July 3, 2018 WWE 205 Live Recap: Dar vs. TJP, Tozawa in Action; Murphy vs. Ali – No DQ Main Event

205 Live opens with General Managaer Drake Maverick running down tonight’s card, which includes Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali in a No Disqualification Match, and he announces that TJP will take on an opponent of his choosing. The opening credits role and Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, and Vic Joseph welcome us to the show. Maverick also announces that Cedric Alexander will defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship on next week’s show.

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TJP’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring. He mocks Drake Maverick’s decision to pick his opponent, because that’s what he does every week. TJP says he notices three things: this is not the main event, this is not for the Cruiserweight Championship, and this show is in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska in a dump of a town. TJP says Nebraska is where fun and excitement go to die, but he is going to take Maverick’s bait. He says Maverick has finally found an opponent that can hang with the Cruiser-Great.

Match #1 – Singles Match: TJP vs. Noam Dar
Dar immediately takes TJP down and connects with a knee to the face and gets the quick pin fall.
Winner: Noam Dar.

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We take a look back at the feud between Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy, which currently stands at one win each. We see Murphy warming up backstage. He says if it wasn’t for Ali, he would be the Cruiserweight Champion. He says no disqualification means he can put Ali in a hospital where he belongs, and he will be waiting on the winner of the Cedric Alexander vs. Hideo Itami match.

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We see TJP walking backstage and he leaves the building without saying a word to anyone.

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Match #2 – Singles Match: Akira Tozawa vs. Jason Strife
Before the match begins, Lio Rush’s music hits and he makes his way to ringside.
Tozawa takes Strife down with a hurricanrana. Tozawa delivers a few chops and then a quick jab. Tozawa stomps away on Strife in the corner and then delivers a kick to the chest. Tozawa delivers a quick senton and then glances at Rush. Strife comes back and sends Tozawa to the corner and delivers a forearm shot. Strife delivers a back elbow and goes for a moonsault, but Tozawa moves and then connects with a Shining Wizard. Tozawa kicks Strife in the midsection and then delivers a step-up enzuiguri. Tozawa goes up top and delivers the senton and gets the pin all.
Winner: Akira Tozawa.
After the match, Rush says Tozawa is incredible and he is a fan. Rush says Tozawa is extremely good and he can see why Tozawa is a former Cruiserweight Championship. Rush asks what Tozawa has done since then and it looks like he has just been walking around and waiting on opportunities. Rush says Tozawa should be ashamed. Rush says he doesn’t wait for anything because he is just too good to wait. Rush says when Tozawa is finished waiting for opportunities, he can step into the ring with the Man of the Hour and feel the rush.

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We see Mustafa Ali backstage. He says Buddy Murphy is a bad dude and is dangerous. Ali says Murphy will be more dangerous than every before tonight, but he runs directly into danger. He says rules will be broken tonight, but that’s okay, because he will prove that The Juggernaut is just a human after all.

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We see Cedric Alexander backstage. He says Hiedo Itami has been walking around entitled due to his past. He says he earned the Cruiserweight Championship and will do everything in his power next week to keep it.

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Match #3 – No Disqualification Match: Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy
Ali immediately dropkicks Murphy off the apron and then takes him down with a cross-body. Ali slams Murphy into the barricade and then tosses him into the ring. Ali takes Murphy down, but Murphy gets free and rolls to the floor. Ali follows him, but Murphy tosses him over the announce table. Murphy connects with a forearm shot and then slams Ali into the announce table. Ali comes back with a forearm of his own, but Murphy connects with a right. Ali delivers a few chops and then slams Murphy into the steel steps. Ali tosses Murphy into the crowd and then delivers a cross-body from the barricade. Murphy comes back and kicks Ali in the back, but Ali tosses him back to ringside. Ali walks along the barricade, but Murphy grabs him and throws him onto the entrance ramp. Murphy then delivers a suplex to Ali on the entrance ramp.
Murphy tosses Ali back into the ring and applies a rear chin-lock. Ali gets to his feet to break the hold, but Murphy kicks him in the back. Murphy slams Ali into the corner and then tosses him down to the mat. Murphy goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Murphy continues to work over Ali’s back and then tosses him back down to the mat again. Murphy goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Murphy beats down Ali in the corner, but Ali comes back and sends Murphy face-first into the ring post. Ali sends Murphy to the corner and kicks him in the face. Ali goes for the face-buster, but Murphy sends him away. Ali sends Murphy to the ropes and then delivers the X-Factor and goes for the cover, but Murphy kicks out at two. Murphy comes back and tosses Ali to the floor and kicks him into the announce table. Ali comes back and slams Murphy into it as well.
Murphy slams Ali into the steps and then takes the steps apart. Murphy sets part of the steps in the ring, but Ali slams him into the announce table. Ali takes the table apart, but Murphy gets back into the ring and dropkicks the steps into Ali. Murphy runs the ropes and catapults off the steps and down onto Ali. Murphy tosses Ali back into the ring and goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Murphy sets the steps up in the corner and throws Ali into them. Murphy throws Ali into the steps again and goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two. Murphy tries it again, but Ali counters and delivers a hurricanrana that sends Murphy into the steps. Ali drags Murphy to the corner and sets up for the 0-5-4. Murphy stops him and delivers a forearm to the back of the head. Murphy delivers two power bombs and goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two.
Murphy sets the steps down in the ring and slams Ali’s head into them repeatedly. Murphy lays Ali across the steps and goes up top, but Ali cuts him off. Ali slams Murphy’s head into the steps and then sets the steps upright and delivers a superplex from the steps. Ali crawls toward Murphy, but Murphy rolls out to the floor. Ali goes after him, but Murphy tosses Ali into the announce table. Murphy puts Ali on the announce table and gets on the barricade, but Ali cuts him off. Ali comes back and delivers a Spanish Fly from the barricade onto the announce table. Ali tosses Murphy back into the ring, but Murphy catches him with a knee strike and Ali gets tied up in the ropes. Murphy delivers another knee strike, followed by two more, but Ali tells the referee to not stop the match. Murphy drags Ali to the middle of the ring and hits another knee strike. Murphy goes for the cover, but Ali kicks out at two.
Murphy goes to hit Ali with the steps, but Ali moves. Ali kicks Murphy in the face and delivers a tornado DDT from the steps and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Mustafa Ali.