ORLANDO, Fla. – A challenge was made, and a statement got laid inside the squared circle. After taking a potshot at Buddy Murphy for suffering the “biggest L of WrestleMania Weekend,” Velveteen Dream was given a run for his money in an all-out rip-roaring showdown against the new SmackDown LIVE Superstar.
Taking umbrage to the taunts, Murphy mixed his appetite for championship gold with redemption, sapping Dream’s power early in their North American Title clash. But Dream lived out the age-old mantra “anything you can do, I can do better,” keeping up with Murphy in this battle of one-upmanship.
Fending off Dream’s effective advances, Murphy connected with a hurricanrana that sent the champion scrambling to the outside before getting clobbered with a thundering knee upon his return inside the ring. Unable to keep this opponent down for a pinfall, Murphy dropped Dream outside for a second time, struck him with an incredible senton dive and then tossed him back inside where he followed up with a Diving Double Knee Attack. Again, a three-count eluded the former Cruiserweight Champion.
With his frustration teeming, Murphy pressed on the gas and drained Dream, once again, with a devastating sleeper hold. Thinking quickly, Dream drove Murphy into the turnbuckle to break out of the submission and then dropped The Unstoppable with a flying double axe handle to the floor.
Exhausted, both Superstars battled back inside the ring – after barely escaping a Double Count-out – to continue their grueling stalemate. After a superplex facebuster by Murphy failed to slow down Dream, who responded with a Dream Valley Driver after his opponent’s attempted diving roll-up pin, the Australian Superstar dropped him with a vicious powerbomb. When that didn’t reach a pinfall, Murphy grew frustrated and Dream took advantage, flattening his challenger with a leg drop between the gold ropes and mustering the energy to spike him with another Dream Valley Driver.
Finding strength from the “Vel-ve-teen” chants inside Full Sail Live, he landed the Purple Rainmaker to retain the title.