Two technical masters square off in the Second Round of the Cruiserweight Classic, as Zack Sabre Jr. squares off with Drew Gulak. Video courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.

The second match of the evening was a total departure from the first, as mat wrestling mavens Zack Sabre Jr. and Drew Gulak squared off in a highly anticipated battle. Gulak, seeming to take offense at Sabre Jr. being considered the premier technical wrestler in the tournament, slapped the Brit’s hand away when Sabre offered a handshake before the opening bell.

The slight appeared to infuriate Sabre, who went right after Gulak, emerging with the upper hand from an intense grappling exchange that brought the crowd to its feet. Sabre Jr. controlled Gulak with a straightjacket hold, only letting go when the Philadelphia native rolled through and booted him in the jaw.

That allowed Gulak to work over the “technical wizard,” smothering Sabre on the canvas before hoisting him up and trying to destroy his shoulders with a brutal Gory Guerrero Special. For every counter Sabre had, Gulak had a vicious answer of his own. When the Englishman nearly snapped his wrist with the Jim Breaks Special, Gulak responded by slamming Sabre leg-first into the ring ropes.

Fed up with the technicality of the bout, both men stood and traded devastating palm strikes that echoed throughout the arena. Gulak nearly knocked Sabre out with a strike and saw an opening to lock on his Dragon Sleeper. However, Sabre used leverage to his advantage, trapping Gulak in a prawn hold to get the three count and secure his place in the next round of the CWC, where he will face his longtime friend, Noam Dar.