Last week on 205 Live: Mike Kanellis got a clean win over The Brian Kendrick, quite possibly his first clean win in 205 history. Noam Dar beat a guy with namaste on his trunks (but it wasn’t Tomaste) and cut a heel promo related to being a futballer. Jack Gallagher and Humberto Carrillo put on what I thought was the best WWE match of the week non-Takeover edition.
Cold Open
Drake Maverick is back to narration! Tony Nese wanted to wrestle Akira Tozawa because Akira won the fatal four way number one contender match. Drake still set up a Tozawa vs. Noam Dar match for tonight to determine who “could be” number one contender. I think the 24/7 championship has him all flustered and making bad GM decisions. The main event is Daivari vs. Oney Lorcan because Oney made Ariya bleed his own blood.
Akira Tozawa vs. Noam Dar
Drew Gulak vs. Akira Tozawa
- I just realized that Akira has one dimple on his right cheek. My newborn has dimples and I’ve never noticed them on people before, but now they stick out like a sore thumb.
- As Noam Dar makes his entrance, he is attacked by Gulak. Drake Maverick comes out “You can’t start 205 Live like that”. Akira tells Drake to allow Drew to fight for a chance at the belt. Poor Noam, always getting injured.
- Drew and Akira start off the match at an incredible pace. Gulak is slowed down after Akira hits a running senton and some strikes. Drew is rocking some slicked back hair how and is looking more rugged than ever before.
- When I picture a “man” in my head, Drew ticks off all those boxes. He is the mans man of 205.
- Drew has been on NXT lately losing great bouts to Kushida and the commentary team of 205 Live says they haven’t seen Drew Gulak for over a month. They comment on him “locking himself away” because of the loss to Tony Nese, but they don’t mention NXT. Strange.
- Gulak gets in control of the match and starts picking apart Tozawa with strikes, suplexes and submissions.
- The crowd seems to be channeling the Undertaker who appeared on Smackdown because they are dead as hell for this match.
- They end up fighting to the outside and Tozawa turns the tide of the match after doing a flip senton off the apron to the floor. Then Tozawa hits one of the best suicide dives in the game onto Gulak over the announce table.
- Tozawa has to throw Drew back in the ring, then attempts a dropkick from the top rope and connects for a two count. Drew is reeling and Tozawa is feeling it.
- I wonder how bad Drew’s knees are since he has wrestled without knee pads for most of his career. I think the trade off for “aesthetic vs. self care” isn’t worth it. Dude needs some knee pads.
- Gulak is able to gain the advantage when he goes for a powerbomb but falls backwards instead of forwards, having Tozawa hit face first. Then, because they are in Texas, Gulak locks in a Texas cloverleaf. The cloverleaf is probably the best applied cloverleaf since Dean Malenko. Drew Gulak is too good.
- A strike battle ensues and Gulak is in complete control, the match is looking dire for Tozawa who seems out on his feet after a gutwrench suplex.
- A beautiful spot happens where Tozawa has a comeback and tries to pick up Drew in a fireman’s carry. He struggles so much and shows it all through facial expressions, eventually he gets the strength to hit it and the crowd pops more than they have the whole match.
- Drew Gulak counters Tozawa’s top rope Senton attack by running to the top rope and hitting a superplex. DREW LEFT HIS FEET!
- Then Gulak hits a reverse neckbreaker F5 variant for the win.
And I’m Like… 205 Live is the home of fantastic wrestling. This match took us on a journey. Tozawa just kept fighting and fighting, but Drew decided to abandon his “don’t leave your feet” rules and it got him the win. His hair is almost at man bun length as well. Commentary says this is a new Drew Gulak and I am here for it.
Mike Kanellis cuts a promo about how he hates that he isn’t considered the best. He says he is the best because he beat The Brian Kendrick… Mike says it’s time everyone pays attention to him because he is not complacent. New catchphrase “I am Mike Kanellis and I am better than the best”.
Tony Nese is questioned about Drew Gulak’s win tonight. Tony says he knows Drew better than anyone, he doesn’t agree with Drake Maverick’s decision. Nese says he will wait for Drake’s decision about the number one contender and then says “I will be ready”. Some white bread promo Tony Nese is.
Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari
- As Daivari makes his entrance, he motions to his ear where the stitches were put in. Again he is mad he bled his own blood and says “an ear for an ear”. So look for a lot of ear based wrestling?
- Oney had a four team ladder match two days prior but looks like he has zero bruises or damage.
- The match starts and Oney goes right for Daivari’s ear. Ariya backs away and restarts the match with a test of strength. Commentary says Oney eats stitches for breakfast. Doesn’t sound too nutritious.
- The test of strength spot is very old school and actually gets some crowd applause for support. Oney is able to turn it into a surfboard onto Daivari. This match is straight out of the 80’s to start.
- Daivari turns the surfboard stretch into a surfboard stretch of his own.
- The surfboard spot lasts a couple minutes and transitions into some chain wrestling. Really slow but good wrestling to start this bout off.
- Daivari gets outwrestled and asks Oney to step outside of the ring to follow. When Lorcan goes out, Daivari goes in, trying to get an advantage. It paid off because then Daivari gets a reverse neckbreaker from the second rope on Lorcan.
- Daivari is really selling his arm while Oney is kind of just “in pain”. I’m surprised by the way Oney is dominating this match, since he had that grueling ladder match, I figured he wouldn’t be in tip top shape.
- Lorcan explodes with a series of strikes and a running uppercut. He is trying to show that adrenaline is coursing through his veins, but with a lack of crowd response, it just looks silly.
- Lorcan hits a flurry of offense that ends with a block buster for two. Then Oney tries once again to get crowd support but, again he doesn’t get it, so again he looks silly. Like when the Ultimate Warrior tried to gain power from the gods.
- Davari went for his hammerlock lariat but his arm is too injured. Lorcan keeps at it and works on Daivari’s arm. Oney AGAIN tries to get crowd support, but it’s just not there. It’s almost comical at this point, even though it’s like sad clown comical. Like, it’s sad that it’s funny that the crowd doesn’t respond to someone so desperate for support.
- Daivari cinches in the Million Dollar Dream, but Nigel says due to inflation it’s a Billion Dollar Dream. Which is a nice touch.
- Ariya is able to hit a reverse DDT, follow that up with a top rope splash, but his arm hurt too bad to make the quick cover. When Daivari finally gets the pin attempt, Oney reverses it into a crucifix and gets the win.
And I’m Like… This was a match that would only be one by someone who gutted it out the most. This was a FIGHT in all sense of the word. If the crowd would have supported Oney when he needed it, it could have been a classic. I gotta give it up to these two dudes cause they wrestled a hell of a match. Daivari as undefeated for most of 2019, then lost at Money in the Bank and hasn’t been able to win since then. This was some good shit, like always.
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