Results courtesy of WWE.com.
WWE 205 Live results, March 28, 2017: Will Neville vanquish Austin Aries at WrestleMania?
On the last WWE 205 Live before WrestleMania, Austin Aries and WWE Crusierweight Champion Neville came to blows after a heated verbal exchange. Also, The Brian Kendrick teaches Akira Tozawa another valuable lesson.
Rich Swann def. Ariya Daivari
Originally slated to battle Noam Dar, Rich Swann instead faced Ariya Daivari due to an injury The Scottish Supernova sustained on Raw. However, Daivari was ready to take the fight right to the former Cruiserweight Champion.
Early in the contest, Daivari used his natural aggression to his advantage, but the fast-paced style of Swann took over, giving the former Crusierweight Champion an advantage. Daivari then regained control by slamming his opponent into the announce table before unleashing his rage at Swann’s expense.
The Persian Lion maintained momentum, dismantling Swann while growing frustrated that he was unable to secure the victory. Swann turned the tables by rolling away from a frog splash, and the two competitors battled back and forth with Daivari nearly scoring a pinfall after successfully executing a frog splash. Unfortunately for Daivari, Swann regained his composure, knocking his opponent off the top rope before executing a perfect Phoenix Splash for the win.
Following his victory, Swann approached Alicia Fox backstage and asked her to deliver well wishes to the injured Noam Dar. A courier then approached Fox with another package containing perfume. Swann walked away from the delighted former Divas Champion, acknowledging that someone must really care for her.
Mustafa Ali def. Brandon Scott
Before his bout, Mustafa Ali was confronted by Drew Gulak about the state of WWE 205 Live. Gulak told Ali that he believed WWE 205 Live should be more than flips and high-risk maneuvers. However, as Gulak went on a bit of a rant, Ali focused on the task at hand and made his way to the ring.
After taking WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville to the limit last week on WWE 205 Live, Ali took the opportunity to show exactly what he could do inside the squared circle. However, looking to make a name for himself, the local competitor – Brandon Scott – mounted an aggressive offense in an attempt to keep Ali grounded.
Regaining his momentum, Ali brought the WWE Universe to their feet with incredibly agile maneuvers before executing an Inverted 450 Splash for the win.
The Brian Kendrick def. Akira Tozawa
In their first meeting last month, The Brian Kendrick turned the match into a lesson after tying Akira Tozawa’s leg to the ring apron to score a count-out victory. Since then, Kendrick has used his lessons to attack and frustrate Tozawa while outright avoiding another match with The Stamina Monster. Intent on putting an end the saga, Tozawa showed up to WWE 205 Live ready to teach The Man with a Plan a lesson of his own.
The moment the opening bell sounded, Tozawa knocked Kendrick from the ring and engaged in a relentless, aggressive offense that left Kendrick reeling. The Man with a Plan attempted to strike back, but The Stamina Monster was nearly unstoppable. Finally, Kendrick got the reprieve he needed when he executed a drop toe hold face first into the entrance ramp.
Displaying his resilience, Tozawa endured Kendrick’s brutal attacks and submission attempts, building support from the WWE Universe inside the Richmond Coliseum. Tozawa continued to survive near-falls and additional submission attempts, leaving Kendrick with few pathways to victory.
Preparing to put away The Man with a Plan for good, Tozawa charged forward, not seeing that Kendrick removed a turnbuckle cover. The Stamina Monster ran full steam into the exposed steel, allowing Kendrick to score the pinfall.
Following the intense battle, Kendrick delivered another lesson to Tozawa – anything and everything can be used as a weapon.
Neville and Austin Aries get physical before WrestleMania
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville took the opportunity to talk about what he thinks WWE 205 Live would be without him, claiming that he has carried the Cruiserweight division on his back since returning from injury.
Neville pointed to the TitanTron to show the WWE Universe what WWE 205 Live would be like without his presence, but only a blank screen was shown. The King of the Cruiserweights reasserted his belief that he is the only reason WWE 205 Live and the Cruiserweight division have not faded into obscurity.
Neville’s WrestleMania challenger, Austin Aries, took issue with his opponent’s claim, but argued that he and the Cruiserweight Champion weren’t that different. Getting in Neville’s face, A-Double insisted that The King of the Cruiserweights knew exactly what Aries can do.
Hearing enough from his WrestleMania challenger, Neville attacked Aries. As the Cruiserweight Champion moved in to continue the assault, Aries clobbered him with a microphone – just as he had when their rivalry began – and drove The King of the Cruiserweights from the ring.
Will Austin Aries dethrone Neville and capture the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania? Tune-in live this Sunday on WWE Network!