13 WWE Extreme Rules 2019 Impulse Reactions
12. Drew Gulak (c) Vs. Tony Nese
Ahead of the Kickoff clash between Drew Gulak and Tony Nese, Jonathan Coachman noted how the Cruiserweights would be working to top Finn Bálor and Shinsuke Nakamura's Intercontinental Title battle sharing space on the pre-game hour.
Can you blame them?
The division hadn't felt as hot all year as when Drew claimed the gold in a ripper of a battle before Stomping Grounds. The wrestlers had worked their way on to the pay-per-view a month earlier, but have taken multiple steps back after that one forward. Positioning, yet again, wasn't a reflection of their work.
"We're gonna steal the show before the show", yelled Nese as he entered Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center to mild boos. Uphill struggles were the theme of his night - he faced a partisan crowd favouring hometown hero Gulak, then a silent one as he came a little too close for comfort to injuring his opponent with a moonsault that nearly missed and a 450 splash that caved in the Champions chest with an errant knees-first landing.
'The Human Torture Machine' survived the worst of the offence to retain his title, but how much will any of it matter? These matches keep getting gasps, and keep getting overlooked. 205 Live will turn three this year, but still won't be able to stand up by itself until the parent company permits it.