'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A preview for tonight's show played, showing the two marque feuds of the show. Drake Maverick revealed that Cedric Alexander will defend his Cruiserweight Championship against Hideo Itami. Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali were scheduled to tear each other apart in the main event of tonight's show in a street fight, and TJP's quest for "real" competition was finally answered.
TJP has been moaning for the past few months about not having any kind of real competition on 205 Live. 205 Live GM Drake Maverick, in response, finally decided to give the CruiserGreat some real competition.
TJP walked down the ramp, complaining that he:
A- wasn't in the main event
B- wasn't fighting for the Cruiserweight Championship
C- was in Nebraska
TJP vs Noam Dar
Noam Dar made his return to 205 Live tonight to take on the first Cruiserweight Champion. Dar made his return to in-ring competition during the UK Championship special where he won a fatal-4-way match to earn a future title opportunity.
Noam Dar quickly dominated TJP, tripping up the CruiserGreat before hitting a vicious running knee on TJP for the win.
Results: Noam Dar defeated TJP in his in-ring return.
Buddy Murphy cut a promo backstage, stating that the only reason he isn't the Cruiserweight Champion is because of Mustafa Ali's distraction. The Juggernaut said that, after he's finished with Ali, he's going after the Cruiserweight Champion, whether it be Cedric Alexander or Hideo Itami.
TJP walked through the back, ignoring an interview as he headed into the locker room.
Akira Tozawa vs Joseph Strife (local talent)
Akira Tozawa took on another local competitor tonight. Before the match could begin, Lio Rush interrupted, making his way ringside to scout competition. Tozawa made quick work of this week's jobber, with stiff punches and kicks leaving him on the mat. Tozawa followed that up with a running senton. However, Tozawa was distracted by the presence of Rush. It didn't take long for Tozawa to get back in the game, catching Strife with a shining wizard.
Tozawa landed a spinning wheel kick on Strife before making his way to the top, ending the match with a Senton Splash.
Results: Akira Tozawa defeated Joseph Strife
After the match, Lio Rush got on the mic to tell Tozawa that he's a fan of the former Cruiserweight Champion. However, Rush felt that Tozawa's resume has been lacking since losing the title last year.
The M.O.T.H. said that Tozawa should be ashamed because he's been waiting for an opportunity, but Lio Rush waits for no one.
Mustafa Ali cut a promo on The Juggernaut Buddy Murphy, claiming that he knows how dangerous Murphy can be. Others run from Murphy, but he'll prove to the world that the Juggernaut is human after all.
A selfie-promo played by Cedric Alexander, who said that the Age of Alexander will add Hideo Itami's legend to his legacy.
Street Fight: Mustafa Ali vs Buddy Murphy
Mustafa Ali didn't wait for Buddy Murphy to get to the ring, making his way to the top of the turnbuckle and diving onto the Juggernaut. Ali threw Murphy into the ring and the match officially began.
Murphy escaped to the outside, leading Ali outside where the Best Kept Secret launched Ali over the announcer's desk. Murphy slammed his rival's face down into the table, but Ali fought out. Both men traded heavy punches and chops on the outside, and Ali slammed Murphy's head into the steel steps.
The Heart of 205 Live knocked Murphy over the barricade, then followed him outside with a high-flying cross body, building even more momentum. Murphy made his way back across the barricade, then tossed Ali off the barricade as he tried to walk the tightrope in a sense. Ali's body crashed onto the steel ramp and he landed in a clump. Murphy continued to damage Ali's spine with another suplex to the ramp, before rolling him back in the ring.
Murphy forced his knee into Ali's back while locking in a chin lock, putting more pressure on the spine and limiting the high flying game. Ali made his way to the ropes but the ref let him know that he couldn't break the hold, and Murphy brought him back to the middle of the ring. However, Ali caught Murphy with a jawbreaker, but it didn't faze him much as he slung Ali back first into the turnbuckle.
Murphy tossed him into the corner one more time, then went to town on him, beating him down into the corner. Murphy then picked him up and slung him across the ring before hitting a steep back body drop. Ali clutched his lower back, barely able to stand. As he attempted to make it to his feet, Murphy threw him into the corner again, tossing him into the air with another back body drop.
Ali kicked out of a pinning attempt, though it didn't affect Murphy too much. The Juggernaut continued to torture the worn down Heart of 205 Live. However, after attempting a third back body drop, Ali countered with a kick to the face, followed by a slingshot into the top turnbuckle, finishing with a running delayed dropkick.
Ali picked up momentum here, rocking Murphy with more kicks to the jaw. He went for the rolling X-Factor facebuster, but Murphy blocked it. Ali forced him onto the apron, and as Murphy attempted to get back into the ring, Ali landed the X-Factor, nearly picking up the win.
Murphy forced Ali to the outside, evading a clothesline. Ali dragged him out, but Murphy forced him into the table again before throwing him into the nearest set of stairs. Murphy then brought the stairs into the ring, attempting to throw Ali into them like a dart. Ali countered, knocking Murphy to the ground. However, before he could recover, Murphy got back into the ring, drop kicking the steel steps into Ali's face, followed by a dive over the top rope.
Murphy dragged Ali's almost lifeless body into the ring, but Ali kicked out at two yet again. Murphy continued to work over his enemy's back, then set the steel steps up in the corner. Murphy launched Ali spine first into the stairs, and Ali flopped onto the ring mat. Murphy brought Ali in close, telling him that this is all his fault, before tossing him into the steps again. However, Ali kicked out at two.
Murphy went for a third toss, but Ali countered with a hurricanrana into the steps. Ali made his way to the top rope, bad back and all. Murphy, though, made his way back to his feet, stopping Ali with a superkick followed by a double powerbomb. Ali, miraculously, managed to break out just before the three-count, but the damage had left him unable to move. Murphy slammed him head first into the steps, repeatedly driving his skull off the steel. As Ali lay across the steps, Murphy went to the top.
Ali kicked the rope, crotching Murphy, then setting the steps up in a standing position, hitting a sky-high suplerplex. Both men writhed in pain as multiple replays were shown of the fall. Before Ali could make the pin, Murphy fell to the outside, escaping the pinfall.
Ali chased after Murphy, who flapjacked him onto the announce table. Murphy stood on top of the barricade to attempt a dive through the table, but Ali stopped him again, landing a Spanish Fly from the barricade onto the table, which didn't break.
Ali's vicious side appeared only for a brief moment, as Murphy caught him with a knee when he rolled back in, wrapping his arms up in the bottom two ropes before landing three knee running knee strikes in a row. Mustafa Ali refused to give up, and Murphy freed him from his prison, landing another stiff knee to the jaw of Ali. Yet again, he kicked out at two.
Murphy attempted to slam the stairs down upon Ali, but he dodged. Ali followed that up with a spinning tornado DDT off the stairs, spiking Murphy straight down on the mat. After a hard fought and brutal slug fest, Mustafa Ali picked up the win.
Results: Mustafa Ali defeated Buddy Murphy
While he may have been battered, bruised, and abused, the Heart of 205 Live was not broken tonight.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
