source: WWE
This week, we got to watch a relationship develop between team Little Big and a streak retained by team Awe-ska in the MMC, the advancement of an underdog success story in Mustafa Ali on 205 Live, and an intense feud continued between former best friends in Gargano and Ciampa on NXT.
Mixed Match Challenge
source: WWE
Asuka and the Miz vs. Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman
Winners: Asuka and the Miz
Highlights:
The Miz quickly tags in Asuka every time Braun is tagged in
Asuka freaks out when Miz is in jeopardy of losing her streak for her
Miz tries to walk out, but Braun stops him
Asuka kicks Alexa into Braun’s arms, and they almost kiss but she gets back in before the countout
Miz’s It Kicks have no effect on Braun Strowman
Alexa pulls Braun in by his beard and they get an inch from kissing before Miz interrupts
Braun runs Miz into the barricade and knocks it down
Asuka locks in the Asuka lock and gets the victory
Strowman carries Alexa to the back
It's pretty obvious by now that Asuka isn't going to lose her streak, especially the way she's letting the Miz know that she can't lose it. The comedy of Alexa and Braun's love connection is hilarious, and I hope that we get to see more of it, even though they lost. I'm excited to see Asuka and Miz take on Charlotte and Bobby Roode in the finals (technically, they still have to face Sasha and Finn, but still).
205 Live
source: WWE
Hideo Itami vs. Lince Dorado
Winner: Hideo Itami via DQ
Highlights:
Itami’s fellow Japanese friend (Akira Tozawa) and Dorado’s fellow hispanic friends (Kalisto and Gran Metalik) accompany them to the ring (oh, come on. Really?)
Hideo delivers a big boot to Dorado, knocking him off the apron
Gran Metalik shoves Itami, causing a DQ
The Lucha House party and Tozawa hold back Itami and Dorado from each other (even though they were in a match?)
This match just seemed like a huge waste of time to me. None of these men seemed to be entertaining at all on the 205 Live roster. They haven’t proven to be good on the microphone, and they don’t wow in in ring competition. If I didn’t have to write about this match, I probably would’ve skipped past it, honestly.
source: WWE
TJP vs. Kenneth Johnson
Winner: TJP
Highlights:
TJP takes out Johnson’s knee with kicks and holds
TJP gives him the Detonation Kick
TJP locks in a kneebar, forcing Kenneth to tap
This was a squash match, of course, but TJP was able to emphasize his ability to hammer into a body part and really attack it. I don’t think he deserves to be next in line at the Cruiserweight championship after WrestleMania just yet, but he’s definitely in front of some of the other competitors.
source: WWE
Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak
Winner: Mustafa Ali
Highlights:
Drew escapes outside the ring, and Ali jumps off the top rope onto him
Ali goes for the 054 (450 splash off the top rope), but Gulak knocks his feet off and her hits his face on the apron and falls
Gulak sends Ali into the barricade
Gulak runs toward Mustafa, but Ali sends him across the announce table
Ali jumps over the corner of the announce table onto Drew
Drew Gulak launches Ali over his shoulder onto the ground from the announce table
Gulak sends Ali into the post and into the timekeeper’s area
Ali delivers an 054 for the win
This was arguably the best match 205 Live has ever seen. It started off a bit slow, but Ali persisted through Gulak’s fierce brutality and punched his ticket to WrestleMania. In his past few matches on the purple brand, Ali has shown great endurance. He’s able to withstand incredible punishment and still come out on top.
It’s sad that Gulak lost out on this position at WrestleMania, but he will easily be a able to bounce back. Drew is an incredible talent and will get more opportunities down the road. Right now, Ali vs. Alexander makes more sense.
Ali is looking to be a great underdog babyface, and boy is it refreshing. It isn’t often that someone like Ali can make it, and he said it himself. Ali has gone on to say that it doesn’t matter what you look like, where you’re from, or what your name is, you can still make it. It’s so good to see a Pakistani man who, unlike most superstars of other nationalities, isn’t made to be hated because of his race (see Jinder Mahal, Akeem the African Dream, Rusev, Mohammad Hassan, Rusev, Yokozuna, and so many more). Furthermore, seeing Ali face off against Cedric Alexander is even better.
NXT
source: WWE
Tommaso Ciampa stays mad
Ciampa comes out to the ring, and is forced to wait minutes until the angry crowd stops cheering for Gargano. He screams that Gargano is gone, and is visibly irritated before relishing in the hate and dropping the mic.
As Tommaso exits the ring and walks past the fans, he grabs and tears up several of the hundreds of the Johnny Gargano “emoji” posters right in front of the fans holding them. As he tears a big poster out of someone’s hands, the person takes off their masks and it’s revealed that Johnny Gargano is in the crowd.
Gargano jumps the barricade and attacks Ciampa, forcing security to drag him out of the arena.
Highlights:
Ciampa comes out to the ring to HUGE boos
He comes face to face with an older lady, who gives him a thumbs down and he argues with her
Gargano lays into Ciampa and it takes 4 men to get him out of the arena
This feud is red hot—possibly hotter than Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn’s NXT rivalry. It’s rare that NXT fans get to see such an intense situation. The fans, however, are making it that way. It has been a long time since someone in NXT has been so hated, and Ciampa’s heat is so nuclear that it easily compares to that of a main roster heel. I wouldn’t be surprised if after this rivalry ends in NXT, it continues onto Raw or Smackdown.
source: WWE
Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch vs. Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament Match
Winners: Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne
Highlights:
Pete Dunne bends each of Burch’s fingers back one by one
Dunne and Strong double team Burch with chops at the same time
Lorcan gives Strong a running blockbuster and a dropkick off the top rope
Burch and Lorcan put Dunne and Strong in submissions simultaneously
Roddy delivers the End of Heartache backbreaker for the victory
Due to the fact that Mustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) were unable to compete after Bate’s injury, the makeshift team of two show stealers in Roddy Strong and Pete Dunne were able to get the victory. Strong and Dunne worked fantastic as a team—better than the team of Burch and Lorcan, who had more opportunities to work together and prepare.
source: WWE
Ember Moon vs. Aliyah
Winner: Ember Moon
Highlights:
Aliyah yanks Ember off the top rope by her hair
Shayna Baszler comes out in the middle of the match on commentary
Moon gives Aliyah a diving crossbody Samoan Drop, dedicating it to Baszler
Ember goes to the top rope, hitting Aliyah with the Eclipse, winning the match
With Shayna Baszler’s commentary debut, it looks like she’s improving due to her time in NXT. Baszler is looking more intimidating lately, and even though we already saw a match between the two, I’m starting to look forward to another one. Personally, I think Ember is ready for the main roster, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she lost the title at TakeOver in two weeks.
source: WWE
Andrade Almas calls out Aleister Black
Highlights:
Almas shouting in Spanglish and gets bleeped out
Andrade calls out Aleister Black, but Black doesn’t show up
Zelina Vega actually doesn’t talk this time?
It surprised me that Almas did his entire promo without Vega’s assistance. At first, it seemed a little strange as he was only speaking in Spanish before talking in English. It seemed like his accent has gotten thicker and more difficult to understand since the last time he talked on TV, and it’s possible they want him to be hard to understand so Zelina can continue to be his mouthpiece. I found it interesting that they bleeped him out, but it this week didn’t make me much more excited than last week to see his match with Black. I think Zelina Vega should stick to the promos for now.
source: WWE
Adam Cole vs. Kassius Ohno
Winner:
Highlights:
Ohno delivers a big boot to Cole and follows it with a senton
Cole jumps onto the apron and tweaks his knee, falling off and subsequently throwing a mini tantrum
Adam Cole beats Ohno down with kicks, revealing that he wasn’t actually injured in the first place
Ohno hits Cole with a painful right hand, and follows up with a knee, clothesline, and a big boot
Cole delivers 3 super kicks and a running knee to the back of the head to get the 3 count
Adam Cole will always be a star. He’s so entertaining and such a great heel. Both Ohno and Cole are indy stars, and their in-ring ability can’t be overstated. Cole, especially, makes you believe that he’s the best and he knows it, and he’s so good at being arrogant.
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