8/1/17 WWE 205 Live Recap: Kendrick vs. Gallagher, Nese vs. Metalik; Tozawa vs. Daivari #1 Contender’s Main Event

205 Live opens with recap of the Neville/Akira Tozawa feud and the inclusion of Ariya Daivari. We then see the 205 Live opening video and go into the arena where Corey Graves and Vic Joseph welcome us to the show. We see that Gran Metalik will take on Tony Nese later tonight and are reminded of tonight’s main event: Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari, where the winner will go on to challenge Neville for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at SummerSlam.

The Brian Kendrick’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Kendrick says week after week he tells the fans and Jack Gallagher that he is nothing but a clown. He says he will rid 205 Live of Gallagher tonight and will send him back to where he belongs: the circus.

Match #1: The Brian Kendrick vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher
Gallagher drops Kendrick with a clothesline and then takes him to the corner and delivers a series of headbutts. Gallagher grabs Kendrick and slams him into the turnbuckles and then delivers an uppercut. Kendrick goes against the ropes and Gallagher backs away. They charge and delivers a headbutt to each other. Gallagher stomps away on Kendrick and Kendrick gets to the apron, but Gallagher doesn’t stop and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner via Disqualification: The Brian Kendrick.
After the match, Gallagher slams Kendrick into the barricade and then into the LED board around the ring. Gallagher kicks Kendrick in the face and then grinds Kendrick’s face against the LED board. Gallagher grabs William the Umbrella from the ring, but Kendrick escapes through the crowd.

We go backstage and see Rich Swann and Mustafa Ali playing video games. TJP walks up. He says Swann isn’t looking too hot, just like last week. Ali leaves and Swann asks TJP what’s good. Swann says TJP is obsessed with being bettwe than him. TJP says he isn’t trying to be better than Swann, he just is. TJP calls it friendy competition and Swann says TJP has bene hung up on it since Swann beat him a few weeks ago. TJP says Swann barely beat him and Swann says it is eating him up inside. Swann says they can settle it in the ring next week and TJP agrees, but challenges Swann to play video games first.

We see Ariya Daivari warming up backstage as we head to a break.

Tony Nese’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Nese says he feels there is a bit of a misunderstanding, so he is going to clarify. He says he is what a premier athlete looks like and he knows the fans are jealous of his physique and are in awe of his athletic ability. Nese says if you want to be a successful athlete, you have to look the part. Nese says his physique is the reason his team won the main event last week. He says he has the body of a winner. He says he wants everyone to keep that in mind when they see his opponent tonight. Nese says there is a reason Gran Metalik is covered from head to toe. He says Metalik looks like everyone in Cleveland: disgusting.

Match #2: Tony Nese vs. Gran Metalik
Nese shoves Metalik away and poses in the ring. They lock up and Metalik applies a side headlock. Nese sends Metalik off the ropes, but Metalik hand springs and takes Nese down. Metalik poses for Nese now and Nese goes for a kick to the midsection. Metalik counters and sends Nese to the floor with a dropkick. Metalik goes for a dive to the outside, but Nese gets back into the ring. Nese delivers an uppercut and puts Metalik on the apron. Nese runs the ropes, but Metalik sends Nese to the floor and takes him from with a moonsault from the top rope. Metalik sends Nese back into the ring, but Nese catches him and delivers a gut-buster. Nese goes for the cover, but Metalik kicks out at two. Nese stomps away on Metalik and sens him off the ropes.
Nese drives his knee into Metalik’s midsection a few times and then slams him down to the mat. Nese goes for the cover, but Metalik kicks out at two. Nese applies a body scissors down on the mat. Metalik fights to his feet and delivers a few elbows, but Nese slams him into the corner. Nese lifts Metalik to the top, but Metalik punches Nese down to the mat. Metalik comes off the top with a cross-body and goes for the cover, but Nese kicks out at two. Metalik comes off the middle rope with a dropkick then goes up top. He connects with a springboard elbow drop and goes for the cover, but Nese kicks out at two. Nese comes back and picks Metalik up, but Metalik sends him to the corner. Metalik charges and gets on the ropes, but Nese chops his knee. Nese delivers a running knee in the corner and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Tony Nese.

We see Akira Tozawa warming up for his match backstage as we head to a break.

We head backstage and Dasha Fuentes welcomes the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Neville. Neville says Akira Tozawa and Titus World Wide have been a thorn in his side for far too long. He says Tozawa has returned worse than ever after he defeated him at Great Balls of Fire. Neville says he didn’t even know Ariya Daivari even existed until he made the fatal error of disrespecting his king last week. He says doesn’t care who wins tonight, because it is irrelevant. He says whomever the victor is tonight, all that awaits them at SummerSlam is defeat and humiliation as they will be forced to kneel at the feet of the King of the Cruiserweights.

Ariya Daivari’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. He dedicates his match to another Iranian Olympic Gold Medalist as he has in recent weeks. He says he will follow in their greatness and will be the next WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

Match #3: #1 Contender’s (WWE Cruiserweight Championship) Match: Ariya Daivari vs. Akira Tozawa
Tozawa goes for a kick that back Daivari into the corner and then they lock up. Daivari backs Tozawa into the corner, but Tozawa comes back with a chop. They lock up again and Tozawa sends Daivari into the corner. Tozawa delivers another chop after dodges a right hand and then chops Daivari against the ropes. Daivari sends Tozawa to the ropes, but Tozawa holds on and clubs Daivari across the back. Tozawa takes Daivari down and connects with a standing senton. Tozawa goes up top, but Daivari moves to the outside. Tozawa runs the ropes, but Daivari gets back into the ring and drops Tozawa with a clothesline. Daivari stomps away n Tozawa, but Tozawa gets to his feet and takes Daivari down with a head-scissors. Tozawa sends Daivari to the outside and follows him out.
Daivari shoves Tozawa shoulder first into the ring post. Daivari slams Tozawa into the barricade and then throws him up the entrance ramp and runs back into the ring as the referee counts. Tozawa gets to his feet and runs back into the ring at the count of nine. Daivari beats down Tozawa in the ring and then slams him into the corner. Daivari stomps on Tozawa and then grinds his knee into Tozawa’s face as we see Neville looking on from backstage. Daivari kicks Tozawa in the shoulder and goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at one. Daivari works over Tozawa’s shoulder and takes him down to the mat and drops a knee onto Tozawa’s shoulder. Daivari slams Tozawa into the corner again and then applies a submission down on the mat.
Tozawa tries to fight to his feet, but Daivari takes him down again. Daivari goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two. Daivari stomps on Tozawa’s shoulder, but Tozawa comes back with a few chops. Daivari counters and slams Tozawa down to the mat again. Daivari goes up top and goes for the frog splash, but Tozawa moves out of the way. Tozawa kicks Daivari in the midsection and takes him down with an exploder suplex. Tozawa delivers a shining wizard and goes for the cover, but Daivari kicks out at two. Tozawa goes up top, but Daivari knocks him down and Tozawa’s shoulder connects with the top rope. Daivari connects with the frog splash and goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two. Daivari goes for a clothesline, but Tozawa counters and takes Daivari down to the mar and then sends him to the outside with a forearm shot.
Tozawa dives through the ropes and takes Daivari down on the outside. Tozawa tosses Daivari back into the ring and connects with the senton from the top and gets the pin fall.
Winner and number one contender for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Akira Tozawa.