8/31/16 WWE Cruiserweight Classic Recap – Quarterfinals: Tozawa vs. Metalik, Ibushi vs. Kendrick

Aug 31, 2016 - by Michael Riba

The first quarterfinals episode of the Cruiserweight Classic kicks off with Corey Graves running down “The Great Eight,” Zack Sabre Jr. T.J. Perkins, Noam Dar, Gran Metalik, Akira Tozawa, Rich Swann, Kota Ibushi, and Brian Kendrick. We see the CWC opening video and then go into the arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, where Mauro Ranallo and Daniel Bryan welcome us to the show. We join Graves in the CWC Control Room. He says our main event tonight will be Brian Kendrick vs. Kota Ibushi, but we will kick things off with Akira Tozawa vs. Gran Metalik. We then see the video packages for Tozawa and Metalik.

Match #1: Quarterfinal Tournament Match – Akira Tozawa vs. Gran Metalik
Tozawa drops down and goes behind Metalik, but Metalik gets free and applies a wrist-lock. Tozawa gets free and takes Metalik down and works over his knee. Metalik gets free and then works over Tozawa’s knee now. Tozawa comes back and takes Metalik down for the first pin attempt, but Metalik kicks out and we see a stalemate. They come back and tie up and Metalik backs Tozawa into the ropes. Tozawa counters and kicks Metalik in the midsection. Tozawa takes Metalik down with an arm-drag and then Metalik comes back with his own arm-drag. Both men go for a dropkick and we are at a stalemate again. They tie up again and Tozawa applies a headlock. Metalik sends him off the ropes and Tozawa goes for a shoulder block, but Metalik doesn’t budge. Metalik goes for his won shoulder block, but Tozawa stays on his feet. Metalik catches Tozawa against the ropes and connects with a dropkick. Metalik grabs Tozawa and sends him to the corner. Metalik charges, but Tozawa sends him to the apron. Metalik kicks Tozawa in the head and then connects with a springboard dropkick that sends Tozawa to the floor. Metalik comes outside with a tope suicida and takes Tozawa down on the floor. Metalik delivers a chop and then tosses Tozawa back into the ring. Metalik comes in with a cross-body and goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two. Metalik applies an inverted figure-four on Tozawa down on the mat, but Tozawa makes it to the ropes. Metalik kicks Tozawa in the face a few times and then connects with a big kick that sends Tozawa down to the mat. Metalik goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two. Metalik delivers a chop and then a knee to Tozawa’s midsection. Metalik delivers another chop, but Tozawa comes back with his own chop and then they exchange chops before Tozawa drops Metalik with a big right hand. Tozawa goes for the cover, but Metalik kicks out at two. Tozawa takes Metalik to the corner and then delivers a basement dropkick. Tozawa sends Metalik to the other corner and charges, but Metalik moves and delivers a standing dropkick. Metalik walks the ropes and delivers another dropkick and then connects with the shooting star press. Metalik goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two. Metalik connects with a springboard back-elbow and goes for the cover again, but Tozawa kicks out. Metalik sets up for the Metalik Driver, but Tozawa sunset flips out of it and kicks Metalik in the head. Tozawa goes for the cover, but Metalik kicks out at two. Tozawa sends Metalik to the corner and connects with a bicycle kick. Tozawa takes Metalik down with a suplex and goes for the cover, but Metalik kicks out at two. Tozawa charges, but Metalik superkicks him. Metalik delivers a chop and then a dropkick from the ropes. Tozawa goes to the outside and Metalik dives out onto Tozawa and both men are down on the floor.
Metalik sends Tozawa back into the ring and slams him down to the mat. Metalik goes up top and goes for the moonsault, but Tozawa gets his boots up. Tozawa goes for the cover, but Metalik kicks out at two. Tozawa takes Metalik and sets him on the top turnbuckle. Tozawa goes for a superplex, but Metalik drops him to the apron. Tozawa comes back into the ring, but Metalik catches him with a kick. Metalik takes Tozawa down with a hurricanrana and goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two. Metalik slams Tozawa, but Tozawa comes back with hits the snap German suplex. Tozawa grabs Metalik again and delivers the bridging German suplex. Tozawa has Metalik in the cover, but Metalik kicks out at two. Tozawa goes for the suplex again, but Metalik blocks it. Metalik drops Tozawa with the Metalik Driver and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Gran Metalik.
After the match, we see match highlights and then see Metalik will face the winner of Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Noam Dar, which takes place on next week’s episode. Tozawa and Metalik share a hug and then Tozawa raises Metalik’s hand in the air before leaving the ring.

We see Brian Kendrick and Kota Ibushi getting focused backstage before their match and then we see the video packages for Brian Kendrick and Kota Ibushi.

Match #2: Quarterfinal Tournament Match – Brian Kendrick vs. Kota Ibushi
Kendrick ducks a kick and rolls to the floor. Kendrick gets back into the ring and blows a kiss at Ibushi. Kendrick tries to leave again, but Ibushi stops him and kicks him in the head. Kendrick rolls to the floor and Ibushi connects with the triangle moonsault. Ibushi rolls Kendrick back into the ring, but Kendrick rolls all the way through to the floor again. Ibushi goes out after him, but Kendrick slams Ibushi into the barricade. Kendrick wraps Ibushi’s foot in the barricade, but Ibushi gets free and takes Kendrick down with a missile dropkick. Ibushi goes for the cover, but Kendrick kicks out. Ibushi connects with roundhouse kick after roundhouse kick and then charges at Kendrick in the corner, but Kendrick sends him to the apron. Ibushi pulls Kendrick to the apron, but Kendrick delivers a neck-breaker to Ibushi over the turnbuckle. Kendrick charges at Ibushi on the apron, but Ibushi drives a shoulder into Kendrick’s midsection. Ibushi gets into the ring, but Kendrick rolls him up and Ibushi kicks out. Kendrick works over Ibushi’s surgically-repaired neck and works Ibushi down to the mat in the process. Ibushi finally gets free, but Kendrick catches him with an elbow shot. Kendrick charges, but Ibushi takes him down with a standing dropkick.
Ibushi charges in the corner, but Kendrick catches him with a kick to the face. Kendrick charges now, but Ibushi takes him down with a power slam. Ibushi connects with a moonsault and goes for the cover, but Kendrick kicks out at two. Kendrick comes back with a superkick to the face and both men are down in the ring. Ibushi takes Kendrick to the corner, but Kendrick counters with sliced bread #2. Kendrick goes for the cover but Ibushi kicks out at two. Kendrick applies a rear-naked choke and pulls Ibushi up with him on the ropes. Ibushi gets free and kicks Kendrick in the head. Kendrick falls to the apron and Ibushi grabs him. Ibushi German suplexes Kendrick back into the ring from the apron. Ibushi goes for the cover, but Kendrick kicks out at two. Kendrick comes back and applies the Bully Choke on Ibushi, but Ibushi gets free. Ibushi charges from the ropes, but Kendrick catches him with the Burning Hammer. Kendrick goes for the cover, but Ibushi kicks out at two. Kendrick pounds Ibushi in the head and comes off the ropes, but Ibushi kicks him in the head. Kendrick comes back with a body scissors attempt, but Ibushi slams him down to the mat. Ibushi goes for the cover, but Kendrick kicks out at two. Kendrick comes back with the bulldog choke, but Ibushi rolls through and kicks Kendrick in the back of the head. Ibushi drops Kendrick with the Golden Star powerbomb and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Kota Ibushi.
After the match, we see match highlights and then see that Ibushi will face the winner of T.J. Perkins vs. Rich Swann, which will take place on next week’s show.
Kendrick and Ibushi shake hands, bow, and hug in the ring as Daniel Bryan gets emotional at the announce table.

We join Corey Graves again and he reminds us that Zack Sabre Jr vs. Noam Dar and Rich Swann vs. T.J. Perkins will take place on next week’s show.

We go back to the ring where the crowd is chanting “Thank You Brian” at Brian Kendrick as he is still in the ring. Kendrick is in tears in the ring as Daniel Bryan gets into the ring. Bryan and Kendrick share a hug in the ring and shed tears together. Bryan raises Kendrick’s hand in the air as this week’s CWC comes to a close.


Leave a Reply