It’s a WWE Cruiserweight Civil War!
Lio Rush and Tony Nese are team captains in a coming 5v5 tag match, but first are going head to head in a Captain’s Challenge! Will Team NXT or Team 205 take the lead in this WWE Cruiserweight crossover?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Joaquin Wilde VS Raul Mendoza; Wilde wins.
- Captain’s Challenge: Lio Rush VS Tony Nese w/ Mike Kanellis; Rush wins, by disqualification.
PLAY BY PLAY
Joaquin Wilde VS Raul Mendoza!
Before that massive main event, this growing rivalry has its tiebreaker! Will Wilde run wild in Bean Town? Or will the Mendoza Line finally get ahead?
The bell rings and Mendoza shotgun dropkicks Wilde! Cover, ONE, but Mendoza puts him in a corner. Mendoza CHOPS Wilde then whips him corner to corner. He hits a forearm then a half hatch suplex! Cover, TWO! Wilde gasps for air as Mendoza is right on him again. Mendoza has Wilde in an armlock and cranks back with a chinbar. Wilde endures and fans build to a rally. Wilde gets up but Mendoza knees low to snapmare and basement dropkick! Cover, TWO! Mendoza grows frustrated and he clamps onto Wilde with a cobra clutch. Wilde endures as Mendoza leans on him. Mendoza grins as he keeps Wilde down, but Wilde fights his way up.
Wilde throws body shots and backs Mendoza to a corner. The ref calls for the break but Wilde arm-drags Mendoza away. Mendoza runs in but gets a boot. Wilde rallies on Mendoza with lariats! And a jawbreaker! Mendoza elbows back and climbs up, but Wilde gets him for a POWERBOMB! Mendoza bails out, Wilde builds speed, but Mendoza ducks the slide. Wilde ducks the clothesline to mule kick back. Wilde goes up the steps and leaps, for a flying huricanrana! The air horn begins! Wilde puts Mendoza back in and heads up top, for a headscissors. Mendoza blocks so he gets double boots, and a somersault CODE BREAKER! Cover, TWO!
Mendoza survives the Rolling Thunder hybrid but Wilde heads back up top. Mendoza trips him up first! Wilde throws forearms but Mendoza throws haymakers. Mendoza climbs up as he and Wilde brawl! Wilde throws forearms but Mendoza CHOPS back! They just keep brawling, and Wilde sends Mendoza back. Mendoza somersault ENZIGURIS back! Wilde is dazed and Mendoza climbs up again. Mendoza says Wilde is NOT better than him, before he CHOPS again! Mendoza brings Wilde up in a fireman’s carry, but Wilde fights back! Wilde positions himself on Mendoza’s shoulders, for a SPINNING STEINER! Cover, ROPEBREAK! Mendoza survives and Wilde can’t believe it!
Wilde calms down and brings Mendoza up. He has double wristlocks, reels Mendoza in, but Mendoza wheelbarrow victory rolls! TWO, Mendoza waistlocks but Wilde bucks off the O’Conner roll. Wilde runs into Mendoza’s SPANISH FLY! Cover, TWO!! Wilde survives and Mendoza is frustrated on top of exhausted. Mendoza drags himself to ropes, grits his teeth, and looms over Wilde. Fans build to a rally as Wilde throws haymakers with Mendoza. Wilde staggers Mendoza but Mendoza throws hands back. The brawl gets heavy and Wilde gets the edge. Mendoza ducks to PACKAGE MICHINOKU! Cover, TWO!! Mendoza is beside himself! “What are you!?”
Wilde slowly rises but Mendoza stands on his hand. Mendoza grabs those hands, reels Wilde into the fireman’s carry! Wilde tries to huricanrana but Mendoza blocks that and brings Wilde back up. Wilde fights off the bomb, slips off and kangaroo, but Mendoza flips over the Wilde Thing! Mendoza misses his prawn hold but rolls through the roll up. Things speed up, Wilde ducks the enziguri! Wilde rolls to roll up, but gets a PENALTY KICK! LIONSAULT gets KNEES! WILDE THING!! Cover, Wilde wins!!
Winner: Joaquin Wilde, by pinfall
The tiebreaker was wild and so is the winner! Will the series end at 2-1? Or will Mendoza demand best 3 out of 5?
The WWE Cruiserweight crossover is coming.
In two weeks, it will be Team NXT VS Team 205 Live, Team Lio VS Team Nese! The Man of the Hour brings Tyler Breeze, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and the One Two, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch while The Premier Athlete brings his new tag partner, Mike Kanellis, the Gentleman Jack Gallagher, and the #205OG, Ariya Daivari & THE Brian Kendrick. Who wins this super showdown of Cruiserweight proportions?
Captain’s Challenge: Lio Rush VS Tony Nese w/ Mike Kanellis!
The team captains step up to represent their teams before the huge elimination match! Will the Man of the Hour collect? Or can #TonyAbs stay strong ahead of that Cruiserweight crossover?
The bell rings and Kanellis is fired up for Nese as he circles with Lio. Lio and Nese tie up, Nese waistlocks and pushes Lio away, and then Nese has Lio wait. Boston wants to see Nese flex! Well, actually, no, the fans boo. Nese and Lio tie up again, Lio wristlocks but Nese throws him down by his hair. Lio is livid as he rushes Nese but Nese goes to ropes. The ref tries to keep Lio back but Lio yanks Nese right off! Nese rams Lio into the corner but the ref tries to separate them. Nese lets up and complains, but then swings on Lio! Lio easily dodges the fists and then headlocks. Nese powers out and runs him over! Fans boo but Kanellis flexes for Nese.
Nese runs but Lio trips him up! Lio runs, gets under, holds ropes and kicks low. Lio clubs Nese then CHOPS him to a corner! Fans “WOO~” for that one, and the next CHOP! Lio brings Nese out but Nese back kicks hard! Nese throws heavy forearms then throws Lio at ropes, but Lio springboards to arm-drag! Lio speeds up, kicks and enziguris! Nese bails out and Lio flexes. Fans fire up as Lio builds speed, but has to change directions as Nese returns! Lio sunset flips but Nese rolls through, to back KICK! Kanellis is pumped as Nese covers, TWO! Lio lives but Nese stomps him down. Nese drags Lio up to club him all around, but fans rally up behind Lio.
Lio throws forearms back but Nese throws him out of the ring. Lio gets up and shoulders in, but gets a knee from Nese! Nese knees Lio more while he’s in the ropes. The ref reprimands Nese but Nese goes back to Lio. Lio shovels Nese out and then springboard corkscrew sentons! Direct hit takes Nese down! Fans fire up with Lio as he brings Nese into the ring. Kanellis lurks close but stays back when Lio points at him. Lio goes up to the top rope, but Nese SHORYUKENS! Nese has Lio stuck on the rope, Top Shelf KICK into the fireman’s carry! Gut buster drop! Cover, TWO! Nese keeps his cool as he drags Lio into the body scissors. Lio endures as Nese puts on the squeeze.
Fans rally as Lio endures, and Lio throws elbows to get free. Nese goes after Lio again but Lio fires off palm strikes and the forearm. Nese ducks the back hand and shoves, but Lio sunset flips. Lio ducks Nese’s back kick to victory roll now, TWO! Nese throat chops! Then hotshot bulldogs! Nese is up fast, Premier Triangle! Cover, TWO!! Lio still lives and Boston is fired up! Nese glares at Lio as he goes to the ropes. Nese CHOPS Lio in the corner then flexes at Boston. Boston boos and Lio kicks back! Nese stomps Lio down for that, but the ref counts as Nese stomps the mudhole. Nese backs off at 4 and drags Lio back up. He puts Lio on the top rope and then CHOPS again. He climbs up top and brings Lio up, but Lio resists the superplex.
Lio throws body shots but Nese gives them back. Nese tries again but Lio still holds on. Lio punches Nese until he falls! Nese flounders while Lio adjusts, for a big crossbody! Lio keeps moving and rallies with lariats. Lio whips but Nese reverses, only for Lio to duck, dodge and tilt-o-whirl DDT! Cover, TWO! Kanellis is relieved that Nese survived, but Lio says it is time. Lio dares Nese to get up, then runs, but Nese anchors a foot. Lio clubs Nese but Nese flips him back to back kick! Nese runs to knee lift then windmill kick! Lio flounders to a corner as Kanellis grins. Nese runs in but Lio BOOTS back! Lio hops up, leaps, but into Nese’s arms!
Nese swings Lio around, NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridge, TWO, but Nese rolls right to get a BOSTON CRAB! A Boston Crab in Boston but from a New Yorker! Lio endures as fans rally. Lio drags himself towards ropes, but Nese drags him away! Nese sits down deeper and Kanellis taunts Lio. Lio refuses to give up and powers up, to slip out and throw hands! Nese lets go and walks into Lio’s kangaroo boots! Lio kicks a leg out, rewind heel kick! Kanellis gets on the apron, to get the handspring heel kick! Nese rolls Lio up!! TWO!! Lio dodges Nese, springboard, THE COME UP! Cover, but Kanellis attacks!
Winner: Lio Rush, by disqualification
The Opportunist of Love hates that his new pal was about to lose, so he makes sure Lio doesn’t get to enjoy it! Kanellis and Nese stomp Lio down, but here come the BritAm Brawlers! Lorcan & Burch are Team Lio and are here to save their captain! Fans cheer as Boston’s own Lorcan brawls with Kanellis! Burch gets Nese and the brawlers run them out of the ring! But Kanellis SUPERKICKS Lorcan back, and Nese rocks Burch! Burch and Nese throw more hands while Kanellis sends Lorcan into barriers.
Burch throws Nese into railings as they go up the ramp, and Lorcan follows behind, dragging Kanellis by a headlock. This brawl goes to the back, and Lio finds himself alone. Lio stands as the official announcement is made, but then he gets a DROPKICK! The Gentleman, Jack Gallagher, returns to 205 Live! Gallagher sports new ink under that track suit, having shed the Gentleman persona. But not the HEADBUTT! Is Nese’s team that much more dangerous now that Gallagher has transformed? Will 205 Live prove they still have the better Cruiserweights in the WWE?
My Thoughts:
This was an odd episode that doesn’t really ease my concerns for the fate of 205 Live. For one, this episode was only half an hour long. Word was that this episode was recorded before tonight’s SmackDown, but the crowd didn’t seem to be much different than how they are after SmackDown, as far as Wilde VS Mendoza went. Wilde VS Mendoza was a really good match, and it’s pretty great for Wilde to get the tiebreaker. I wonder if they’ll keep this feud going, and then as I said before, bring about the true origins of them as a tag team. Or maybe Mendoza turns Heel in the event he loses two in a row.
Another concern is that, didn’t they say this week would be the 5v5? Is it that WWE realized they need to stretch things for 205 Live until WrestleMania? Or did they realize in the last seven days that they needed to even figure out who was available for the match? Because I’ll say it again, the WWE Draft gutted 205 Live just to put Akira Tozawa, Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali and Lucha House Party in limbo on Raw and SmackDown. And though they say this is NXT VS 205 Live, it’s really more like 90% 205 Live regulars, and then they made Lio Rush the captain of one team. If they could’ve thought to do this in a more Worlds Collide way, throwing in some NXT UK Cruiserweights, I’d be as excited for this as I was last week.
However, I will say Gallagher’s return was rather well done. His new look, from the crew cut to the scruffier beard to the tattoos on his chest and left arm, is definitely fitting of that sinister side he was showing before he disappeared. It might be a bit late to circle back and have Gallagher VS Maverick (or Maverick’s proxy) but it could still be possible. At this point, I feel like Team 205 Live will find a way to win, given how all five of their superstars are Heels and know how to cheat.
My Score: 7.9/10
