January 2, 2019 WWE 205 Live Recap: #1 Contender Qualifying Matches Take Place

205 Live opens with Drake Maverick running down the matches for tonight’s show: Kalisto vs. Lio Rush and Akira Tozawa and Drew Gulak. He also says that he will make an announcement about what to expect from 205 Live in 2019. The opening credits then roll, and Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, and Vic Joseph welcome us to the show.

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Match #1 – #1 Contender’s (WWE Cruiserweight Championship) Qualifying Match: Kalisto (w/Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado) vs. Lio Rush
Rush slaps Kalisto across the face and then Kalisto chases Rush around the ring. Kalisto catches him with a kick to the face and then a basement dropkick. Kalisto kicks Rush in the leg, but Rush comes back and sends Kalisto to the floor. Rush connects with a suicide dive and tosses Kalisto back into the ring. Rush stomps Kalisto into the corner and then delivers a suplex. Rush delivers a spinning uppercut and goes for the cover, but Kalisto kicks out at two. Rush applies a rear chin-lock, but Kalisto fights back and rolls Rush up for a two count. Rush keeps control with a clothesline and then pounds away on Kalisto down on the mat. Rush goes for the cover, but Kalisto kicks out at two. Rush grinds his elbow into Kalisto’s head and then tosses him to the floor. Rush kicks Kalisto in the head and then delivers chops and body shots in the corner.
Kalisto fights back for a bit, but Rush takes him back down to the mat. Rush goes for the cover, but Kalisto kicks out at two. Rush applies a rear chin-lock and then knocks Kalisto into the corner. Rush charges, but Kalisto counters with a kick to the face and takes Rush down with a dive to the floor. Kalisto tosses Rush back into the ring, but Rush counters with a roundhouse kick. Rush delivers another and climbs up top. Kalisto counters with a kick to the face and climbs as well. Kalisto connects with an enzuiguri and then delivers a fall-away slam from the middle rope. Kalisto goes for the cover, but Rush kicks out at two. Kalisto goes for Solida Del Sol, but Rush counters and slams Kalisto to the mat. Rush goes for the cover, but Kalisto kicks out at two. Rush delivers a few right hands, but Kalisto comes back with a jaw-breaker.
Kalisto delivers a spinning elbow and then connects with kicks. Rush comes back with a pump kick, but Kalisto counters with a spinning heel kick. Rush comes back and clotheslines Kalisto to the floor, but Kalisto gets back into the ring at the nine count. Rush goes up top, but Dorado and Metalik distract him. Kalisto takes advantage and hits the Solida Del Sol and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Kalisto

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We take a look back at the Tag Team Street Fight from two weeks ago, in which Akira Tozawa and The Brian Kendrick defeated Drew Gulak and Gentleman Jack Gallagher. We then see Gallagher and Gulak talking backstage. Kayla Braxton asks Gulak if he considers himself an underdog in tonight’s match since he lost the Street Fight. Gulak says he is a lot of things, but an underdog is not one of them. He says tonight is a wrestling match with rules, so Tozawa is at a disadvantage and will tap out.

We then see Kendrick warming Tozawa up backstage. The main event is up next.

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Maverick is in his office and he says as long as he is the General Manager, he is not resting on his laurels. He says he has been looking all over the globe for new additions to 205 Live and the fans can expect to see some new faces very soon.

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Match #2 – #1 Contender’s (WWE Cruiserweight Championship) Qualifying Match: Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak
Gulak applies a side-headlock, but Tozawa sends him off the ropes. Gulak drops Tozawa with a shoulder tackle and gets a quick roll-up for a one count. Gulak backs Tozawa into the corner and rakes his face. Tozawa fights back and goes for a scoop slam. Gulak blocks it, but Tozawa punches him in the face and connects with the slam. Tozawa connects with a standing senton and goes for the cover, but Gulak kicks out at two. Gulak and Tozawa head to the floor and Gulak kicks Tozawa into the barricade. Gulak slams Tozawa on the floor and then tosses him back into the ring and gets a two count. Gulak stomps away on Tozawa’s back and then applies a seated surfboard submission, but Tozawa makes it to the ropes. Gulak stomps on Tozawa again and then drops him with another scoop slam. Gulak goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two.
Gulak applies a rear chin-lock, but Tozawa gets free and sends Gulak to the floor with a hurricanrana. Gulak gets back into the ring, but Tozawa drops him with a kick to the face. Tozawa goes for the cover, but Gulak kicks out at two. Tozawa keeps Gulak grounded with punches and kicks and then goes up top. Tozawa goes for the senton, but Gulak rolls to the apron. Tozawa kicks him in the chest and then connects with a leg drop over the ropes. Tozawa connects with a series of strikes and goes for a Shining Wizard, but Gulak dodges and slams Tozawa into the turnbuckle. Gulak goes for the Gu-Lock, but Tozawa counters and gets a quick two count. Gulak comes back with a clothesline and goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two. Tozawa comes back with a kick to the face, but Gulak takes him down with a power bomb. Gulak goes for the cover, but Tozawa kicks out at two.
Tozawa fights back with quick strikes and then forearm shots. They exchange kicks to the face and then Tozawa applies an octopus submission. Gylak counters with a knee-bar submission, but Tozawa makes it to the ropes. Gulak delivers forearms in the corner, but Tozawa sends him face-first into the turnbuckle. Tozawa delivers a back-drop driver and climbs up top. Tozawa goes for the senton, but Gulak catches him and locks in the Gu-Lock. Tozawa makes it to the ropes and both men fall to the floor. They brawl on the floor and Tozawa kicks Gulak in the face. Tozawa then connects with a suicide dive and tosses Gulak back into the ring. Tozawa climbs up top again, but Gulak cuts him off. Gulak slaps Tozawa across the face and then gets on the ropes. Gulak goes for a suplex, but Tozawa fights him off. Tozawa headbutts Gulak to the mat and then connects with the senton and gets the pin fall.
Winner: Akira Tozawa

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Cedric Alexander is backstage and he says Hideo Itami’s intimidation does not work on him. Alexander says their match next week will end the same way their first one did: with Itami flat on his back and Alexander’s hand in the air. We then see Itami and Ariya Daivari. Daivari says this is not the same Itami from 2018. Daivari says Alexander is simply in Itami’s way and then Itami speaks to him in Japanese. Daivari says the only thing Alexander will get next week is a lesson in respect.