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WWE 205 Live returns to WWE Network tonight (Nov. 14, 2018) from St. Louis’ Enterprise Center.
Advertised for tonight: Cedric Alexander looks to silence Lio Rush, and the brand builds to Cruiserweight champ Buddy Murphy defending his belt against Mustafa Ali at Survivor Series.
Come right back here at 7 p.m. ET when the 205 Live live blog kicks off once the show starts on WWE Network. It will be below this line here.
NOTE: Spoilers are out there for these pre-taped broadcasts, but many Cagesiders don’t partake. If you are going to post or discuss spoilers for this show in the short-time between when this article is published and the show’s start, please use the spoiler bar in your comment.
Enjoy the show!
Escape, escape nature’s indifferent hand. Retreat, retreat to the bliss of our creation. We were born and raised to live beyond the heft and weight of a world undone. Like a bird from the north, our hearts will roam in search of warmth, but the rest of me is here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with 205 Live general manager DRAKE MAVERICK talking up the Survivor Series match between Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali for the Cruiserweight Championship, and promos tonight from both men, before moving on to hype up tonight’s tag team festivities between Akira Tozawa and Brian Kendrick on one hand and Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher on the other, and our main event of Cedric Alexander vs. Lio Rush.
The intro video then plays.
Tozawa and Kendrick are interviewed backstage as to how they’re going to work together.
Tozawa thinks for a long beat and leaves without saying anything, and Kendrick leaves seconds later.
Akira Tozawa & Brian Kendrick vs. Drew Gulak & Jack Gallagher
Kendrick and Gulak to start, Drew tags Gallagher in without doing anything but Brian goes to blast him off the apron anyway! Forearms to Jack, into the corner, charging forearm, tag to Tozawa, slam into a senton for two! Drawing him up, big chops and a punch to the neck, putting boots to the Gentleman in the corner before tagging Kendrick back in.
Double whip into a double boot, again just a nearfall, Sliced Bread #2 denied and Jack gets away for a tag! Brian lighting Gulak up with forearms, a knee, they end up in the ropes and Drew wrenches his head over the top and tags Gallagher in. Kick to the back, forearms and uppercuts on the floor, Jack well in control as he takes the beating to the grounded position.
Back inside, stomp to the head, fireman’s carry and a tag, Hot Shotting Kendrick and leaving Gulak to deck him with a lariat... NOPE! Trapping one arm, wrenching the other, Brian gets away, forearms, a boot, but Drew catches it and traps his legs in the ropes for a kick before tagging the Gentleman back in. Gallagher looking for a Romero Special, stopping with the legs grapevined and stomping Kendrick’s knees in!
Standing toehold, tag to Gulak, atomic drop into a knee from Jack for two! Into the corner, quick tag back, right hands, a snapmare into a reverse chinlock, Brian slings him aside and Drew tags back in. Kendrick cleaning house with elbows and a boot, the path is clear, Gallagher tries to cut him off to no avail... TAGS MADE! Tozawa in hot, Yakuza kick, whip into a rolling solebutt, 540 roundhouse misses the first time but connects on the second and he blasts Drew off the apron with a knee to set up that beautiful suicide dive of his!
Headed up top, Kendrick stops Gallagher from running interference and Akira hits a missile dropkick for two! Whip reversed, back elbow up, tilt-a-whirl octopus hold! Brian tries to keep Jack from interfering but the gentleman throws him into Tozawa! Akira stares Kendrick down, Gulak blindsides him...
Drew Gulak & Jack Gallagher win by pinfall with a folding press from Gulak on Akira Tozawa.
DRAKE MAVERICK welcomes us to the weigh-ins for Ali/Murphy, with five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce and former Dragon Gate USA / Evolve head referee Jason Ayers to hand for the proceedings.
Mustafa Ali weighs 182 pounds, and Buddy Murphy at exactly 204 pounds. They end up exchanging words and get into a brawl and have to be pulled apart.
Murphy is interviewed and said he was just trying to remind Ali what this was all about, and that’s his Cruiserweight Championship and what happens to people who try to take it away from him. Mustafa doesn’t understand what’s in store for him this Sunday, and Buddy almost feels bad for him.
Kraig Keesaman & Mike Karma vs. Lucha House Party (Kalisto & Lince Dorado)
Dorado and Keesaman to start, but Kraig doesn’t want him engaging in any lucha, so Lince cracks him with a good old-fashioned puro Shotei! Springboard crossbody, capoeira kick, off the ropes, snap off the Frankensteiner but Keesaan gets a punch off for separation and mocks the “Lucha! chant. Off the ropes, Dorado lays him out with a superkick and tags Kalisto in for a series of splashes!
Fending Karma off, dropkick sends him out, back body drop to the apron, blind tag, Salida del Sol from the apron into a springboard 450 to Mike on the floor, Lince off the top...
Lucha House Party win by pinfall with a shooting star press from Lince Dorado on Kraig Keesaman.
Maria Kanellis appears on the tron to congratulate LHP on their win and tell them to enjoy their win while they can. She says they still have business with her husband Mike and TJP, and they let them off the hook since Gran Metalik wasn’t here tonight and they don’t want to make examples of anyone more than once. She asks them to wish Metalik luck when he wrestles Perkins next week.
Cedric Alexander is backstage to cut a promo about how he went undefeated for so long by outworking everyone in the locker room. For guys like Lio Rush this is a game, but this is his life and his legacy depends on it. Kids around the world, like his daughter, that’s who he does it for, and tonight the Age of Alexander continues.
Commentary hypes up Metalik/TJP for next week.
Cedric Alexander vs. Lio Rush
Jawing as they circle, test of strength, Rush backs into the ropes and demands a break. Alexander complies and waves him back in, Lio looking to slide low, picks a leg on his third try but Cedric grabs a wristlock to reverse. Rush rolls through it, but Alexander stays on him, shoulder armbreaker denied with a push to the ropes and Lio grabs a side headlock on the break.
Cedric shoots him off, Rush goes behind, rolls away, off the ropes, turning the speed up, snap a Frankensteiner off and Alexander lands on his feet! Jawing, Rush gets Cedric’s dander up and evades his punishment, ducking and dodging until he gets another headscissors takeover! Asking if he wants to cry, Alexander replies with a leg pick and a dropkick that staggers Lio!
Chops in the corner, snapmare into a basement enzuigiri, only a one count on the cover. Boot for chop, to the corner, back body drop, Cedric pacing himself and waiting for Rush to rise. Sidestep the charge but he gets caught with a kick and hung in the turnbuckles... PENALTY KICK TO THE FACE! Alexander goes back in and Lio manages to catch him with a boot and follow it with a suicide dive!
Demanding the countout victory, referee Danilo Anfibio begins his count. Rush decides he’d rather take the fight to Cedric and dropkicks him against the barricade before throwing him into the steel steps and demanding the count again! Alexander gets in and Lio hounds him with punches in the corner before shifting to a choke. Snapmare to a kick to the back, only one!
Bodyscissors half nelson, trying to grind Cedric down a little, suffocate him against the mat, and clock him with crossface blows when he gets close to the ropes! Alexander posts to his feet and rams Rush into the turnbuckles to break! Front kick, backflip, handspring, enzuigiri connects but Cedric kicks out at one again. Determination plays across Lio’s face and a kick to the back forces a scream out of Alexander.
Lining him up, front kick caught, Cedric with a wicked back elbow, enzuigiri in the corner, springboard crossbody and he’s fired up! Lumbar Check attempt, Lio lands on his feet, off the ropes, shoved off, Neuralyzer hits the mark... NOPE! To the apron, boot cuts Rush off, springboard reverse STO for two more! Trying to drag Rush back in, he gets hung up in the ropes, Lio takes advantage with a kick combo, underhooks, spinning Killswitch... NOPE!
A staggered Cedric shoves Rush away, Lio closes with forearms and Alexander decks him with a single shot! Palm strikes up close, Cedric ducks a backfist, Michonoku Driver, reversed to a pin... NO! RUSH HOUR! Lio up top... FINAL HOUR COMES UP EMPTY BECAUSE ALEXANDER ROLLS AWAY! LUMBAR CHECK REVERSED, REVERSAL REVERSED, POWERBOMB REVERSED INTO A HURRICANRANA BUT CEDRIC’S STILL IN IT!
LIO BUSTS OUT A LETHAL INJECTION BUT ALEXANDER COMES RIGHT BACK WITH A SPANISH FLY OF HIS OWN! LUMBAR CHECK! IT’S OVER!
Cedric Alexander wins by pinfall with Lumbar Check.
Mustafa Ali gets a handcam promo from the locker room.
Buddy Murphy says he’ll go to hell and back for the title, well on Sunday he’ll have to, and Ali will be right there with him. That title means more to him than Buddy can ever understand, and in the end it’ll come down to what they do in the ring, strength vs. speed, aggression vs. determination, anger vs. heart, and on Sunday, even a juggernaut can’t stop the unstoppable.
That’s the show, folks.