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A few weeks from now, Drew Gulak will have to defend his Cruiserweight Championship against his former pupil, Humberto Carrillo. Carrillo has been incredibly impressive since joining 205 Live back in 2018. At this point, he's got quite a winning streak going. However, a loss tonight means more than it usually would.
For Carrillo, it means decreasing his odds at winning the Cruiserweight Championship from Drew Gulak at Clash of Champions. If Lince Dorado manages to defeat the handsome high-flyer, he's in, making it a Triple Threat.
Kicking off 205 Live was the Premier Athlete hoping to get his career back on track. Since losing the Cruiserweight Title, Nese has been a shell of his former self. A few weeks back, he claimed that it was time to change things up because "being a Premier Athlete isn't working." Ominous, considering Drew Gulak said something similar before coming back a new, dangerous man and mauling Nese and everyone in his way to capture the gold. Would Nese take a similar step?
Tony Nese vs Mike Kanellis
Nese wrapped up Kanellis early, taking him to the ground with a waist lock and forcing a rope break. Kanellis responded with a kick to the gut, taking Nese to the corner for a chop. Nese responded but was leveled with a headbutt for his trouble.
Kanellis launched Nese into the corner, but the Premier Athlete leaped out of harm's way, avoiding a clothesline with a handspring and connecting with his patented kicking combination. Nese followed Kanellis outside for a great right hand to the jaw. However, Kanellis responded with a DDT on the steel ramp, spiking the former Cruiserweight Champion and getting a chance to catch a breather.
Nese made it back inside by the nine-count and was immediately dropped with a death valley driver. He kicked out and was immediately placed in a seated chinlock. Nese broke out and caught Kanellis running into the ropes, tripping him up.
Going for a springboard moonsault, he was forced to land on his feet as Kanellis rolled away. The Languished Lover dumped Nese over the top rope and dropped him across the barricade, connecting with a running boot.
Back inside the ring, Nese kicked out again, getting placed back inside the chin lock. Kanellis launched Nese into the corners a few times, but as he set up for another death valley driver, was sent into the bottom turnbuckle with a German suplex. Nese was unable to connect with the Running Nese, though, saving Kanellis from certain defeat.
Nese still managed to light up Kanellis with a striking combination and an enziguri from the apron, finally managing to hit the springboard moonsault. Kanellis kicked out at two. Nese attempted another German, but Kanellis blocked. An O'Connor roll and follow up schoolboy both failed to defeat Kanellis, who responded with a powerful spinebuster., knocking the air out of Nese.
Kanellis brought Nese up top, trying to set up for the backpack stunner. Nese fought him off but was met by another boot to the jaw. Before Kanellis could jump off the top, the rolling uppercut rocked him, allowing Nese to take Kanellis over with a super hurricanrana.
Kanellis kicked out and managed to fight out of a pumphandle slam, countering with a running clothesline. Kanellis slapped Nese and demanded he hit him. Nese responded with a slap of his own and a running elbow strike. Kanellis was sent out to the apron where he blocked an enziguri but was dropped by a legsweep. Nese connected with a Fosbury Flop and brought Kanellis inside for the 450 Splash.
Kanellis kicked out just in the nick of time. Kanellis avoided the Running Nese for a second time and countered the Sunset Driver with a roll-up. Another Running Nese was stopped when Kanellis rocked the former champion with a superkick. Finally, a rolling cutter put him away, giving Kanellis an incredible win and putting a smile on Maria Kanellis's face backstage.
Results: Mike Kanellis defeated Tony Nese via pinfall.
Lince Dorado was seen backstage getting ready for his main event match with Humberto Carrillo. Ariya Daivari walked up and congratulated him, but also felt that he was owed a thank you for making it all happen. Dorado put Daivari down, saying it's his fault that the rest of the Lucha House Party aren't even talking to him now. He'll defeat Carrillo, go on to win the Cruiserweight Championship, and mend his relationship with Kalisto & Gran Metalik to throw the biggest Lucha House Party 205 Live has ever seen.
Akira Tozawa & The Brian Kendrick vs Brandon Scott & Tyler Hastings
Kendrick started off the bout with Scott, doubling him over with a knee to the gut and wrapping him up in a side headlock. Scott shot him off into the ropes, allowing Tozawa to tag in for a running boot to the jaw. Tozawa & Kendrick dumped Scott on his back with a double arm drag, following up with an elbow drop (Kendrick) and running senton (Tozawa).
Tozawa dropped Scott with the delayed jab and tagged Kendrick back in, launching Scott across the ring with another double arm drag. A pair of kicks to Scott forced him to tag out. Hastings was immediately taken down with an arm drag and trapped in a hammerlock. Hastings fought out and forced Kendrick into the ropes. As the ref was distracted, Scott hit Kendrick with a cheap shot.
Scott tagged in but the two couldn't keep Kendrick away from his corner. Tozawa tagged in and lit up both Scott & Hastings. With Hastings sent outside, Scott was taken out with the flatliner/dropkick combo.
Results: The Brian Kendrick & Akira Tozawa defeated Brandon Scott & Tyler Hastings via pinfall.
After the match, Brian Kendrick took to the mic to insult Jack Gallagher for not showing up for a match against him. He said that, luckily for Gallagher, he would get another shot at the former Champion when he faces Kendrick and Tozawa in a tag team match. All he needs to do is find a partner.
Backstage Oney Lorcan was being interviewed about another shot at Drew Gulak following Clash of Champions. However, a bitter Tony Nese was causing a commotion off-screen, forcing Lorcan to try to intervene. Nese immediately attacked him, sending him headfirst into the wall and bouncing him off boxes of equipment.
Lince Dorado has said for months now that, given the opportunity, he could become the Cruiserweight Champion. After a few impressive showings, GM Drake Maverick decided to give him that opportunity. All he has to do is defeat Humberto Carrillo, a man he's claimed repeatedly to be a false luchador and the current No.1 contender.
Humberto Carrillo vs Lince Dorado
Dorado sent Carrillo across the ring with a snapmare. Carrillo responded with a surfboard stretch attempt. Dorado broke out and turned in mid-air for a pinfall. Carrillo immediately escaped, leading to an incredible back and forth between the two, managing to escape the offense of one another until Dorado put Carrillo on his back with a tilt-a-whirl arm drag.
A tilt-a-whirl DDT was blocked, leading to a point where the competitors got in each other's faces. A handful of slaps to one another's chests led to Carrillo getting one over Dorado, dropping him with a springboard headbutt, a rope assisted arm drag, and a standing hurricanrana. However, Dorado dumped Carrillo outside and spiked him on the ground with a suicide dive tornado DDT.
Back inside, Dorado covered Carrillo with a body splash. Carrillo broke out. Dorado covered him again following a standing moonsault. Carrillo still kicked out. After a long sequence of fast paced action, Dorado slowed it down a bit with a chin lock, battering Carrillo's head with elbow strikes as well.
Carrillo broke out but was leveled by a spinning heel kick. Dorado followed up with a top rope body splash, leading to a late kick out from Carrillo. A modified camel clutch kept Carrillo off his feet and trapped in the middle of the ring. Eventually he was able to send Dorado overhead and escape. Dorado didn't let him get ahead, though, taking him up top and rocking him with a right hand.
Dorado attempted a superplex but was knocked off by Carrillo. Though he landed on his feet, he ran back into a boot and was met by a picture perfect missile dropkick from the handsome high-flyer. Carrillo followed up with a rolling moonsault, but Dorado kicked out. The springboard lifting armdrag sent the Golden Lynx outside, allowing Carrillo to launch himself over the ropes with a tope.
Back inside, a gorgeous moonsault connected, but Dorado refused to give up. Dorado escaped a back suplex and stunned Carrillo with two rolling kicks. The Golden Rewind was blocked with Carrillo trying to catch him with a backslide. Dorado escaped and dropped him headfirst via springboard reverse hurricanrana. Before he could move up top, Carrillo grabbed onto his feet. Dorado then decided to pelt Carrillo with a series of chops.
Carrillo responded with a package sit-out powerbomb, wowing the crowd. It wasn't enough for the win, though. which led to a trade of punches. Dorado won the trade, lighting up Carrillo with elbow strikes and chops. Carrillo caught him coming off the ropes, though, connecting with a series of kicks to the head. A rolling enziguri dropped Dorado to his knee.
Carrillo came off the ropes in hopes of putting away Dorado, but was instead dropped with a fireman's carry gutbuster. The Shooting Star Press connected, only for Carrillo to roll away and fall to the outside. Dorado brought him inside and escaped a roll-up, bringing Carrillo in for a pinfall instead with the hurricanrana.
Results: Lince Dorado defeated Humberto Carrillo via pinfall.
With that, Lince Dorado has been added to the Cruiserweight Championship match at Clash of Champions. Drew Gulak's worst fear has come true, as he'll have to battle two high flyers for his beloved title.
Following the match, Gulak battered Dorado, looking to send a message to Carrillo. As Carrillo tried to intervene, Nese rushed in and blindsided Carrillo, sending him into the apron. Nese seemingly joined forces with his former enemy, leading to a Running Nese to Lince Dorado. Carrillo was dumped with the Cyclone Crash, leaving both him and Dorado out cold as Gulak and Nese stood in the ring with their hands held high.
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