Welcome once again to Cruiserweight Corner, SLTD’s retrospective of everything going on in the land of those under 205 pounds.
Drew Gulak – Number One Contender
The time has finally come for the Cruiserweights to once again let their presence be known on PPV (albeit on the pre-show) as champion Cedric Alexander defends against the current number one contender Drew Gulak. Gulak managed to get past the ever impressive trio of Mustafa Ali, Hideo Itami and TJP on the 24th July edition of 205 Live. The aforementioned three were in familiar waters with the promise of a championship match upon their victory while Gulak was a relative unknown to these lofty heights thus making him the underdog.
In the end, it was Gulak who made Ali tap out to secure his appearance at Summerslam and promptly shift the champion’s game-plan from the need to physically outperform challengers (see Ali, Murphy & Itami) to the need to have the wherewithal to best his new challenger in a game of wit & mental tenacity.
Drew Gulak is one of the few cruiserweights on the roster who opt for a more technical approach when competing. While his mix of submissions and mat wrestling aren’t exactly my cup of tea nor what makes me tune in to 205 each week, there’s no denying his ability to tell a great story between the ropes.
Take that, add in Cedric Alexander’s phenomenal in-ring work & all-around ability and you have what could be the ‘best foot forward’ for the division hence the decision for this to be featured on the Summerslam card. Will Drew Gulak be the one to dethrone Alexander? I’m not totally convinced but he sure as hell could be.
Team Abs Vs. Lucha House Party
If you were to cast your mind back to Wrestlemania time, the wrestling community was rife with rumours alleging that the division was to be given their very own tag team championships. A clear catalyst to these rumours was the formation of Lucha House Party along with the pairings of Akira Tozawa & Hideo Itami and Jack Gallagher & Brian Kendrick.
Since then, Tozawa & Itami have disbanded and, while they still remain as allies, Gallagher & Kendrick are currently serving as heavies of sorts for Drew Gulak as his hunt for the Cruiserweight Championship. The one constant and solid unit still present on the show is the aforementioned Lucha House Party who now find themselves squared off against the ‘Premier Athlete’ Tony Nese and the ‘Best Kept Secret’ Buddy Murphy.
While both teams are yet to have their ‘big match’ on the show, they are currently scheduled to meet in a Tornado Tag Match (sans Metallik for the Luchas) on the post Summerslam edition of the show. Is this more filler for the clearly talented but not positioned higher up the card talent of the division or is this all part of WWE’s plan to continue to test the waters ready for the introduction of the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships?
Feel The Rush
The ‘Man Of The Hour’ Lio Rush is continuing to make strides in the division remaining undefeated since his debut on the purple brand. His biggest win came after he defeated Akira Tozawa on the 14th August edition of the show but what is all of this focus achieving? I know he can move, I know he has the ability and he is showcasing slither of charisma in this MVP-lite gimmick but all should know that there is more charismatic talent on the NXT roster who should have been called up sooner – Velveteen Dream anyone?
My only feeling for Rush is that he’ll be the next to step up and challenge Alexander once Gulak is out of the way but even at that seeming eventuality, will Lio be considered a legitimate threat to the potentially unstoppable Cedric? If he can’t be, what else is there for him to do?
Who’s Next?
Well, I can’t imagine it’ll be Goldberg.
Jack & Brian are protecting Drew, Mustafa needs a rebound coming off two pretty serious losses and Akira has faded away quicker than your favourite superheroes at the end of Infinity War.
I know. Too soon.
Hideo Itami has resurfaced showing no signs of wear after his unsuccessful pursuit of the championship with victories over an enhancement talent and Mustafa Ali. Is the idea for this re-push to once again establish Itami as a threat to Alexander? If so, I’m happy to take another round with this feud as long as it’s not throwaway like before. That is, assuming Alexander wins at Summerslam…
Finally, two men who should also feature in the championship conversation are the ‘Scottish Supernova’ Noam Dar and the first ever CWC winner TJP. Dar Vs. TJP III is currently set for the post Summerslam edition of 205 Live. Both men have traded wins and with this being the ‘rubber’ match, will it lead to a championship match? Time will tell.
What are your thoughts on the current 205Live product, and what are your thoughts on the what we have covered this month? Let us know below or @SLTDWrestling
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