This week's Mixed Match Challenge featured an unfortunate shake-up after WWE.com announced Charlotte Flair would be unable to compete because of an injury.
A fan poll featuring Becky Lynch, Carmella and Lana as the choices was held to determine who would replace The Queen.
The Lass Kicker won the vote and replaced her friend after already having wrestled earlier in the evening with a win over Ruby Riott.
With the Cruiserweight Championship tournament finals taking place April 8 at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, WWE has been playing up the friendly rivalry between Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali. At this point, everything until 'Mania will be filler.
Let's take a look at everything that happened on this week's episodes of Mixed Match Challenge and 205 Live.
Bobby Roode and Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks and Finn Balor
Lynch and Sasha Banks had a friendly exchange before the match, but as soon as the bell rang, it was all business for the four competitors.
Roode and Finn Balor started for their teams. They came to a stalemate and taunted each other with their respective poses before the women got physical.
Lynch and Banks put on a better sequence before The Boss tried to show some respect with a handshake. Lynch put up the Four Horsewomen sign, and Banks got upset and reminded her what happened with Bayley.
Things quickly escalated, and the friendly aspect of this contest was thrown aside. All four Superstars worked hard to make this a great match.
The sequences with Banks and Lynch were the best parts because of their personal history. After hitting Roode with a dropkick and a suicide dive, Banks was pinned with a roll-up. Roode and Charlotte will advance to the finals next week thanks to the efforts of The Lass Kicker.
Grade: B+
Notes and Highlights
- It's great to see Banks and Lynch in the same ring again. They were a great team in NXT until they went their separate ways.
- Roode vs. Balor is a future rivalry with a lot of potential.
- Banks sold a superplex from the top rope like a pro.
- Lynch breaking up a pin by Balor is funny if you know their history together.
Tony Nese vs. Mark Andrews
The UK division collided with the cruiserweight division this week when crossover star Mark Andrews took on the man with more abs than wins in 2018, Tony Nese.
The high-flyer gave up a significant size and power advantage in this one, and with Nese being as quick and agile as he is, Andrews was clearly the underdog.
Mandrews and Tony Abs kept the pace quick without wearing themselves out, so they were able to pepper in big spots throughout the match.
The bout lasted longer than you would expect for having no storyline behind it, but that was a good thing in this scenario. It gave two guys in desperate need of more exposure a chance to shine.
The crowd got more into the match as it went on and started to recognize the clinic they were seeing unfold. After a fantastic effort from both competitors, Mandrews picked up a victory with a textbook shooting star press.
Grade: A-
Notes and Highlights
- It might not be a bad idea if 205 Live general manager Drake Maverick joined the commentary team more often. He has good chemistry with Nigel McGuinness and Vic Joseph.
- Nese is great at making his strikes sound stiffer than they really are.
- Andrews has a lot of the same qualities as a young Billy Kidman.
- Andrews asked Maverick for a rematch against Drew Gulak next week, and the 205 Live GM immediately granted his request.
Kalisto vs. Buddy Murphy vs. TJP vs. Akira Tozawa
WWE broke away from building the cruiserweight tag team division this week to feature a Fatal 4-Way match with TJP, Akira Tozawa, Buddy Murphy and Kalisto.
Murphy was the only competitor in this match who has never held the cruiserweight title, so he felt like he had something to prove.
As expected based on the four men in the bout, this was a fast-paced affair with a lot of counters, reversals and high-flying maneuvers.
Some creative spots using all four men helped elevate the match in the final minutes, especially the moment when Tozawa hit a flying senton to all three of his opponents at once.
After a frenetic closing sequence, Murphy pinned TJP to earn a big win in what might have been the most exciting match of the week.
Grade: A-
Notes and Highlights
- Murphy's entrance music needs some work.
- TJP suckered Murphy into an alliance just to end up turning on him two seconds later.
- TJP had Tozawa in an Indian deathlock and Kalisto in an abdominal stretch at the same time at one point, but it was even more impressive when he had Tozawa locked in a Gory special and Kalisto in a hanging submission at the same time.
- Murphy accidentally threw Kalisto into a cameraman to create an awkward moment.
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