205 Clive’s Purple Brand Review:
205 Live Results (11/07/18) – Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy vs NXT UK’s Mark Andrews
This week’s 205 Live starts with a message from the Cruiserweight Division’s General Manager, Drake Maverick, announcing that Mustafa Ali will challenge Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Championship at WWE Survivor Series.
On to tonight’s action, and Maverick confirms that that Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado will team up to face regular thorns in their side, Mike Kanellis and TJP. In the main event, what with the show being recorded in UK this week, NXT UK’s Welshman, Mark Andrews, will compete against Buddy Murphy.
Vic Joseph welcomes us to the show, alongside Nigel McGuiness and Percy Watson.
TJP & Mike Kanellis vs Lince Dorado & Kalisto
Tempers have flared between these four in recent weeks. Kanellis made his initial 205 Live impact by attacking Lince Dorado, who happens to also be a victim of TJP’s mask hunting quest.
Kalisto and TJP lock up to start the match. TJP wastes no time in ripping at Kalisto’s mask, but that disrespect is shown in kind by Kalisto as he rides TJP like a donkey in response. TJP doesn’t like being on the receiving end of ridicule as he scurries over to his corner, looking for Kanellis to take over.
After composing themselves on the outside, Vic Joseph questions whether the egos of Kanellis and TJP can work together. With the Lucha House Party being the focus of both men, that concern shouldn’t be in doubt. However, their reasons for singling out the luchadors are different and, as a result, their joint effort falters at time, so personal are their individual gripes.
Additionally, with them being a new team, their familiarity with each other isn’t as profound as that of the most durable tag team on 205 Live. Dorado and Kalisto are in sync with each other throughout. Their quest for revenge never falters. Their goal is clear. Their attacks are, as one would expect from tag team wrestling, performed in tandem.
This experience goes in their favour for the majority of the match. TJP and Kanellis do well. TJP in particular coils his experienced limbs round the luchadors into impressive submissions on a number of occasions. But that is no match for the two men who have faced adversity in a variety of guises over many months.
Most recently, that adversity has come with their masks being taken. TJP tries once again to rip Dorado’s mask off him and, once again, succeeds. But Dorado has adapted and evolved. For underneath that mask is another. TJP turns round and strikes a puzzled figure as the still masked Dorado dances gloatingly. A Frankensteiner pin makes quick work of TJP for the victory.
Winners: Lince Dorado & Kalisto
TJP and Kanellis are fuming at ringside, but are stopped from rushing their opponents by Mike’s wife, Marina, advising them both to pick their battles, and that cooler heads will prevail.
Next up is a video of Cedric Alexander training in the WWE Performance Centre. Lio Rush swaggers up and belittles Alexander for training with the rookies. Alexander retorts with not so sly digs at his priorities lying more with Bobby Lashley rather than trying to better himself in the ring. They hype up their match against each other on 205 Live next week.
Lio Rush vs “Turbo Trunks”
Rush is looking for some warm-up action as he takes on an enhancement talent. Again, unfortunately, this wrestler doesn’t seem to have a name. With that in mind, with the word “Turbo” written on his trunks, I’ll stick with the above name (sorry, Mr T).
The message is clear in this short match. Rush is on the receiving end of some impressive offense, but this only angers Rush. Although a cruiserweight, Rush still brings a different wrestling style to the show. Aerial offense is all well and good, but Rush’s strengths are his speed. With that speed comes velocity. Rush runs through his repertoire in double time before landing a victorious Frog Splash.
Winner: Lio Rush
Rush takes the microphone after his match and dedicates his victory to Cedric Alexander, bringing up the Performance Centre footage from earlier. He shows respect for Alexander for working hard. But Rush reminds us all that nobody (and he means nobody) that works harder than The Man of The Hour. If Alexander thinks he will get back on his high horse at the expense of Rush, then Alexander should think again, warning that the Age of Alexander is in its final hour….
Mustafa Ali has a video from an unknown location. He reminds us that he is the Heart of 205 Live. He laments about his missed opportunity to become the Cruiserweight Champion at Wrestlemania 34. He says how he scratched and clawed his way back to another opportunity. Come Survivor Series, he won’t just be known as The Heart, but he’ll be known as the champion.
An announcement for a match on next week’s 205 Live is up next, with Brian Kendrick and Akira Tozawa vs Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak.
Buddy Murphy vs Mark Andrews
In a mid-entrance video, Murphy says he’ll use Mark Andrews as a stepping stone on his way to squashing Mustafa Ali at Survivor Series once and for all.
Believe it or not, this is Murphy’s first match since he won the title at Super Show-Down in Australia. With the busy WWE PPV schedule, this seems like a lifetime ago. Murphy’s return to action is long overdue.
For those unaware, Mark Andrews plays the plucky underdog role very well. His fightbacks have earned him the respect of the WWE Universe in NXT UK as well as 205 Live in the past. As spirited as his comebacks are, Murphy is just too good. In the early portions of the match, he is also too strong.
Andrews goes for the speed and agility game, looking to knock Murphy off his feet. But like an age old tree, Murphy’s feet are deeply rooted to the mat. The Cruiserweight Champion knows that sturdiness won’t beat Andrews alone, and tries to match Andrews’ speed.
Andrews uses his own superiority in this department to his advantage, taking Murphy out with an over-the-rope head-scissors take down.
Murphy reasserts his dominance with a lawn dart throw of Andrews into the turnbuckle. He then begins a relentless beatdown of his opponent. He launches Andrews onto his shoulders with an Electric Chair Drop in mind, but Andrews whips himself back and nails Murphy’s head to the mat with a reverse Frankensteiner.
Murphy is rocked by the sudden turn of fortune. As is synonymous with a Mark Andrews match, the spirited comeback is on. He is almost caught short with a Murphy’s Law, but wriggles out of it and lands a standing Spinning Corkscrew splash onto Murphy for a two count.
Unfortunately, a clumsy Sunset Flip pin attempt by Andrews breaks up the natural flow of the match, but both men recover quickly. Like two dancing partners, Andrews’ lucha libre influenced style, coupled with Murphy’s untold core strength, the two work through a series of flips, takedowns, and feigned suplex attempts. The beautiful sequence finishes with a “Stundog Millionaire”. Again though, only a two-count is gained for Andrews.
Buddy Murphy isn’t called the Juggernaut of 205 Live for nothing. His ability to soak up damage seems to make him stronger. Andrews looks to capitalise on his modified Stunner with a Shooting Star Press, but Murphy brings the knees up. He takes quick advantage of this, bringing the match to the expected outcome with a Murphy’s Law for the win.
Winner: Buddy Murphy
This was not a bad match at all for Murphy’s return to 205 Live. He seems to work best when his core strength clashes with the more aerially minded wrestlers. Mark Andrews showcased his flashy style to great effect tonight. Having someone as juxtaposed in both style and character as Murphy opposite him, he really stood out in a good main event.
For my take on WWE outside of the 205 Live bubble, check out my latest podcast of “The Ricky & Clive Wrestling Show”. On this week’s episode, WWE Crown Jewel is looked back on with a very critical eye. How much damage was done? How can the main roster’s current working model continue? How can today’s WWE Superstars be tomorrow’s “superstars”, if at all? In keeping with the episode’s theme, this week’s quiz will focus on some of WWE’s worst ever booking decisions.
Catch the latest in my column series, showcasing the top ten cruiserweights of the 205 Live era.
Have a look at all of my 205 Live Lords of Pain reviews to date.
