WWE 205 Live, March 14, 2017 results: Austin Aries punches his ticket to WrestleMania

WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville reasserted his feelings on the Cruiserweight division and what the inevitable outcome of his WrestleMania match will be.

Before the action got underway on WWE 205 Live, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville took the stage to address the WWE Universe and his potential WrestleMania challenger – the winner of the Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match.

The King of the Cruiserweights took the opportunity to reassert his feelings on the Cruiserweight division, stating that he carries it and saved it from ruin. Neville also made it clear that whomever earns the opportunity to challenge for the WWE Cruiserweight Title at WrestleMania will simply be conquered by The King of the Cruiserweights.

Even before the opening bell and customary Cruiserweight handshake, Drew Gulak was ready to unload on Mustafa Ali, staring down his opponent before an official separated the two Superstars.

Gulak relied on strength and aggression to dish out punishment to his opponent, but Ali used his speed and agility to stay in the contest, executing fast and high-impact maneuvers to swing momentum in his favor. Seizing the advantage late in the contest, Ali picked up the victory after a flawless Inverted 450 Splash.

Following the contest, a visibly frustrated Gulak grabbed a microphone to express his discontent. Gulak told the WWE Universe he was tired of losing week after week and receiving no support from anyone. He left the ring after putting WWE 205 Live on notice, saying it had to change.

In a WWE 205 Live rematch, Noam Dar and Ariya Daivari battled their respective rivals Rich Swann and Gentleman Jack Gallagher as Alicia Fox received another gift from her secret admirer.

In a rematch from tag team action last week, Noam Dar and Ariya Daivari once again battled their respective rivals Rich Swann and Gentleman Jack Gallagher.
Gallagher took the early advantage, relying on his unique ability to frustrate Dar and Daivari. However, an assist from Alicia Fox prevented Gallagher from tagging his partner and allowed Dar and Daivari to team up to weaken Gallagher.

When the British Superstar finally managed to tag his partner, Swann immediately took the fight to both The Scottish Supernova and The Persian Lion to regain control of the contest. Unfortunately for the former Cruiserweight Champion, he did not see Dar tag himself into the match and fell victim to a perfectly-executed running enzuigiri that allowed Dar to pick up the win.

While celebrating his victory with Daivari and Fox, Dar was searching for the courier to deliver yet another gift to his girlfriend. When it appeared there may not be a gift, The Scottish Supernova grabbed a microphone to express his affection for his leading lady. After the courier appeared with a giant teddy bear, Dar proved just how smooth he can be by once again acting as though the gift was from him.

Austin Aries, TJ Perkins, Akira Tozawa, The Brian Kendrick and Tony Nese square off in a high-stakes contest to determine who will face Neville for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania.

Former champions TJ Perkins and The Brian Kendrick along with Akira Tozawa, Tony Nese and Austin Aries waged war in Pittsburgh in a high-stakes Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match that would guarantee the winner a ticket to The Ultimate Thrill Ride to challenge Neville for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

As expected, chaos immediately ensued with five Superstars vying for a WrestleMania opportunity in WWE 205 Live’s biggest main event ever. The stakes were high and each competitor took an opportunity to display his abilities in the center of the ring. However, the action truly intensified outside the ring following high-risk maneuvers from Tozawa, Perkins and Nese, respectively. Nese then upped the ante when he blasted Aries through the barricade with a running knee.

Back inside the ring, “The Premier Athlete” attempted to capitalize further on his momentum but found himself trapped in an armbar and eliminated by Perkins. Irate over his elimination, Nese attacked Perkins but was stopped by Tozawa. Distracted by Nese, Tozawa was then eliminated by his rival, Kendrick.

The final three competitors were Aries and two former Cruiserweight Champions. Brief alliances were forged and all three Superstars stopped at nothing to punch their ticket to The Ultimate Thrill Ride. Kendrick prevented Perkins from potentially taking out A-Double, instead tripping the inaugural Cruiserweight Champion and pinning him in concert with Aries.

The final clash of the intense battle came down to Aries – who only returned to in-ring competition the week prior – and former champion and experienced veteran The Brian Kendrick. Although The Man with a Plan nearly eliminated A-Double with The Captain’s Hook, an assist from Perkins allowed Aries to hit a perfectly-executed rolling elbow to secure the victory and challenge Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania.