WWE 205 Live: Buddy Murphy Will Avenge His Loss To Mustafa Ali

Buddy Murphy was one of the standout performers in WWE 205 Live’s tournament for the Cruiserweight Championship, which culminated in Cedric Alexander defeating Mustafa Ali for the title at WrestleMania 34. Ali had to defeat Murphy in the quarterfinals along the way, handing “The Best Kept Secret” his only loss on 205 Live to this point. On Tuesday night, Murphy has a change to avenge this blemish on his record.

Ever since Buddy Murphy first joined WWE 205 Live and competed in the tournament for the Cruiserweight Championship, we’ve seen a new, darker side of him. During Alexander’s celebration with the title after WrestleMania, Murphy attacked the champion from behind to remind both Cedric and Mustafa Ali that he’s gunning for that title.

Officially, Murphy has a future opportunity at the Cruiserweight Championship after defeating Kalisto, TJP, and Akira Tozawa in a Fatal Four-Way match. Along with Drew Gulak, Murphy is one of 205 Live’s top heels (though Hideo Itami could join the fray after breaking up with Tozawa).

Although Murphy is the “self-proclaimed” (Maverick’s words) No. 1 contender, he can’t assume that he’s guaranteed a title shot before Ali despite his Fatal Four-Way victory and attack on Alexander. 205 Live GM Drake Maverick announced that Murphy and Ali will face off on Tuesday night, and while nothing is said to be on the line, Murphy’s No. 1 contendership would be called into question if he goes 0-for-2 against Ali.

If their first encounter in the Cruiserweight Tournament is anything to go off of, this match between Ali and Murphy on the next episode of 205 Live will be a classic. The main events of the show always deliver, and this one pits two of the very best wrestlers on the show against each other for a second time. There will surely be callbacks to their quarterfinals match, with Murphy likely being more brutal and devious now that he’s a full-fledged heel seeking revenge.

It would be a shock for Murphy to lose this match, especially after he missed out on an opportunity at Alexander’s title at the Greatest Royal Rumble due to “missing weight”. Murphy is back under 205 now, and he’s ready for his first opportunity to steal the title away from Alexander.

Of course, Alexander’s reign figures to be a lengthy one, since he’s exactly the right person to hold the title. A program with Ali could be saved for a later date. I don’t think many people want to see either Ali or Alexander turning heel, so that could prevent an actual feud between them from taking place.

Meanwhile, Murphy is the perfect foil to Alexander. He’s intimidating, sinister, and just as quick and strong as the Cruiserweight Champion. When Alexander came out to beat down Murphy in front of his face and cut a promo on the former NXT Tag Team Champion afterwards, you could tell that a feud will Murphy will bring the best out of Alexander’s character.

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I’d expect Murphy to defeat Ali on WWE 205 Live to maintain his hold as Alexander’s top challenger and get his revenge. We should be headed for a big-time feud between Murphy and Alexander over the summer, but I have to admit that a part of me wonders if Ali could play the spoiler here. Either way, this is a match to catch on WWE TV this week.