The purple ‘n’ orange and the black ‘n’ gold are finally mixing!

You don’t need to adjust your screen, you ARE seeing the NXT Cruiserweight Champion, KUSHIDA, appear on 205 Live!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Leon Ruff VS Grayson Waller; Ruff wins.
• NXT Cruiserweight Championship Contender’s Match: KUSHIDA VS Ari Sterling; Kushida wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Leon Ruff VS Grayson Waller!

The former North American Champion and fan favorite underdog returns to action! But Leon might have a rough night against the 21st Century Success Story. Will Waller still be baller? Or will he underestimate the hops and handles of this real-life Spider-Man?

The bell rings and fans are fired up for Ruff! Free shirt! But it doesn’t really make it over the board… Waller laughs, he and Ruff tie up and go around. Waller throws Ruff and says, “This is a real 205.” But Ruff points out that the fans only care about him, not Waller! Waller and Ruff tie up, Waller waistlocks and SLAMS Ruff down. Waller slaps Ruff around but Ruff gets up. They talk trash, get in each other’s face, and Waller pie-faces Ruff. Waller says he’ll make it fair, and he drops down to his knees to mock Ruff’s height. But Ruff SHOTGUN dropkicks Waller out of the ring! Ruff fires up, the CWC fires up with him, but Waller snarls.

Waller gets in, Ruff bait shim in, goes out and ROCKS him, then goes up and around and under, ENZIGURI! Ruff rolls Waller up to ENZIGURI again! Waller wobbles, Ruff loads up but Waller dodges the boot! Electric chair, but Ruff rolls it! TWO, and Waller scrambles to ropes. Ruff runs in, is put on the apron but ROCKS Waller again! Waller stops Spidey Sense with another Electric Chair, and a pop-up BACK SUPLEX! Fans still rally for Ruff as Waller clamps on a chinlock. Waller brings Ruff up to suplex, hold him, and then SLAM him down! Ruff writhes but Waller gets a cover, TWO! Waller is annoyed but he stalks Ruff to ropes.

Waller gets Ruff on ropes, chokes him, claws his face, and bends him back against the ropes! The ref counts, Waller lets Ruff go and Ruff slumps to the mat. “You were a champ, huh? You were a champ?” Waller drops knees on Ruff’s back, gets him up and whips him. Ruff reverses but Waller goes up and STOMPS Ruff down underneath him!! Cover, TWO!! Ruff is tough and Waller is learning that! Waller clamps onto the arms and bends them back for a motorcycle stretch. Ruff endures, fans rally, Ruff fights up but Waller throws him by his hair! Waller claps but fans boo instead of rally with him. Waller drags Ruff back up, whips him to a corner hard, and then goes to the corner to CHOP him!

Waller RAMS his shoulder into Ruff again and again, but lets off as the ref counts. Ruff goes up to sunset flip, TWO! Waller staggers up, Ruff tilt-o-whirls but Waller blocks to hit a BACKBREAKER! Waller drops a fist into Ruff’s back, then kicks him around. Ruff gets to ropes, Waller throws body shots, but Ruff elbows away. Waller throws knees, suplexes Ruff again, but Ruff slips out to the apron. Waller BOOTS Ruff off to the floor! Waller calls his shot, builds speed, and then just slides out to STO Ruff down! And then he does push-ups to show off! The ring count is 3 of 10, Waller refreshes it, but he gets upset with commentary for not “putting respect on mah name.”

Waller turns around, Ruff CANNONBALLS! Direct hit and down goes Waller! Nigel blames Vic for distracting Waller but Ruff gets Waller in. Fans chant “205! 205!” as Ruff springboards, but Waller trips him up! Ruff lands hard again, Waller gets him back in the ring. Waller drags Ruff up, torture racks and bends Ruff, then INVERTED ROLLING SENTON! Waller goes to the corner, BALLER ELBOW! Cover, TWO!! Ruff still lives and Waller is furious. Waller drags Ruff up, hooks the legs, then clamps on with a deep chinlock stretch! Ruff endures, pops out to a cover, TWO! Waller scoops but Ruff flips out of the piledriver to roll back and TORNADO DDT?!

Fans are thunderous for Ruff as he gets to the ropes. Waller staggers up, Ruff starts rallying with big forearms! Ruff runs corner to corner for a GAMANGIRI! Then a BULL- NO! Waller shoves Ruff away, RUFF CUT!! Cover, TWO!!! Waller survives the flying cutter but Ruff still has spirit! Ruff goes to a corner, climbs, but Waller crawls after him. Ruff is up top, Waller is still down, FROG SPLASH FLOP! Waller somersaults in, STUNNER!! Cover, TWO?!?! Waller is losing his cool with the underdog but fans say, “This is Awesome!” Waller drags Ruff to fireman’s carry. “See you later, baby.” Waller pops Ruff up, but Ruff turns it into a CRUCIFIX DRIVER! Cover, RUFF WINS!!

Winner: Leon Ruff, by pinfall

Welcome back, Leon Ruff! All that time away but there was no ring rust, just more heart! Will this breathe new life into Ruff’s run?

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Contender’s Match: KUSHIDA VS Ari Sterling!

The Time Splitter and current NXT Cruiserweight Champion is finally on 205 Live! And though he told Roderick Strong, “You’re on!” for a title match, there’s always room for Sauce! Will Kushida get the best out of Sterling or bested by him in his purple ‘n’ orange debut?

The bell rings and Kushida circles with Sterling. Fans rally up as the two speed things up! They run the ropes, Kushida drops then rams shoulders! Neither man budges so Kushida goes again and they ram shoulders. Fans duel as both men run, but then they both drop down! Then they both dropkick but those cancel out! Both men get back up, and have a stand-off after being mirror images. They reset, feel things out, and Sterling wrenches to a wristlock. Kushida spins and spins and wrangles Sterling to the mat. Kushida wrenches, Sterling gets up, and Sterling rolls and kips up to WRING him out! Kushida gets up but into a headscissor and a dropkick!

Kushida bails out but Sterling serves up the MOON-SAUCE! Kushida avoids it and Sterling lands on his feet, and Kushida dropkicks Sterling’s legs out! Fans fire up and a ring count climbs but Kushida gets Sterling in at 4 of 10. Kushida KICKS a leg, and again! Sterling hobbles and flounders but Kushida gets Sterling up. Sterling blocks once but Kushida still gets the SHIN BREAKER! Kushida stalks Sterling, runs in and dropkicks the arm! Sterling hobbles, Kushida goes up top and leaps, but Sterling avoids the flying knee! Sterling hits a kitchen sink knee, and he stomps Kushida down. Sterling gets Kushida up, throws forearms and whips Kushida to ropes to KNEE him!

Sterling whips Kushida the other way, and gives him another KNEE! Sterling suplexes to hang Kushida out to dry. Sterling CLUBS him, runs and SOMERSAULT AX KICKS Kushida down! Cover, ONE!! Kushida is a Super Junior but Sterling squeezes him with body scissors. Fans rally and duel as Sterling adds a chinbar. Sterling makes it a cover, TWO! Sterling clubs Kushida but Kushida has an arm up to guard his face. Fans rally as Kushida endures. Kushida throws elbows and gets free, but then Kushida traps Sterling’s legs to add pressure! Sterling CLUBS Kushida, Kushida lets him go, and Kushida gets to a corner.

Sterling runs in but Kushida BOOTS him! And BOOTS him! And powers up, but Sterling dodges, only to get the SHOTEI! And another SHOTEI! Fans fire up as Kushida runs corner to corner to SHOTEI! Kushida whips then atomic drops Sterling, to whip again. Sterling blocks the hip toss but Kushida KICKS him for it! Kushida whips, Sterling reverses but Kushida handsprings, into an ENZIGURI! Both men are down and the fans fire up! Kushida rises, Sterling follows, but Sterling runs into the corner to ROCK Kushida! Sterling hoists Kushida up top but Kushida wants the arm! Sterling fights while the ref counts, and Sterling CLUBS Kushida back!

Sterling hops down, rolls back, comes back, NO HANDS RANA!! Kushida flounders, Sterling runs in, BLINDSIDE A-List Lariat! Kushida is down and Sterling goes up, SHOOTING- NO! Kushida avoids the shooting star to dropkick legs out! And then he PENALTY KICKS the arm! Kushida whips Sterling again, hip tosses, cartwheel basement dropkick! Fans fire up as Kushida jumps up, HOVERBOARD!! Sterling taps, Kushida wins!

Winner: KUSHIDA, by submission

The Sauce doesn’t get a golden ticket, but he still put on a fireworks show! As for the Lightning Bolt, Kushida is ready to strike down Diamond Mine! Will Kushida return to 205 Live still holding gold?

My Thoughts:

Firstly, there was news that actually broke during SmackDown’s broadcast that more NXT superstars had been released. A few were those yet to have even seen screen time, but Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish, Mercedes Martinez, Tyler Rust, oh and in more of a “They didn’t already release him?” way, Kona Reeves had all been established. And except for Kona, either were or could’ve still been involved in stories. As were 205 Live/Cruiserweight Division members Jake Atlas, Asher Hale, and then Leon Ruff and Ari Sterling, who were just in this episode! I could go on and on about Nick Da Prick Khan effing over NXT and affiliated branches again because he has neither soul nor brain, but that’d be mean and I’m not going to do that.

But given the insanely ill-timed release of these superstars, that made this episode rather strange to watch. This was perhaps the best 205 Live the last two years, just based on having THE CHAMPION appear! But first, what an awesome match for Ruff to return in. He and Waller had great timing, I didn’t really see any sloppiness, and it was awesome for Ruff to win. Which makes the fact he gets cut the day this air even more bull crap. Then Kushida VS Sterling was also a great match, but it seems not even this brand is safe from Vince’s new decree: heavily emphasize that anyone fighting the champion can get a title opportunity if they beat the champion once. But given the story on NXT, of course Kushida wins, and there is a clear path for him and Strong to be part of TakeOver: 36.

And I’m sure they wanted to use this so Sterling could become the new Mr. 205 Live, but seems Nick Da Prick doesn’t like Sauce! And Ruff still had so much promise in the ring and as a character, he could’ve easily been up next after TakeOver. Whether Strong VS Ruff or Kushida VS Ruff, the CWC crowd would eat it up and want it over and over and over again. NXT had slowly been working to “make it work” with 205 Live, but they just keep getting tripped up and almost sabotaged by Nick Da Prick since Vince won’t rein that guy in.

My Score: 8.4/10