ENZO AMORE: Savior of 205 Live

This article is going to be one of my more controversial pieces I have written for Hardway HQ in quite some time. It is something that I have felt for a while when it comes to a period in WWE history, and there's no better time than the present to discuss it.

Enzo Amore saved 205 Live back in 2017 from an early extinction on the WWE Network.

How You Doin'?

-----

By the Summer of 2017, 205 Live, or more importantly, the rebooted WWE Cruiserweight division was hanging on by a thread.

After the revolutionary Cruiserweight Classic in 2016, which was ultimately won by TJ Perkins on September 14, 2016, subsequently making him the first WWE Cruiserweight Champion, WWE jumped on the hot hand they were dealt and subsequently brought the Cruiserweight Division to RAW in September.

It was almost dead in the water from the start.

The lack of compelling stories and emphasis on developing the performers, like Perkins, Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, and Tony Nese, brought a "flat" feeling from the WWE Universe. Adding in a confusing situation, in which the fledgling 205 Live program, which began on November 29, 2016, on the WWE Network, was taped immediately after SmackDown, while being a RAW property. For months, the show struggled to find its identity.

At Roadblock: End of the Line in December 2016, the division got a very surprising boost, when Neville, a plucky underdog his entire WWE tenure, turned his back on the fans and his fellow Cruiserweights, subsequently become a dark brooding figure nicknamed "the King of the Cruiserweights" and overtook the entire Cruiserweight division for the next eight months.

However, 205 Live needed more than Neville. The program was failing to catch more buzz due to a lack of viewership and interest from the mainstream fans. Outside of the Cruiserweight Champion, there were not many guys that the fans were invested in. They needed a boost and in a hurry.

How You Doin'?

-----

By the Summer of 2017, Enzo Amore was one of WWE's more controversial performers. Training out of the WWE Performance Center, the Northern New Jersey native quickly stood out of the pack with bombastic attitude, his flashy and unorthodox attire, and incredible speaking ability on the microphone.

Down in NXT, Enzo formed a tandem with Big Cass, a near seven-foot-tall monster from Brooklyn. The combination of Amore's gift of gab and Cass's strength and power not only made them a powerful unit in-ring, but incredibly popular out of it.

With fans craving a bigger platform, the unit made their debut on RAW the night after WrestleMania 32 on April 4, 2016, interrupting the Dudley Boyz after their table match victory against the Usos. Enzo and Cass had the WWE Universe hanging on their every word, from their catchy introduction to Enzo's mannerisms, and Cass's closing line, stating that Dudleyville's finest had only ONE WORD to describe them - SAWFT! Enzo, Cass, and the fans even spelled it out for them.

In short order, the duo became one of WWE's popular acts. They helped John Cena during their battle with AJ Styles and the OC, faced off with Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens at SummerSlam, and interjected themselves weekly on WWE programming with every character. Enzo and Cass consistently had the loudest reactions of every event they performed on. Also, they sold a boatload of merchandise.

Bottom line: Enzo and Big Cass were MONEY.

However, Enzo's brash attitude was, reportedly, rubbing people the wrong way. There was a story that was leaked to the wrestling journalists that during a European tour, Enzo was kicked off the bus traveling to another town due to his conduct and behavior.

The IWC ran with it, slowly turning on Enzo and began picking him apart. He was "too arrogant", too much trouble to deal with, and, my personal favorite, he "couldn't wrestle".

WWE slowly began the ball rolling to the next chapter of Enzo's career. On the June 19, 2017, RAW, after weeks of backstage attacks that Enzo was suffering, it turned out that BIG CASS was the one doing the deed. Cass, after figuratively and quite literally crushing Enzo's spirit, including a single solitary tear rolling down his eye, absolutely leveled him with a boot to the face, splitting up Enzo and Cass once and for all.

After a two-month program, including wins at Great Balls of Fire in July and SummerSlam in August by Big Cass, the pair culminated their rivalry the night after SummerSlam in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the August 21st Raw in a "Brooklyn Street Fight". Cass sadly blew out his knee and the match was stopped after Cass's knee buckled while attempting an Empire Elbow. Enzo beat the Hell out of an injured and prone Cass with weapons, sending the near seven-footer out for close to a year with a torn ACL.

The next night, on the August 22, 2017, 205 Live, still in Brooklyn, Neville successfully defended his Cruiserweight Title over Tozawa in a fantastic contest. Afterwards, "the King of the Cruiserweights" put down his challenger and proceeded to unleash his diatribe of being the face of 205 Live until a very familiar theme hit the PA system.

"SAWFT is a Sin" blasted into the Barclays Center. Enzo Amore walked out to a HUGE ovation.

Enzo entered the ring and simply said that "205 Live just became the REALEST SHOW in the room," and dropped his custom microphone to the canvas in a "mic drop" fashion. Neville, befuddled yet disgusted simultaneously, looked Amore eye-to-eye and just left the ring.

205 Live, in an instant, changed.

-----

Many may not agree, but the storyline set up for the final few months of 205 Live was fantastic. The entire division, initially, unified together against Enzo. They saw him as a guy who couldn't wrestle. They felt he was a blight on the entire Cruiserweight division, who were among the best athletes in the world.

Enzo truly was an island to himself. He didn't care if people thought he could wrestle or not; he had confidence, he had swag, and he was like Mariano Rivera - he could close out matches and win. Enzo was the "anti-Cruiserweight". He wanted all the smoke. In turn, that began a unique heel turn for the once beloved “Smack-talker Skywalker”.

There was a segment with the Miz in early September 2017 where Miz actually tore Amore apart on the microphone on "Miz TV" on Raw. According to an interview on the Stone Cold Podcast with Steve Austin in 2018, Amore stated that Triple H would not allow him to verbally eviscerate Miz back, instead taking the onslaught. Although to everyone that believed that the Miz "shot" on Amore, it was the fuel needed to continue the turn towards Enzo vs the World.

The week after, Enzo was then brutalized by the "Monster Among Men" Braun Strowman to a rousing ovation. Neville slowly sauntered himself to the ring and, seeing Amore prone, delivered a picture-perfect Red Arrow, followed up with a sarcastic "How You Doin'? on the microphone.

Ultimately, Enzo got his receipt. The next night on 205 Live, during the "go home" promo, Neville alluded to the fact that Enzo "couldn't fight" and that he wasn't worthy of his championship opportunity at No Mercy five days later. Amore acknowledged what he was up against; however, it wasn't No Mercy yet, and kicked Neville LOW. He then picked up the microphone and gave the Cruiserweight Champion a "How You Doin'?" of his own.

At the pay-per-view event on September 24, 2017, Neville outright beat the Hell out of Enzo. Amore's only piece of offense was a high-jumping DDG off the second rope, which only got a two count. Yet, Neville quickly went right back on the offensive. By the end of the match, Amore ended up bealed over the timekeeper's barrier. Not being able to outfight the champ, Enzo got into Neville's head, standing up on his feet with the Cruiserweight Title in his arms.

Enzo then brought the belt into the ring and then threatened to use it. The referee, after scolding the challenger, took the title and began to vacate it from the squared circle. With the official distracted, Neville went to go back to work and instead was kicked LOW again for the second time in five days.

Amore then rolled up Neville. The referee turned back around and noticed the pin. Three slaps of the mat later, and Enzo Amore became the Cruiserweight Champion!

The next night on Raw was one of infamy. Enzo, in the main event of the program, hosted a “Certified G Celebration” for his championship victory. He demanded, at one point, to have his “Certified G” baseball jersey retired to the rafters. However, after all the Cruiserweights made their appearance on the ramp, an angry Neville parted them like the Red Sea and confronted the new titleholder in the ring. Just as Neville went to make his move to attack, Enzo pulled out a piece of paper. He stated that he had a legal document that if anyone had attacked him during his celebration, they would never receive a shot at the Cruiserweight Champion, as long as he was on top. Neville didn’t care, as he took out Amore and then, for the second time in two weeks, crushed him with a Red Arrow.

Sadly, that would be Neville’s last match in WWE due to creative frustration and ultimately led to him walking out of the company.

It was not, however, the end of Enzo’s abuse for the night. In a WWE.com exclusive, Braun Strowman, mad after not winning the Universal Championship the night before, made his way to the ring and absolutely devastated the new Cruiserweight Champion with a running powerslam. Then, the Cruiserweight division all made their way down to the ring and, one-by-one, decimated Amore with their patented moves. All the while, the fans loved each second of it.

It only fueled Enzo’s fire.

After a passionate promo, while holding himself up on a crutch on the next night’s 205 Live, Enzo returned, once again in the main event segment, on the next edition of RAW. He went on a rant, glorifying himself and stating how he was the “money” in the Cruiserweight division and how everyone was watching 205 Live FOR HIM. The Cruiserweights, again offended, made their way to the ring from the entrance and the crowd. Enzo, again surrounded in the ring by the pack of wolves called the Cruiserweight division with nowhere to go, pulled out ANOTHER document, this time stating if anyone laid their hands on him, they would be FIRED. The Cruiserweights were a little more apprehensive, but still craving for an Enzo beatdown.

And then, THE ROAST.

In one of the more infamous moments in RAW history, Enzo walked around the ring to each Cruiserweight and insulted them to their face. One-by-one, each wrestler was torn down. Enzo’s unbearable delusion and antagonizing became too much to manage.

Eventually, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle came out to the ring and announced that Enzo would eventually be put into a match with the newest signing of the Cruiserweight division – former WWE United States Champion Kalisto!

The following week, in a Lumberjack match for the Cruiserweight Title, Kalisto stunned the WWE Universe and pinned “the Realest Guy in the Room” to become the new champion! Thirteen days later, in an obligatory rematch at the TLC PPV on October 22, Enzo, under scrupulous circumstances, regained the championship.

Around this time, four Cruiserweights finally realized that Enzo’s mindset might be the right way to be a success. Ariya Daivari, a flashy, bombastic competitor, Drew Gulak, a proponent of Cruiserweights not flying off the top rope (the “No Fly Zone”), Tony Nese, a ridiculously in-shape “Premier Athlete”, and Noam Dar, a “Super Nova” prodigy from Scotland, joined Enzo and formed a union called “The Zo Train”. These men would have Enzo’s back and help protect Enzo’s reign as Cruiserweight Champion.

In particular, Gulak’s strait-laced nature, became the right-hand-man of Enzo, watching his back more than the others. Their time on camera together were gold, and the fans started to get behind them.

Enzo truly got extremely comfortable in his skin as the kingpin of 205 Live. Every opportunity he had to be on a microphone, the more the fans loved to hate him. He was TOO braggadocious and cocky, all the while cheating every given opportunity to retain his championship.

One of Enzo’s best moments was on the November 7, 2017, 205 Live from the United Kingdom. Enzo and the Zo Train introduced themselves to members of the fledgling WWE United Kingdom roster. However, Enzo and Tyler Bate, the inaugural and former WWE United Kingdom Champion, got into a case of the verbal fisticuffs, leading to Bate laying out the Cruiserweight Champion.

Later in the night, Amore, in a true battle, survived a war with Bate to pick up the victory, ending things with the Jordanzo, which can be best described as a falling foot-to-jaw knockout.

Enzo’s run then took an interesting turn in December 2017, when Nia Jax, the “Irresistible Force” of the RAW Women’s division, took interest in him. Knowing this was the case, Amore allowed her “crush” to begin to help him to further success as Cruiserweight Champion.

It even led to the first, and of record only, 205 Live tour on January 20 and 21, 2018 in Lowell, MA and Poughkeepsie, NY respectively, where Enzo successfully retained his title against Cedric Alexander with Nia as special guest referee.

According to Enzo on the Stone Cold Podcast in 2018, this was going to lead to Enzo breaking Nia’s heart, hooking up with her best friend Alexa Bliss, then the RAW Women’s Champion, and beginning a relationship with the pair heading into WrestleMania.

Truly, with a match heading towards the Royal Rumble against Cedric Alexander, being the face of a resurgent 205 Live, which went from the bottom of the WWE Network ratings to Top 10, at times beating NXT, and being a part of a big WrestleMania angle, Enzo Amore was one of WWE’s top performers.

And then, Enzo Amore was fired from the promotion days before the Royal Rumble.

Due to sexual misconduct accusations, which were later found to be false, Enzo was let go from the promotion. Getting fired naturally meant that he was stripped of the Cruiserweight Championship. No Cruiserweight Champion meant that 205 Live was left in a lurch.

How You Doin’?

-----

Ultimately, 205 Live never recovered. Although Triple H, according to the wrestling journalists, took over the creative direction and made it more of a wrestling product, fans slowly began fading out of the program as time went on, mainly due to the amount of content WWE was pumping out in the late-2010s, as well as the beginnings of All Elite Wrestling in 2019. Triple H then tried to utilize the Cruiserweights more on NXT, renaming the title the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, but the title was unified with the North American Championship in early 2022, signifying the end of the Cruiserweight Division and 205 Live, which officially stopped airing on February 11, 2022.

Enzo Amore was officially vindicated of any wrongdoing in the Spring of 2018. A budding rapper, Enzo, now known as Real1, released the music video “Phoenix” on May 26, 2018, going after the critics, wrestling fans, and others who wrongfully believed he was automatically guilty of his accusations. A few months later, at Survivor Series 2018, Enzo, under a disguise, got national exposure for “invading” the event in the crowd (which Jon Harder wrote about on the site the day it happened), which in turn drew national attention for his upcoming rap album Rosemary’s Baby Pt 1: Happy Birthday, which was released a few days later on November 18, 2018.

Many may not agree, but Enzo brought legitimate attention to 205 Live in 2017, figuratively and quite literally saving the program. Prior to his arrival, there were many that did not watch the program, despite the immense athletic talent that wrestled each week. Amore’s polarizing status as a performer had eyes on the show and, mixing his behind-the-scenes drama along with his fantastic work on camera, mixing up the 205 Live presentation as a “Superstar” and not a wrestler, made it must watch. In my honest opinion, he was slowly becoming a heel the likes of what Dominik Mysterio is now. You just wanted to see him get beat up.

I know this is going to be a very controversial take, but that’s what I love about the online wrestling fans. This discord will be very divided. But I stand by what I said. Enzo SAVED 205 Live. And you can’t teach that.

How You Doin’? #BANKONIT

-          bankie