performances, very good match. ***3/4

[King Sabsabi]

I thought that this match was fine. Perkins and Tozawa are both very good workers and are capable of much better but with the usual WWE limitations they worked a solid match. The work throughout was smooth if unspectacular and everything went according to plan, but the crowd could not care less about anything that was happening. **1/2

[TonyPulis'Cap]

This match was a great example of the critical dilemma - can it be a good match if the crowd isn't reacting at all? I guess you could say that for every 205 Live match, but this was a really jarring example of the disconnect between what two people are doing in the ring and what the crowd are investing in (or not investing in with this case). As a match I really liked it - I know there's a lot of people don't like TJ Perkins, but I always enjoy him in the ring, he has such a different style that blends a lot of the different aspects of wrestling together. I thought his targeting and work on the arm was good as well as his characteristics and mannerisms. Tozawa always works well as a good babyface. In terms of the work in the match, I'd happily go *** or so, but it feels so hard to judge when so much of the crowd - for a number of reasons probably outside of the two competitors control - are making no emotional connection with it whatsoever.

[Wahoos Leg]

This match was a great example of the critical dilemma - can it be a good match if the crowd isn't reacting at all? I guess you could say that for every 205 Live match, but this was a really jarring example of the disconnect between what two people are doing in the ring and what the crowd are investing in (or not investing in with this case). As a match I really liked it - I know there's a lot of people don't like TJ Perkins, but I always enjoy him in the ring, he has such a different style that blends a lot of the different aspects of wrestling together. I thought his targeting and work on the arm was good as well as his characteristics and mannerisms. Tozawa always works well as a good babyface. In terms of the work in the match, I'd happily go *** or so, but it feels so hard to judge when so much of the crowd - for a number of reasons probably outside of the two competitors control - are making no emotional connection with it whatsoever.

 

I actually preferred Tozawa's Main Event match from this same week for this reason because they had much more success engaging the crowd