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In just five days, Tony Nese will get his one-on-one opportunity against his former friend, the Juggernaut Buddy Murphy. Nese looks to capture his first championship in the WWE and in his home town. Murphy's goal has always been to be remembered as the greatest Cruiserweight Champion of all time. In order to do that, he'll need to retain on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Tonight, both champion and challenger addressed their upcoming contest at WrestleMania. However, we also saw two great matchups featuring two 205 Live veterans and two men with something to prove. Kalisto went one-on-one against the newest member of the roster, Oney Lorcan, who made an impact last week when he attacked Cedric Alexander from behind. A win over a former champion would mean big things for the Star Destroyer.
Finally, Mike Kanellis looked to repeat his success from two weeks ago when he faced off against Akira Tozawa. A distraction from Maria allowed him to defeat Tozawa then. Tonight, the former Cruiserweight Champion would be expecting that, and surely had something up his sleeve for the couple.
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Kalisto vs Oney Lorcan
Lorcan rushed Kalisto at the beginning as he was placing Penelope in the corner. A running elbow stunned the luchador, and a suplex forced him into a pinfall. Kalisto kicked out and escaped a half-and-half suplex.
Kalisto escaped a second attempt and sent Lorcan across the ring with a rope walking arm drag, followed by a baseball slide, sending Lorcan to the ramp. Back inside, Lorcan was taken down by a springboard crossbody but kicked out.
Kalisto took the fight to Lorcan, rushing him with several elbow strikes. However, as he ran at the newest cruiserweight again, he was launched over the ropes, landing jaw first on the apron. Lorcan launched Kalisto into the barricade, then yelled at the commentary desk if "Cedric Alexander saw that?"
Kalisto was tossed inside the ring, and as Lorcan slid under the ropes, was sent back out with a kick to the head. Kalisto looked for a dive to the outside, but Lorcan swiped his legs out from under him, dropping him spine first on the apron.
Now back in control, he locked Kalisto down in the middle of the ring with a waist lock. Kalisto escaped and stunned Lorcan with a second rope dropkick. However, Lorcan was able to shove off another attack from Lucha House Party leader and delivered a nasty clothesline to the back of the head.
Lorcan kept the pressure on Kalisto, beating him down and locking him in a chin lock with body scissors. The former United States Champion worked his way back to a vertical position, but Lorcan slammed him back down to the mat, transitioning to a side headlock. Kalisto escaped again, getting back to his feet and breaking out with a jawbreaker.
A springboard rolling elbow knocked Lorcan to the ground, and as he stood back up was stunned by a superkick. Lorcan managed to lock Kalisto in for the Half-and-Half, but Kalisto managed to break out for the third time. Lorcan was left hanging in the middle ropes, allowing Kalisto to drive him head first into the mat with the basement hurricanrana.
Kalisto attempted the Salida del Sol, but Lorcan shoved him off. A rebounding Kalisto was hammered by an uppercut that sent him into the bottom ropes. On the apron, Lorcan again went for the Half-and-Half. Kalisto fought out and connected with the Salida del Sol on the apron. Sadly for him, Lorcan fell to the outside of the ring.
Kalisto put him back inside for the pin but Lorcan kicked out in the nick of time. Going up for a top rope maneuver, Kalisto was blocked by Lorcan. Hammering the back of Kalisto, the Star Destroyer looked for a Half-and-Half on the top rope. Kalisto knocked him to the mat and took a shot at the 450 splash. Lorcan put up his knees and finally dropped Kalisto on his head with the Half-and-Half Suplex.
Results: Oney Lorcan defeated Kalisto via pinfall.
Backstage, Cedric Alexander asked General Manager Drake Maverick why he didn't get a match against Oney Lorcan. Maverick said he's been in several back-to-back hard-hitting matchups. He also pointed out that he'd lost the last two matches, which is unlike the franchise player of 205 Live. He promised Alexander that the match will take place, but he needs to recuperate before that happens.
Tony Nese was asked backstage how he was handling the pressure on his Cruiserweight Championship match at WrestleMania 35. Nese said that there's no pressure on him because no one expects him to win. He called Murphy a coward, saying that last week he hid out at the Performance Center after laying Nese out the week before. Before he could finish his statement, Buddy Murphy attacked him from behind, leading the two to fight off-screen.
The fighting continued to the ramp, where security and referees attempted to break up Murphy and Nese. Nese avoided a boot from the champion which leveled a security guard. The Premier Athlete then threw Murphy head first into the LED screen, following up with a Running Nese, leaving the Juggernaut broken on the ramp while the challenger pointed up at the WrestleMania sign.
Mike Kanellis w/ Maria vs Akira Tozawa w/ The Brian Kendrick
Tozawa, after being tricked in their last outing, did, in fact, have an answer for Mike and Maria Kanellis; The Brian Kendrick. Kendrick accompanied Tozawa to the ring and cheered him on while trying to keep things fair.
Tozawa and Kanellis locked up, with Tozawa holding the advantage. Kanellis broke away and knocked him down with a shoulder tackle, but Tozawa quickly responded with an octopus stretch. Kanellis quickly scrambled to the ropes where the hold was broken.
Tozawa kept on the offensive, chasing Kanellis into the turnbuckle where he beat him down with boots and elbows. Kanellis stunned Tozawa with an elbow of his own, but a dropkick sent him outside. Tozawa set up for a suicide dive, only for Kanellis to rush back inside. A superkick was prevented by the former Cruiserweight Champion, but Kanellis spun around, leveling him with a discus lariat.
Kanellis set Tozawa up on the apron with his head hanging outside, landing a straight right shot to the jaw before rolling him back inside for a pinfall. Tozawa kicked out at two.
Kanellis locked in a side headlock and torqued the neck, but Tozawa quickly managed to escape through the ropes. Kanellis brought him down with a trio of suplexes. Tozawa kicked out.
Frustrated, Kanellis continued to amp up the aggression, bringing down his fury upon Tozawa. Tozawa looked for a counter when Kanellis came off the ropes, but Kanellis turned a hurricanrana into a sit down powerbomb, spiking him on his neck.
Kanellis set Tozawa up for another submission, but Tozawa escaped. Setting him up for a Michinoku driver, Kanellis escaped and sent him into the turnbuckle. Tozawa fought back, sending him face first into the second turnbuckle with a hurricanrana and followed up with a running knee to the back of the head. A missile dropkick from the top rope nearly gave him the win, but Kanellis kicked out.
Tozawa dropped Kanellis with a fireman's carry facebuster and leveled him with a running single leg dropkick. Again, Kanellis kicked out. Kanellis nearly drove Tozawa through the ring with a high angle spinebuster, catching him as he was running off the ropes. Tozawa barely managed to kick out.
Kendrick attempted to rally Tozawa, who was gasping for air at this point. He managed to escape a Michinoku Driver attempt and locked in another octopus stretch. In the center of the ring, Kanellis was down to one knee. As he went towards the ropes, he fell onto his side. Kanellis did manage to power back up to his feet and ran to the ropes, forcing both men to crash and burn on the apron and floor.
Tozawa launched Kanellis into the barricade. Kanellis countered a running attack with a big boot and connected with a brutal hangman's neckbreaker. As he rolled Tozawa back inside, Kanellis leveled Kendrick with a right hand to the jaw.
Kanellis sat atop the turnbuckle, admiring his work. This allowed Tozawa to stun him with a rolling uppercut. A superplex was blocked, and he looked for a Michinoku Driver from the top rope. Tozawa countered mid-fall into a super hurricanrana. Kanellis, again, managed to escape defeat, kicking out right before the three count.
Back to their feet, both men traded chops to the chest. Eventually, Tozawa struck Kanellis with his patented right jab. Both men traded kicks, with a superkick from Kanellis and a spinning roundhouse from Tozawa leaving them both on the ground. Kanellis worked his way up in the corner while Tozawa measured him.
Kanellis caught him with a boot but was immediately spiked on his head with a German suplex. Tozawa's top rope Senton was stopped. He opted for a sunset flip instead, but Kanellis was saved by Maria, holding Kanellis near the ropes to cheat Tozawa again.
Kendrick alerted the referee, allowing Tozawa to finally roll Kanellis up for the victory.
Results: Akira Tozawa defeated Mike Kanellis via pinfall.
