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It is time to take a look back at 2018 for 205 Live and your hosts are Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, and Percy Watson.
They talk about the announcement of Drake Maverick as the General Manager of 205 Live by Daniel Bryan in January and Drake’s announcement of the Cruiserweight Tournament to name a new champion at Wrestlemania.
We go through the tournament, leading into the match at Wrestlemania between Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali for the Cruiserweight Championship.
Mustafa Ali says he has never had a match with so much on the line. He mentions that he had never been on a pay per view before Wrestlemania. Cedric talks about how he would be mentioned in the same breath as Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. Ali and Alexander talk about being the heart and soul of 205 Live and they know what is on the line.
We see footage from the match between Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali from Wrestlemania.
The match is joined in progress and Ali with a forearm. Alexander with a running European uppercut followed by an Irish whip. Alexander with a back body drop and he gets a near fall. Alexander with a waist lock. Alexander with a chop and he goes for a suplex but Ali lands on his feet. Alexander with an elbow and Ali with a clothesline. Ali with a chop.
Alexander with an Irish whip and Ali slides into the corner and he connects with a round kick from the apron followed by a rolling X Factor for a near fall. Alexander blocks a kick and hits a European uppercut. Ali with a spinning heel kick. Alexander with a standing C4 and both men are down.
Alexander runs into a boot from Ali and Ali goes for a tornado DDT but Alexander catches Ali and sends him into the turnbuckles. Alexander goes to the turnbuckles and sets for a super side Russian leg sweep but Ali blocks it. Ali with a punch and Alexander finds a way to stay on the turnbuckles. Ali with punches and Ali with a C4. Ali gets a near fall. Ali pulls Alexander into the corner and kicks Cedric in the ribs. Ali goes up top but Alexander pushes Ali off the turnbuckles to the floor. Alexander goes to the floor and sends Ali back into the ring to get a near fall. Alexander says that it is over and then he kicks Ali in the chest. Alexander sets for Lumbar Check but Ali lands on his feet and hits a reverse rana. Ali with a tornado DDT and he goes to the turnbuckles for the inward 450 and hits it. Alexander gets his foot on the rope to stop the referee’s count.
Ali kicks Alexander and goes up top again. Alexander moves out of the way and Ali hits the mat. Alexander with a back elbow followed by a second one. Alexander with a third back elbow followed by Lumbar Check for the three count.
Winner: Cedric Alexander (new Champion)
Cedric Alexander says it may be cliché to say that Wrestlemania is the greatest moment of his career. He got to face his friend in the ring and then his family, friends, and daughter got to see him win what he had chased for 2 years. Cedric says it hurt him much more to lose it. Cedric vows to become a two time Cruiserweight Champion.
Nigel says there are other wrestlers who want to be champion in 2019.
We get New Year’s Resolutions from the wrestlers.
Hideo Itami says you will respect him or he will break your face.
Akira Tozawa says he will achieve his dream. If he works hard enough he will fire Drake Maverick.
TJP says he will eat more lupia and he will get Drake Maverick fired.
Noam Dar says he will look for some maturity and a stable relationship with someone not named Alicia Fox.
Maria Kanellis says her and Mike Kanellis will release the Power of Love to ruin anyone’s lives that get in their way.
We go to commercial.
We are back with a look at the Lucha House Party.
Nigel is not as happy as Vic and Percy after seeing that video and he talks about how much he dislikes the Lucha House Party. Percy tries to defend the Lucha House Party to Nigel.
Vic mentions the roll that Cedric was on after winning the title. Then he defended the Cruiserweight Title at Super Show Down.
Here is the match report from Super Show Down.
Buddy offers his hand and Cedric refuses. Murphy with a knee to the head for a near fall. Murphy goes to the turnbuckles but Alexander rolls to the floor. Murphy with a flip dive onto Alexander. Murphy with Meteora for a near fall. Murphy with kicks to the back and Buddy gets a near fall. Murphy misses a kick to the back and Alexander with an uppercut and kick. Alexander blocks a kick and hits a back elbow. Buddy with a sleeper into a reverse chin lock. Alexander backs Murphy into the turnbuckles to get out of the hold.
Buddy sends Alexander face first into the middle turnbuckles. Murphy puts Alexander's head against the turnbuckles but Alexander recovers and hits a thrust kick. Both men are down. Murphy with a forearm and then he puts Alexander on the turnbuckles. Murphy sets for a superplex but Alexander pushes Murphy off the turnbuckles. Murphy jumps to the turnbuckles but Alexander pushes him off. Murphy leaps to the turnbuckles and Alexander hits a Super Michinoku Driver for a near fall.
Alexander with an enzuigiri from the apron followed by a slingshot flatliner that sends Murphy to the floor. Alexander with a flip dive onto Murphy. Alexander goes for a springboard move but Murphy moves. Alexander with a Neuralizer for a near fall. Alexander with a waist lock but Murphy blocks an attempted Lumbar Check. Alexander runs into a boot but Alexander with a running uppercut that staggers Murphy on the turnbuckles.
Murphy goes for a sunset flip power bomb but Alexander blocks it. Murphy with a kick to escape and then he hits a sit out power bomb for a near fall. Alexander with an enzuigiri. Murphy grabs Alexander and Murphy with a knee and he goes for Murphy's Law but Alexander with a rollup for a near fall. Alexander with a standing C4 for a near fall. Alexander with a Lumbar Check but Murphy kicks out at two.
Alexander sets for another Lumbar Check but Murphy sends Alexander to the apron. Alexander with a springboard move but Murphy with a knee followed by Murphy's Law for the three count.
Winner: Buddy Murphy (New Champion)
Buddy Murphy says he knew he was going to win at Super Show Down. It was in his home town, but he was going to win anyway because he is the best Cruiserweight in the world. Since he stepped into 205 Live, Cedric was on borrowed time. Buddy says he owns this division and the title is going nowhere. If you have something to say about that, do it.
Vic says there were a lot of moments from 205 Live in 2018.
The top ten moments of 2018.
Number Ten was Tony Nese with a one arm power bomb of Lio Rush onto his opponents in the Fatal Five Way Match
Number Nine was Roderick Strong facing Hideo Itami.
Number Eight was Maria Kanellis’ debut along with Mike Kanellis on 205 Live.
Number Seven was Cedric Alexander suplexing Drew Gulak over the top rope to the floor, landing on his feet and suplexing Gulak.
Number Six was the return of Noam Dar to defeat TJP.
Number Five was the arrival of Lio Rush.
Number Four wasAkira Tozawa hitting a back senton onto Kalisto, Buddy Murphy, and TJP.
Number Three was TJP taking masks off the faces of Lince Dorado, Kalisto, and Gran Metalik.
Number Two was Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher turning on Brian Kendrick via POWER POINT PRESENTATION.
Number One was Mustafa defeating Hideo Itami with a 450 splash off through a table on the floor.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Vic mentions the current Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy.
Drew Gulak interrupts and he says that this show purports to celebrate the best of 205 Live from this year, but this is a bunch of baloney. This has been a celebration of what has been wrong with 205 Live. There is one man who stands alone in a world of high flyers. That man is Drew Gulak.
Who is Drew Gulak. From a humble upbringing from the streets of Philadelphia to the WWE. As the franchise player of 205 Live, his story has been inspriational. This show has been plagued by high flyers who are not aware of the fundamentals. Not Drew Gulak. Do not take him lightly. When the bell rings, he is the most feared submission specialist in the world. While the glorified stuntmen like Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, and Buddy Murphy get all the adulation, Drew leads by example. He vows to lead 205 Live to the promised land. While 2018 was the year of Drew Gulak, 2019 is shaping up to be his greatest year. We are here to celebrate the true best of 205 Live when he honor Drew Gulak.
Nigel says that Drew could finally execute his plan for a better 205 Live in 2019.
Who would be next to challenge Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Title?
On October 31st, Tony Nese met Mustafa Ali in a Number One Contender Match. Here is the coverage of that match.
They lock up and Nese backs Ali into the corner and Nese connects with shoulders to the midsection. Nese with a kick to the midsection. Nese biels Ali into the turnbuckles. Ali flips over Nese and Nese trips Ali but Ali with a head scissors that sends Nese to the floor. Ali drop kicks Nese off the apron. Ali with a plancha but Nese holds on and hits a fallaway slam onto the ramp.
Nese presses Ali over his head and drops him ribs first onto the ringside barrier. Nese sends Ali back into the ring and gets a near fall. Ali with forearms but Nese with a kick to the ribs. Nese with knees to the midsection. Nese with a knee to Ali against the ropes and then Nese kicks Ali. Ali with a rollup for a near fall. Nese with a belly-to-back suplex attempt but Ali counters into a lateral press for a near fall. Nese catches Ali when he tries for a tornado DDT and hits a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall.
Nese with a body scissors. Nese chops Ali while he has the body scissors applied. Nese with a back heel kick. Nese sends Ali into the air and then hard to the mat for a near fall. Nese goes to the turnbuckles and he grabs Ali by the hair. Nese takes too long and Ali pulls Nese off the turnbuckles. Ali with punches to the midsection. Ali runs into a back elbow and Nese leaps over the top rope to the floor and drops Ali on the top rope.
Nese goes for a double jump moonsault but Ali moves and Nese lands on his feet. Ali with a sunset flip and he rolls through into a power bomb. Ali with an enzuigiri from the apron and then he goes for the slingshot rolling X Factor and hits it. Ali with a clothesline that sends Nese over the top rope to the floor and then he hits a plancha onto Nese. Ali goes up top and hits a cross body but he can only get a near fall. Nese gets Ali on his shoulders but Ali escapes. Nese with a series of kicks but Ali with a series of super kicks for a near fall. Ali goes up top but Nese crotches Ali and kicks Ali and gets him on his shoulders. Ali counters and gets a near fall. Ali with a tornado DDT for a near fall.
Ali goes to the turnbuckles but Nese with a jumping palm thrust. Nese sets for a super gutbuster and hits it for a near fall. Nese with kicks and punches in the corner. Ali with a chop but Nese with a knee. Nese goes after the taped ribs and kicks Ali in the ribs. Nese with kicks to the ribs. The referee warns Nese and Ali with a jackknife cover for the three count.
Winner: Mustafa Ali
We hear the comments from both men leading into their match at Survivor Series.
We go to the Cruiserweight Title Match from Survivor Series. Here is Mike Johnson’s coverage of the match.
Ali looked strong early, hitting a rana to the outside on Murphy, then superkicking him off the apron. Ali hit a great flip off the top rope to the floor. Ali brought him back into the ring for a two count. Murphy rolled to the outside. He tried to pull Ali out but was kicked off into the barricade. Ali tried to climb up for a move but was shoved off hard, flying into the barricade. Ali takes some great bumps.
Murphy slammed him into the LED board at ringside. Murphy brought him back into the ring and scored several near falls. Murphy worked over Ali for a long time, scoring near falls. Ali was trapped in a rear chinlock. Ali made a comeback and went for a big move but was sent to the floor. Murphy hit a big flip dive to the floor. This is a hell of a match.
Ali made a comeback and went for a move off the top, but Murphy shoved him off. Ali crashed down to the floor below. Murphy went to the floor and brought him near an announcing table. Ali escaped and leapt on the table, hitting a Spanish Fly off the table to the floor. Some fans were chanting “205.”
Back in the ring, Murphy caught him in the corner with a superkick, then hit a pair of powerbombs. Ali survived. The crowd chanted, “This is awesome.” Ali came off the buckles but was wiped out with a knee. Murphy drilled him and scored the pin.
Your winner and still Cruiserweight Champion, Buddy Murphy!
Mustafa Ali says he has given 205 Live his heart and it has given him everything back. It has taken him to Wrestlemania and the Survivor Series. Now he is on Smackdown. The brand may have changed but he will always rep 205 Live and support 205 Live. You never know when the heart of 205 Live will beat again.
Vic asks who will stop Buddy Murphy. Vic mentions the decisions of Drake Maverick in 2018 and we go to Drake Maverick.
Drake thanks everyone for their support of 205 Live and the Cruiserweight Division. 2019 will start off with a bang. Buddy Murphy has had a remarkable 2018 and he wants to make a claim to be the greatest Cruiserweight Champion. Buddy wants the best opponent for Royal Rumble. Drake announces three qualifying matches with the winners advancing to a Fatal Four Way Match.
Next week, Kalisto will face Lio Rush and Akira Tozawa will face Drew Gulak.
In two weeks, Cedric Alexander will face Hideo Itami.
We go to credits.
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