WWE 205 Live results, May 22, 2018: Tozawa and Itami clash in the ultimate battle for respect

Drew Gulak's quest to ground the Cruiserweight division's high-flyers brings him face-to-face with Gran Metalik and draws the attention of Gentleman Jack Gallagher and The Brian Kendrick.

Drew Gulak has a new approach to his plan for a better WWE 205 Live. The submission specialist has declared that his main objective is to ground all the high-flyers in the Cruiserweight division. As Gran Metalik prepared for the contest with his Lucha House Party brothers Kalisto and Lince Dorado, The Brian Kendrick and Gentleman Jack Gallagher made their way to the ring and joined Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuiness and Percy Watson on commentary.

When the opening bell sounded, Gulak immediately began using his technical prowess to force Metalik on defense. However, The King of the Ropes quickly turned the tables with his speed and agility to back Gulak into a corner. With momentum mounting, Metalik showed off his aerial ability, but a counter on the top rope swung control back to The Philadelphia Stretcher’s favor.

From ringside, Kalisto and Lince Dorado cheered on their fellow luchador, but Gulak’s targeting of his opponent’s extremities kept a rally at bay. The King of the Ropes recovered with a hurricanrana and unleashed a relentless offensive that ended with Gulak being flattened on the outside.

Unable to secure a pinfall, Metalik exchanged blows with Gulak, nearly securing victory by walking across the ring on the top rope and nailing his opponent with a dropkick. They continued to fight back and forth, exchanging near-falls, but Gulak took control by countering a high-flying attack from Metalik.

With his opponent dazed, Gulak quickly applied the excruciating Gulock to earn a hard-fought victory and receive a standing ovation from Kendrick and Gallagher.

The inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion hasn’t been shy about his discontent with WWE 205 Live and his lack of opportunities, going so far as to tweet to SmackDown LIVE General Manager Paige about a potential move to the blue brand. Despite his assertions, The Duke of Dab had an opportunity to showcase his abilities against Christopher Guy.

The Fil-Am Flash channeled his frustration into a methodical and high-impact offense against his opponent, confidently attacking and taking the time to show off. As WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick watched from the locker room, Guy countered a Detonation Kick and enjoyed a fleeting moment of momentum. Unfortunately for Guy, TJP recovered and executed an emphatic Detonation Kick for the win.

After the match, The Duke of Dab claimed that he single-handedly revived the Cruiserweight division and wants a bigger challenge, claiming that he doesn’t think Maverick believes in his ability.

Once a promising tag team, Akira Tozawa and Hideo Itami aim to settle their differences in a hard-hitting contest for respect.

The animosity between former tag team partners Akira Tozawa and Hideo Itami finally came to a head in an ultimate battle for respect. Their issues as a unit came to fruition because of Itami, and Tozawa aimed to prove that Itami made a mistake crossing him and shoving him to the canvas after they lost a tag team match. As the opening bell sounded, both Superstars executed simultaneous kicks and traded strikes and counters, resulting in an early stalemate.

The Japanese Superstars stood in the center of the ring and dispensed fiery chops at one another that grew in intensity with each swing. Finally, Tozawa took control with a punch to the jaw and began to unleash an offensive burst that kept Itami reeling and struggling to recover.

As Tozawa pressed forward, Itami waited for the right moment to strike, countering his opponent’s advance and dropping him with a high-impact knee drop from the top rope. Demanding respect, Itami attacked with purpose and forced The Stamina Monster outside of the ring.

On the outside, Itami tossed his former partner into the barricade before returning to the ring and focusing his offense on Tozawa’s neck. Deliberate in his attacks, Itami maintained control of the match, even taking his opponent down in mid-air. Itami continued to methodically attack and taunt Tozawa and suppress any attempt at a recovery from the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

As the WWE Universe recited Tozawa’s patented chant, The Stamina Monster lived up to his moniker and battled back, taking down Itami on the outside. Tozawa attempted his snap German suplex, but Itami countered and managed to even the odds.

Continuing to battle back and forth, The Stamina Monster escaped The Rings of Saturn and took down Itami with a kick before preparing a Senton. Itami prevented Tozawa from executing his patented maneuver, and the two Superstars battled on the top rope with Itami eventually dropping his opponent to the canvas with a super falcon arrow.

Despite the high-risk attack, the battle raged on, and Tozawa remained in control and had victory in sight. As Tozawa soared through the air in an attempt to hit the Senton, Itami rolled away and quickly executed a series of brutal running dropkicks and a wicked knee strike for the win.