Hello, one and all! Grab a chair and settle down while I talk you through this past weeks 205 Live and this week is a doozy! The whole show is dedicated to just one match. The biggest match in 205 Live history – a ten-man elimination tag match called the “Captain’s Challenge Ten-Man Tag Team Elimination Match”. Just rolls off the tongue don’t it? Now enough of the elocution lessons, let’s get on with the show!
Captain’s Challenge Ten-Man Tag Team Elimination Match
Oney Lorcan, Akira Tozawa, Jack Gallagher, Humberto Carillo & Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak, Mike Kanellis, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari & Angel Garza
When finally all ten men were in the ring, a huge staredown began. Great camera work here to capture the tension. Moments later and the carnage began. All ten began to brawl all around the ring, finishing with the babyfaces clearing the heels out of the ring. Gallagher gives his teammates umbrellas and tells them to open them up and hit the Popping drop on the heels. Not sure what I mean? Check this out…..
That was a great way of starting the match and getting the notorious crowd onside. Booking 101 folks 😉
The bell finally rings as all ten men get back to their positions on the apron and in the ring. Gulak and Lorcan lock up but within seconds Isaiah tags himself in and takes the champ to the mat. Working and grinding on Drew’s left arm before Gulak made his way to the turnbuckles. There Scott lays in some great strikes and a head scissors takedown. The champ retaliates and tags in Garza. But Angel is taken down a few times with some great arm drag takeovers. Humberto tags in and some double team action ensues.
Fun fact folks – Humberto Carillo and Angel Garza come from the same great Lucha Mexican family.
You could see that these two have worked with each other a lot as their brief interactions were so damn good. Gulak tags in and slows the action down by taking Carillo to the canvas. A quick cradle reversal from Humberto gives a two count. He quickly tags in Tozawa and he goes bat shit crazy! Clears the heels from the apron and hits a cannonball from the apron onto the waiting opponents. He slides back in and hits a missile dropkick onto the champion. But Gulak recovers quickly and tags in Kanellis.
He runs straight into Tozawa’s open arms and is put into an octopus hold. But Mike powers out, hits a sweet neckbreaker and sends Tozawa packing!
Eliminated – Akira Tozawa
Gallagher rushes into the ring and immediately headbutts Kanellis for the quick elimination!
Eliminated – Mike Kanellis
Tony Nese runs in and is met with a dropkick from Jack. But Gallagher misses the resulting corner dropkick and is sent packing to the outside. After some outside shenanigans outside the ring involving Jack and Daivari, Gallagher rolls into the ring and is hit with a Sunset Driver for the elimination.
Eliminated – Jack Gallagher
“Swerve” Scott jumps into the ring and he locks up with Nese. They both get to the ropes and Nese hits some stiff back elbows, which fires up Scott. A diving elbow gives Swerve a two count. Annoyed he can’t put Tony away, Scott lays in some right hands. But the experienced Nese trips him up and quickly covers for a two count. Garza joins the action and controls Swerve around the ring. A superkick gives Angel a two count.
A backstage altercation is shown as The Brian Kendrick is seen blaming Gallagher for Tozawa’s elimination and what happened last week (click here to see what I mean). Jack Gallagher vs The Brian Kendrick is set for next week’s episode. More long term storytelling here peeps 😉
Back to the ring and Scott is on the mat with Nese all over him. Ground and pounding away. Swerve gets to his feet but Nese tags in Garza, just as Scott dumps Tony outside. Angel scoop slams Scott to the mat. Ariya tags in and quickly covers but only picks up the two. A few stiff jabs and whips from corner to corner and Isaiah is looking like he’s on dream street. Another cover from Daivari for another two. Drew Gulak joins the fray and works on Swerve’s arm, wringing it out. Again Scott fires up and gets out of the hold, but both men trade chops back and forth. A blind tag by Lorcan and he quickly goes for the Half And Half, but it’s countered into a double stomp for a two.
Again both men trade strikes but Lorcan reverses the Sunset Driver and hits the Half And Half to put away Tony Nese.
Eliminated – Tony Nese
Oney is screaming for Gulak to get in the ring with him, but he passes and lets Angel Garza take his place. Garza’s “cousin” Carillo tags in and the two estranged family members go hell for leather! Humberto takes him down and hits a beautiful standing moonsault for a two. Isaiah Scott tags in and more double team action follows. Scott takes down Drew Gulak off the apron, puts Garza onto the mat and gives the champ a double stomp on the apron. He then goes back to Garza, hits another double stomp and covers. Gulak makes the save and breaks the referee’s count at two and three quarters!
Drew tags himself in and makes a beeline for the disrespectful “rookie” Scott. Some hard strikes, an eye rake, and a great Argentine Cutter eliminates the hot Swerve.
Eliminated – Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Carillo makes his way into the ring and immediately trades blows with Garza. Another superkick from Angel but only another two! Daivari enters the match again with a neck breaker. But again only a two count! Change of tactic now as Ariya takes the match back to the canvas.
Another backstage segment as the match continues. This time we see Lucha House Party member Kalisto challenging Daivari to a match on next week’s show.
Back to the match and both men are back on their feet, but not for long. Daivari hits a strong clothesline for yet another two. Drew tags in and immediately lock in a Camel Clutch. It takes a while but Humberto escapes. Garza with the quick tag and even quicker chops. After a quick succession of back and forth chops, both guys hit the mat, and make their respective tags.
Lorcan runs in with the hot tag and runs wild (brother!). He hits a double blockbuster on both Gulak and Garza, then goes back to the top rope. A huge tope onto Gulak wipes him out of the ring. Lorcan follows him out of the ring and launches him over the announce table. Lorcan brawls with Daivari, and with his back turned, Gulak cracks a chair across his back! The Cruiserweight Champion got himself intentionally DQ’d!
Eliminated – Drew Gulak
Gulak continues to wail Lorcan with the chair as referees usher the champ to the back. Garza crotches the legal man, Humberto, as he goes up to the top rope. Daivari smashes Carillo with the Iconoclasm but tags in Garza. Straight away he hits a basement corner dropkick but can only garner a two count.
Carillo battles his way back to an equal footing and hits a Springboard Head Butt and tags in Lorcan. AGAIN Oney comes in like a frenzied Warrior! Chops, uppercuts, corner splashes on Daivari. He’s raised the tempo once again! Out of nowhere Ariya hits a superkick but misses the resulting Frog Splash. Oney sees his opportunity and takes Daivari’s head off with a Hammerlock Clothesline and sends him to the back!
Eliminated – Ariya Daivari
Last man standing for team Gulak, NXT’s Angel Garza comes in and hits a beautiful Disaster Kick onto Humberto’s head, but again it’s a near fall. A quick inside cradle from Carillo ends in a two count. Both men back to their feet and they trade back and forth until a great dropkick from Garza and it’s another two. A fantastic inverted slingshot suplex, followed by a running pump kick from Garza. He then heads to the top rope but misses with the Moonsault attempt. Carillo’s Twisting Splash gets the three and the win for Team Lorcan! What a battle!
Winners – Oney Lorcan, Akira Tozawa, Jack Gallagher, Humberto Carillo & Isaiah “Swerve” Scott
Now many will say that the match was too long and convoluted. Me? It felt like three different matches due to the addition of the backstage segments. It broke up the match and whoever’s idea it was, needs a pay rise. Genius idea.
The match had so many different story strands running through it too. The continuation of Lorcan/Gulak. Gallagher and Tozawa at loggerheads. Garza and Carillo as feuding family members.
Also….Just how good is Isaiah Scott? The guy was the MVP for me in this match. Is there anything he can’t do?
Yes, the match was long, but look at what was highlighted. At least a month’s worth of rivalries and the emergence of yet more great NXT talent. A great match on a great show to highlight a great brand!
As always, you can hit me up on my social media for all kinds of wrestling-related chat. Links are below. So until later peeps…..TA TA!
Mark Blake-Facebook – MarkBlakeSmart
Mark Blake Twitter – @Smart_Mark_B
Pro Wrestling Post Facebook – ProWrestlingPST
Pro Wrestling Post Twitter – @ProWrestlingPST
You can read past editions of the Landscape right here!
