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Drew Gulak opened the show this week, addressing the WWE Universe by going over the recent events on the Purple Brand. The Submission Specialist tackled the #1 contender's match tonight between Ariya Daivari and Oney Lorcan, both of whom looked to pick up their first championship in the WWE by defeating new Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese.
He then went over the departure of both Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander, with the Juggernaut jumping to SmackDown Live while the Soul of 205 Live became the Soul of Monday Nights.
However, Gulak finished his State of the Roster address by revealing that he would face his former pupil, Humberto Carrillo tonight. Gulak said that taking out the young upstart is the first step in making a better 205 Live, as he looks to win the Cruiserweight Championship himself.
Drew Gulak vs Humberto Carrillo
Drew Gulak attempted to outwrestle the luchador, rolling him up several times in the beginning. Carrillo countered, wrapping Gulak up with a crucifix, followed by two cradles. Gulak broke out and was backed into the corner.
Gulak took Carrillo to the ropes where he caught him with a shot to the ribs. Carrillo countered with a head scissors take down and a springboard arm drag, finishing up with a dropkick that sent Gulak to the outside.
Gulak moved, forcing Carrillo to change his attack into a baseball slide. He blocked a clothesline from Gulak before leaping up to the top of the turnbuckle. Gulak chased him, allowing Carrillo to use his high flying abilities to bring Gulak down. Another springboard arm drag to a prone Gulak left the Submission Specialist confused.
Gulak got back in the match quickly, though, as he anticipated another springboard maneuver from Carrillo. Another springboard armdrag was stopped when he pulled Carrillo's legs out from under him, dropping him gut first across the top rope. He then launched himself upward off the bottom rope, landing with several stomps across Carrillo's face while screaming "This is how you use the ropes!"
Gulak rolled through a small package pin, locking Carrillo down with a heel hook turned into a modified Figure-4-Leglock. He beat Carrillo across the chest while keeping the hold locked in, doubling the punishment on his opponent's body.
Gulak seemed to have Carrillo beaten, showing the importance of the ground & pound and technical offense. He tried to exhaust the high-flyer with pin attempts and headlocks. Carrillo got back to his feet, escaping a back suplex and launching Gulak into the corner. Tossed back to the middle of the ring, a dropkick left Gulak on his back while Carrillo connected with a rolling moonsault.
Back to their feet, Carrillo rocked Gulak with a springboard elbow and a top rope crossbody. His former mentor tried to keep Carrillo on the ground again, blocking a suplex and looking for the Gu-Lock.
Carrillo escaped but was dropped with a fireman's carry gutbuster, nearly losing the match. Carrillo found himself on the apron, and managed to stun Gulak with an enziguri. He connected with a pinpoint missile dropkick, but Gulak kicked out. Left on their knees, Gulak and Carrillo traded headbutts and chops. They slowly brawled to their feet, and a kick set up another springboard maneuver. Gulak was prepared this time around, turning it into an ankle lock.
Carrillo tried to roll Gulak up for the pin, but Gulak escaped, still holding onto Carrillo's ankle. In the corner, Gulak beat Carrillo down with more headbutts and chops. He looked to bring Carrillo down with a superplex, but Carrillo knocked him off. As he leaped back up, a sunset flip powerbomb drove Gulak into the mat. The Aztec Press put him away.
Results: Humberto Carrillo defeated Drew Gulak via pinfall.
With a win over the top technical competitor on 205 Live, has Humberto Carrillo found himself close to title contention? Could he be next in line after Tony Nese defeats either Oney Lorcan or Ariya Daivari?
Lorcan was backstage where he said his entire goal in wrestling has been to make it to the WWE and become a champion. He said that Ariya Daivari is the kind of guy that loves to beat down his opponent with hard strikes until there's only one man left standing. Lucky for Lorcan, that's the kind of fight he likes.
Daivari said that he's undefeated in 2019, and doesn't plan on ending that any time soon. After getting his priorities straight, dropping Hideo Itami back in January, he's had his eyes set on gold, and he's only one win away from that opportunity.
205 Live GM Drake Maverick said was found backstage, but was interrupted by The Brian Kendrick before he could punish Mike and Maria Kanellis. Maverick was tired of Maria getting involved in all of her husband's matches. Kendrick distracted the two long enough for Akira Tozawa to attack Mike Kanellis. The two were broken up by security while Maverick screamed that what they were doing was unacceptable.
Ariya Daivari vs Oney Lorcan: #1 Contender's match for the Cruiserweight Championship
Before they could start, the Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese made his way ringside, looking to get some eyes on his competition.
The two strikers locked up in the middle of the ring, attempting to get an early advantage. Lorcan had Daivari backed up on the ropes before pulling away, freeing him up. Daivari locked him up quickly and tried to pick up an early win with the Hammerlock Lariat. Lorcan ducked, and avoided a second attempt, looking for the Half-and-Half Suplex.
Daivari escaped, sliding outside the ring. Back inside, he was quickly locked down in a side headlock from Lorcan, bringing him to the mat. The two smashmouth competitors seemed evenly matched at this point, trading holds and strikes. A flying crossbody brought Daivari back to his back, but he managed to get up and place a well-timed kick to Lorcan's gut.
Lorcan dropped Daivari with an inverted atomic drop followed by two atomic drops, the final one sending Daivari over the ropes and crashing to the outside. Daivari managed to recover quickly, smashing Lorcan over the face as he went for a suicide dive.
Daivari took Lorcan back inside where the two continued to trade strikes, going back and forth with stiff chops. Daivari eventually dropped him with a reverse DDT. However, he tried to intimidate Tony Nese who was sitting on the outside, allowing Lorcan to deliver some more stiff elbows, building steam yet again. Daivari sent him outside, though, halting his momentum, and driving him face first into the table.
He dragged Lorcan back inside where he continued to tear him apart. The Star Destroyer was locked in the Million Dollar Dream in the middle of the ring. He fought towards the bottom rope, managing to get there after minutes in the hold. Daivari rolled him away, breaking the rope break. Lorcan wound up rolling him up for a pinfall, forcing Daivari to break the hold.
A snap suplex to Daivari gave Lorcan some room to breathe, finally breaking away from the hands of his opponent. Lorcan delivered more devastating uppercuts before sending Daivari outside with a dropkick. A crossbody to the outside stunned Daivari.
Daivari broke away from Lorcan and went for a crossbody from the top rope, but flew right into an uppercut from Lorcan, who spiked him with a running blockbuster. Daivari avoided the Half-and-Half Suplex, locking in the Million Dollar Dream again. Lorcan nearly passed out, but managed to get a second wind, fighting out of the Million Dollar Dream and paintbrushing Daivari with several chops to the face. A running uppercut bulldozed the newly undefeated superstar.
Lorcan set up a Half-and-Half from the top rope. Daivari knocked him off with some elbows to the face. The Star Destroyer avoided a top rope splash and charged into the corner with a clothesline and a back elbow. However ,a third attack was stopped dead by a superkick.
A Persian Splash allowed Daivari to finish off Lorcan with the Hammerlock Lariat.
Results: Ariya Daivari defeated Oney Lorcan via pinfall.
With that win, Daivari moved on to become the #1 contender to Tony Nese's Cruiserweight Championship. Nese is no stranger to strikers, as he won the title from the Juggernaut Buddy Murphy. Still, Daivari seems to be a whole different beast, with a mean streak that's unmatched on 205 Live.
Nese attempted to shake Daivari's hand, but the #1 contender was having none of it. He said he didn't want Nese's respect, but the Cruiserweight Championship.
