Csonka Reviews The WWE Cruiserweight Classic Bonus Matches

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Drew Gulak & Tony Nese defeated Lince Dorado & Kenneth Johnson @ 8:00 via pin [***]
– The Bollywood Boyz defeated Sean Maluta & Ariya Daivari @ 7:54 via pin [**]
– Cedric Alexander vs. Oney Lorcan @ 11:45 via pin [**¾]

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– WWE released some of he extra matches that they taped during the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. I figured since they were available that I’d take a look at them. I have also included the videos here.

Drew Gulak & Tony Nese vs. Lince Dorado & Kenneth Johnson: I was not impressed at all with Mr. Johnson in his tournament match, feeling that he was one of the weakest guys in the entire tournament. Hopefully he does better here. Nese tried to use his power advantage early, but Johnson is able to cut off Nese and put a run together, hitting a RANA to a grounded Nese. Dorado and Gulak in now. They do a series of lucha style passes, head scissors from Dorado connected but Gulak cut him off and he and Nese took control. They worked quick tags, but Dorado stopped the double teams with a back handspring. Dorado hit a dive and then Johnson got cut off by Nese. Nese then snatched him up with a one armed powerbomb and tossed him to the pile on the floor. Gulak and Nese then took the heat on Johnson, with Gulak working a crazy Indian death lock into a bow and arrow that looked extremely painful. Johnson fought back on Nese, and managed to hit a missile dropkick. Dorado and Gulak got the tags, Dorado fired away with kicks and a RANA into a roll up for 2. Gulak cut him off of a moonsault attempt, slammed him to the ropes and that got a near fall. Gulak and Nese hit a version of the powerplex, Johnson made the save and it broke down. Dorado countered the pump handle driver into a rough looking code red. Dorado connected with the shooting star press, but Gulak made the save. Dorado sent him to the floor with a springboard dropkick; they set Nese up top and Gulak returned for the save as he took out Dorado. Nese sent Johnson back to the mat and hit the 450 splash for the win. That was a fun little sprint with everyone getting some chance to shine. It was rough in a few spots, but very entertaining. Having Gulak work the lucha style spots with Dorado was smart, and Johnson looked better here than in his singles match.

The Bollywood Boyz (Gurv and Harv Sihra) vs. Sean Maluta & Ariya Daivari: The Bollywod Boyz were playful earl on, ding some dancing, which Daivari really didn’t appreciate as Harv worked him over and then made him dance. Daivari tagged in Maluta, who delivered chops to Gurv and then some solid back and forth, with Gurv delivering corner punches. The Boyz trapped Maluta in the ropes, and then slammed Daivari into him. The Boyz then a knee strike and moonsault to the floor and then they danced. Daivari charged in and was sent to the floor, but Maluta attacked Gurv and took control and he and Daivari took control. Daivari mocked the Boyz with some dancing as he and Maluta worked a basic heat. Maluta scored with the hangman’s neck breaker for a near fall. Gurv managed a desperation DDT, and Harv and Daivari tagged in. Harv ran wild with back elbows and chops, he then hit a spinning back kick and neck breaker, and got a near fall on Daivari. Daivari then slammed him to the corner, Maluta tagged in with a rough looking second rope dropkick, Daivari hit a frog splash and Gurv made the save. Gurv tags in and superkicks connect on Daivari and Maluta. They head up top, bit elbow to a standing Maluta and then an elbow drop to Maluta and that was that. This was solid, but unspectacular. It simply felt as if it was missing all sense of urgency as they went through the motions of a basic tag match.

1.35Cedric Alexander vs. Oney Lorcan: Alexander of course had the great match with Ibushi during the CWC, Lorcan is the former Biff Busick who, as a favorite of mine when he was working Evolve. Alexander looked to ground Lorcan early; Lorcan escaped and avoided a high kick as they had a stare down. They went back and forth, working the test of strength/knuckle lock, and did some solid work and counters out of that. Alexander hit a RANA, and tried to pick up the pace from thee to get an advance and did so, scoring with a dropkick. Lorcan cut off Alexander with an uppercut and a hangman’s neck beaker in the ropes to take control. Lorcan fired off with some chops, and then grounded Alexander, working a neck crank. Lorcan then worked chops and back elbow strikes, but Alexander used his speed to counter into a back slide, but Lorcan kicked out and dropped Alexander with a head butt. Lorcan again grounded Alexander with a half nelson, Alexander managed an arm drag to escape and they traded forearm strikes. Alexander fired back with clotheslines and kick, the springboard clothesline connected and he looked for the lumbar check, but Lorcan stopped that, but ate a back handspring kick, Alexander went for a springboard but ate a jumping uppercut in mid-air. Lorcan then hit a running uppercut to a seated Alexander for the near fall. Lorcan went for the half nelson suplex, and after cutting off a back handspring hit it. Another uppercut to the back of Alexander got another near fall. Lorcan set Alexander up top, the battled for position and Lorcan went for a top rope half nelson suplex but Alexander rolled through and suplexed Lorcan into the buckles. The lumbar check finished it. This was far from bad, but I really expected more from these two. It just felt as if it had little to no real energy, as they worked a safe match with little sense of urgency. It wasn’t bad, but I kept waiting for it to really pick up and it never did. Alexander was missing the fire that set him apart from others in the tournament, and Lorcan felt to step up in a match with a guy that had a lot of buzz.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

This was an overall solid collection of matches, but nothing you need to go out of your way to see.