New number one contender for Cruiserweight title crowned during AAA on Fox

TJ Perkins is back under the WWE umbrella and has already earned a future title match.

TJP defeated Mini Vikingo, Chris Carter, and Elio LeFleur during Saturday’s taped show to earn a Cruiserweight title match against champion Laredo Kid at a future date. The finish of the match had Mini Vikingo cover Carter, but TJP launched himself off the turnbuckle and hit the mamba splash on Vikingo. He then covered Carter to earn the title match.

After the match, El Ojo (El Hijo del Vikingo, Omos, and Dorian Roldan) came to the ring. TJP bailed, buut Vikingo asked TJP to put Mini Vikingo back into the ring, and TJP obliged. Omos then proceeded to powerbomb Mini Vikingo twice as Vikingo berated him for using his name, saying he no longer had permission to use it or his moves.

Perkins is a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion and was with the company from 2016 through 2019. After his release he returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he was a member of the United Empire stable. He and Templario dropped the New Japan Strong Tag Team titles to Angel de Oro and Niebla Roja back in November, with reports at the time saying he had finished up with NJPW.

Impact Wrestling results: Swann vs. Elgin vs. Johnny, TJP returns

This week’s episode was from Impact’s television tapings at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. The opening video recapped the ongoing story between Moose and RVD, Jessicka Havok’s return, Sami Callihan antagonizing the Knockouts, the escalating feud between Eddie Edwards and Killer Kross, and Michael Elgin taking out everyone in front of him.

The Twitch stream was hosted by Don Callis at some points. Callis wasn’t in all of the commercial breaks, so we got a couple of Flashback Moments too.

Tessa Blanchard defeated Jake Crist

The match started with fast-paced action as Blanchard went straight for Crist with forearms, a cutter, and a trifecta of suicide dives. Blanchard quickly went for the Magnum, but Crist caught her with a superkick as she came down.

Crist worked over Blanchard and raked his arm all over her face. He got cocky and gave Blanchard a small chance for her to come back with more forearms, but the offense didn’t last long as Crist locked in a great looking modified Koji Clutch until Blanchard made the ropes.

Crist got a couple of moves in, then Blanchard started a slow comeback via strikes, finally managing to take him down with a tornado DDT counter for a two count. Crist caught Blanchard with a Death Valley Driver for two.

Blanchard hit three superkicks and suckered Crist into the Magnum for the pinfall victory. Strong win for Blanchard — the build to Impact’s intergender matches is going good and makes the whole story with Glenn Gilbertti worth it in hindsight.

After the match, the rest of oVe came out to berate Jake Crist. Blanchard got out of the way, but locked eyes with Callihan and called him out.

Without wait, Eddie Edwards came out for the next match.

Madman Fulton (w/ Sami Callihan) defeated Eddie Edwards

Edwards took out Dave Crist and Callihan, then clotheslined Fulton to the outside as they started brawling around the ring before the match started. Fulton chokeslammed Edwards onto the apron and finally tossed him into the ring and the bell rang.

Fulton tossed Edwards around the ring, hit a second chokeslam, and then hit a third vicious one. Fulton hit a double underhook suplex for a two count. As he went for a running clothesline, Edwards hit a desperation dropkick to earn a couple of seconds.

Fulton went to powerbomb Edwards to the floor, but Edwards held on and reversed it into a rana. Edwards landed a German suplex and a Blue Thunder Bomb to earn a two count.

Callihan kept distracting from the outside, so Edwards took him out with a dive. Edwards grabbed his new kendo stick, but suddenly, Killer Kross was on the screen with Sandman tied up. Kross tortured Sandman as he teased Edwards. The distraction gave Fulton the time to recover, hit the End of Days, and pin Edwards.

– Backstage, Alisha Edwards tried to talk Eddie out of getting into another crazy war, now with Killer Kross. Eddie didn’t want to listen to her.

Moose defeated Tommy Dreamer

Dreamer took advantage of Moose coming out hot, but Moose had the power advantage and quickly gained control outside the ring. Dreamer managed to reverse Moose and whip him to the ring post and drop him over the shoulder. Dreamer then started removing the floor pads, only for Moose to drop him back-first onto the apron.

Back in the ring, Moose choked out Dreamer against the ropes and tortured Dreamer with strikes and chokes, but he kept underestimating Dreamer. Eventually, Dreamer hit a desperation cutter, dropping Moose and earning a couple of seconds to recover. They traded blows until Dreamer got the Dusty Elbow and dropped Moose with a DDT for a two count.

Dreamer hit a superplex for another two count. Moose whipped Dreamer into the buckle and went for a spear, but Dreamer blocked it and hit one of his own. After failing to pin Moose, Dreamer went for a steel chair, but Moose pulled the referee to protect himself, kicked the chair into Dreamer’s face, and hit No Jackhammer Needed to pin Dreamer for the win.

This was an okay match — nothing special. Dreamer using the chair felt backwards considering Moose is the heel.

After the match, Moose attacked Dreamer with the chair and went for a Van Terminator, but RVD came out for the save before Moose could hit it.

– Backstage, Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo were looking for Rosemary. Taya told Rosemary that she needs her to deal with Su Yung and Havok. Taya offered Rosemary a shot at the gold if she takes care of the pest.

– Melissa Santos interviewed Johnny Impact and Bravo. Impact talked about Elgin making a big mistake by attacking him last week after he helped him. Impact said he gets his payback tonight — and after he’s done with Elgin, he’s cashing in his X-Division title shot at Slammiversary.

Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie defeated Su Yung (w/ Father James Mitchell and Havok) by DQ

They started the match by trading slaps and forearms. Yung went for an early Panic Switch, but Taya blocked it and hit a rolling German. Taya went for the running hip attack, but Yung dodged and hit some strikes before Taya once again hit a German, but into the turnbuckles now, getting a two count.

Taya hit the running hip attack and running knees into the corner for another two count. She started getting more and more comfortable, playing to the crowd, until she gave Yung enough time to recover and get some offense in.

Yung hit the turnbuckle crawl rana for a two count and locked in something similar to Napalm, but Taya made the ropes. Yung hit a draping DDT for another near fall. Yung finally went for her glove.

Yung went for the Mandible Claw, but Taya blocked her and hit a Curb Stomp for a two count. Yung kept chasing the Claw, but Taya instead hit an armbreaker and started working on Yung’s arms.

Taya went for a moonsault, but took too long and gave Yung the time to stop her and for Havok to get in the ring and attack Taya for the disqualification. This was pretty good and clean given the participants.

Yung seemed mad with Havok for costing her the title. All three ganged up on Taya, but Rosemary came out for the save.

James Mitchell took the mic and told Rosemary that this was a time for celebration and said that at Slammiversary, all four women present are invited to a Monster’s Ball. Everyone except Taya seemed excited for this four-way Monster’s Ball match.

– Ace Austin cut a promo in the ring. He was arrogant and brought up that he is the only one in Impact that is still unpinned and undefeated. He said that he is the future of the X-Division and beyond, and soon, Impact will be the Ace Division.

Austin made his intentions clear for the X-Division Championship and made an open challenge. Out came the returning TJ Perkins.

TJ Perkins defeated Ace Austin

TJP got the upper hand quickly with speed, tossing Austin outside with a rana and following up with a springboard dropkick to the floor. Austin hit a forearm, rammed TJP into the apron, and landed a knee strike.

Back in the ring, Austin went for a rana, but TJP countered into a powerbomb and followed with a flying crossbody and the Detonation Kick for the win.

This was good, but too short. It was underwhelming for Austin’s first loss, but a great return for TJP. It’s best to get rid of Austin’s streak so he can start a proper feud now.

– Backstage, Eddie Edwards was looking for Kross before going to commercial.

– The Rascalz cut a promo from their tree house. They talked about their upcoming Tag Team title shot at Slammiversary. Konnan joined them and put them over as great upcoming kids, but he said that they lacked respect. Konnan told them to earn respect in the ring and get work done in the ring. Konnan then asked for a hit of whatever they were smoking. Good promo by Konnan.

– The Impact Plus Flashback Moment of the Week was the mask vs. hair match between Pentagon Jr. and Sami Callihan from last year’s Slammiversary.

– Eddie Edwards finally found the hooded man that Kross had, but it was a swerve and Kross blindsided him. They brawled until Alisha Edwards tried to stop Eddie again. Kross was spitting blood asking for more, and it seemed like Eddie drank the blood as he rose with a mouth full of it, scaring his wife away. I don’t think this writes off Kross, but it was pretty brutal.

– Callihan cut a video promo. He said that he is a calculating man and knew that Blanchard wanted to be treated as equal and make history. He challenged Blanchard to a one-on-one match at Slammiversary and promised to treat her like he treated Pentagon Jr., Brian Cage, and Rich Swann.

X-Division Champion Rich Swann defeated Johnny Impact and Michael Elgin in a non-title triple threat match

Elgin and Johnny argued with each other over who would take out Swann first until they decided to work together against him, but Swann smartly decided to exit the ring and let Elgin and Johnny fight it out for a bit until he came back with a flying crossbody.

Elgin was sent outside and kept there while Swann and Johnny traded reversals inside the ring. Swann hit a tornillo on Elgin, followed by one from Johnny. Swann and Johnny started a battle of one-upsmanship until Elgin came back in the ring and took them out with a double German suplex.

Elgin worked on both of his opponents with running clotheslines, but once again he couldn’t handle both of them at the same time. Swann hit a jumping rana on Johnny, tossing him on top of Elgin for a two count. Swann chased the 450, but Elgin blocked him and hit an Air Raid Crash. Johnny hit a running knee and standing splashes on both men.

Elgin went for a German on Johnny, who blocked it and got a discus lariat instead. Elgin hit a Thunder Bomb for a two count. Elgin went for the Elgin Bomb, but Swann stopped him and all three men traded superkicks. Swann got the final hit with a double cutter on both men.

Swann went for a superplex on Johnny, but Elgin got him in an electric chair, setting him up for a Disaster Kick from Johnny, which then became a reverse rana on Elgin. Johnny went for Starship Pain on Elgin, but Elgin dodged. Elgin went for a lariat, but Johnny dodged that.

Johnny and Elgin traded superkicks until Johnny hit a Spanish Fly on Elgin, but as he landed, Swann surprised Johnny with a 450 from the other corner for the win. Great match given the short time it got.

After the match, Swann celebrated — but Elgin stood up behind him. Swann hit Elgin with a roundhouse kick and connected with a spinning back kick on Johnny, but John E. Bravo came in with the big red X and took out Swann.

Elgin and Johnny traded words, but suddenly, World Champion Brian Cage finally made his return, took out Johnny Impact and John E. Bravo, and faced off with Elgin. Elgin went to attack Cage, but Cage took him out with a jumping knee and a powerslam. Cage looked healed and has good motion.

Final Thoughts —

Good episode. It wasn’t the go-home show, but it did a great job at building some of the final touches for Slammiversary with the announcement of new matches and the return of Cage. The show inside the ring was really strong, but the matches were not particularly long.

WWE 205 Live results: Neville puts his title on the line against TJP

The Big Takeaway —

Neville and TJP shined brightly in an outstanding main event. Cedric Alexander looked strong, while Rich Swann was showcased in an excellent video package.

Show Recap —

The finish of the Cruiserweight title match at Extreme Rules was shown, followed by Neville’s beating of TJP on Raw.

Noam Dar came out while Corey Graves and Tom Phillips talked about Alicia Fox not being with him. The fans yelled “where’s Alicia?” and Dar talked about her for a bit before yammering about Cedric Alexander and saying that Fox is recovering at home.

Whoever decided to start the show off with a long Noam Dar promo should be fired. Alexander came out to thankfully save things and prevent Dar from talking more.

Cedric Alexander defeated Noam Dar

Alexander locked on an armbar before Dar desperately got to the rope and yelled at the ref to break it up. Dar went outside and ate a nasty forearm and a chop. Dar faceplanted him for two. Dar locked on a nasty armbar before punting the elbow — he’s got a sadistic streak to him that works well.

Dar went for a kick, but Alexander caught his leg and used his good arm for a spinning back elbow strike. Alexander hit the springboard lariat for two. Dar connected with a soccer kick to the knee to send Alexander on his face before cradling him for two.

A nasty punt to the ribs got two for Dar, and then a big kick to Alexander sent him back — but Alexander caught a rushing Dar into a crazy tossing Lumbar Check to win it. Dar’s corkscrew selling on this was incredible.

An in-depth video package on TJP showed him winning the Cruiserweight Classic and becoming the inaugural champion of this version of the title. TJP chatted with Dasha Fuentes about leading the generation and being great — so he’s still cocky despite somewhat being a babyface.

Louie Valle was in the ring to face Mustafa Ali. Valle has a fireplug appearance — he’s got a giant head, but he’s stout and built like a fireplug along with tribal tattoos and the generic look of a mid-2000s created wrestler in a video game.

Mustafa Ali defeated Louie Valle

Ali dropkicked him before flipping. He landed a series of hard forearms before landing a high kick on the apron. He hit his neckbreaker and went for the inverted 450, but Drew Gulak tried to distract him with his No Fly Zone stuff and Valle got a near fall off a distraction cradle before Ali won with a reversal.

Gulak said he’s proud of him for winning with a grounded move. He cut a promo on the megaphone before Ali flipped on him.

A Rich Swann video showcased his love of dancing and how his life has been hard, but this WWE run has made it all worth it.

Titus O’Neil chatted to Akira Tozawa about making the Titus Brand international. O’Neil’s pink sweater vest under a tie and a suit jacket is something else and he is perfect as a manager — not so much for a cruiserweight since he’s gigantic, though.

TJP came out to face Neville.

WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville defeated TJP to retain his title

Graves compared Neville to Jose Aldo and Max Holloway at the start. Neville slapped TJP around a bit before his opponent gave him a taste of his own medicine.

They exchanged matwork before a half crab led to Neville scrambling to the ropes to escape. TJP went from one leg and back hold to another with a Tarantula in the corner to wear down Neville. Neville took TJP outside and slammed his jaw on the announce table before a hard mid-ring powerslam.

Neville got him in his sights before landing a missile dropkick and then landing an elbow to the jaw. TJP backdropped him to the floor before landing a corkscrew dive onto Neville. TJP landed the double chickenwing Codebreaker for two.

TJP went for the Detonation Kick, but Neville locked his feet in the ropes before faceplanting TJP. Neville landed a series of kicks before a sliding dropkick got two. Neville raked his boot on him before asking why TJ is making him do this. TJP started attacking the knee with dropkicks, but Neville recovered and went for a second rope phoenix splash.

It missed and TJ locked on the TJP Clutch! Graves talked about how this move gave TJP the title before, but Neville reversed it into the Rings of Saturn, which TJP turned into a cradle before Neville got a back-landing variant of the Rings of Saturn to win by submission.

This was an outstanding finishing sequence and this easily topped the PPV match.

WWE 205 Live results: Austin Aries and TJ Perkins battle it out

The Big Takeaway —

After beating TJ Perkins in the main event, Austin Aries was jumped by both him and Neville after the match, making it clear that he’s at a disadvantage at Payback with TJP in Neville’s corner.

Alicia Fox broke up with Noam Dar to hook up with Rich Swann, but Swann revealed his true intentions, leaving her in the dust. Tozawa and Kendrick continued their very long lesson session.

Show Recap —

Akira Tozawa came out for his match. As he did, they showed footage of what went down last week in the Tozawa/Brian Kendrick feud.

Akira Tozawa defeated Tony Nese

This was mostly just a match to further the angle — it wasn’t bad, but nothing you’d remember. Nese controlled a lot of the match. Halfway through, Kendrick came down to meddle. He started to hop on the apron, which got Nese’s attention and allowed Tozawa to roll him up for the win.

Nese was none too happy about this, and laid Kendrick out after sharing some words with him. Tozawa grabbed a mic on the outside and said this is lesson number three: you need to have eyes in the back of your head.

Rich Swann came out to talk about Alicia Fox, but was quickly cut off by Noam Dar, who wasn’t happy. He yelled at Swann about interfering in Dar and Fox’s relationship and called him a rat. Fox then came out. Swann asked who will it be, Foxxy? Dar, stunned, wanted to know what this was all about.

Fox first addressed Dar, dressing him down by saying his cologne stinks, he’s immature, and he can’t cook. She revealed that she never really cared about him, and was just using him as he seemed to have potential. She was also annoyed by the way he says “Alicia Foooooooooooooox.” She officially dumped him. The crowd halfheartedly at best sang the goodbye song as he left.

Fox then focused her attention on Swann, thanking him for all the gifts. Swann said they all came from the heart. She said she’s going to give him what he deserves, leaning in for a kiss, but he stopped her.

Swann asked if she remembered Cedric Alexander. He said she left Alexander high and dry; he’s one of his closest friends and for that you get what you deserve. He shunned her and made his exit.

Alicia said fine, being single is fine anyway. She went after the crowd over the “what” chants and started talking about Louisville being her city as she was eventually cut off.

Ariya Daivari came out wearing fancier new clothing. They’ve tweaked his gimmick a bit as he’s now rich and — as it was shown during his entrance — came into the arena today in a fancy new car (maybe a Jaguar?), and blew off the valet when he motioned for a tip.

Ariya Daivari defeated Mustafa Ali

Ali had the advantage early. He went for a tornado DDT but Daivari countered with a spinebuster. They had a pretty good back and forth match while it lasted. Ali was going for the imploding 450 splash when Drew Gulak came out with a megaphone and a sign saying “No Fly Zone.” This distracted Ali, allowing Daivari to ground him and lay him out with a hammerlock/lariat combo for the win.

Dasha Fuentes interviewed Gulak backstage. He said tonight we’ve seen the first steps of a bright future for 205 Live. Ali’s short-sighted high flying brand of competition — that has no future. He will stop at nothing to create a better 205 Live.

Austin Aries defeated TJ Perkins

I thought this was a solid main event. It probably would have been a better match with a hot crowd, but that can be said for virtually every episode of 205 Live.

Aries tweaked his knee when going for a 450 splash, giving Perkins the opportunity to work over that body part. Aries fought back and eventually did land the 450, but Perkins got his foot on the rope. Aries followed with the Last Chancery, but Perkins managed to make it to the ropes and bailed to the outside.

Aries went to throw him back in, but TJP cut him off and went for the detonation kick. Aries floated behind him and boxed his ears, then followed with the discus fivearm for the win.

Neville’s music hit as he came to the ring, looking for a fight. He tried to take Aries out but Aries countered with the Last Chancery. TJP came in and broke it up, then both of them stomped on the prone Aries. TJP laid him out with the detonation kick and Neville sealed the deal with the Rings of Saturn. 

TJP dabbed on the downed Aries as he and Neville made their exit, closing the show.

Final Thoughts —

Beyond the main event segment, which was pretty good, the rest of the show was subpar. This was a story-heavy episode of 205 Live, which means this episode in particular pretty much exposed that none of the stories are all that great right now. No one really reacted to anything going on, making everything feel flat and poorly executed. 

People can have all the talent in the world, but when you put them in scenarios that make it 10 times tougher to get over, most of the time even the most talented people can’t keep their head above water.

Between the predictable, flat ending of the Dar storyline they’ve been pushing for months, the Kendrick/Tozawa feud that feels like it’s never going to end, and the Gulak/Ali feud that already feels pretty bad, this episode was a perfect representation of that.

WWE 205 Live results: TJ Perkins takes on Jack Gallagher

The Big Takeaway —

TJ Perkins picked up a victory over Jack Gallagher, all while reaffirming his new friendship with Neville.

The jig seems to be up between Noam Dar, Alicia Fox, Rich Swann, and the mysterious gifts — or is it? Akira Tozawa has turned the tables on Brian Kendrick, now using his own mind games against him.

Show Recap —

Mustafa Ali defeated Brian Kendrick

This was just a typical back and forth match without a lot of heat. It eventually built into a pretty good bout but the crowd just wasn’t having it. The commentators brought up Tozawa’s win from last week over Kendrick, as well as Ali’s recent interactions with Drew Gulak, who was also shown looking at the monitor as the match progressed. 

Kendrick crotched Ali and transitioned to the bully choke but the bell rang. It turned out that Tozawa was the one who rang the bell before the submission, so the match continued. Ali immediately took out Kendrick with a kick on the apron and followed with his imploding 450 splash for the win.   

Tozawa said after the match this is lesson number two: appearances can be deceiving.

They showed footage from last night where TJ Perkins was confronted by Neville, telling him that he’s the only one who respects Perkins. TJP bought into this, and after rolling up a distracted Aries in their match, laid him out, officially siding with Neville.

Perkins was then interviewed. He said this isn’t about what he did to Austin Aries, it’s about what Aries did to him — he said that he is the victim. Gallagher came in and said he hopes he’ll have a more gentlemanly approach tonight. TJP didn’t want to hear it, he’s not the only one that’s benefited from his bad luck. 

Rich Swann defeated Johnny Ocean

This was mostly just a highlight reel for Swann, who looked good. He got the win with the phoenix splash in a short match.

Swann said after the match that people might have some questions about why he gave presents to Alicia Fox. We, of course, didn’t get those answers because Noam Dar came out and called him a liar. He’s been the one sending the gifts. They started arguing when Alicia Fox came out, and called Swann a liar, though she knows he’s been looking at her.

Another delivery guy came in and delivered the latest gift to Fox. Dar took credit for the present and told Swann to leave. He obliged as Dar gave Fox the gift. She asked what it was, and Dar said that it’s a surprise. When she opened it, a bunch of white powder flew into her face. Flour? Baking soda? Powdered sugar? Something else? No one ever said as Swann was shown, pleased.

An Austin Aries interview was next. It seems like TJP wants to blame him for his lack of success. Aries said Neville doesn’t want a friend, he wants a puppet. He claimed Neville wants TJP to be a buffer in their match at Payback. He’s done this dance before, and he’ll do it again until he’s Cruiserweight Champion. He then dabbed with his banana and left.

TJ Perkins defeated Jack Gallagher

TJP hit a DDT on one of Gallagher’s legs and worked on it for a lot of the early part of the match. Gallagher came back with a giant superplex off the top rope. TJP went for a comeback but Gallagher caught him with the ring apron and delivered a big time headbutt.

Gallagher tried to mount a comeback, but his leg was shot. TJP nailed the detonation kick, pinning Gallagher. This was a good match, but again the crowd was just there.

Neville came out and raised Perkins’ hand as the show ended.

Final Thoughts —

This was an okay show, but the same problems that have plagued 205 Live for months are still here. There was good action, but the crowd didn’t care as they had already seen SmackDown. None of the midcard stuff stands out when people work the same as the heavyweights, which defeats the purpose of a cruiserweight division.

And to top it off, while both brands over the last two weeks have featured a ton of changes and new programs, 205 Live is going ahead with the same old feuds that we’ve seen for a while now. So while these shows aren’t bad by any means, compared to other shows going on in the last few weeks, 205 Live feels stagnant.

WWE 205 Live results: Neville’s next challenger is decided

The Big Takeaway —

Austin Aries defeated three other men to get another shot at Neville’s Cruiserweight title. Rich Swann, after defeating Oney Lorcan, said that he is the one sending gifts to Alicia Fox. Akira Tozawa turned the tables on Brian Kendrick, doing what he needed to pick up a win against him.

Show Recap —

They showed still footage of what went down at WrestleMania. Aries had Neville beat with the Last Chancery, but Neville took advantage of Aries’ injured orbital socket and picked up the win, retaining his championship.

Kendrick came out to start the show. He said he can’t believe Tozawa asked for this rematch. He claimed that rule number 10 is that it’s not about athleticism, but superior psychology. 

Akira Tozawa defeated Brian Kendrick

They had an alright match. Tozawa did a nice suicide dive on the outside at one point. He raked Kendrick’s eye while they were both on the top rope. Tozawa came back down but looked to injure his knee. Kendrick went to complain to the referee, then picked up Tozawa but he played possum and rolled up Kendrick for the win.

Tozawa told Kendrick he taught him lesson number one…which he didn’t explain. I guess that cheaters always prosper, or something.

Rich Swann defeated Oney Lorcan

Lorcan jumped Swann right at the bell, unleashing a big European uppercut to the corner. Lorcan went for a half nelson suplex off the top rope but Swann landed on his feet. Lorcan grabbed him and hit a running Alabama slam into the corner. Swann came back, hitting a hurricanrana off the top rope and then pinning Lorcan with a phoenix splash.

This was really good, with Lorcan showing some great, crisp offense.

Swann took a mic after the match and talked about how Alicia Fox has been getting presents for the last few weeks. Noam Dar has been taking credit for them, but it wasn’t Dar who was delivering those gifts — it was Swann. He left it at that.

Mustafa Ali was heading to the ring when Drew Gulak stopped him. Ali said he doesn’t buy what Gulak is selling. Gulak said all he wants to do is to give him one last chance to be on the right side of history. Ali walked past him, letting Gulak know how he feels.

Trent Seven, Mark Andrews, Wolfgang, Pete Dunne, and Tyler Bate all appeared on stage. They will be touring with the 205 Live crew in England on May 6th and 7th.

Neville came out and said there is no one on his level, and it feels good being right. He told everyone not to buy into the rumors about him gouging Aries’ eye out of desperation — he did it because he deserved it. He wanted to thank each and every person in the audience for never believing in him, they lit a fire in his belly and he became royalty. 

He thanked Aries, then the entire 205 Live roster because their futile efforts to take the title off him have only bolstered his reputation. He’ll take a ringside seat tonight to watch the number one contender’s bout.

Austin Aries defeated Mustafa Ali, Jack Gallagher, and TJ Perkins to earn a Cruiserweight title shot

Ali took everyone out with a triple neckbreaker, which was pretty cool. They followed that with a tower of doom spot. Aries went to suplex Ali but got out of the way so Gallagher could fly right into Ali’s temple, sending him careening to the outside.

TJP hit the detonation kick but Gallagher came back with a headbutt. Aries dispatched Gallagher to the outside then pinned TJP with the five-arm. There have been better multi-man bouts, but this was still pretty good and had its moments.

Final Thoughts —

This was a solid show following WrestleMania. No new programs seem to be on the horizon, save for whatever Gulak/Ali is developing into, which is kind of a shame. Lorcan is a nice addition to the roster, but it remains unclear if this was just a one time thing or a call up.

It was nothing revolutionary, but a serviceable show with a hotter crowd than usual.

WWE 205 Live results: Fatal five-way elimination main event

The Big Takeaway —

Austin Aries won a fatal five-way elimination match, earning a Cruiserweight title shot against Neville at WrestleMania. Alicia Fox continues to get gifts from a mysterious benefactor, all while Noam Dar attempts to claim the gifts as his own. Mustafa Ali continued to build momentum, scoring a win over an increasingly frustrated Drew Gulak.

Show Recap —

Neville started out the show, talking about how he was robbed of his WrestleMania moment last year, and to top it all off he had been forgotten by each and every member of the WWE Universe. He said people in the five-way tonight vying to win a shot at his title are irrelevant. At WrestleMania, he will make them regret having such foolish ambitions.

Mustafa Ali’s music hit, and he glanced at Neville as he headed to the ring to start off tonight’s in-ring action.

Mustafa Ali defeated Drew Gulak

This had quick action and was mostly just a backdrop to showcase Ali. He comes off as someone they can do something with — he has some charisma, a unique moveset, and has a cool finisher. He picked up the win with the inverted 450 splash.

Gulak wasn’t happy after the match, taking a mic to vent. He said week after week he does his best work in that ring and that he’s tired of being frustrated. He’s not the problem, he is not the one that needs to change. The problem is 205 Live, and this needs to change.

Ariya Daivari was getting ready backstage when Noam Dar walked in, saying he’s tired of Rich Swann getting the one up on him, hence why he requested a rematch tonight. Daivari said he doesn’t need a motivational speech. Dar said they need to win this tonight.

Noam Dar & Ariya Daivari defeated Jack Gallagher & Rich Swann

This had good action, especially when Swann was in, but the crowd was just dead for this match. Swann was distracted by Daivari and walked right into an enzuigiri by Dar for the win.

Dar said each week he spoils Alicia Fox with beautiful gifts. The real gifts, however, cannot be bought — they come from the heart. And tonight, his gift to Alicia was this win…and a teddy bear that was randomly delivered right in the middle of the sentence. The mystery man mystery continues.

Austin Aries defeated Brian Kendrick, Akira Tozawa, Tony Nese, and TJ Perkins in a fatal five-way elimination match to become the number one contender for the Cruiserweight title

The early part of the match had mostly everyone out of the ring while others traded submissions on the mat. Aries went up on the top rope but Kendrick shoved him down near the barricade. Nese followed that up with a running knee into Aries, his head smashing into the barricade.

In the ring, TJP eliminated Nese with the armbar. Nese didn’t like that and laid out TJP. Tozawa took him out, but Kendrick flew in, grabbed an unsuspecting Tozawa, and planted him with the Sliced Bread to eliminate him.

Kendrick continued his spree by sinking in the Captain’s Hook on TJP, but he escaped as they made their way to the top rope. Aries came in and took them both down. Kendrick soon managed to get TJP back in the Captain’s Hook and submitted him. Kendrick then put it on Aries but TJP broke it up. Aries tried to go for the roaring elbow but instead struck TJP.

Kendrick followed that by hitting Sliced Bread but Aries kicked out. Once again, the Captain’s Hook was applied by Kendrick. Aries made it to the ropes but it couldn’t be broken as it’s an elimination match.

They both got up on their feet, but Aries was the first to react, hitting the roaring elbow and pinning Kendrick to become the number one contender.

Final Thoughts —

This was a dead show for the most part; this was one of those weeks where the crowd just didn’t seem to care, though it picked up in parts for the main event. With the WrestleMania match for this program now set, I’m looking forward to seeing how momentum continues to build toward Aries heading into the grandaddy of them a-er, I mean, the Ultimate Thrill Ride, WrestleMania.

WWE NXT results: Shinsuke Nakamura returns

The Big News: Mr. William Regal announced that Shinsuke Nakamura would challenge for the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Orlando against whoever is the champion after next week’s Bobby Roode vs. Kassius Ohno match.

The Medium News: Shinsuke Nakamura returned and defeated TJ Perkins in the main event.

The Little Beaver-sized News: Asuka vs. Ember Moon was also booked for TakeOver.

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This is the first week of the tapings at the University of Central Florida arena. They were last here right after the 2016 Royal Rumble.

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Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young never got started

We kicked things off with the Perfect 10, who was still over at UCF, going one-on-one with the former TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

EY sent SAnitY to the back at the start of the match, but they returned before the bell rang and brought with them a beaten Roderick Strong. Dillinger forgot about the match to tend to his friend and was soon joined by No Way Jose. Young stood in the ring and screamed that Dillinger did this.

As referees helped Strong out, Dillinger and Jose hit the ring and took out all of SAnitY until the numbers game finally did them in. Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe laid out Jose with their double team move and Young laid out Dillinger with the wheelbarrow neckbreaker.

*********

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce did a video earlier today where they looked for the perfect place to put their award for Breakout Star of the Year. They walked by the trophy for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and stated they needed some sort of display that was similar.

They came upon Ember Moon working out while they were doing this. They talked trash through a window until Moon tried to go after them.

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A video package aired for a debuting wrestler, which was Aleister Black (the former Tommy End). He was surrounded by candles and his final line was “fade to black.”

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Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated HoHo Lun

HoHo Lun is back and is facing the only man on NXT with pyro — Andrade “Cien” Almas. Almas was distracted by the fans chanting for Lun and almost got rolled up for the pin in 10 seconds. This match was all Almas other than that and he won with the hammerlock DDT.

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Ember Moon defeated Billie Kay

This match was set up during Kay and Royce’s shenanigans documented earlier and will allegedly go a long way in naming a new top contender to Asuka.

Moon was on fire early and probably would have won quickly, but Royce ran a distraction, which allowed Kay to take over. Kay hit Eat Defeat, but Moon kicked out. Moon made her comeback and not even Royce could stop her as she hit The Eclipse for the dominant win. Royce had climbed onto the apron, but got back down when Moon threatened to punch her in the face.

Royce pouted after the match. Kay sold a neck injury and needed help to go to the back. The fans gave her an ovation as she left the ring.

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TJ Perkins said he goes where the competition is and he’s looking forward to facing Shinsuke Nakamura tonight, mentioning that they trained together in Japan.

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The match between The Revival and The Ealy Brothers never got started

The Revival interfered in the tag team title match between DIY and The Authors of Pain last week, laying out both teams.

This is the second appearance of Gabriel and Uriel Ealy. It would have been their second match, except The Authors of Pain ran out and beat them down. The Revival ran away as AOP gave one of the Ealys the Last Chapter.

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Backstage, William Regal informed Ember Moon that we will finally get Asuka vs. Ember Moon for the Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Orlando.

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Next week, Bobby Roode defends the NXT Championship against Kassius Ohno. To prepare us for that encounter, we got pre-taped promos from both men.

Ohno talked about how weird and how different it is being back after four years. The promo was taped at the Performance Center and he noted when he was here before this was just a giant warehouse. Ohno mentioned that wrestling was the first thing he was good at and the first thing he excelled at. The Performance Center was the first place he ever had doubt.

He’s never been NXT Champion and the doubt will never be put to rest until he wins the title. He said it would be sweet to win the title and defend it at TakeOver: Orlando.

Bobby Roode’s promo was cut via satellite from his home. He said that he didn’t care about Kassius Ohno. He said he was going to mold NXT into his own vision, but Ohno is trying to ruin that.

Roode wants to shape NXT into the way he sees fit and doesn’t want the NXT Champion to be a long haired hippy hobo from the 70s. The future of NXT is on Roode’s shoulders and he’ll be damned if Ohno comes in and ruins it.

Both men put over how important it would be to go into TakeOver: Orlando, the biggest TakeOver of the year, as champion.

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Shinsuke Nakamura defeated TJ Perkins

It was then time for the main event. TJ Perkins was last in NXT during the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and this is Nakamura’s return to the ring after his storyline knee injury at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio.

This was a very good, very fun match. Perkins worked as more of a heel, but this was a babyface match. Nakamura was on a roll seven minutes into the match until he appeared to reinjure his knee. The fans didn’t seem to get it, but it was alright because Nakamura shook it off and continued.

Perkins looked good here, using both a springboard dropkick over the top rope and a springboard DDT, which led to a two count. Nakamura went for an armbar, but Perkins fought it, so the former NXT champ turned it into a triangle choke, which Perkins rolled over the top to get a near fall.

A small group of fans cheered for TJP, which led to a louder group chanting for Nakamura. Perkins used a top rope dropkick to the knee and a dragon screw leg whip. A series of reversals led to Perkins slapping on a sharpshooter, but Nakamura got out of it. Perkins locked on his kneebar, but Nakamura made it to the ropes.

Nakamura made his comeback, and used the exploder and a Kinshasa to pick up the win in another really good NXT main event.

So that does it for this week. Thank you all for reading, and until next week, remember to say your vitamins and take your prayers.

NXT Crystal River, FL, live results: Swann vs. Dar; TJP vs. Gulak

Results and image courtesy of @RobbyDeese

NXT was in Crystal River tonight with an estimated attendance of 200 people.

– TJ Perkins defeated Drew Gulak after submitting him with the kneebar.

– Cezar Bononi defeated Kishan Raftaar with a pumphandle slam.

– Adrian Jaoude defeated Riddick Moss by submission with an armbar.

– Dan Matha did an interview explaining what it’s like to be an NXT superstar and a dominant big guy. The crowd was booing him heavily.

– NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors of Pain defeated HoHo Lun & Mr. Bronson

Demitrius Bronson was making his NXT debut. He’s a former Seattle Seahawks RB and a product of the Performance Center. AOP won fast with a double powerbomb. Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic came out to make the save after the match.

– Ember Moon, Ruby Riot & Victoria Gonzalez defeated Mandy Rose, Kimber Lee & Mary Kate (the former Andrea, who was making her NXT debut) in a six-woman elimination tag match

Moon stood tall at the end by winning with a Michinoku Driver.

– Buddy Murphy defeated Steve Cutler after hitting a brainbuster.

– Daria Berenato defeated Aliyah by submission with an armbar.

– Rich Swann defeated Noam Dar by utilizing a backwards 450.

WWE 205 Live results: Gran Metalik debuts

The Big Takeaway —

Neville defeated TJ Perkins in the main event, continuing to further his momentum, though Jack Gallagher sent him packing to close out the show. Gran Metalik made his 205 Live debut, defeating Drew Gulak. Rich Swann returned from injury, and Akira Tozawa made it clear he wanted nothing to do with Brian Kendrick.

Show Recap —

Rich Swann took the mic before the opening match, mentioning Alicia Fox’s name and telling her you can’t handle this. Neither Fox nor Dar liked that.

Rich Swann defeated Noam Dar

Very good match, and the last few minutes were great. This was the best Dar has looked since joining WWE.

Swann controlled much of the match early. Dar kicked Swann in the knee, which sent him tumbling off the middle rope to the floor. Dar gained the advantage until Swann took him out with a kick. A good back and forth contest went on until Swann laid out Dar and hit a phoenix splash for the win.

TJ Perkins and Neville were seated backstage as Corey Graves conducted an interview. Graves asked if Neville really does think Perkins is more of a threat than Jack Gallagher.

After some back and forth banter about the Cruiserweight Classic, Neville said that Perkins isn’t at his level. TJP said Neville’s arrogance will be his downfall. Perkins said he was making a name for himself while…well, was Neville even on Raw at all then? He doesn’t seem to remember. Neville said by the end of tonight, he’ll regret those words.

Next we saw a highlight reel for Gran Metalik, including him losing to TJP in the finals of the CWC. He said Perkins was a great wrestler, but he was disappointed in how things turned out. He said this is a beautiful opportunity, and the best is here.

Gran Metalik defeated Drew Gulak

This was a mixed bag, as for the most part it was fine with Metalik doing some good stuff and he did fine in showcasing his work, but there were spots in this match that were pretty rough.

Gulak jumped Metalik early. Metalik slipped on the ropes and Gulak took advantage. Metalik came back and did some good offense. Gulak cut him off with a boot as Metalik was coming off the turnbuckle. Metalik came back with the brillo Metalik, a step-over senton. He followed with the Metalik Driver to end the bout.

Akira Tozawa was backstage when Brian Kendrick came up to him, mentioning how he might be a bit intimidated being mentored by a legend like him.

Kendrick wanted to know if he would be his protege. Tozawa said no. Kendrick said that he realizes there might be a language barrier, so he asked him again. Tozawa said he understands, he just doesn’t like him. He walked off as Kendrick fumed.

Neville defeated TJ Perkins

This was just as good as the opener, but the crowd was absolutely dead for this match, except at one point during the bout where they chanted “Austin Aries.” The work was there, but the crowd wasn’t.

There was some good back and forth early until Neville gained control and wore down TJP. He floated over Neville and laid him out with a neckbreaker, dropkicked Neville on the apron, and leapt off the ropes with a springboard DDT. TJP tried to work an arm, but Neville deadlifted him and countered with a sit-out powerbomb.

Neville caught TJP on the top rope and tried for the superplex, but TJP threw him off. Neville caught him coming off and tried to lock on his new submission but TJP countered into a roll-up. Neville drilled him with an enzuigiri, then laid him out with the double arm submission and TJP had no other alternative but to tap out.

Jack Gallagher came out with his umbrella, running to the ring. Neville jumped him as he slid in. Neville threw out the umbrella, but this allowed Gallagher to make a comeback, sending Neville reeling with a headbutt. He seethed as the show closed.

Final Thoughts —

Good show with a lot of great action, especially in the opener and main event. I think the guys are becoming more comfortable with doing what they can under WWE parameters as the match quality has improved noticeably in recent weeks.

Not everything was smooth in Metalik’s debut, but he was still pretty over, at least as over as you can be on 205 Live. It should be interesting to see how Gallagher fares in a big time title match.

WWE 205 Live results: Fatal five-way determines a number one contender

The Big Takeaway —

Jack Gallagher bested four other men to get a title shot against Neville at Fastlane. Brian Kendrick has taken a liking to Akira Tozawa, a swift reversal from last week, but still faces problems with Tajiri.

Show Recap —

It was announced by Austin Aries tonight that Tony Nese tweaked his knee on Raw, and therefore was out of tonight’s main event. Corey Graves said that they promised a fatal five-way, and they’ll deliver as the winner of the upcoming Mustafa Ali vs. Ariya Daivari match will advance to the fatal five-way later tonight.

Mustafa Ali defeated Ariya Daivari

Solid back and forth match. Daivari did a cool hammerlock clothesline at one point for a near fall. Ali hit a tornado DDT, then followed with the imploding 450 splash for the pinfall.

Gran Metalik arrives next week. That was quick!

Brian Kendrick came out for his match against Lince Dorado. Kendrick said he is here to snuff out people’s dreams, but made an exception for the young upstart of Akira Tozawa. He said he better be watching in the back, because someday he could be the protege for The Brian Kendrick.

Brian Kendrick defeated Lince Dorado

Good, competitive match. Dorado went for a springboard stunner but when he went for the shooting star press Kendrick got his knees up. He followed with a crucifix, then when Dorado kicked out followed with the Captain’s Hook for the win.

Austin Aries wanted to know why Kendrick changed his mind on Tozawa. Kendrick said there’s just something different about him, and wanted to bring him out. Instead, Tajiri’s music hit. As Kendrick was distracted, Tajiri snuck in from behind and misted him when he turned around.

Neville cut a promo. He ran down everyone in the fatal five-way. He said he’s taken care of TJ Perkins, Jack Gallagher is an embarrassment to England, Mustafa Ali still has a long way to go, and so on. He said no matter who wins, they will bend a knee and respect the King of the Cruiserweights.

Jack Gallagher defeated Cedric Alexander, TJ Perkins, Mustafa Ali, and Noam Dar in a fatal five-way elimination match

Great main event, it was full of action and high spots which you don’t see too often on 205 Live. As a result, the crowd was into this more than any other cruiserweight match in some time.

Gallagher wiped out everyone early by grabbing his umbrella and flew off with a senton off the top rope. Alexander looked good early, eliminating Dar with the Lumbar Check. Ali kicked out of a standing Spanish Fly. Perkins caught Alexander on the top rope and hit a detonation kick to eliminate him. Ali missed the imploding 450 splash on Gallagher and Perkins capitalized by submitting Ali with an armlock.

Perkins put Gallagher in the kneelock but he made it to the ropes. Perkins hit the detonation kick but Gallagher followed with a headbutt for a near fall. Gallagher landed another headbutt, then hit the running dropkick in the corner for the pinfall.

That makes it Jack Gallagher vs. Neville for the Cruiserweight title at Fastlane.

Gallagher was celebrating when Neville made his way to the stage, staring down at Gallagher. He held the title high as the show closed.

Final Thoughts —

This was a really good show, with the crowd getting into the fatal five-way match and making it one of the better matches on 205 Live thus far. We also saw some nice progression with the Kendrick/Tajiri/Tozawa storyline. It will be interesting to see how Gran Metalik’s debut goes next week as well.

WWE 205 Live results: Neville takes on TJ Perkins

The Big Takeaway —

Neville continued his onslaught towards the top, defeating TJ Perkins in the main event. Ariya Daivari jumped Jack Gallagher as revenge for last week’s duel that didn’t exactly go his way. Despite defeat, Noam Dar still has his eyes on Alicia Fox, and Tajiri made his return, leaving a lasting impression on Brian Kendrick.

Show Recap —

They opened the show by saying that due to attacks by Neville, Rich Swann has not been medically cleared to compete. Instead, TJ Perkins will square off against Neville tonight.

Tajiri defeated Sean Maluta

This was just a match highlighting Tajiri and his moveset, doing all his trademark spots, including the tarantula and the handspring elbow. He scored the win with the buzzsaw kick.

Brian Kendrick came out after the match with a mic. He welcomed Tajiri back, saying that he hasn’t lost a step and was even better than he was back in the day when they were on SmackDown. He said Tajiri brings prestige, and together they can rule 205 Live. He extended his hand, and Tajiri proceeded to shake…but then the green mist returned, blinding Kendrick as Tajiri slithered around.

Dasha Fuentes caught up with Neville. He said people like and respect TJ Perkins, but he has gotten nothing but discrimination. He’s tired of hearing about Perkins’ struggles — what about his? He’s never been taken seriously because of how he talks and how he looks. When the system is broken, you create your own system. He doesn’t care what anyone on planet Earth thinks of him, and that is dangerous. Tonight TJ Perkins’ fifteen minutes are up, as there can only be one King of the Cruiserweights.

A video package on Tony Nese was shown. He noted how he’s had previous tryouts in the WWE. He made sure to mention he doesn’t see that person who was rejected so many times anymore.

Jack Gallagher defeated Tony Nese by DQ

This didn’t last long. Gallagher did all of his trademark spots, which sent Gulak to the outside. This allowed Ariya Daivari to come in and clip Gallagher’s knee for the DQ. He wrapped it in the tree of woe position and attacked him until referees came and broke it up.

Cedric Alexander and Alicia Fox were backstage contemplating what’s been going on. Alexander said he hasn’t been winning lately. Fox said it’s all her fault, but Alexander played it down, saying to just be a bit more careful in the future.

Mustafa Ali defeated Noam Dar

Dar struck Ali while he was entering the ring and worked on an arm. Ali came back and hit a tornado DDT and followed with a rolling neckbreaker. Ali springboarded off the middle rope but Dar grabbed him and applied an armbar. Ali managed to escape, then gave Dar a boot in the corner, taking him down and allowing Ali to hit the imploding 450 splash for the win.

Dasha interviewed Dar. He said don’t worry about his 2017, all he needs is lady luck, and that is Alicia Fox. Alexander might not be much of a man, but Alicia Fox is always welcome in his corner.

An Akira Tozawa package aired. It mostly had Cesaro talking about him. Cesaro put him over by saying he is different than any other competitor.

Tom Phillips was with Perkins, who said he gives Neville credit, but he’s whining too much and accused him of being a bully. And when it comes to being a bully, sometimes all you need to do is kick them in the face.

Neville defeated TJ Perkins

Good TV main event match. Perkins rejected the traditional handshake before the match. Some pretty nice back and forth action to start. Neville tried to go for the phoenix splash but Perkins dodged, giving him control of the match. Perkins followed with a corkscrew splash to the outside, then followed with a diving crossbody. Neville made a comeback and hit the deadlift German suplex. Neville went for the superplex that got him the victory last week, then landed it and scored the win.

Neville sulked in the ring as the show went off the air.

Final Thoughts —

With Neville as one of the top stars on 205 Live, this show has finally found something to go with, and it’s going very well. Neville always had the workrate to be a star no matter where he’s at, but this new heel persona is working wonders for him, creating an aura he never had until now.

The rest of the show was perfectly fine (Mustafa Ali looked really good, despite being snubbed after his match when Dar was interviewed instead of him), but it’s clear Neville is becoming the star to watch on this show.

WWE 205 Live results: Rich Swann & TJP vs. Neville & Brian Kendrick

The Big Takeaway — 

Neville & Brian Kendrick were dominant against WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann & TJ Perkins. Ariya Daivari called Jack Gallagher a scoundrel, and Noam Dar has set his sights set firmly on Alicia Fox.

Show Recap —

They showed clips of what went down at Roadblock: End of the Line. Rich Swann retained the Cruiserweight title, but was ambushed by a returning Neville, who laid waste to him and TJ Perkins. On Raw, Neville said that he wanted respect as the King of the Cruiserweights — Swann disagreed. Brian Kendrick came out for a two-on-one beatdown, only for Swann to be rescued by Perkins, leading to tonight’s main event.

Ariya Daivari defeated Lince Dorado

Mostly a WWE style match with perfectly fine back and forth action. Dorado springboarded into a stunner, sending Daivari to the outside. He went for a flying swanton bomb and nearly landed on top of his head, but corrected himself at the last minute. Daivari blocked a top rope maneuver by Dorado, laid him out, then pinned him with the frog splash.

Daivari talked in Farsi after the match, then said Gallagher wasn’t a gentleman, but a scoundrel.

Neville was backstage scowling when Kendrick came in and said some pleasantries. Neville cut him off, saying he respects his accomplishments and they built the foundation of this division. But as far as tonight is concerned, he is his partner, not his friend, and there is only one King of the Cruiserweights.

Tajiri is coming soon.

Cedric Alexander (w/ Alicia Fox) defeated Drew Gulak

Gulak had control until Alexander landed a kick and followed with a springboard clothesline. Alexander suplexed Gulak to the outside but both of them fell to the floor. Gulak shoved Alexander into Alicia Fox, with Fox then grabbing her ankle. This led to Dar coming to the outside to tend to the injured Alicia Fox, helping her to the back. That distracted Alexander momentarily, as Gulak scored a near fall with a roll-up, but Alexander fired back with the lumbar check and scored the win.

Dasha Fuentes interviewed Gulak after the match. He complained about Alicia Fox, saying women shouldn’t be on 205 Live.

A video package on Jack Gallagher aired.

Dar was with Fox backstage when Alexander came in, saying he was glad Fox was okay, then turned to Dar and said he’s got it from here. Dar told Fox if she ever needed help again, he would be there.

Brian Kendrick & Neville defeated TJ Perkins & Rich Swann

This was good, but the crowd was dead for it. This was one of those cases where if it were taped before SmackDown, this would probably be a lot better. Good back and forth to start. The heels started working on Swann, including Neville hitting his deadlift German suplex. TJP came in, along with Kendrick, and laid him out with the dodon. He laid out Kendrick with a kick then went for the kneebar but Neville stopped it.

TJP evened things up, then laid out Kendrick with a double superkick. A missed sliding dropkick on the apron gave Neville the opportunity to lay out TJP with a superkick. Kendrick drove Swann into the turnbuckle then sunk in the Captain’s Hook. TJP managed to save Swann just in time, but it was a moot point as Neville took out TJP and grabbed the win following the Red Arrow.

Final Thoughts —

This was an average show with a pretty solid main event. I’ve said my piece on the style before, but it really is making 205 Live seem pointless. If smaller guys are doing the same style the heavyweights are, plus or minus a few dives, then what is the point? There was nothing wrong with this show but it only feels slightly above an episode of Main Event or Superstars at this juncture.

NXT Citrus Springs, FL, live results: Roderick Strong vs. TJP steals the show

Results courtesy of @waynemason

NXT Live was in Citrus Springs, FL last night with an estimated attendance of 200.

– Jack Gallagher defeated Noam Dar

Gallagher won it with a backslide.

– Lince Dorado defeated Brennan Williams

Dorado hit a shooting star press to finish off Williams.

– Angelo Dawkins and Kenneth Crawford, who has now been re-named Montez Ford, cut an in-ring promo. They were interrupted by SAnitY to set up the main event.

– Mandy Rose defeated Macey Estrella

The Angel’s Wings by Rose got the victory.

– TJ Perkins defeated Roderick Strong

This was said to be a great match; one of the best on the FL loop in quite some time. TJP got the submission via kneebar.

– The Authors of Pain defeated Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight

Double team finisher by AOP on Dozovic finished it off.

– Nikki Cross w/ SAnitY defeated Daria Berenato

Swinging fisherwoman’s neckbreaker by Cross for the win in a match that had SAnitY running distractions around ringside.

– SAnitY (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe) w/ Big Damo and Nikki Cross defeated Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford

Cross sprayed something in Ford’s eyes to allow Young to get the roll-up pin. Ford and Dawkins were able to fight off SAnitY after the match to send the crowd home happy.

NXT Jacksonville, FL, live results: Roderick Strong teams with TJP

Image and results courtesy of @katieloud.

NXT Live was in Jacksonville, FL last night in front of an approximate crowd of 250.

– Jack Gallagher defeated Steve Cutler

Running corner dropkick by Gallagher for the win.

– Gran Metalik defeated Noam Dar

Metalik Driver to put away the heel Dar.

– Daria Berenato defeated Macey Estrella

– The Authors of Pain defeated Tucker Knight & Otis Dozovic

AOP won with their finish and continued their assault until Heavy Machinery sent them packing and stood tall.

– Lince Dorado defeated Angelo Dawkins w/ Kenneth Crawford

Crawford attempted to get involved but Dorado was still able to land his shooting star press for the victory.

– Mandy Rose defeated Sarah Bridges

Rose hit the Angel’s Wings double underhook face slam to get the win.

– TJ Perkins & Roderick Strong defeated SAnitY (Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe) w/ Big Damo and Nikki Cross

The faces went around ringside to send everyone home happy after the match.