With the WWE cruiserweight division being just a small part of Monday Night Raw, it's unlikely to get more than one match per pay-per-view. Fastlane on March 5 should be no exception as the title match between Neville and Jack Gallagher is shaping up to be the division's lone representation on the card.
Without being forced to stick to the PPV timetable, WWE's 205 Live continues to thrive with new feuds, which were on display in Tuesday's episode, which featured three matches.
In the main event, Gallagher took on Tony Nese (and his abs) in his return from injury. While the result was never in doubt, with Gallagher, the No. 1 contender for the cruiserweight championship, just two weeks out from his title match at Fastlane, the path to get there was well handled.
Nese is the most similar wrestler to Neville on the 205 Live roster, which made sense to pair him with Gallagher in a match to provide a blueprint on how Gallagher could beat an opponent with advantages in strength, speed and athleticism. That blueprint, as Gallagher pointed out before the match, consisted of "flawless technique, some fantastic footwork and a dashing mustache."
The technique was highlighted early, as Gallagher showed off his British-style mat skills, tying up Nese and reclining back in an arm bar, all the while checking the integrity and form of his facial hair.
Nese didn't appear to lose the semi-push he had received prior to his knee injury. His aggressive streak was present, shown with a roundhouse kick and a crossface which helped him take control.
"The Premier Athlete" also lived up to his nickname with a pair of mid-match moves as he turned a cartwheel off the apron into a superkick and later picked Gallagher up off the mat with one arm following a pin attempt. A spider German suplex (off the turnbuckle with his legs tied in the ropes) produced a pop from the crowd.
But it was a devastating headbutt from Gallagher that turned the match around. A belly-to-back superplex set up the match-ending corner dropkick, giving Gallagher a showcase win heading into Fastlane.
The victory continued Gallagher's build, making him seem like a believable opponent for Neville, capable of using his wiles and strategy to earn an upset. But the storyline development took place on the previous night's edition of Raw.
"WHAT A HEADBUTT BY @GentlemanJackG!!!" - @MauroRanallo#205Live pic.twitter.com/wPj7xkcUGf
- 205Live (@WWE205Live) February 22, 2017
During the contract signing for their cruiserweight championship match, Gallagher interrupted Neville's attempt to "sign and dash" with an invitation for tea and biscuits.
Neville's reaction, as one might expect, was to flip the table in a most ungentlemanly manner. Gallagher's facial expression showed trepidation mixed with defiance. He was afraid of Neville, but refused to back down. That was the good.
The bad was another edition of Gallagher outbrawling Neville. In a feud where Neville is supposed to appear as the superior physical force, Gallagher has seemingly gotten the upper hand in every impromptu brawl, not by outwitting the champion, but just by outfighting him.
But there was more good. In a WWE.com exclusive interview that re-aired Tuesday, Neville's backstage reaction helped him save some face, and set the table for Neville taking Gallagher more seriously.
"Jack Gallagher has just made the biggest mistake of his career. He laid hands on the king," Neville said. "Jack was just a little insect, a mosquito, that I would take pleasure in swatting to one side. But now he has my full, undivided attention. And come Fastlane, I look forward to making that little cockroach suffer."
Undercard roster shines with opportunity
Prior to the main event, Brian Kendrick's experience helped him pick up a countout win over Akira Tozawa. Kendrick tied Tozawa's foot in the apron and beat the count, escaping before Tozawa could get free.
Noam Dar, now defending Alicia Fox against the advances of Rich Swann, picked up a victory over the quickly-rising Mustafa Ali.
Both matches were solid, and both displayed how deep the 205 Live roster is getting. The one hour, once-a-week, nature of the show allows WWE to take the slow-build approach that has been so good for NXT, not needing to feature every star, every week.
On a night without a match from Neville, Swann, Gran Metalik and many others, 205 Live showed how easily it could fill a card for a full network special down the road.