Mohegan Sun Arena – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Tuesday, March 5, 2019
General Manager Drake Maverick recaps last week’s tournament action, as Tony Nese and Drew Gulak advanced and will face each other in the semifinals next week. Tonight, Humberto Carrillo faces NXT’s Oney Lorcan, and former Cruiserweight Champions Cedric Alexander and Akira Tozawa square off.
Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, and Aiden English are on commentary.
~MATCH #1~
Oney Lorcan defeats Humberto Carrillo in a First-Round Tournament Match. They show a really cool video package on Lorcan that makes me want to root for him even more than I already do. They start with some chain wrestling and things pick up quickly. Drew Gulak and Gentleman Jack Gallagher are watching on from backstage, with Carrillo t-shirts on. Both men seem adept at adapting to each other’s strengths, making this a very even contest. In the end, Lorcan hits the Half N Half Suplex to get the pin. This was probably Carrillo’s best performance thus far, and the chemistry with Lorcan was unexpected. I also was sure Carrillo was going to win so the result is a pleasant surprise.
Rating: ***¼
Backstage, Maria and Mike Kanellis are upset that Maverick set him up against a local competitor tonight. Maverick explains that Kanellis has a shoddy won/loss record, and that’s why he’s not in the tournament.
In the arena, Kanellis is set for a match with Colby Corino, but he attacks before the bell can even ring. Kanellis destroys poor Colby and leaves him laying for a no-contest.
Backstage, Tony Nese brags about his win over Kalisto last week. He faces Drew Gulak next week, and he notes that while he’s lost to Gulak in the past, he’s now a different Tony Nese.
Elsewhere, Cedric Alexander is pontificating about his history with Buddy Murphy and the Cruiserweight Championship.
~MATCH #2~
Cedric Alexander defeats Akira Tozawa in a First-Round Tournament Match. Both men are former Champions, and have only been in the ring with each other once before in a four-way match, so they start off cautiously. Tozawa controls early on by attacking the left arm, and Alexander counters by going after the midsection. Momentum shifts between the two top-tier competitors, and the crowd is into this more than they are a lot of 205 matches. Things pick up as they get deep in the match, and the crowd stays with them, chanting “205” and “This Is Awesome.” That doesn’t happen a lot in front of the 205 crowd. After a spirited back and forth final stretch, Alexander lands the Lumbar Check and gets the big win. Awesome match in front of a hot crowd. These two guys were great before they came to WWE, but it’s been really fun to watch how much better they’ve gotten in the last 3 years since coming in for the Cruiserweight Classic.
Rating: ****
JZ Says
Great episode of 205 Live, as they prove that no other brand does tournaments as well as they do. Both matches were good and different, and really showcased what makes 205 Live unique. I love this tournament already. Bring on the semifinals!
