By Dom Van Dam
205 Live 2/4/19
G’day lads; Dom Van Dam here, attempting to have my first sip of wrestling analysis after a pretty big Wrestlemania week hangover. I have to be honest with you, at the moment it’s going down like razor blades but hopefully some decent cruiserweight action might be the hair of the dog I need to overcome my graps comedown.
Today’s article is a 2 parter which will sandwich the Cruiserweight championship match on the Pre-showcase of the Immortals between Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese. Part one, which you are now experiencing, just a timely fortnight after its original air date has been hand written in the back of a year 11 mock exam paper since well before Wrestlemania. Attempting to type up my thoughts amongst the constant barrage of wrestling over the last 2 weeks had left me wanting but just like Bret Hart’s entrance in the 1994 Royal Rumble it’s a case of better late than never.
Previously on 205 Live:
Mike Kanellis picked up his long awaited first win on 205 Live with a big assist from his equal partner in opportunity (and greatness), Maria Kanellis. Tonight, his opponent Akira Tozawa aims to take vengeance in a rematch, but this time his ally Brian Kendrick is at ringside to even the playing field.
Kalisto vs. Oney Lorcan:
Lorcan is absolutely all business in our opener this week, firing a flurry of fists, feet and forearms at the luchadore. Maybe Kalisto has disrespected a jacket or undisclosed item of clothing of Lorcan’s that we don’t know about to prompt this aggression in the early going.
Our newest boy’s modus operandi now is that he has a short temper and I can’t imagine he’s overly happy about the way the cameras cut away from the action in the squared circle to show Buddy Murphy’s entrance to the arena.
The Fighting Irish is such a welcome addition to 205 and fills the shoes of the fallen Hideo Itami and TJP beautifully and this match is a little bit of a hidden gem. The narrative is a classic, simplistic battle where both superstars are unsuccessfully attempting to hit their favourite finishing manoeuvres throughout.
Kalisto debilitates Lorcan by finally hitting the SDS on the apron but it’s not enough for a pinning combination with Lorcan ending up the arena floor. When Oney can get back inside the ring he is able to counter a 450 splash with his knees and then hit the half and half suplex for the victory. A fantastic outing for our boy; next stop Cedric Alexander.
G.M. Maverick Backstage:
Maverick is on his phone which is probably as big as his own head and Cedric Alexander is in to beg for another shot at Oney Lorcan after jacket gate last week.
Up next in an abbreviated Promo Pourri is Tony Nese. The premier athlete is all smiles and claims that there is no pressure on the shirtless wonder, who disconcertingly has a shirt on again this week. Suddenly the champ, Buddy Murphy, jumps Nese mid-pourri and a melee ensues. They end up out in the arena for the pull apart and surprise, surprise Nese’s shirt is off. That’s it lad! Give the fans what they want! During the ruckus Tony manages to hit the running Nese and points at the Wrestlemania sign whilst standing over the fallen champion.
NXT Takeover Promo:
There’s no real relevance to us here on 205 Live but I just wanted to make a note of how cool it is to get a Billie Eilish choon on the WWE Network. For more information about NXT make sure you have a gander at JCH’s excellent yarns here on the WSBF blog.
Akira Tozawa (with Brian Kendrick) vs. Mike Kanellis (with Maria Kanellis):
An absolutely fantastic main event served up by the boys this week and there are a couple of narratives running throughout it. Kanellis is trying to be aggressive without allowing himself to get frustrated which has been his hamartia in previous episodes. A climax to this discourse comes outside the ring where The Opportunist hits The Stamina Monster with a neckbreaker from the guardrail to the floor. As Kendrick is checking on his fallen comrade, Bennett jumps him too, foreshadowing Kendrick’s involvement with the finish.
Down the stretch, Maria tries to assist her husband with leverage on a pin fall until Kendrick breaks it up, Tozawa reverses and these 2 superstars are now 1-1, just like that. This was Kanellis’ best outing yet, and he is impressive in defeat.
The episode finishes with a brilliant hype video for the cruiserweight title match at the big (pre)show. Enjoy your Wrestlemania week and hangover lads and don’t forget the best medicine is always to drink lots of water and look after your mates.
DVD
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