WWE 205 Live: Buddy Murphy Is The Perfect Top Heel

The “Age of Alexander” has begun on WWE 205 Live, as Cedric Alexander addressed the WWE Universe on the most recent episode of 205 Live as the first Cruiserweight Champion. However, the warm reception from the fans and the congratulatory messages from Mustafa Ali and Drake Maverick were short-lived – because Buddy Murphy decided to make his presence felt.

Buddy Murphy used to be called the “Best Kept Secret”, and that nickname was a constant reminder that NXT slept on him. Murphy was one of the brand’s most gifted wrestlers and athletes, yet he never received chances to shine on NXT TV.

His opportunity came during the Cruiserweight Tournament, as Murphy was called up to WWE 205 Live after making a weight cut. Not only did Murphy’s chiseled physique turn heads, but his in-ring work caused his matches to become must-see. After the tournament was over and Murphy put on top-notch bouts with Ariya Daivari and Ali, he followed that up with a brand-defining performance against Kalisto that had the crowd as hot as it has ever been for a 205 Live match.

Murphy has done all of this without being a 205 original. In-ring work, as we know, isn’t enough. To be a top star on a show and to really put yourself on the map as someone the fans need to take notice of, a superstar needs more.

This week on 205 Live, Murphy showed that he has “more”.

Cedric Alexander was the perfect choice to win the vacated Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania 34, and the “Age of Alexander” symbolizes the first steps that the show will take under Alexander’s reign in order to continue the positive momentum it built during the tournament.

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Every great babyface needs the right foil, and Alexander’s perfect nemesis is Murphy. When Alexander was celebrating in the ring with Ali and Maverick, Murphy’s music hit, as he clearly wanted to assert that he’s here for his opportunity.

A couple of weeks before, Murphy defeated Kalisto, TJP, and Akira Tozawa in a Fatal Four-Way match to earn a future opportunity at the Cruiserweight Championship. Murphy didn’t want anyone, least of all the champion himself, forget that “The Daredevil from Down Under” is ready to steal that Cruiserweight Title.

When Murphy’s music hits, you can’t help but bob your head to the sinister-sounding track as he walks into the ring, dripping with confidence. Few superstars on 205 carry themselves with an almost innate level of confidence like Murphy does, and he was made to be a heel.

His move-set is brutal, and his finisher says it all. Murphy’s Law. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and that’s the apt way to describe how his opponents feel when they face him. Because even if you somehow defeat Murphy, as Ali did, it takes so much out of you that you merely survived him.

After Murphy attacked Alexander, he wouldn’t even look at Maverick first. He just walked away with a smug smile etched on his face before finally turning around and miming a title around his waist. Before that, he came into the ring to attack Alexander so sneakily that neither Ali nor Maverick noticed the attack until Alexander’s body hit the canvas.

Murphy is brutal, quick, athletic, evil, smug, cunning, and confident. He has all the traits that even someone like Alexander, who used his combination of quick-thinking and athleticism to defeat two of the tournament’s best in Roderick Strong and Ali, will be tested by. So Murphy is the perfect first challenger for Alexander, and he ticks off all the boxes as 205 Live’s lead villain. This is the type of believable and dynamic character that 205 Live needs to push a top babyface champion to his limits.

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Even though the Age of Alexander has started on 205 Live, don’t neglect the warning of Murphy’s Law. Because as we saw on Tuesday night, Murphy strikes when you least expect him to.

Most of all, it’s evident that he’s no longer a secret. He’s one of the biggest stars on WWE’s most underrated hour of television (or most exciting hour of television, if you speak McMahon).