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With Tony Nese finally ridding himself of Buddy Murphy, the Cruiserweight Champion looks to find his next challenger.
Tonight, we also bid goodbye to the Soul of 205 Live, Cedric Alexander. The former Cruiserweight Champion was drafted to Monday Night Raw during the Superstar Shake-Up last night, taking him away from the brand that's been his home for nearly three years. In his final match on the Purple Brand, he'd face off against the Star Destroyer, and 205 Live's new brawler, Oney Lorcan.
We started off the show, though, with action featuring the Lucha House Party's Gran Metalik, Mike Kanellis, Akira Tozawa, and a new and improved Ariya Daivari. Daivari has been on a rampage after abandoning Hideo Itami back in January. With a new mean streak, he looked to prove himself as an adequate #1 contender to Tony Nese's Cruiserweight Championship.
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Mike Kanellis also picked up a big win against Akira Tozawa recently, and though he lost the second match, looked to be on track for a great 2019. More aggressive than ever, Kanellis, accompanied by his wife Maria, has gold on his mind.
Gran Metlalik
Fatal-4-Way Match: Gran Metalik vs Ariya Daivari vs Mike Kanellis vs Akira Tozawa
Daivari quickly abandoned the ring, allowing Metalik and Tozawa to take on Kanellis two-on-one. With Kanellis out, the two squared off. Metalik dizzied Tozawa, tossing him around the ring with rope assisted manoeuvres. However, a leaping hurricanrana from the top sent Metalik outside. Before Tozawa could capitalize, Daivari levelled him with a clothesline.
Metalik rocked Daivari with a springboard dropkick. Kanellis came back in for revenge, but Metalik escaped, taking both he and Daivari out with a crossbody. As he made it back to his feet, he was locked in the Iron Octopus by Tozawa.
It didn't last long, though, as Daivari and Kanellis delivered superkicks in stereo to the two men. Daivari left Tozawa knocked out in the corner while Kanellis dropped Metalik with a suplex. Daivari then continued the beatdown on the King of the Ropes with a series of mounted punches.
Daivari launched him into Kanellis, who spiked him with a deadly Double A spinebuster. They looked to work over Tozawa together, but the former champion dodged Kanellis's superkick, which caught Daivari instead.
With Daivari and Metalik outside, Tozawa and Kanellis went to work. A Michinoku Driver nearly gave Kanellis the win, but he was yanked out of the pinfall by Daivari. Kanellis attempted to get back inside but was driven through the floor with a powerbomb.
Back inside, Daivari went for the wristlock lariat, but Tozawa countered with a spinning roundhouse kick. Metalik, now fully recovered, avoided Tozawa's kick and dropped him with a unique facebuster.
Kanellis sent Gran Metalik outside but was taken out by a shining wizard from Tozawa for his troubles. Tozawa rocked him with a missile dropkick. However, he couldn't capitalize, as Metalik connected with a springboard senton bomb. Before he could move, Daivari connected with a frog splash. Metalik kicked out.
Metalik left Daivar stunned on the apron with an enzuiguri, then followed up with a leaping hurricanrana, launching Daivari into Mike Kanellis on the outside. Tozawa found himself alone in the ring and took out all three men with a suicide dive. He brought Kanellis inside, who escaped a German suplex attempt. Several elbows and chops forced Tozawa to release his hold.
The two men stood in the centre of the ring and traded chops. Tozawa got ready for a big chop, but Kanellis ducked, and when he looked up was rocked by a right jab. Though Kanellis responded with a boot, he was dumped on his head with a German suplex. Tozawa went up top for the Senton, only to be distracted by Maria.
Kanellis met Tozawa at the top to prevent the Senton. Though he was knocked off the top, Kanellis countered Tozawa's biggest weapon and planted Tozawa with the swinging facebuster. He avoided a springboard elbow drop from Metalik, who landed on Tozawa.
Kanellis tossed him outside. However, he wasn't able to pick up the win, as Daivari then sent him outside as well, pinning Tozawa for the win.
Results: Ariya Daivari defeated Akira Tozawa via pinfall.
Backstage, Oney Lorcan praised Cedric Alexander for leading 205 Live and the cruiserweights over the past few years. He said that he respects the Soul of 205 Live, but wants to become the next leader, and if he couldn't beat Alexander, he didn't deserve to be here.
Alexander responded with his own backstage promo. He stated that, though he was leaving 205 Live, he's still the gatekeeper of the division. Tonight, he looked to leave the brand on top.
Cedric Alexander has been on 205 Live since the end of the Cruiserweight Classic. After his incredible match with Kota Ibushi, fans begged WWE to offer him a contract. Triple H came out while Alexander walked up to the ramp and, on air, guaranteed he had a job.
Fast forward three years later, and Cedric Alexander was the man that carried the division. Even before his run in 2018, he was one of the highlights in the early life of 205 Live, always shocking and awe-ing fans with his incredible in-ring prowess. At the beginning of 2018 until Super Show-Down in Melbourne Australia, Alexander never lost a match.
Going on a run in the Cruiserweight Championship tournament, beating Mustafa Ali at WrestleMania 34, putting on main event calibre matches against the likes of Buddy Murphy, Hideo Itami, Drew Gulak, Kalisto, and more, proved to the WWE Universe that he was a one of a kind talent. Last night, Alexander was drafted to Monday Night Raw. Tonight, he faced the 205 Live crowds for the final time.
Oney Lorcan vs Cedric Alexander
Alexander brought Lorcan down quick, attempting to wrap up his leg. Lorcan hammered him with some elbows, but Alexander kept the pressure on. Eventually, Lorcan countered, forcing the former champion to break his hold.
The two attempted to wrestle each other to the mat, again reaching a stalemate. Lorcan managed to bring Alexander down with a headlock. It was countered into a pinfall, but Lorcan countered back into the hold. Alexander attempted to shoot him off, but Lorcan still held on.
Alexander finally shook him off but was sent back to the ground with a shoulder block. He got back to his feet but Lorcan faked him out, and as he landed from a leapfrog was crushed with a vicious knife edge chop.
Lorcan launched him into the turnbuckles and stunned him with an uppercut. Alexander picked up some steam, however, after tossing him overhead with a head-scissors. He followed up with a series of dropkicks ending in a dropkick to a kneeling Lorcan's face.
Lorcan was left stunned on the outside after an enzuiguri on the apron. Alexander set up for the suicide dive, but Lorcan sidestepped him, sending him face first into the ground face first. He then tossed him into the LED board before going back inside for the pin. Alexander kicked out at two.
Alexander avoided the Half-and-Half suplex but was doubled over with a knee to the gut. Lorcan continued to stall any momentum the Soul of 205 Live looked to build, but after catching the Star Destroyer with a high kick in the ropes, a snapmare and a single leg dropkick to the back of the head put Alexander back in the match.
A rolling back elbow rocked Lorcan. Alexander followed up by another kick in the corner and planted him with the springboard flatliner. Lorcan kicked out at two. The two traded strikes again, but as Lorcan set up for a rolling senton from the top rope, Alexander dodged. Coming back in for a strike, Lorcan was picked up for a Michinoku Driver, somehow escaping the pinfall.
Lorcan prevented the Lumbar Check but was left shaken by a series of kicks. However, as he went for the Neuralyzer, Lorcan met him in the middle with an uppercut to the back of the head. He followed up with a running blockbuster and another uppercut. Alexander managed to kick out, barely.
Lorcan set up for the Half-and-Half, but Alexander fought back. A chop block took out the former champion's knees. Alexander was planted in the middle of the ring with a powerbomb, but as he kicked out, Lorcan rolled him into a single leg Boston Crab. After a minute that seemed like a lifetime for Alexander, he made it to the ropes. Lorcan took him to the corner for a series of heavy chops across the chest.
Placed on top of the turnbuckle, Alexander fought of the Half-and-Half, knocking Lorcan to the outside and connecting with a beautiful dive. However, when he rolled him inside and went for the springboard clothesline, Lorcan stopped him in mid-air with another uppercut.
They both climbed back to their feet on the apron and traded strikes across their jaws. Lorcan countered a boot and delivered the Half-and-Half on the apron. Back inside, a stiff clothesline and a final Half-and-Half ended the Age of Alexander.
Results: Oney Lorcan defeated Cedric Alexander via pinfall.
Though Alexander may have ended his 205 Live careers on a loss, he began his run on Raw with a victory. He may be leaving the cruiserweights, but Alexander has a lot to accomplish on Monday nights.
Lorcan shook the hand of Alexander, thanking him for the fight, before leaving the ring and letting him soak at the moment. Alexander knelt in the middle of the ring while the crowd applauded him.
