CWC results, Aug. 17, 2016: Kendrick fights dirty against Nese

It's a styles clash in the Second Round of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic when hard-hitting Akira Tozawa squares off with technical wrestling marvel Jack Gallagher. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Second Round of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic continued this week with a culture clash, as the style and sensibility of England’s “Extraordinary Gentleman” Jack Gallagher matched up with the raging Akira Tozawa.

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Tozawa tried to keep the bout at his breakneck pace after the opening bell, but the wily Gallagher used his uncanny grappling ability to wriggle out of the Japanese competitor’s clutches with ease and slow the match down a little bit. The “Extraordinary Gentleman” rubbed his incredible technical prowess in his opponent’s face, giving Tozawa a cheeky wave while he locked the dynamo up in an Indian Deathlock. Gallagher continued toying with his opponent, tying Tozawa up in a ball and leaving him in the center of the ring.

After Gallagher released Tozawa from the unusual hold (with a kick to the hind quarters), the Japanese competitor was embarrassed. The furious competitor charged right at the Brit and pummeled him to the canvas with vicious elbow and knee strikes, his primal war cry echoing through Full Sail University. Following a hard right hand to the jaw, Gallagher’s demeanor changed immediately. “The Extraordinary Gentleman” dropped his playfulness and turned ruthless, showing off the torturous submission skills he learned at the infamous Snake Pit in his home country.

Tozawa fought on, though he had a noticeable limp, only for Gallagher to target the leg, cinching in an Achilles Lock that nearly ended the match. That did a good deal of damage to Tozawa’s leg, as the Japanese competitor had trouble standing up. Despite Gallagher’s best efforts, Tozawa was able to catch the Brit with a beautiful German Suplex for the three-count. With the victory, Tozawa advances to the Quarterfinals, where he will meet Gran Metalik.

Noam Dar of Scotland looks to continue his run in the Cruiserweight Classic against Hong Kong, China's upstart HoHo Lun. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The next Second Round showdown featured two men out to do their respective wrestling scene proud. Noam Dar, the youngest grappler in the field, wants to show that the United Kingdom scene that welcomed him as teenager is the best in the world, while HoHo Lun was determined to prove that Hong Kong, China’s burgeoning circuit (that he founded) is worthy of respect.

Though he was on the receiving end of a kick early on from Lun, Dar took control of the bout with his superior grappling ability. The “Scottish Supernova” adjusted his gameplan on the fly, targeting the left leg of his opponent in hopes of neutralizing Lun’s kicks.

Despite his leg being weakened, Lun showed a tremendous amount of heart by staying in the fight as Dar wrenched away at his leg, the pain getting worse with every twist. The Scot showed off his aggressive side, working over Lun’s leg in cruel fashion. The resilient Hong Kong native tried to mount a comeback, but the injury prevented him from executing offense that would do any damage. In the end, Dar trapped him in his trademark kneebar, leaving Lun with no choice but to submit. Dar’s big win propels him to a Quarterfinal showdown with either Drew Gulak or Zack Sabre Jr.

Tony Nese runs into a roadblock in the Cruiserweight Classic, in the form of the ruthless veteran Brian Kendrick. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The final Second Round Match of the night featured two men determined to win the Cruiserweight Classic, but for very different reasons. Tony Nese is out to prove that he should have been in WWE a long time ago, while Brian Kendrick sees the CWC as his last chance to prove that he still belongs among the elite.

Kendrick tried to get inside the head of Nese at the outset of the match, but instead caught a hard kick to the head from “The Premier Athlete.” The staggering kick forced Kendrick to retreat at ringside, but Nese stayed on top of him, connecting with a superkick on the arena floor that nearly ended the bout. With Nese firmly in control, “The Post-Apocalyptic Scavenger” had to reach into his bag of tricks slow his powerful rival down, trapping Nese’s arm in the turnbuckle pads and kicking it.

Nese fought back and gained the upper hand, only for Kendrick to grab his beard to draw him in for a big strike. Kendrick smelled blood and went in for the kill, going for several submissions, including a brutal cross armbreaker. “The Premier Athlete” escaped and began throwing everything he had at the crafty Kendrick, taking flight with an Olympic high jump worthy dive over the ropes to the arena floor.

The Long Island native brought the fight to Kendrick, muscling out of another armbar and powerbombing the former WWE Tag Team Champion into the turnbuckle and escaping the Bully Choke on two separate occasions. “The Premier Athlete” looked to have the match won after kicking Kendrick off the top rope into perfect position for the 450 Splash. However, the veteran Kendrick still had enough wits about him to move out of the way. Nese crashed and burned, and “The Post-Apocalyptic Scavenger” pounced on his prey, locking on the Bully Choke to get the victory by tap out.

Kendrick has dug deep into his bag of tricks to make sure his road to redemption does not come to a premature end. But, will his trickery be enough to get him a win in the Quarterfinals, where he will meet tournament favorite Kota Ibushi?