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We advanced to the finals of the 205 Live tournament to determine Buddy Murphy's #1 contender. Cedric Alexander, the winner of last year's Cruiserweight Championship Tournament, managed to pick off former Cruiserweight Champion Akira Tozawa and Oney Lorcan, this time around. His opponent, Tony Nese, didn't have an easy road to the finals either.
The Premier Athlete had to make his way through former Cruiserweight Champion Kalisto in the first round, then avenged his loss against Drew Gulak at last year's tournament in the semis. Now, with that painful loss redeemed, Nese only had one more man left to beat before getting to WrestleMania... and that's the Soul of 205 Live.
Mike and Maria Kanellis started off tonight's show. Last week, Drake Maverick insinuated that if Kanellis lost tonight's match, he would be released.
Mike Kanellis w/ Maria vs Akira Tozawa
Mike Kanellis, sporting a newly shaved head, was put into a one-on-one match against Akira Tozawa. Kanellis seemed even more aggressive than usual, and it seemed that tonight, Tozawa was dealing with a different beast.
Kanellis avoided a rolling kick to the jaw, but Tozawa caught him with a second attempt followed by a running senton splash. He sent Kanellis to the outside and looked to go for a suicide dive. Kanellis stopped him dead in his tracks with a superkick to the jaw.
Kanellis took Tozawa to the corner where he stomped him out of frustration. Back in the middle of the ring, he dropped the former champion with a suplex, then worked over Tozawa's body with repeated elbows to the sternum and a rear chin lock. Tozawa fought out and escaped a back suplex attempt, sending Kanellis across the ring with a hurricanrana and connecting with a shining wizard.
A missile dropkick nearly earned Tozawa the victory and almost lost Kanellis his job, but he kicked out. Tozawa locked Kanellis in the octopus stretch. Kanellis managed to fight out and drove Tozawa down to the mat with a side slam.
Back to their feet, the two men traded chops, but Tozawa rocked Kanellis with a jab. However, Kanellis caught him coming off the ropes with a spinebuster. Tozawa kicked out at two, but was clearly dazed.
Tozawa escaped a Michinoku Driver and followed Kanellis up top with a yakuza kick. Kanellis fought at the top of the turnbuckle and dropped Tozawa with a Michinoku Driver. Tozawa kicked out, leaving Kanellis irate.
Kanellis looked for a rolling cutter only for Tozawa to get out and drop him with a spinning heel kick. He went to go for the top rope Senton Splash, only for Maria to attempt to distract him. Tozawa moved to another corner, but by then, Kanellis had recovered and lifted his knees, countering Tozawa's Senton and driving his face into the mat with the rolling cutter.
Results: Mike Kanellis w/ Maria defeated Akira Tozawa via pinfall.
Backstage, Cedric Alexander stated that he was confident tonight. Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese interrupted him. Alexander got the better of them, asking what would happen if Nese won tonight and they had to face each other for the Cruiserweight Championship.
The finals have arrived. Tony Nese looked to make his way to WrestleMania, and earn the biggest opportunity in his career; a shot at the Cruiserweight Championship. Cedric Alexander has been there before and won, but the Age of Alexander fell last year. Was tonight Nese's night? Or would the Soul of 205 Live kickstart his rebirth at the top of the division?
Tournament Finals: Tony Nese vs Cedric Alexander
Nese and Alexander locked up in the middle of the ring. Alexander got the better of Nese early on, but Nese broke the chain and brought his opponent down onto his back with an arm drag. Alexander made it to his feet but Nese continued to take Alexander down, finally holding him in place.
Alexander broke away from Nese and rolled him up. Nese countered with a crucifix, nearly picking up the win in the first few minutes. Nese brought Alexander down with a double leg takedown and went straight for his wrist, attempting to keep him from taking advantage of his high flying moonsault.
Alexander escaped and landed a springboard crossbody. Nese recovered, avoiding the tilt-a-whirl headscissors with a crescent kick. Alexander escaped another wrist lock and connected with a beautiful standing dropkick. Nese kicked out at two and fought back to his feet. Alexander stung him with a forearm, looking for an attack off the ropes. Nese followed, tripping him up and going for the springboard moonsault.
Alexander avoided the moonsault and drilled Nese in the back of the head with a running dropkick. Nese kicked out at two. Both men traded stiff strikes but Nese got the better of Alexander with a running boot to the head followed by a spinning heel kick. Alexander tripped him up, sending him into the second turnbuckle face first.
Nese caught Alexander who was attempting a punt kick to his opponents head. Nese hung him up in the corner and went to the apron where he kicked the tangled leg, dropping Alexander to the outside. Alexander made the 10-count but walked right back into the heavy strikes of Tony Nese.
Nese levelled him with a running forearm, but Alexander kicked out. Alexander tried to build up some momentum but was caught by Nese, who planted him with a northern lights suplex. Nese brought his weight down across the former champion with a leg drop and quickly put him in a side headlock.
Alexander escaped and took out Nese's knees with a dropkick, followed by another to a kneeling Nese's jaw. Back on their feet, Alexander caught Nese with two clotheslines and a rolling elbow. The Neutralizer landed, as did the springboard flatliner. Nese kicked out. The Premier Athlete blocked the Lumbar Check and attempted a pumphandle slam. Alexander escaped, but Nese caught him again, planting him with the pumphandle driver.
Both competitors made their way to the apron on the outside. A kick from Nese left Alexander hanging halfway inside the ring, allowing him to connect with the double jump springboard moonsault. Alexander kicked out, barely, but was gasping for air. Alexander dragged himself into the corner and avoided a Running Nese, planting his opponent with the Michinoku Driver. Nese kicked out.
Alexander looked for the springboard clothesline. Like many times before, Nese rattled him with a rolling uppercut mid-jump, nearly knocking him off of the apron. Nese went out, and both men knocked each other off the top, tumbling down to the ground outside. They both nearly made the 10-count by the ref and began trading blows once again. Nese shoved Alexander into the ropes and drove an elbow into his jaw.
Alexander and Nese avoided each other's superkicks. Nese connected with most of his patented combination, but Alexander avoided the sweep and dropped Nese with a superkick. Nese kicked out.
Alexander took Nese up top but Nese knocked him down to the outside, following up with a fosbury flop. Back inside, Nese connected with a perfect 450 splash, but Alexander still kicked out. Alexander was left in the corner, leaving Nese to go for the Running Nese once again. Alexander countered into the Spanish Fly and nearly put him away with a Lumbar Check. Nese managed to escape, becoming one of the few men to ever kick out of it.
Nese countered a second Lumbar Check with a rollup. Alexander kicked out but was rocked by a knee. Nese finally connected with the Running Nese, ending Alexander's run and punching his ticket to WrestleMania.
Results: Tony Nese defeated Cedric Alexander via pinfall.
Alexander shook Nese's hand in a show of respect. The Premier Athlete is now on his way to WrestleMania, where he'll face off against his training partner Buddy Murphy, for the Cruiserweight Championship.
Murphy came down to the ring to celebrate, but as Nese turned away from the sign, was leveled with a knee by the Juggernaut.
