WWE Big 3: Lorcan, Gallagher, Gulak 7/21-7/27

205 Live 7/23

Oney Lorcan vs. Tony Isner

ER: This was a very tiny but absolutely delicious snack. I don't think this even went a minute, but it played like a hot finishing round of a fight. I have no idea who Isner is (apparently he wrestles on indies as Tony Ice but there's not much footage out there) but I like the way he attacked Lorcan with punches in the corner before getting absolutely wrecked. He threw a straight jab and some really nice body shots, and that was it for him. But he's a total star bumping for Lorcan's offense and made a nice impression on me in basically 45 seconds. Lorcan doesn't hold back on his elbows, throwing some of his nastiest that I've seen. His running flying uppercut looked like it hit so hard that someone could make a GIF of Isner flying out of the arena and into space. I love the beautiful almost slo motion arc Lorcan gets on his half nelson suplex. Obviously you aren't going to get neck drops in suplexes here, so his take on the suplex is one of those big WWE finishers that will actually get him a bigger reaction while giving his opponent a safer bump. Cena's AA is just a big back bump, and indy guys were out there dropping guys neck first onto their knee instead. This looked like an awesome face slam, just sending a guy moonsaulting onto his face, without looking like Isner was jumping into it.

PAS: I am digging these 205 Live squashes, Gallagher had a fun one a couple of weeks ago, and it was cool to see Lorcan run through this guy. Lorcan is one of the best in the world at explosive offense and this was just a full match explosion.

35. Drew Gulak vs. Isaiah Scott

ER: This was really damn cool. I still find myself pleasantly surprised at the styles of matches that are now being given 15 minutes of TV time on the WWE Network. It's really fun and I'm sure the novelty will wear off, but I like seeing flippers against a tough like Gulak. Isaiah Scott of course is the former Shane Strickland (who I had actually forgot was signed by WWE, I'm 5 years behind on my NXT), who is a guy I used to absolutely hate when he was on the indies. He's been slowly improving over the years, and Killshot had some moments in Lucha Underground, but I think he's a guy who will benefit from the WWE Performance Center. Gulak is a fun opponent for him, and this felt like a nice 2002 throwback indy match, where some guys were starting to get really inspired by shootstyle matwork, and other guys were trying to be flying innovators, and there was a real focus on limbwork matches.

This was a real fun 2002 limbwork flyer/matwork match. They have a bunch of fun scrambly mat stuff, Scott shows off some spry movement doing a cool handspring to the floor, and he pulls out a tripped out cartwheel moonsault splash when Gulak slid back into the ring. Before long Gulak starts working over Scott's arm, slapping at it, yanking at it, and I was a big fan of Scott's theatrical selling. I like when guys sell their fists after a punch, and I like when guys get their arm worked over and hold it in dramatic fashion like they were disappointed in it. Gulak forces him down to the mat a bunch by the arm, and Strickland does cool things around that on the comeback, always holding the arm and handspringing off his good arm, keeping it limp at his side like Ace Ventura after getting shot with a blow dart. Gulak was real hard here, hitting a great clothesline off the middle rope (the hardest clothesline to hit effectively, and I'm pretty sure the only guys who have ever consistently done a good one are Gulak, Lorcan, and Ikeda), and Gulak breaks out a bunch of new stuff which gives the match a new feel. He throws Scott into the ringpost with a crucifix bomb and we get a fun callback spot around that moment later in the match. Gulak had a couple nasty capture suplexes, gripping Scott around his neck and knee like a sick inverse Perfect Plex. This was a cool style battle, bonkers to me that its being featured on WWE television, but another cool addition.

PAS: This was really fun, and easily my favorite Strickland match ever. Swerve was originally a CZW guy and I liked how the commentary mentioned that he was trained by Gulak. I thought the early flashy offense by Scott worked in the context of a guy trying to show up his trainer. That quick cartwheel moonsault was awesome looking. I loved the transition with Swerve hitting this great looking right hand, which they replay and really put over, but he ends up jamming his wrist. This gives Gulak the opening to attack the wrist and hand, and use it as a get out of jail free card when Scott would get momentum. Really great finish run, with Scott having a bunch of chances to pull the upset, but the wrist failing him. Gulak knows how to put a hurt on a guy, and Scott sold the hurt great.


2019 MOTY MASTER LIST