WWE 205 Live Review - March 5, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Oney Lorcan def. Humberto Carrillo in a WWE Cruiserweight Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal MAtch

Lorcan actually appeared on 205 Live in a losing effort against Rich Swann two years ago. It's possible he could be playing the same role Roderick Strong did in last year's tournament where he'll only advance to the second round and then return to NXT, but I'd love for his run in the tourney to be more than that. He's an excellent athlete, and although he isn't the most charismatic performer, I certainly feel he would be right at home on 205 Live. He and Carrillo killed it and had a really fun match, taking a dead crowd and getting them invested in the action. I was surprised by the outcome because I honestly figured Carrillo would win the whole thing, but I'm happy I was wrong.

Mike Kanellis vs. Colby Corino Went to a No Contest

The story is that Kanellis believes Drake Maverick promised him a spot in the tournament, but Maverick said that wasn't the case because Kanellis' win-loss record isn't good enough to justify giving him that opportunity. As a result, Kanellis refused to face the "local athlete" (Steve Corino's son), which would have been an easy win for him. I have no idea where this is headed, unless WWE ultimately grants him and Maria their releases as had been rumored months ago.

Cedric Alexander def. Akira Tozawa in a WWE Cruiserweight championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match

Man, I knew this was going to be great and they did not disappoint. Tozawa's had a super strong 2019 thus far, and even in defeat, he had a stellar showing here. As for Alexander, it's no secret he never ceases to deliver in big-match situations and this was another hell of a performance from him. I was fully convinced Alexander was winning, but admittedly, some of the nearfalls from Tozawa made me think twice for a second. This was extremely exciting from start to finish and just an absolute blast. Both guys were willing to risk it all to advance to WrestleMania, and in the end, it was Alexander who reigned supreme.

Overall Show

As expected, the latest tournament to crown a new number one contender to the Cruiserweight title has been awesome. Last week's matches were terrific, and I'd argue this week's matches were even better. It's such a treat to see Lorcan on 205 Live and I hope he's here to stay. His semifinal match with Alexander is going to be amazing, mark my words. Alexander vs. Tozawa, on the other hand, is well worth going out of your way to check out. Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese should be tremendous as well next week. Oh, and that Kanellis angle happened on this show, too.