Wrestling

Cedric Alexander Recalls Vince McMahon Moving 205 Live Tapings To After WWE SmackDown Because Crowds Were Exhausted When SmackDown Started

McMahon felt the 205 Live action drained the crowd.

From November 2016 until February 2022, WWE presented its 205 Live program. One of the original 205 roster members is Cedric Alexander, and he further recounted memories from that period of his career while on Busted Open.

Alexander remembers there was a month-long period when 205 Live was being filmed before SmackDown. He stated that the talents had the crowd exhausted by the time SmackDown started, and it was former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon who made the call to move 205 back to after SmackDown.

“We all knew we were in a tough position because we were usually filmed after SmackDown. So after they’ve seen A.J. (Styles) and Randy (Orton) and all that kind of stuff, yeah, you’re gonna stick around for these smaller guys. These new guys, come check ‘em out and you’re like… we gotta turn it up to 11. 

Well, funny story, there was maybe a month or so, a few weeks where they filmed 205 before SmackDown. The issue with that though is the crowds were dead by the time SmackDown started. Legit. I think the last time they did it, that was me and Drew Gulak for the Cruiserweight Championship on 205 Live, and we killed it, tore the house down and that was the spot when we did the suplex to the outside and landed on my feet and then suplexed him on the floor. It was great, but, I remember at the time, Vince (McMahon) was like, ‘We can’t keep doing that, because by the time SmackDown starts, the crowd’s not reacting how they should for a Randy opening promo’ or whatever the case was so, they X’d that and moved us back to after SmackDown… Me, Buddy (Matthews), (Mustafa) Ali were killing it before SmackDown and they were like, alright, time to cut that out, boys. You’re killing Randy’s promo time.”

Another 205 Live original is Mustafa Ali, and Ali stated that one of his goals is to organize a 205 Live roundtable. Ali and Alexander last went one-on-one at TNA Slammiversary.

If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Busted Open with an H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.

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