It's time for another episode of 205 Live on the WWE Network! After the Royal Rumble this past Sunday, has Buddy Murphy remained the Cruiserweight Champion? Did Kalisto, Akira Tozawa or Hideo Itami dethrone the champ to begin a new era? Who's the man to lead 205 Live and the cruiserweight division? Tune in for all the details. Hit F5 to refresh the live recap!
Buddy Murphy successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. One of his opponents, Kalisto, doesn't have many days to rest though as he will be in action tonight against Mike Kanellis. Also tonight, the other two men involved in the fatal 4-way match, Hideo Itami and Akira Tozawa, will face off against each other in the main event. Cue the open!
Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness and Aiden English welcome us to the show. The Lucha House Party head to the ring in a good mood tonight, unlike Nigel who still scoffs at them. Maria Kanellis comes out with her husband as he makes his way out, then she joins the commentary booth.
Kanellis drives Kalisto to a corner at the bell, Kalisto starts kicking him afterwards, they trade punches and kicks, and Maria says her and Mike have been frustrated and want their opportunities. Kalisto attacks Kanellis in front of the announce table, throws him back in, hits a high crossbody for a 2-count, punches him in a corner, Kanellis kicks him out the ring, brings him back in, and Maria says they were tired of waiting for their spot. Aiden English tells Maria they haven't accomplished anything in WWE, Mike Kanellis does a snapmare followed by a running dropkick, and Maria says they haven't done anything because they haven't been featured. Mike throws Kalisto into the barricade, Nigel praises Maria's appearance in the Royal Rumble, she mocks Kalisto as he got thrown into the barricade again, Kalisto hops up on the top and Mike trips him up making him smack his head off of it. Kanellis throws him back in, covers for 2, kneedrop to the back, then puts him in a chinlock, Kalisto fights out, but Kanellis slams him back down.
Kalisto hits a back elbow, kicks him in the head from the apron, springboard senton, kicks, Irish whip reversed, Listo Kick, basement 'rana connects, and covers for 2. Both men are down, Kalisto is up first, Kanellis counters Solida Del Sol, Kalisto sends him to the floor, goes for a dive but Kanellis side-steps him sending him into the barricade! The referee counts up to 5, 6, 7, Kanellis and Kalisto are back in at 8, Kanellis picks him up, Kalisto with an inside cradle for 2, superkick, tilt-a-whirl DDT and gets a near-fall. Kanellis gets on the turnbuckle, Kalisto kicks him in the head, Kanellis fights him off, Kalisto with another kick, Kanellis counters him with a diving slam from the middle ropes and covers for 2.5! Kanellis delivers a suplex, another suplex, a third suplex, puts him up top and hits a backpack stunner, makes the cover, and Kalisto gets his foot on the bottom rope! Kanellis with a gutwrench, Kalisto rolls through, and gets the 3-count. WINNER: KALISTO.
The (Lucha) Party continues for Kalisto! Maria gets in the ring to console her husband and we get the replays. The commentators then turn their attention to the WWE Worlds Collide event this Saturday on the WWE Network.
Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak are standing at a podium welcoming Humberto Carrillo to the 205 Live roster. Gulak continues protesting for him to keep his feet on the ground, but wants Humberto to join him and Jack for their crusade. They say they will be ringside for Carrillo's next match and hope that he will be with them "for a better 205 Live" complete with cheesy smile and thumbs up.
Backstage, Ariya Daivari speaks for Hideo Itami talking about Buddy Murphy walking around with his head held high as if he thinks he's great. Ariya claims that Hideo will show his dominance at the dispense of Akira Tozawa. That match is next! First we get a commercial for HALFTIME HEAT this Sunday!
We get footage from "earlier today" of a brawl between Tony Nese and Naom Dar in the parking lot. Several people including GM Drake Maverick and Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy had to step in and hold Nese back. Kayla Braxton gives us an update that Dar is not seriously injured, and Nese is indefinitely suspended. Buddy Murphy steps out from behind a door and says that he doesn't condone what Nese did. Answering Kayla's question, he says he is still the greatest cruiserweight since he defeated three other men on Sunday. "You can't stop the unstoppable."
The Brian Kendrick comes out with Tozawa, and Itami is accompanied by Ariya Daivari. The bell dings, Tozawa starts his chant, Itami hides in a corner, knees him in the gut, hits a shoulder block, Tozawa rolls through a sunset flip, Itami ducks the head kick, Tozawa side-steps a straight kick, Itami ducks the roundhouse, and they have a standoff. Daivari gets on the apron to give Itami advice, Tozawa dropkicks Itami, kicks him in the back, covers for 1, puts him in a submission stretch, body slam, jumping senton, covers for 2, kicks him in the back, Itami with a forearm, Tozawa with two chop, fake, jabs him and gets a 2-count.
Tozawa goes up top, Itami rolls away, Tozawa jumps off, connects with kicks, body slam, goes to the middle ropes for the senton, but Itami got his knees up into Tozawa's back. Itami mocks Kendrick, the referee admonishes Kendrick to not get involved, that allows Daivari to attack Tozawa, Kendrick goes over to him and the ref catches him as Daivari yells at him to back off. Itami slams Tozawa's head on the apron, brings him back in the ring, covers for 2, stomps on his back, kicks him in the chest repeatedly, then calls himself the best. Itami continues the beatdown, tosses him on the apron, Tozawa with a jab, but Itami takes back control with a diving kneedrop to the back of the neck and gets a 2-count. Itami kicks him in the back, 2-count, puts him in a chinlock, neckbreaker, another neckbreaker, and a 2-count. Tozawa tries to fight back, Itami with a knee to the midsection, covers, 2-count, then puts him in a rear chinlock.
Tozawa battles out, Itami with a knee, Tozawa applies the octopus stretch, but Itami counters with a sidewalk slam for 2. Itami kicks him in the legs, Tozawa catches him with a hurricanrana, hits a shining wizard, goes up top, Daivari tries for a distraction, Tozawa connects with a missile dropkick to Itami, Itami rolls out the ring, but Tozawa quickly followed up with a suicide dive! Back in the ring Tozawa gets a near-fall, grabs him for a suplex, Daivari grabs onto Itami until Kendrick chases him away, Itami blocks the suplex, does the spinning neck drape on the ropes, goes up top, hits the diving clothesline and gets another 2-count.
Itami picks him up, quick strikes, blocks a suplex, knee to the side of the head, Tozawa with a kick to the jaw, hurricanrana sends Itami into the middle turnbuckle, running leg lariat to the back of the neck, goes up top, Daivari with another distraction, Kendrick gets in his face as Itami crotches Tozawa on the top rope, Itami picks him up on his shoulders, Tozawa counters and picks him up, Itami rakes his eyes, Tozawa attempts a roll-up, Itami hits a discus lariat, gets a near-fall, delivers the falcon arrow and gets yet another near-fall. Tozawa blocks the finisher, connects with an enziguiri, Kendrick hypes up his partner, Daivari with a cheap shot to Kendrick, Tozawa sees this, Itami attacks him from behind, goes for the hesitation dropkick but Tozawa moved and Daivari eats the attack! Tozawa delivers a snap German suplex, drags him into position, goes up top, hits the DIVING SENTON and gets the 1-2-3! WINNER: AKIRA TOZAWA.
Kendrick gets in the ring to raise Tozawa's arm in victory. Daivari screams at them in disbelief as they leave, gets in the ring to wake up Itami, then BLASTS ITAMI WITH A LARIAT! What was that for? That's all for 205 Live!