Despite recent cuts to the roster leaving 205 Live with fewer than ten active Superstars, reports suggest the brand is set to continue.
WWE released even more Superstars last week, letting go of 13 more wrestlers and one writer. While this round of cuts wasn't quite as shocking as the last, it has left 205 Live's roster looking rather sparse. If you head to the purple brand's active roster on WWE.com right now, you'll find just eight Superstars, and not all of those are currently wrestling or exclusive to 205 Live.
205 Live's Roster Has Been Gutted
Friday's releases included Ariya Daivari, Tony Nese, and The Singh Brothers who were all featured frequently on 205 Live. Right now, the eight Superstars listed as active 205 Live stars are Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch, Isaiah Scott, Brian Kendrick, Joaquin Wilde, Santos Escobar, Mark Andrews, and Raul Mendoza. Problematic as there's an argument to be made that none of those names are really 205 Live stars.
For starters, Kendrick recently revealed he has retired from in-ring competition. Andrews largely competes on NXT UK and hasn't competed on 205 Live for more than two years. The other six stars are largely associated with NXT, making appearances on 205 Live every now and again to remind fans the two brands are somewhat connected. Speaking of which, that connection will have to become a lot stronger if 205 Live is going to survive.
But The Purple Brand Is Going Nowhere
It has been assumed by many that the release of most of those who frequent 205 Live signals the end of the brand. However, PWInsider has reported otherwise. Apparently, Hulu pays a princely sum for the rights to 205 Live which means it will continue to air each and every week, regardless of roster size. Who exactly will be wrestling on the brand going forward remains unclear.
WWE does have the advantage of taping 205 Live at the CWC rather than during SmackDown shows like it used to. That means it has the entire NXT roster at its disposal. Well, anyone who weighs 205 lbs or less, of course. The cruiserweight show will continue, but it will look very different from how it has looked in recent months. Perhaps as the world continues to open back up, more British stars will be able to compete on the show again soon.