Last Week on 205 Live: Lio Rush and Noam Dar finally faced off with Lio getting the victory. The Brian Kendrick whooped on some poor dude. Hideo Itami and Mustafa Ali’s rivalry went to another level after both men beat each other so badly that they had to be helped by referee’s after the match was declared a no contest.
Cold Open
Drake Maverick begins by narrating a video package about “The Big Match”. The cruiserweight championship match between Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy. We then hear that Akira Tozawa and Jack Gallagher will have a match. Two weeks ago Gallagher, Kendrick and Gulak beat up on Akira. Finally a first time ever match of Kalisto vs. TJP. That’s crazy that there is only like 12 cruiserweights and two have never wrestled. Speaking of, where Ariya Daivari at?
Akira Tozawa vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher
Akira comes out to little attention or fanfare. Gallagher comes out with a Drew Gulak shirt on while being flanked by both Gulak and The Brian Kendrick. Jack wearing a tank top is something I am not used to.
The match starts off with some counter wrestling, which always seems to be Gallagher’s strong point. The wrestling breaks down into a fish out of water spot that ends with Akira kicking Gallagher in the chest and following it up with a senton for two.
The crowd is reacting to the wrestling, which is usually something that doesn’t happen for the opening match of 205 Live. Then again the opening match is usually a Lucha House Party match. I always thought that LHP were a good introduction to what 205 Live is all about. I thought they were used to hype up the crowd, maybe I was wrong. Maybe the crowd doesn’t like good lucha things.
Jack is in firm control of the match. He lays the beating on so long that the crowd went from clapping in support of Tozawa, to not really reacting at all. That is until Tozawa gets his comeback in. They wake up a bit after the obligatory dive to the outside.
Tozawa can’t stay on offense for long and quickly falls back into the wrestling web that is Jack Gallagher’s move set.
Speaking of obligatory things in a 205 match. Gallagher and Tozawa fight on the top rope, just like almost every cruiserweight match. This time the battle on the top rope factors into the finish when Tozawa is able to push Jack off and hit the top rope senton for the win.
Gulak gets in the ring and cuts a promo about how their team is not living up to its full potential. Drew Gulak says we need a PowerPoint presentation. This for the uninitiated is Drew’s plan for a better 205 Live. There is a caricature type picture of The Brian Kendrick and next to the cartoon it says NO MERCY. Gulak says “this team has no place for weak links” and is directing his attention on Kendrick even though Gallagher is who lost. Kendrick attacks Drew first, puts the Captain’s Hook on Jack until Gulak gets the Gulock on Kendrick. The Kendrick is left laying as Gallagher and Gulak stand proud.
This episode spent a lot of time building to this championship match in Australia.
Drake Maverick was interviewed about Ali and Itami. Maverick says both men are lucky they weren’t seriously injured. Drake says this rivalry needs to come to a conclusion. Their next match will be a match that “nobody wants to miss”.
Kalisto vs. TJP
Kalisto comes out with Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik, but because they are honorable only Kalisto walks to the ring. TJP comes out in a Lucha House Party shirt and tears it off before getting into the ring.
TJP’s new gimmick is the “most disrespectful superstar” and threatens to take the mask off of Kalisto’s head. This match was made because TJP unmasked Lince Dorado which angered Kalisto to the point of requesting this match.
Kalisto and TJP do some back and forth wrestling that ends with Kalisto mocking TJP by doing a little dance. TJP is showing his frustration and Kalisto is having fun with it. Kalisto is getting cocky but is still able to keep the match in control. The tide turns when Kalisto went for a handstand to stop his momentum and TJP kicked Kalisto in the face.
TJP starts dissecting Kalisto with strikes and submissions. While Kalisto’s legs are tied up, TJP tears off the little tail on the back of Kalisto’s mask. Kalisto reaches and grabs for the tail, showing that TJP has got into the head of Kalisto and has the match well in hand. Commentary puts over how TJP doesn’t respect lucha even though he began wrestling in a mask.
Nigel says TJP used the mask to gain some notoriety, but once TJP got a big enough name, he didn’t need the mask anymore. TJP starts getting a little full of himself at this juncture in the match. Some “lucha taunts” and a shitty “dab” followed by a suplex. The match seems to be telling the story that both men like to taunt the other with the taunting sometimes being the detriment to the match. The wrestlers get too into showboating and bragging that they leave themselves open for an attack.
Vic Joseph says the WWE Universe is trying to rally behind Kalisto, the sound pauses for us to hear the crowd. The crowd is making zero noise, that was rough. TJP bodyslams Kalisto and takes almost a minute to climb to the top rope because of staring and showboating. Kalisto is able to dodge the top rope attack and the match continues to build on the story being told.
Kalisto is able to hit a flurry of offense that wakes the crowd up. Kalisto’s offense is well known enough by the audience. Kalisto hits his moves of doom and when the nearfall happens it seems like most of the crowd bought it as a finish. Kalisto taunted before attempting Salida Del Sol and TJP is able to counter.
Kalisto tries to go to the top rope but; guess what? TJP counters and there is a bit of a struggle on the top turnbuckle. After TJP does a move to take Kalisto off the top rope, TJP climbs to the top rope. Then because this is 205 Live, there is a battle on the top rope. Do people realize that this happens every match every week?
After Kalisto hits a victory bomb off the top rope, TJP still kicked out. The crowd was shocked at the move, the commentary freaked out and it was only a nearfall. Nigel covers for what clearly SHOULD have been the finish by saying “these guys are truly like a video game”.
Kalisto goes for Salida Del Sol again but TJP dropkicks Kalisto’s knee and locks in the kneebar. Kalisto tries to counter with a pin but TJP kicks out while still having the kneebar locked in. Kalisto summons all that is good lucha things and grabs the bottom rope. Lot’s of false finishes that I am really buying.
The story of the match is different than the story leading into the match. This match was because TJP disrespects lucha heritage and the honor that is in a lucha mask. TJP has to try and remove Kalisto’s mask. As he attempts to unmask Kalisto, Lince Dorado runs out to save the day. That distraction is enough to leave TJP open for a pin by Kalisto.
As TJP sits in defeat, he attacks Kalisto and unmasks him. Lucha House Party show up to make the save as the show goes off the air.
That was a fun episode, new storylines began and other storylines continued to grow. I am very excited for this championship match at Super Show-Down. Might be the match I’m most looking forward to.
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