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WWE 205 Live returns to WWE Network tonight (Dec. 12, 2018) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Advertised for tonight: Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy tune up for their battle for the Juggernaught’s Cruiserweight title at TLC. Alexander faces Tony Nese, and Murphy deals with Noam Dar as they get ready for a showdown on Sunday.
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!
I remember when I was told of story of crushed velvet, candle wax, and dried up flowers. The figure on the bed all dressed up in roses, calling, beckoning to sleep, offering a dream. Words were as mystical as purring animals, the circle of rage, the ghosts on the stage appeared. The time was so tangible, I’ll never let it go. Ghost stories handed down, reached secret tunnels below, no one could see me. I fell into yesterday to liveblog this tape-delayed pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with the usual top-of-the-show introduction and rundown of tonight’s card from 205 Live general manager Drake Maverick.
Thence to the intro video.
Buddy Murphy vs. Gran Metalik
Circling, collar and elbow, Murphy backs Metalik into the corner and breaks dirty with a slap. Gran fires back, gets away, Buddy with a go-behind, standing switch, reverse to a wristlock and he wrenches the luchador’s arm a few times before grinding him down to the mat and jamming the point of his elbow into his shoulder. Reversals reversed, Gran with a headscissors and Murphy kips up!
Trading covers that barely get one and we’ve got a stalemate! Kick to the midsection from the champ, back suplex, Metalik lands on his feet, off the ropes, handspring backflip evasion and a headscissors takeover sends Buddy to the floor! Off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO! Keeping the pressure up on the floor, putting him into the barricade, walking the barricade... FRANKENSTEINER!
Back inside, cover gets two and Metalik does the “Lucha!” chant to get fired up only to get put face-first into the turnbuckles as Murphy recovers. Putting him up top, jockeying for position, Gran with a hell of a boot... TORNADO DDT REVERSED INTO A DELAYED VERTICAL SUPLEX! Buddy on the prowl, drawing him up and dumping him to the floor, looking to take the count out victory.
Referee Charles Robinson counts but Metalik rolls back in around seven and meets another boot. Right hand gets two and Murphy grabs an arm-trap kneeling armbar before adding overhead elbow strikes for two. Switching it up, rear chinlock applied, but Gran rams him into the corner a few times to break. Buddy dumps him to the apron, gamengiri lands true, springboard crossbody... NOPE!
Leg kicks, duck a lariat, springboard back elbow and Metalik is in charge! Whip reversed, up on the ropes for a missile dropkick, again just a nearfall! Fireman’s carry, Buddy slips out, kick combo but Gran lands a superkick to cut him off, back to the fireman’s carry and again Murphy gets away! Big knee strike, off the ropes, Metalik catches him... REVOLUTION METALIK DRIVER CAN’T GET THE JOB DONE!
Up top, Buddy rolls the apron and Metalik kicks him to the floor and follows. Murphy smashes him into the table and slams him into the apron, up top... METEORA ONLY GOOD FOR TWO! Murphy draws him up, Gran with an inside cradle for two and another boot but when he heads up top Buddy sets him up for Cheeky Nando’s. Metalik has it countered, moonsault... BUT MURPHY WAS READY!
Following it up with a powerbomb... NO GOOD! Another wicked kick, Murphy’s Law countered to a victory roll pin! Gran with a springboard, Buddy catches him...
Buddy Murphy wins by pinfall with Murphy’s Law.
We get a recap of last week’s match between Brian Kendrick and Drew Gulak and go backstage with Kendrick and Akira Tozawa.
Tozawa fixes Brian’s jacket and Maverick rolls up to inform them that their tag team match next week will be a street fight. He wants to get their reaction and they’re stone-faced, so he explains that they had a street fight in 2017. Kendrick says he’s changed and when he came back he manipulated people because he was desperate to keep his dream, and nobody more than Akira here.
In a way he has to thank Gulak and Gallagher for beating that into him and prove that he has to lift the division up, and he’s going to prove that in this street fight. Tozawa agrees that he’s a changed man but the problem is he looks the same. But don’t worry, he has an idea! They walk off but Akira comes back and tells Drake he’s fired because he lost the tag titles.
Maverick points out the inaccuracy of that and that ends the segment.
Drew Gulak and Jack Gallagher get a promo where they talk about how Kendrick’s been fired twice already and they can take things as far as they want in their street fight and it’ll all be legal.
We get a recap of Ariya Daivari’s match from last week and he’s interviewed backstage.
He says wrestling used to be simple-- find two of the toughest men and let them battle until one was left standing. It was never meant to be flashy or pretty, but no all anyone cares about is dressing up like superheroes or retweeting compliments. He’s been out seven months with an injured neck and he’s back to change that.
Hideo Itami rolls up. He says he saw Daivari’s match last week and he did a good job. He offers a handshake, Ariya accepts, and Itami leaves. Daivari says he’s one of the last true men around here, someone worth respect.
Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese
Nese flexing and showing his bicep off to try and intimidate Alexander before they go to the collar and elbow. Cedric backs Tony into the corner and breaks clean at referee Danilo Anfibio’s behest, showing off his own bicep this time. Nese waistlock, he throws Alexander back and again flexes and points at his bicep. Back to the lockup, wristlock from Cedric, arm wringer, reversed, fast-paced jockeying for position and Alexander gets a flipping Frankensteiner off but Nese lands on his feet!
Matrix evasion, big dropkick, only two! Chop in the corner, Tony returns the favor in the ropes and goes for a backslide but Cedric hangs onto the ropes and back body drops him to the floor! Off the ropes, dive denied, up top and Nese cuts him off with a right hand for two! Crossface strikes, a wicked hammer whip, still just two! Boot up, Tony with a throat thrust that leaves Cedric dry heaving and follows it with a running neck snap over the top rope!
Triangle moonsault... NOPE! Stomping away, scoop and a slam for two more and Nese locks the bodyscissors on to grind Alexander down further. Cedric hammers him with punches to break and comes off the ropes only to get decapitated by a lariat for a nearfall! Rear chinlock applied, throwing him to the apron when he stands, Alexander with a boot from the apron, goes for the springboard, fakeout to deny the counter... SPRINGBOARD REVERSE STO!
Big lariats from the former champ, an uppercut, dropkick to the knee and a running knee from the apron! Springboard lariat... STILL NO! Drawing Nese up, the Premier Athlete with a kick combo but Cedric decks him with the buzzsaw for two! Big fireman’s carry gutbuster from Tony, following it with a pair of elbows and again just a nearfall! Alexander fighting back, back elbow, goes for the Neuralyzer but Nese is able to counter with a Samoan drop... even though it looks more like he just let Cedric crossbody his face.
Action to the floor... SASUKE SPECIAL! 450 splash comes up empty but Nese is able to reverse to a pin for two. Cedric gets a Blue Thunder Driver... NOPE! Looking for the Lumbar Check, blocked, roundhouse, again with the Lumbar Check but Tony floats out and gets a pin for two more! Neuralyzer connects, back suplex lift...
Cedric Alexander wins by pinfall with the Lumbar Check.
Buddy Murphy makex his entrance and Alexander wants to fight!
Murphy takes his title off, sets it down, and charges in! Cedric with a double leg and they brawl on the mat! Upkick, Buddy runs... TOPE CON GIRO! Alexander fired up, he wants more... and Murphy backs off.
That’s the show, folks.