'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last week saw the sudden departure of the living legend and Don of Nihon, Hideo Itami, from 205 Live and WWE. After failing to defeat Akira Tozawa, his ally Ariya Daivari turned on him, laying him out with a brutal lariat. What is next for Daivari after leaving Itami behind, and what does this mean for the cruiserweight division?
Buddy Murphy managed to defeat Itami, along with Akira Tozawa and Kalisto in a Fatal-4-Way match at Royal Rumble. The Juggernaut has been unstoppable since picking up the Cruiserweight Championship at WWE Super Show-Down. With multiple successful title defences against the best of 205 Live, Murphy has quickly become one of the best Cruiserweight Champions since the title was brought back to life in 2016.
Cedric Alexander, Akira Tozawa, Humberto Carrillo, and Lio Rush had a chance tonight to challenge the champion should they survive the Fatal-4-Way Elimination match. One man, Rush, had never faced Buddy Murphy in a one-on-one competition.
Trending
Who will face Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Championship at WWE Elimination Chamber?
Will John Cena beat Ric Flair's record? A former WCW Champion thinks so HERE
Mike Kanellis w/Maria Kanellis vs The Brian Kendrick
Last week, the newest addition to the 205 Live commentary team, Aiden English, talked about how Kanellis desperately needed a win. He put up a great fight against Kalisto, but the former Cruiserweight and United States Champion ultimately managed to roll him up for the win. Tonight, Kanellis gets another chance at glory in a match against another former champion, Brian Kendrick.
Kendrick locked Kanellis up early, going after his arm for a wristlock. Kanellis fought out, putting Kendrick in a headlock. Kendrick sent him off into the ropes, only to be knocked down by Kanellis with a shoulder block. Kanellis's trash talk was a bit too much for Kendrick to take, as he sent his opponent to the outside with a strong right to the jaw.
Kanellis got a pep talk from Maria, but when he went back inside, he was immediately knocked back out with a clothesline. Maria prevented Kendrick from sending her husband to the table, allowing him to catch Kendrick with a boot. Kendrick tried to shake it off and attempted a Sliced Bread No. 2 on the outside. Kanellis managed to stop it, dropping Kendrick on his head with a back suplex.
Back inside, Kanellis dropped Kendrick with a suplex and worked over his back with knees and submission holds. Kanellis sent Kendrick outside with a dropkick. However, Kendrick dragged him outside eventually and whipped Kanellis into the ring post.
Back in the ring, the former champion fought off Kanellis's assault but was left in a heap after a vicious clothesline. Kanellis picked him up for another suplex, but Kendrick countered with the Captain's Hook. Kanellis struggled to get to the ropes, managing to get his index finger on the bottom rope.
A superkick and a running calf kick from Kendrick nearly put Kanellis away, but he managed to kick out. Kendrick went for Sliced Bread No. 2, but it was countered again. A superkick and a Michinoku Driver nearly put Kendrick away. Placing Kendrick up top, Kanellis attempted the Backpack Stunner. Kendrick escaped but was planted with a spinebuster for his troubles.
Kanellis hammered a series of elbows into Kendrick's jaw. A dazed Kendrick begged for more and took a boot to the jaw. Two more boots to the side of the head nearly made the ref call for the bell.
Kanellis went for his finish, but Kendrick escaped and beat him with the Sliced Bread No. 2.
Results: The Brian Kendrick defeated Mike Kanellis via pinfall.
Just like last week, Mike Kanellis threw a temper tantrum in the ring while Maria stared at him, irate. Still, she managed to calm Kanellis down.
The commentary team went over the events of last week, as Tozawa picked up a win over Hideo Itami. Ariya Daivari had claimed that he respected Itami.
In an Instagram promo from last week, Daivari said that Itami kept blowing opportunities. Daivari was the only one to have his back in the division, but he could never get the job done, so now it's time for Daivari to do it himself.
All four men in the main event explained why they deserved a shot against Buddy Murphy. Rush said that he'd never faced Murphy before. Tozawa said that Murphy has never beaten him in a one-on-one matchup, and a win over Itami last week showed that he's ready for another shot at the title.
Humberto Carrillo said that he took Murphy to his limit in their first encounter, and he had what it took to put Murphy away for good. Alexander rounded out the promos, claiming that the Age of Alexander was making a comeback in 2019.
The backstage brawl between Tony Nese and Noam Dar from last week was revisited, again reiterating that the Premier Athlete was suspended indefinitely. Drake Maverick was shown backstage arguing with Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher, who wanted to accompany Carrillo down to the ring tonight.
Noam Dar came in to talk to Maverick. He said he wanted a match with Nese next week, and if he didn't get it, he would take him out on his own time, just like Nese said weeks ago. Maverick decided to make a No Disqualification match between the two for next week's main event.
Fatal-4-Way Elimination Match: Lio Rush vs Akira Tozawa vs Humberto Carrillo vs Cedric Alexander
All four men began trash talking before ganging up on Rush, who avoided all three men with his incredible speed. Eventually, he was stopped in his tracks by Cedric Alexander, allowing Tozawa to hit him with a suicide dive.
Back on the inside, Alexander and Carrillo went back and forth, but after they got caught up in the ropes, Tozawa rolled over them with a sunset flip, launching Carrillo with a German suplex.
Tozawa went for a dive, but Rush pulled him out, then connected with two suicide dives on Alexander and Tozawa. Carrillo made it to the apron before Rush took him down with a handspring kick. Rush dropped Carrillo with a tilt-a-whirl DDT, nearly eliminating the newest member to the 205 Live roster.
Carrillo, back to his feet, traded strikes with Rush. Rush avoided a lot of Carrillo's attacks but was dropped by a spinning heel kick. Tozawa sent him outside with a missile dropkick, looking to pick off Rush himself.
Rush managed to fight back, rolling Tozawa over with a schoolboy and pelting him with a spinning roundhouse kick. Rush went up top for the Final Hour but was distracted by Alexander, allowing Tozawa to get out of the way. Tozawa fought off Rush, sending him into Alexander who eliminated him with the Lumbar Check.
First Elimination: Cedric Alexander defeated Lio Rush via pinfall.
Carrillo made it back inside, catching Alexander with multiple kicks. Carrillo took out Tozawa with a springboard arm drag, then caught Alexander on the jaw with a missile dropkick, followed by a rolling moonsault.
Carrillo went for a powerbomb to Alexander, but Tozawa went for a roll. Carrillo countered and went for the powerbomb again. Tozawa tossed him away with a hurricanrana and dropped Alexander with a kick.
A springboard clothesline didn't exactly go the way of Alexander, as he looked to hurt his knee on the landing. All three men eventually made their way to the top of the turnbuckle, but Carrillo knocked Alexander off, forcing the former champion to take a nasty bump.
Carrillo went for a sky-high arm drag, only to be knocked off the ropes by Tozawa. Tozawa dropped down on the 205 Live rookie with the Senton Splash, eliminating him.
Second Elimination: Akira Tozawa defeated Humberto Carrillo.
Alexander limped into the middle of the ring, and both men traded elbow strikes. Tozawa went for the Iron Octopus stretch and managed to relock it when Alexander tried to fight it off. Alexander finally escaped but was rolled up. He escaped, and both men laid each other out with running boots.
Back to their feet, they traded kicks, but a stinging right jab stunned Alexander. Alexander avoided another attack and went for the Neuralizer, but Tozawa caught him for a snap German suplex, following up with another German suplex. Alexander kicked out.
Tozawa went up top for the Senton Splash, but Alexander rolled to the apron. A stiff boot stunned Alexander again, and Tozawa went for a suplex on the apron. Alexander fought him off and drove him spine first on the apron with an STO.
He rolled Tozawa inside and planted him with a powerful Michinoku Driver, but Tozawa broke out of the pin.
Alexander, frustrated, stomped out Tozawa. He went for the Lumbar Check, but Tozawa escaped multiple times, finally spiking Alexander head first with the reverse hurricanrana. He went up top one more time for the Senton Splash and connected.
Results: Akira Tozawa defeated Cedric Alexander via pinfall.
Akira Tozawa managed to eliminate two of his three opponents tonight, picking up another massive win in the cruiserweight division. A hard fought win earned him the opportunity to face off against Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Championship at WWE Elimination Chamber on February 17th.
Buddy Murphy cut a promo on the titantron, congratulating Tozawa. He said he won't be looking past him, but directly through him, as he looks to cement himself as the greatest Cruiserweight Champion at WrestleMania.
