The SummerSlam card continued to be refined Tuesday, first with SmackDown Live, and then with the subsequent episode of 205 Live.
Akira Tozawa defeated Ariya Daivari in a hard-fought contest that completed the winding path to where the initial destination seemed to be: a Cruiserweight Championship rematch between Neville and Tozawa at SummerSlam. However, credit should be given to an unlikely player throwing intrigue and uncertainty into the title picture.
Daivari started the mini-feud with Tozawa at the bottom of the 205 Live roster, relegated to losses and the butt of backstage segments (getting sprayed with baby powder, having his bag thrown out by Noam Dar, etc.). He ended it on the cusp of a title shot, once leaving both Neville and Tozawa on their backs.
A match like this runs the risk of losing a crowd that has sat through two and a half hours of wrestling. While a No. 1 contender's match is a big deal for the division, those in attendance had already seen a U.S. title match between A.J. Styles and Kevin Owens and a No. 1 contender's match for the WWE Championship between John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura.
For the cruiserweight division to be successful the way it's currently being presented, as a segment or two on Monday Night Raw and a show following SmackDown Live, it ultimately has to provide something different from what it's competing with or find some way to integrate the cruiserweights into the main roster so it doesn't feel so much like the "little brother."
Tozawa started Tuesday's main event in control with an impressive display of hard chops and kicks, but his suicide dive attempt was cut off by a crossbody from Daivari. The pace then slowed, with Daivari wearing down Tozawa's previously injured shoulder and an attempt to pull off the win via countout.
The match did pick up at the finish. Tozawa kicked out of Daivari's Frog Splash and avoided the Hammer Lock Lariat. At this point, Tozawa unleashed a guttural growl and started his war cries, getting the crowd fired back up. He hit a suicide dive, showing attention to detail by hitting it with his good shoulder, and followed up with his sky-high senton splash to get the three count.
Despite the loss, Daivari came out of these past few weeks looking more like a key player in the division. His work against "Gentleman" Jack Gallagher proved that he could play the foil to a fan favorite. Now he's added the physicality. The next challenge is building his character and hopefully not falling back into the "heel only because he's from Iran" gimmick.
Tozawa ended up where it seemed like he was going following Great Balls of Fire, getting a title rematch. If there was going to be a one-on-one matchup at SummerSlam, this pairing made the most sense. Neville is one of the best heels in the company right now, and his mic work is on point. Tozawa is probably the most beloved face on the cruiserweight roster, and Neville can carry the bulk of the verbal workload.
The next few weeks will continue to build the story, and it'll be interesting to see where Titus O'Neil, absent tonight for the match, fits in.
Hits and Misses
Although last week's segment was questionable, The Brian Kendrick has brought out the more physical side of Gallagher. A DQ finish in the opener Tuesday brought Gallagher to a new place, and now Kendrick will undoubtedly return fire.
Gran Metallik is rarely seen on 205 Live but tonight shined, albeit in a loss to Tony Nese. He got a promo, and his rope-walking, high-flying style shined. He definitely made a case to be featured more than just on WWE Main Event.
There's nothing that screams millennial more than challenging somebody to a match and then settling in to play video games. TJ Perkins owns his character.
I'm learning so much about Iranian freestyle wrestling from Daivari.
Superlatives of the Night
Move: The timing of Metallik landing the Asai Moonsault to the outside on Nese was fantastic. Nese slid to the outside, and just as his feet hit the ground, Metallik was on him. Watch this.
Line: "This is a guy who needs a topographic mirror to see all his muscles," Corey Graves said about Nese. Nese also had a gem with "Here we go, here comes the mountain range."
Match: Daivari-Tozawa won't stand out with any memorable moves, but it was a really good match in terms of psychology.