Cruiserweight Classic Results – August 24, 2016

Cruiserweight Classic
Date: August 24, 2016
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Daniel Bryan, Mauro Ranallo

We’re wrapping up the second round tonight and after this show we’ll have the final eight competitors. There are only three weeks left before the finale and it’s hard to imagine that this isn’t going to be around much longer. The wrestling has gotten even better as the tournament goes on, which really is amazing given where they started. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the tournament via a HHH voiceover as well as seeing the trophy being unveiled.

Look back at last week’s show.

Preview of tonight’s three matches.

Opening sequence.

The announcers talk about last week and tonight.

Lince Dorado is here because it’s all he’s ever wanted to do and he’s a hybrid wrestler.

Rich Swann says wrestling saved his life.

Second Round: Lince Dorado vs. Rich Swann

Puerto Rico vs. USA here. The goofy Swann gets his traditional ALL NIGHT LONG chant to start us off. They start fast with some nice early near falls and neither guy being able to pull off a headscissors. Dorado keeps cutting off Rich’s dancing so he can do an Alex Wright style dance.

Swann sends him outside and does some dancing of his own until a springboard missile dropkick knocks Rich outside as well. A HUGE dive from Dorado takes Swann down again but he comes right back with a neckbreaker. That means more dancing before he lifts Dorado up for a suplex but kneels down and bends Dorado over his neck for a hold. That’s certainly new.

It can’t last long due to the laws of physics so it’s time to strike it out. Dorado blocks a top rope hurricanrana and they hit bicycle kicks at the same time for a double knock down. Back up and Dorado gets in a few kicks to take over until Rich gets two off a DDT. The standing 450 only hits Dorado’s raised knees and Swann is planted with a reverse hurricanrana. Lince misses his shooting star press though and Swann’s Phoenix Splash lands on Dorado’s face to send him to the final eight at 8:15.

Result: Rich Swann b. Lince Dorado – Phoenix Splash (8:15)

We look at Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa losing to the Revival at Takeover.

Gargano, with Ciampa next to him, says he doesn’t want to lose again.

Drew Gulak likes to hurt people.

Zack Sabre Jr. knows how to wrestle and can escape anything.

Second Round: Drew Gulak vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

USA vs. England. Gulak won’t shake hands to start and tries to take it to the mat early on. Drew actually gets the better of it with a straitjacket choke, only to have Zack take him to the mat and crank on both arms at the same time. The more aggressive Gulak chops him in the corner and works on a double arm hold of his own. Sabre tells him to come on so Gulak slaps him in the face. Gulak’s top rope clothesline is countered into a Fujiwara armbar but it’s reversed into a Gory Special with Sabre’s arms being bent so far backwards that they cross behind his back.

Sabre gets out and puts on an octopus hold which is quickly reversed into an ankle lock. Drew can’t hang on to an electric chair so Sabre reverses into a Kimura with a bodyscissors. Gulak slams him down to escape until a penalty kick to the chest gets two for Zack. A slap to the face knocks Sabre silly but the dragon scissors is countered into rollup to pin Gulak at 8:28.

Result: Zack Sabre Jr. b. Drew Gulak – Rollup (8:28)

Drew shakes hands after the match.

TJ Perkins is a high flier and one of the best in the world.

Johnny Gargano is one of the best in the world period and had a great match against Tommaso Ciampa to get to the second round.

Second Round: TJ Perkins vs. Johnny Gargano

Philippines vs. USA. They’re playing up the idea that Gargano is four days removed from Takeover so he might not be 100% coming in. Perkins takes him to the mat to start and grabs a Muta Lock for a bit. Back up and Gargano sends TJ outside for a suicide dive but his knee is banged up again. Perkins comes right back with that rocking horse hold of his, followed by a surfboard for good measure.

Gargano gets out of a headscissors and spears Perkins through the ropes for no cover. A big sitout powerbomb plants Johnny and we get a BOTH THESE GUYS chant. They head outside with Johnny hitting a running flip dive but his leg crashing into a table. Back in and they slug it out even more with Perkins hitting a springboard dropkick to the face. A kneebar doesn’t work as Gargano reverses into a modified crossface. Perkins is sent face first into the middle buckle with authority for two more and both guys are spent. TJ is smart enough to kick the leg out and roll into a kneebar for the submission at 12:18.

Result: TJ Perkins b. Johnny Gargano – Kneebar (12:18)

Here are the quarterfinal matchups:

Akira Tozawa
Gran Metalik

Zack Sabre Jr.
Noam Dar

Brian Kendrick
Kota Ibushi

TJ Perkins
Rich Swann

Results
Rich Swann b. Lince Dorado – Phoenix Splash
Zack Sabre Jr. b. Drew Gulak – Rollup
TJ Perkins b. Johnny Gargano – Kneebar

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