The last episode of the first round of the Cruiserweight Classic had some really special matchups. NXT’s resident high-flyer Rich Swann made his CWC debut against Hong Kong’s Jason Lee while Noam Dar’s much awaited debut was also on this show. Englishman Jack Gallagher also made his Cruiserweight Classic bow against Italy’s Fabian Aichner. However, the main event and the match that everyone had come to see was the battle between friends and tag-team partners, Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.
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4: Rich Swann is everything Apollo Crews needs to be
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There’s something special about Rich Swann, something really special. He might tiny by WWE’s standards but he has ability and charisma in boatloads. He pulled off some stunning moves in his first round matchup of the CWC against Jason Lee, who was very impressive in his own right. Swann is the only ‘singles competitor’ from NXT to be taking part in the Cruiserweight Classic and he showed us exactly why he’s so highly thought of in the WWE.
Swann has the ability and charisma to take him right to the top of the WWE someday and he’s definitely a potential future WWE Champion, now that WWE’s stigma about size isn’t as important as it used to be. From his dance moves at the beginning of the match to some of the absolutely crazy moves he pulled off inside the ring, Swann is what WWE needed Apollo Crews to be on the main roster. Don’t get me wrong, Apollo Crews is a special talent too but his problems with charisma and on the mic are well documented, something that Swann has no problem with.
Rich Swann pulled off an array of jaw-dropping moves in the match from a top-rope hurricanrana to the standing 450 splash he finished the match off with, Swann just left the audience speechless.
Rich Swann def. Jason Lee
3: Noam Dar and Gurv Shira disappointed
Noam Dar is the youngest competitor in this years’ Cruiserweight Classic and his much anticipated debut came against Gurv Shira. However, the match disappointed from early on and the duo didn’t gel very well in the ring. This can probably be attributed to the guys not being accustomed to each other but there were quite a few spots in the match that weren’t quite right.
From a botched backbreaker in the early stages, the match just felt disjointed and the crowd wasn’t really into it. The match ended when Noam Dar took advantage of a missed second-rope elbow drop from Shira and landed a Fisherman Buster followed by a knee bar which made Shira tap.
Noam Dar will be disappointed with this match and will definitely look to make more of an impact in the next round where he faces Ho Ho Lun.
Noam Dar def. Gurv Shira
2: Jack Gallagher does the Vaudevillains gimmick right
Jack Gallagher took on Fabian Aichner in the next match. The duo were a clash of different styles with Gallagher billed as a technician while Aichner is deemed a powerhouse. The duo had the crowd from the beginning and began the match with a series of wrist-lock counters with Gallagher showing off his unique reversal style to counter Aichner’s power advantage.
The two of them went back and forth and the crowd got really into Gallagher’s array of locks and holds. He seemed to have a counter for everything Aichner had for him, till Aichner grabber the advantage with a springboard kick. Following this, Aichner pulled off what I can only call a double jump moonsault for the near fall.
Gallagher hit back with a Guillotine chokehold which Aichner powered out of and turned into a running sitout powerbomb. Aichner then took a risk and went for a frog splash which he missed. This turned out to be the beginning of the end for him as Gallagher took advantage with a vicious headbutt and finished him off with a running shotgun dropkick to the corner.
Gallagher describes himself as the typical English gentleman who, in his own words, keeps it gentlemanly in the ring as long as his opponent does so too. His natural charisma, charm and ability makes him a much more interesting and likeable version of The Vaudevillains.
Jack Gallagher def. Fabian Aichner
1: Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa steal the whole freaking show
Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa are not just tag team partners, they’re closer to brothers. Gargano’s getting married later this year and Ciampa’s a part of the wedding party, that shows how close these two are. Both of them say that they’re here to win and nothing will stop them.
Let me just stress that this match was phenomenal and one of the best wrestling matches I have EVER seen, from the action in the ring to the story being told throughout the match. The two of them had the live crowd eating out of their hands for the entire time.
The match began with Gargano using his speed to stay out of range from the more powerful Ciampa. Gargano tried to use the early stages of the match to keep Ciampa as grounded as possible but his efforts failed and Ciampa lit him up with a vicious elbow strike that left him stunned. Ciampa followed this up with a running knee strike for the near fall.
Gargano hit back with a DDT before being trapped on Ciampa’s shoulders. Ciampa used his raw power to climb the ropes with Gargano on his shoulders. The smaller Gargano slipped out however and and hit a trapped corner superkick to Ciampa that looked nasty. He followed this up with a sweet Liger Bomb following which Ciampa rolled to the outside to avoid being pinned. Gargano wasted no time and hit Ciampa with a tope suicida to the outside to raucous applause from the live crowd.
The two continued to trade blows on the outside and then on the apron when Ciampa hit his friend and tag-team partner with an air raid crash on the apron which surprisingly just got a near fall. Gargano was stumbling at this point and could scarcely get up. Ciampa looked to take advantage and pulled down his knee pad, looking to strike the finishing blow. However, he looked at his friend and changed his mind which ended up costing him as Gargano superkicked him and got a crucifix pin for the win.
Following the match Ciampa looked absolutely devastated and just walked off before stopping on the apron as the crowd chanted for him to go back. He hesitated before walking back into the ring and hugged his friend, tag-team partner and brother before raising his hand.
What a match to finish off the first round. That was spectacular.
Johnny Gargano def. Tomasso Ciampa
