By Alex Pawlowski -
It's night one of the First Round of the Cruiserweight Classic!
If you missed my SUPER-GIGANTIC preview from earlier today, check that out while you're waiting for the festivities to begin.
Then come back at 9/8c for all the results, featuring four fantastic matches:
Alejandro Saez vs Gran Metalik
Saez has no Professional wrestling experience, but he has a huge size advantage. He is nuts, though, he sells everything with huge facial expressions, and exaggerated movements. At one point, he hits a Shooting Star press off the apron.
But Gran Metalik is AWESOME. He hits an amazing step-up second rope springboard Tope con Hiro to the outside, tightropes around the ring on the ring ropes, and just looks generally SPECTACULAR.
Saez goes for a corkscrew Senton off the top turnbuckle, but misses, which opens the door for Metalik to his this crazy package michinoku driver thing that you have to see to believe. 1-2-3.
Winner: Gran Metalik by Pinfall
Ariya Daivari vs HoHo Lun
Daivari plays the heel, refusing to shake Lun's hand before the match. Daivari uses his size advantage (Lun only weighs about 150), hitting a leaping reverse neckbreaker. Lun avoids a jumping clothesline in the corner, hits the ropes and bounces back into a flying Harley Race high knee. Daivari is in control, and there is much chinlocking.
HoHo Lun is HUGELY over with the crowd, by the way. They sing his first name to the tune of the "Olé" song. It's fun.
Daivari is on offense through most of the match, hitting 360 roundhouse kicks and rolling elbows, but when he goes for the frog splash, he misses, and Lun hits the Shining Wizard to the back of his head, a Del Rio sidekick (the one that won him the championship, you remember) and gets a near fall. Lun then immediately nails the Bridging German Suplex for the 1-2-3.
Winner: HoHo Lun by Pinfall
Cedric Alexander vs Clement Petiot
Petiot sure does have some nice abs, I'll give him that.
This is going to be our first real great clash of styles; Petiot is a power-based technician and Alexander is all athleticism.
Alexander shows off for the crowd a little bit, and hits a reverse rana followed by one of the most beautiful drop kicks you will ever see. He gets caught with a knee and so begins Petiot in control. He throws some great suplexes and just generally tries to wear down Alexander with headlocks and such. He hits a couple of hard knees and kicks, keeps Alexander on his back with a lot of stiff forearms. Alexander, on the apron, catches Petiot napping with a neckbreaker over the ropes, then hit the most spectacular springboard clothesline I've ever witnessed. Reversals upon counters upon reversals upon counters (get ready for a lot of that in this tournament, btw) and finally Petiot nails Alexander with a discus clothesline and Alexander does a full backflip on the sell.
Only a two count, though, and Petiot starts to get frustrated. He does the universal motion for "Get Up!" a few times, Alexander obliges and Petiot goes for another discus clothesline. Alexander has it scouted this time, ducks it, and catches Petiot with the Lumbar Check. This is his finisher and he looks like it HURTS.
(That's him doing it to some unlucky sonofabitch at PWG.)
1-2-3.
Winner: Cedric Alexander by Pinfall
Kota Ibushi vs Sean Maluta
Okay, first things first, Sean Maluta is Roman Reigns' cousin. Yup.
Apparently, according to the 'E, all Samoans are related to the Rock.
He better hope the entire bloodline comes out to run interference or he's losing this sucker QUICK.
I should mention that Maluta did a lot of wrestling at a small promotion in Florida (I forget the name right now) and he's got a sizeable contingent that apparently made the trip to Full Sail to cheer him on.
But here's your headline:
KOTA IBUSHI IS AMAZING, Y'ALL.
He starts it out with a leg kick that could break an ox's femur.
He hits a roundhouse kick to Maluta's sternum that I think might have given him heart disease.
He hits a springboard missile dropkcik that made me do this:
He throws a textbook T-Bone suplex that could give a dog a bone.
Maluta hits a codebreaker off the top rope, then a crazy somersault plancha to the outside. He even hits his signature Savate Kick, and Ibushi kicks out at 2-and-a-half.
But Ibushi is too much, hitting a stiff kick and a Last Ride Sitout Powerbomb for the 1-2-3.
Winner: Kota Ibushi by Pinfall.
NEXT WEEK...
Tajiri vs Damian Slater
TJ Perkins vs Da Mack
Mustafa Ali vs Lince Dorado
Kenneth Johnson vs Akira Tozawa
Thanks for reading, and I'll catch you next time.