WWE 205 Live
April 4, 2017
Richmond, VA
Commentary: Mauro Ranallo, Corey Graves
Results courtesy of WWE.com:
WWE 205 Live: April 4, 2017 results: Who is the new No. 1 contender?
Tonight on WWE 205 Live, a new No. 1 contender to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship was crowned, much to Neville’s behest. Also, Alicia Fox’s secret admirer has been revealed, and Akira Tozawa takes The Brian Kendrick to school.
Akira Tozawa def. The Brian Kendrick
Last week was supposed to be Akira Tozawa’s chance to silence The Brian Kendrick in their first one-on-one meeting since Kendrick tied his opponent’s leg to the ring apron to score a victory. However, The Man with a Plan turned their battle last week into another lesson, using an exposed turnbuckle to his advantage. Set to clash once again on WWE 205 Live, Kendrick offered yet another lesson for the Japanese competitor before their match: It’s all about psychological supremacy.
Fed up with Kendrick’s antics, Tozawa wasted no time going after his opponent after the opening bell. With the WWE Universe rallying behind him, the Japanese Superstar unleashed an aggressive offense that forced Kendrick to rely on less savory tactics like a thumb to the eye.
Unfortunately, The Man with a Plan was unable to mount any sustainable momentum, as Tozawa remained relentless. Growing frustrated, Kendrick claimed his opponent poked him in the eye, even though the official clearly saw Tozawa strike Kendrick in the gut. Moments later, The Stamina Monster jumped off the top rope and appeared to suffer an injury. The official kept Kendrick at bay, but Tozawa quickly revealed his ruse and scored a pinfall.
Following the battle, The Stamina Monster added insult to injury with a lesson of his own: psychological supremacy, lesson number one.
Rich Swann def. Oney Lorcan
Making his debut in the Crusierweight division, NXT Superstar Oney Lorcan wasted little time showing Rich Swann exactly what he is capable of inside the ring. Displaying a formidable combination of speed and power, Lorcan was completely dominant throughout much of the match.
After several near-falls, Swann battled back by unleashing a flurry of strikes and working quickly to keep his tough opponent at bay. As Lorcan ascended to the top rope, Swann executed a perfectly placed superkick followed by a hurricanrana to send the NXT Superstar to the mat. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Swann secured victory with a jaw-dropping Phoenix Splash.
Following the contest, Swann addressed Noam Dar and claimed that he has been the man sending Alicia Fox all the gifts in recent weeks.
Austin Aries def. TJ Perkins, Jack Gallagher and Mustafa Ali to become No. 1 contender to the Cruiserweight Championship
Before the Fatal 4-Way Match to determine the No. 1 contender to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, reigning champion Neville reveled in his WrestleMania victory against Austin Aries, telling the WWE Universe he did exactly what he said he would. The King of the Cruiserweights also thanked his vanquished opponents in the Cruiserweight division for helping to solidify his legacy. He also stated that it didn’t matter who won the Fatal 4-Way Match because his next challenger would bow down before him.
All four competitors in the bout have faced Neville in one-on-one competition – each knowing what it takes to battle The King of the Cruiserweights. Moreover, all were well-aware of how high the stakes were in the Fatal 4-Way. Although former Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins was the most aggressive early in the match, none of the Superstars truly enjoyed a consistent offensive in the contest.
The action intensified with alliances forged and broken at a moment’s notice throughout the battle. Most notably, Aries and Gallagher used TJ Perkins as a step-stool to execute a double superplex to Mustafa Ali. That resulted in a singular battle between A-Double and the English Superstar that ended with Gallagher teaming up with his trusty umbrella William the Third to take out the competition.
Chaos quickly ensued with every competitor nearly scoring the victory. Ultimately, it was A-Double taking down TJ Perkins – after TJP was on the receiving end of a Gentleman Jack Gallagher headbutt – with the Discus Fivearm to secure the win.
Following the bout, Aries exchanged verbal barbs with the champion, ready to seize his second opportunity to dethrone Neville and claim the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.