205 Live: WWE should book a triple threat for Stomping Grounds

It seems like WWE has two options for Tony Nese’s Cruiserweight Championship opponent at Stomping Grounds: Akira Tozawa or Drew Gulak. Why not both?

If you missed last Tuesday’s latest episode of 205 Live, you should take the time to catch up on WWE’s most exciting hour of television. Seriously. Go. Stop reading this right now and go check it out. If you don’t have the WWE Network, you are going to want to order yourself a subscription just to check out this last episode.

No? You’re gonna just sit tight there and keep reading? Fair enough, I admire the dedication. At the very least, check out the new episode of 205 Live as soon as you are done reading my drivel because if you don’t, you are missing out on a pair of absolute barn burners.

Not only did Chad Gable electrify in his 205 Live debut, but the purple brand delivered a momentous Fatal Four Way main event. The match was booked to determine a number one contender for Tony Nese’s Cruiserweight Championship for a match at WWE’s next pay-per-view, Stomping Grounds.

The participants were Drew Gulak, Humberto Carrillo, Oney Lorcan and Akira Tozawa, who Nese personally said he wanted to test himself against.

Thanks to some stupendous stunts and awe inspiring chemistry between each competitor, the crowd were on their feet shouting ear shattering chants. Considering that this same crowd had sat through over two hours of SmackDown Live before 205 went Live, the fact these guys woke the crowd up for some thunderous reactions says a lot. Certainly the loudest reaction to a 205 main event that I’ve heard in a long time.

The match ended when Gulak and Tozawa hit the top rope for a superplex before both men transitioned into a pinfall attempt where they pinned each other. Referees and even General Manager Drake Maverick stood in confusion to end the show. I’m not 100% sure what happens next week before Stomping Grounds nor how this storyline develops, but if I had to guess what could – and frankly should – happen, I think a triple threat title match is on the horizons.

The reason I say “could” is because I recall a similar situation happening some years back heading into an NXT TakeOver. To decide Finn Balor’s number one contender heading into that event, three men squared off in a triple threat to decide who would fill that spot: Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin.

The match ended with Corbin tapping out to both men at the same time and like in today’s situation, refs and a GM were dumbfounded to figure out exactly what they should do. Rather than a triple threat, Joe and Zayn had a one-on-one to determine a true number one contender and eventually, Joe won.

The same case could happen between Tozawa and Gulak, but I think these men would be better suited if both were included in Nese’s title match at the next PPV. The reason being because I think a multi-man match would be the best way to showcase the Cruiserweight roster in a big way on PPV to new fans.

The last time that the Cruiserweight Title was defended on PPV was at Money in the Bank against Ariya Daivari. Truth be told, while the in-ring action itself was solid, the match as a whole fell flat because it received little to no reaction from the live crowd.

The reason being, I think, is because the match was a slow paced, methodical technical bout. While technical matches are great, fans – for the most part – had no idea who either of these relatively new faces were and as a result, struggled to get invested.

Plus, the word “Cruiserweight” tends to imply to fans that they’re in store for a high octane, nonstop action thrill ride. When Nese and Daivari opted for something of a slower pace, the crowd checked out. 205 fans savvier to Nese and Daivari’s feud may have appreciated the slow burn, but not main roster casuals who weren’t as knowledgeable.

Wind the clocks back to Royal Rumble 2019 a few months earlier.  There, Buddy Murphy defended the Cruiserweight Title in a Fatal Four Way match of his own against Tozawa, Hideo Itami (now KENTA) and Kalisto. Despite the crowd not being so familiar with any of these guys for the most part, it was still one of the most well received matches of the night because it offered nonstop, slambang action for casuals who wanted it. Might’ve made some new 205 fans in the process.

The same could happen at Stomping Grounds if WWE allows it.

While last month’s one-on-one PPV Cruiserweight Title match failed to meet expectations, a Stomping Grounds title match could more than make up for it. Nese has potential to put on a technical masterclass with Gulak or a unique show of sportsmanship against Tozawa, but all three together have the potential chemistry to bring new fans to the purple brand with some explosive, high octane action.