Angel of the Winds Arena – Everett, WA – Tuesday, February 5, 2019
General Manager Drake Maverick announces tonight’s main event – a four-way match featuring Cedric Alexander, Akira Tozawa, Humberto Carrillo, and Lio Rush, with the winner going on to Elimination Chamber to face Buddy Murphy for the WWE Cruiserweight Title.
Vic Joseph, Aiden English, and Nigel McGuinness are on commentary.
~MATCH #1~
The Brian Kendrick defeats Mike Kanellis (w/ Maria Kanellis). This is a random match with no real rhyme or reason. Maria is on commentary again, so hopefully it goes better than last week. Aiden and Maria argue some more, so no, it’s not better. I hate this. Kendrick has the advantage early on, but Maria gets involved to help her husband take control. Kanellis is really boring on offense. Kendrick comes back with Sliced Bread #2 from out of nowhere to get the pin. Dull, listless match with a finish out of nowhere. Are they doing a losing streak gimmick with Kanellis? Who did that ever work for?
Rating: *½
Backstage, Ariya Daivari is upset because he had Hideo Itami’s back when no one else did, and Itami still failed. Daivari decides that if you want something done it’s best to do it yourself.
Elsewhere, the four participants in tonigiht’s main event get a little promo time to talk about why they’re going to be the next #1 Contender.
The commentators recap Tony Nese’s parking lot attack on Noam Dar last week. They don’t address why Nese was allowed to compete in the Worlds Collide tournament.
Elsewhere, Maverick denies Drew Gulak and Gentleman Jack Gallagher’s request to be in Humberto Carrillo’s corner for the main event. Gulak is just worried the kid might head down the wrong path, you see. Noam Dar comes in and says he’s ready to go and wants to face Nese next week. Maverick tries to argue with him, but Dar is insistent. Thus, Maverick agrees to make a No Disqualification Match between them for next week.
~MATCH #2~
Akira Tozawa defeats Cedric Alexander, Humberto Carrillo, and Lio Rush in a Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. The good guys gang up on Rush, so he has to work extra hard to avoid them. Jerks. The action is fast and furious, as the good guys realize they can fight each other too. Even so, Rush is the first one to go when Alexander drops him with the Lumbar Check. Alexander tries to follow up but it looks like he injures himself on a springboard move. Everyone fights on the top rope and Alexander gets dumped to the floor. Tozawa knocks Carrillo down to the apron and follows with the senton bomb for the second elimination. We’re down to two. Alexander and Tozawa are both former Champions and they’d love another shot at the title. They take it to each other with aggression, countering back and forth. In the end, Tozawa gets Alexander in position and flattens him with the senton bomb to get the pin. Great action from four wrestlers I enjoy watching, though I wish Rush would’ve gotten to the end. They kept the action going and made the Cruiserweight Title feel important. Tozawa v Murphy is a match I’m stoked to see.
Rating: ***¾
Buddy Murphy comes up on the Titan Tron to taunt his next challenger, promising to defeat him.
JZ Says
Another excellent main event from the purple brand, and it set up a Title match I really want to see so I’m happy about that. Whatever is going on with Mike and Maria Kanellis does NOT make me happy though, and neither does Aiden English on commentary. Dar v Nese next week should be good.
