7/27/16 WWE Cruiserweight Classic Coverage

Week 3 of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic opens with a preview of tonight’s matches: Tyson Dux vs. Zack Sabre Jr, Drew Gulak vs. Harv Sihra, Anthony Bennett vs. Tony Nese, and Brian Kendrick vs. Raul Mendoza. We see the Cruiserweight Classic opening video and then go into the Cruiserweight Classic Arena at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, where Mauro Ranallo and Daniel Bryan welcome us to the show. We take a look at the first two competitors, Tyson Dux and Zack Sabre Jr.

Match #1 – First Round Tournament Match: Tyson Dux vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
They tie up and Sabre takes Dux down and works over Dux’s leg. dux reverses it and takes Sabre down and works over Sabre’s leg. Sabre fights free and applies a headlock and takes Dux down with a side headlock takedown and applies a head-scissors hold. Dux manages to escape and then Sabre begin to work over Dux’s arm. Sabre wrenches Dux’s neck now, but Dux counters with a fireman’s carry takedown. They tie up and Dux wrenches Sabre’s neck. Sabre gets out of it and applies a wrist-lock and then stomps down and twists Dux’s arm. Sabre applies the Jim Breaks Special wrist-lock, but Dux fights out of it. Sabre comes back with a uppercut and then another one in the corner. Sabre delivers some kicks to Dux’s arm and then slaps Dux across the face. Dux comes back with a fisherman’s buster suplex and goes for the cover, but Sabre kicks out. Dux applies the Fujiwara Armbar, but Sabre gets out of it. Dux drops an elbow and goes for the cover, but Sabre kicks out at two. Dux delivers a few more elbows, but Sabre escapes and locks in the octopus submission. Sabre connects with a big boot and then a leg sweep. Sabre knees Dux in the chest and goes for a cover, but Dux kicks out at two. Sabre charges, but Dux counters with an atomic drop and a DDT. Dux goes for the cover, but Sabre kicks out. Dux goes for the Texas Cloverleaf submission, but Sabre counters with a roll-up. Dux kicks out and drops Sabre with a running lariat. Sabres comes back and applies a wrist-lock/body-scissors combo and then transitions into the Jim Breaks Special and Dux tries to get to the ropes, but Sabre pulls his arm and wrist back farther and Dux gives up.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.

We go back to the Cruiserweight Classic control room and Corey Graves. He shows us a closer look at the next two competitors, Harv Sihra and Drew Gulak.

Match #2 – First Round Match: Drew Gulak vs. Harv Sihra
They tie up and switch waist-locks. Sihra goes for a quick roll-up, but Gulak kicks out. They tie up again and Sihra takes Gulak down with a trip. Gulak gets to his feet, but Sihra takes him down with a monkey flip. Gulak locks in a body scissors and then a side-headlock takedown. Sihra runs the ropes and goes for a cross-body, but Gulak catches him. Sihra counters into a roll-up, but Gulak gets free. Sihra charges again, but Gulak counters with a back elbow and a big clothesline. Gulak goes for the cover, but Sihra kicks out at two. Gulak slams Sihra into the corner and goes for the cover, but Sihra kicks out again. Gulak slaps Sihra across the face and slams him into the ropes. Sihra rolls to the floor and dumps Gulak to the outside. Sihra springboards off the ropes and takes Gulak down on the floor. Sihra tosses Gulak back into the ring and goes for the cover, but Gulak kicks out. Sihra delivers a few right hands and connects with a swinging neck-breaker. Sihra goes for the cover, but Gulak kicks out again. Sihra backs away and Gulak goes up top, but Sihra cuts him off and delivers a superplex. Sihra goes for an ankle lock, but Gulak counters with a dragon sleeper/body scissors combo and Sihra taps out.
Winner: Drew Gulak.

We take a look at the next two competitors, Tony Nese and Anthony Bennett.

Match #3 – First Round Tournament Match: Anthony Bennett vs. Tony Nese
Nese takes Bennett down, but Bennett comes down and takes Nese down as well. Bennett goes for a clothesline, but Nese ducks underneath and kicks Bennett in the midsection. Nese sends Bennett to the outside, but Bennett catches Nese with a forearm. Nese comes to the outside and dodges an attack from Bennett and takes him down with a super kick. Nese goes for a power bomb on the outside, but Bennett lands on the apron. Bennett takes Nese down with a cannon ball and then rolls him back into the ring. Bennett goes for the cover, but Nese kicks out. Nese comes back with a moonsault from the second rope and goes for the cover, but Bennett kicks out at two. Nese delivers a chop and then slams Bennett into the corner. Nese delivers a suplex and goes for the cover, but Bennett kicks out. Nese applies a body scissors down on the mat, but Bennett gets free with a forearm shot. Bennett drops Nese with a few clotheslines and then a big dropkick. Bennett goes up top and goes for a tornado DDT, but Nese catches him. Nese goes for a big kick, but Bennett counters and connects with the tornado DDT. Bennett goes for the cover, but Nese kicks out. Nese comes back and they exchange right hands. Nese ducks under Bennett and and delivers a pump handle slam. Nese goes up top, but the referee stomps him to check on Bennett. The ref says Bennett is okay and Nese delivers a 450 splash and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Tony Nese.

We take a look at the last two competitors for tonight, Raul Mendoza and Brian Kendrick.

Match #4 – First Round Tournament Match: Brian Kendrick vs. Raul Mendoza
Kendrick wrenches Mendoza’s shoulder and takes him down to the mat, but Mendoza gets free and gets Kendrick in a headlock. Kendrick reverses into a side-headlock and then takes him down to the ring, but Mendoza kicks up and takes Kendrick down with a head scissors. Kendrick regroups on the outside and Mendoza showboats in the ring. Kendrick gets back in the ring, but Mendoza meets him with a chop. Kendrick sends Mendoza to the ropes and goes for a dropkick, but Mendoza hangs on and Kendrick hits the mat. Kendrick comes right backs and kicks Mendoza in the face. Kendrick takes Mendoza to the ropes and kicks the middle rope into Mendoza’s face. Kendrick takes Mendoza to the mat and applies a submission. Kendrick goes for a big clothesline, but Mendoza rolls under and we see that Mendoza is busted ope at the mouth and the referee stops the match to check on him. The referee says he’s okay to continue and Kendrick clotheslines him in the corner. Mendoza comes back and gets free of Kendrick and drops him with a missile dropkick. Kendrick rolls to the outside, but Mendoza takes him down with a corkscrew plancha and both men are down on the outside. Mendoza tosses Kendrick back into the ring and goes for the 450, but Kendrick moves and Mendoza lands on his feet. Mendoza slams Kendrick down and goes for the cover, but Kendrick kicks out. Kendrick comes back with the Rocket Kick and takes Mendoza down. Kendrick goes up top, but Mendoza crotches him on the top rope and then Mendoza kicks him in the head. Mendoza goes coast-to-coast and kicks Kendrick in the face. Mendoza delivers the back-breaker and goes for the cover, but Kendrick gets his foot on the ropes. Kendrick plays opossum and slams Mendoza into the ropes and then locks in the Bully Choke and Mendoza gives up.
Winner: Brian Kendrick.

We go to the Cruiserweight Classic control room and Corey Graves tells us the last four first round matches for next week: Jason Lee vs. Rich Swann, Gurv Sihra vs. Noam Dar, Fabian Aichner vs. Jack Gallagher, and Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa, as week 3 of the Cruiserweight Classic comes to a close.