Akira Tozawa def. Oney Lorcan, Mike Kanellis, The Brian Kendrick & Ariya Daivari in a Fatal 5-Way Match
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nese vanquished Ariya Daivari at WWE Money in the Bank, leaving the opportunity for a new challenger to emerge. As a result, WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick announced a Fatal 5-Way Match to showcase potential challengers – including Daivari, who believed his loss was a fluke. Annoyed he had to prove himself again, The Persian Lion faced Oney Lorcan, Mike Kanellis and a pair of former Cruiserweight Champions in The Brian Kendrick and Akira Tozawa.
As the match got underway, the alliance between Tozawa and Kendrick remained strong with both former champions working together to remove their opponents. Coming to a standoff, the two Superstars shook hands before locking up, only to be attacked by Kanellis and Daivari.
The Opportunist and Daivari forged their own alliance, taking down Tozawa and Kendrick. Despite an offensive from Lorcan, The Persian Lion halted Lorcan and took control of the contest. Even as Tozawa battled back, Daivari remained dominant, clearly looking to prove he deserves another title opportunity.
Daivari met his match when the wily veteran The Brian Kendrick applied a Captain’s Hook first on Daivari and then Oney Lorcan. With four competitors reeling, Kanellis re-entered the fray and found himself at odds – and in a brutal chop exchange – with Oney Lorcan.
Lorcan suddenly caught fire when he unleashed a series of strikes, taking out Kanellis before turning his attention to Daivari. Lorcan nailed Daivari and Kendrick with a double blockbuster and then flattened them on the outside. However, before he could recover, Tozawa leveled all three of them.
Tozawa lived up to “Stamina Monster” moniker and quickly removed all but Kanellis from the ring. Shifting focus, the Japanese Superstar locked Kanellis in the Iron Octopus, prompting Maria to make her way to the ring apron, forcing The Stamina Monster to break the hold. With Tozawa distracted, Daivari re-entered the ring and focused his attacks on the former champion.
Daivari, Tozawa and Kanellis battled in the corner with Tozawa fending them both off, dropping Daivari and executing a brutal snap German Suplex on the apron at Kanellis’ expense.
Exhausted, Tozawa and Daivari exchanged blows in the center of the ring, Tozawa countered a strike and took down The Persian Lion before executing his Senton. With victory in sight, Kendrick pulled Tozawa away before the official made the three-count. Their friendship cast aside, Kendrick and Tozawa threw strikes at one another before taking each other down with a double crossbody.
Kendrick connected with Sliced Bread No. 2, but that led to a chaotic sequence between all five Superstars that ended with Tozawa having enough time to recover and seeking the right opportunity to strike. After Daivari leveled Lorcan with a Hammerlock Lariat, Tozawa made his move, rolling up Daivari and scoring the pinfall.
Although they were at odds during the match, Tozawa and Kendrick embraced after the bout, and The Man with a Plan remained with his ally as the celebration with the WWE Universe commenced.
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