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Prior to the match, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy made his way ringside, hoping to get in the heads of all of his challengers.
Kalisto vs Akira Tozawa vs Hideo Itami
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Hideo Itami attacked both Tozawa and Kalisto while they were distracted by Murphy. Tozawa was sent outside, allowing Kalisto and Itami to get some one-on-one time in the ring. Kalisto sent Itami outside with a top rope arm assisted arm drag. However, Tozawa quickly took him out with a top rope dropkick and a suicide dive to the outside.
Itami took out Tozawa when he began jaw jacking with Murphy. Itami sent Kalisto into the barricade, then focused on Tozawa inside the ring. Itami continued to beat down Tozawa and managed to keep the former US Champion Kalisto outside of the ring with his devastating kicks.
Eventually, Itami set his sights on Kalisto, delivering a deadly boot to his head while stuck on the barricade. Back inside, he continued to wear Tozawa down with a headlock. Tozawa fought out and caught a running Itami with a snap hurracanrana followed by a belly to back suplex. When Kalisto attempted to springboard in, a dropkick from Tozawa sent him crashing to the mat.
A running forearm from Tozawa sent Kalisto to the outside, and a clothesline from Itami almost cost Tozawa the match. Kalisto broke up the pin, barely, and all three men were left lying in the middle of the mat.
All competitors began getting up at the same time, trading some stiff and strong strikes. Tozawa won the three-way trade with two jabs, rocking both Itami and Kalisto. In the corner, Itami hung Tozawa up on the ropes, but Kalisto connected with a running enzeguri, leaving him gasping atop the turnbuckle.
Kalisto went for the superplex but was blocked by Itami. Tozawa joined Kalisto in an attempt to hit a double superplex. Murphy interfered here, sending all three men down to the mat with the tower of doom.
The champion then beat all three men down in an effort to remind them who they're dealing with at the Royal Rumble. Kalisto and Tozawa, back to their feet, rocked Murphy with multiple kicks and tandem superkicks, followed by a Salida del Sol from Kalisto and a suicide dive from Tozawa.
Kalisto took out Tozawa with a dive on the outside, but as he climbed up on the apron, Hideo Itami connected with a boot. A falcon arrow to Tozawa back on the inside nearly gave him the win, but the former Cruiserweight Champion kicked out.
Tozawa and Itami traded strikes again, with Tozawa getting the better of him, connecting with his striking combination. He couldn't capitalize, however, as a springboard crossbody from Kalisto took him down. In the corner, Kalisto set Tozawa up for another move off the top. Itami prevented the superplex, but Kalisto sent him over the top ropes.
Kalisto went up top, but Tozawa blocked the super hurracanrana. He went for the Senton, only for Kalisto to roll out of the way. Itami hit Kalisto with the hesitation dropkick and finished Tozawa with the GTS '18.
Results: Hideo Itami defeated Akira Tozawa via pinfall.
Murphy backed up the ramp while Itami, with Ariya Daivari, stood tall in the ring.
