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Lio Rush vs Cedric Alexander
The 23-year old piece of gold had the biggest challenge of his WWE career tonight, taking on one of 205 Live's top contenders. Cedric Alexander was undefeated throughout 2018 until losing the Cruiserweight Championship to Buddy Murphy at WWE Super Show-Down and came into this battle with a chip on his shoulder.
Rush's speed advantage was evident early on, but Alexander's strength and technical abilities shined, allowing him to pick up the early advantage. Lio Rush avoided Alexander's handspring tilt-a-whirl headscissors, but Alexander countered Rush's running hurricanrana, as the two seemed to be at a stalemate.
Alexander got fired up after a slap to the face, which is what Rush was looking for. Rush moved around Alexander with lightning-fast speed, then sent him flying with a springboard hurricanrana. However, too much jaw-jacking allowed Alexander to connect with a high impact dropkick, stunning Rush. Alexander went for a cover, but Rush kicked out at one.
Alexander continued to overpower the blue chipper, sending him flying with a back body drop. Alexander then sent him face first into the middle turnbuckle and connected with a kick to Rush's face. Rush, however, had the springboard flatliner scouted, dropping Alexander with a superkick.
Alexander, stunned on the outside of the ring, was met with a suicide dive from Lio Rush. Rush wouldn't let his opponent recover, as he drove Alexander into the barricade with a running dropkick, after which he sent him into the steel steps.
Alexander beat the ten count back inside the ring where Rush continued to go on the offensive. The M.O.T.H. brought down an array of kicks upon Alexander before grounding him with body scissors in the middle of the ring.
Alexander turned onto his stomach, but Rush then pelted him with a series of punches to the side of the head. Alexander managed to escape, but Rush sent him back to the mat with a kick to the gut followed by an enziguri.
Alexander struggled to get to his feet but managed to finally catch one of Rush's kicks, sending him into the corner with a spinning back elbow. Alexander then dazed the 23-year old piece of gold with an enziguri of his own, followed by a springboard clothesline.
A Lumbar Check was avoided by Rush. However, Alexander was able to stay ahead of Rush, using his speed to confuse the newest acquisition of 205 Live. A Neuralizer nearly ended the bout, but Rush kicked out.
Alexander eventually drove Rush face first into the mat with the springboard flatliner, but Rush still kicked out. Rush attempted to crawl away but was dragged back inside. However, he was playing possum and caught Alexander with another kick to the gut, followed by a roundhouse to the head and a spinning double underhook facebuster. Alexander kicked out.
Rush began raining down some punches on Alexander, but the Soul of 205 Live countered with a deadly right of his own. Alexander set up for the Michinoku Driver, but Rush countered into a roll-up. Alexander kicked out, but Rush put him down with a Spanish Fly.
Rush went for the Final Hour, but Alexander rolled out. Alexander went for the Lumbar Check, only to be countered into a hurricanrana, followed by a springboard stunner from Rush. Rush was turned inside out, though, by a Spanish Fly of his own, and Alexander would finally put away Lio Rush with the Lumbar Check.
Results: Cedric Alexander defeated Lio Rush via pinfall.
Alexander broke his losing streak and Rush's winning streak in the same match and picked up some serious momentum going forward. Now back on track, what's next for the former champion?
Mustafa Ali cut a promo on Buddy Murphy, saying that the Cruiserweight Championship means more to him than Murphy will ever understand. Ali said that the match will come down to Murphy's power vs Ali's speed, Murphy's aggression vs Ali's determination, Murphy's anger vs Ali's heart.
Ali finished by saying that at Survivor Series, Murphy will find out that even a Juggernaut can't stop the unstoppable.
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