[9.0] "This was awesome. Cedric Alexander had his best time in WWE under Triple H's booking, first during the Cruiserweight Classic, then during Triple H's run of 205 Live from 2018-2019. Buddy Murphy was a star on the rise in WWE, and it sucks that his run ended the way it did. This was Murphy's best match in WWE, and one of Alexander's best along with his match with Kota Ibushi. This was just great wrestling, with Alexander getting the win, but Murphy looked great in defeat. This was possibly the best match in the history of 205 Live. ****1/2"
[8.0] "That was very good. Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander gave an incredible performance, it was just too bad the crowd was so dull for the most part especially considering that this was Cedric's hometown. I love the work on the back of Cedric and although the selling could have been better, I thought it was done quite well. The ending sequence was fast paced, hard hitting and and a great display of grit and passion with some incredible nearfalls. Commentary was excellent; Well, Vic and Nigel were great but Percy is so cringey and such a goody bullshitter. This was a great match and one of the best since 205 launched. ****1/4"
[8.0] "Four years later, I still find this to be one of my favorite WWE matches in recent years. I always had a massive soft spot for 205 Live, both because it was a product that featured matches with a fast paced style that I hadn't been acclimated to previously, and because I admired that in spite of having to perform in front of worn out crowds who were unable to lend their energy to the show, you still had guys like Mustafa, Cedric, Buddy, Gulak and Itami (or KENTA) who always gave it their best efforts to put on a great showing. So when I first saw this match on the network when it was available, I was happy that these guys had a crowd that actually cared and could lend energy towards the excitement of this match. This, due mainly in part to the show taking place in Cedric's hometown of Charlotte, NC; so it sort of felt like watching Cedric finally be given a good amount of validation for being the champion, and for being one of the most underrated talents on the roster. Murphy, while not really a heat magnet to this crowd, still managed to play his role as the heel well throughout the match against the hometown hero. The match itself is what you would expect a modern cruiserweight match to be with two former indie talents- a mix of hard-hitting exchanges and highly athletic aerial spots- but once again, the actually energized crowd gives the match a new type of feeling and, in a way, raises the steaks of the match, and also makes Cedric really look like a true champion when he's able to control the crowd. One issue I have in hindsight, however, is the lack of selling from Alexander's back as the match progresses; while Murphy targets Cedric's back hard in the middle of the match with stiff punt kicks, that honestly doesn't seem to play any important factor in the latter stages of the match, as he's still able to perform his signature offensive moves without feeling any pain, such as his springboard maneuvers. However, I can look past that and still praise this match for how great the overall action is, and for how great of performances both men put on for that Charlotte crowd. In the end, Cedric is able to hit two Neutralizers and the Lumbar Check on Murphy to retain his title in a thrilling match and do his hometown proud. Cedric deserved his flowers that night, but I also became really captivated by Murphy and his hard-hitting hyperathletic style, as he became my favorite 205 Live wrestler alongside Mustafa after the display that he put on in this match. In short, a great match that made me even more hooked to the product, and made me an even bigger fan of both wrestlers. (****1/4)"
[7.0] "This was fine. They did a few counters but nothing really blew me away. I don't mind when wrestlers are inconsistent in their selling but why work on it if you're going to not sell at all? Not as great as the rating here suggests in my opinion."
[10.0] "This was incredible, a fucking masterpiece between Murphy and Alexander here. Yes, masterpieces are possible in 205 Live and this match is the living proof of that. I didn't think it was possible to dethrone the No DQ between Ali and Murphy as the best match of 205 Live history but this match clearly takes the lead. I didn't expect such a great match at all, I found it absolutely perfect. It wasn't a sprint full of spots, it was very well worked and everything made sense. They put a sense of urgency and intensity into everything they did and it was so captivating to watch. All the spots ruled, and the dynamic of the match too with Murphy working Alexander's back well and Alexander selling it perfectly until the last second. They have tremendous chemistry and developed it to their limits here in an extremely long and quality match-up. Alexander did a great babyface performance, he sold very well as I said but he was also very popular as he was in his hometown so that added even more interest to be invest in him. Murphy did one of his best performances ever too, he did a smart job from start to finish and he's just an awesome performer. The last few minutes were really insane with all the nearfalls but the whole match is a must-see. This was so dell done, amazing stuff."
[8.0] "A fantastic fight between the two for the title at 205 Live, Buddy the nugget, a crack in the ring and in his crazy in-ring performance. The chemistry between the two is perfect, it clips well, it flutters as it should. Rating: **** 1/4"
[8.0] "Buddy Murphy hatte in diesem Jahr seinen Durchbruch und abgesehen von seinen Matches gegen Mustafa Ali war dieses für mich das beste bei 205 Live. Es war ein außerordentlich langes TV-Match mit einer guten Matchstruktur und vielen guten Spots. Das Finish selbst war leider etwas antiklimaktisch, aber alles davor war richtig stark. Es ist schade, dass sie es trotzdem nicht geschafft haben die zuschauenden Schlaftabletten mit ins Match zu ziehen, denn technisch hat es sicherlich zu den besten TV-Matches in diesem Jahr gehört. ****"
[8.0] "Very good overall. The back work was kinda of pointless because murphy almost forgot about it and cedric didn't even sell enough. Other than that, the action was very good. Felt like a bit a indy style at some points but still very fun to watch. They kept the crowd hot in the second half of the match which was a success."
[8.0] "7. 9/10 : Great match ! Definitely the best match of the post-CWC era. Sadly it got off to a boring start but it picked up big time once it did. Some very beautiful sequences took place as well as some top-notch selling. To me, it felt like they left some room for improvement, I don't know if it's for a rematch or maybe that is just me. Great match that will produce many highlight packages and will add more fire to the red-hot 205 Live hype-train."
[8.0] "Guter Show Off zwischen den Beiden. So kann ein Abtasten wirklich Spaß machen und die Psychospiele sehen bei Beiden gut aus. Der Aufbau und die Story um den Rücken werden ebenso gut umgesetzt. Die Dynamik der beiden ist eh oft unerreicht und kreiert hier so manche starke Sequenz, die wirklich impulsiv wirken. Buddy mit guter Dominanz und dem Gefühl, dass er ganz nah dran ist, ehe das gute Finish das Blatt wendet. Starkes Ding! (****¼)"
[8.0] "Ein mehr als würdiges Titelmatch auf der kleinen TV-Bühne. Das ist natürlich besonders im Schlussdrittel Spot-Wrestling aus dem oberen Regal, aber das Match wird auch präzise und schwungvoll dargebracht, so dass die Authentizität von Impact und Wirkung zwar nicht immer auf den Punkt, aber trotzdem solide definiert wirkt. Das Finish kommt zudem etwas aus heiterem Himmel, trotzdem ist das ein über allen Zweifel erhabenes gutes TV-Match mit angemessener Länge."
[9.0] "An awesome culmination of an almost half a year long build. This match was very great with both Buddy and Cedric bringing out the best of themselves to this big time match. Hell, I would even say it's arguably the best match in 205 live history so far. That said the crowd was probably the biggest negative; no they weren't dead, but they weren't as loud as I would've hoped. Put this match in front of a hot crowd, and many would be calling it a MOTY candidate. In a WWE ring though, I would say it's the best WWE match this year, ****1/2."
[7.0] "My opinion may differ from the rest. I liked the match, it was pretty good. The crowd was into the match, chanting and making noise for everything. Firmly behind Cedric with it being his home town. Buddy Murphy's performance in the match was fantastic I thought. Just the little things of making sure that the match flowed. For example, early in the match, Cedric was running towards the ropes and Buddy tried to grab him rather then wait for the spot. Loved those little details that Buddy adds. Also, loved his work on the back. He showed great urgency and intensity with his work, being very consistent with it. Great stuff from Buddy Murphy. Cedric, however, didn't do any for me. Cedric was a nice foil for Buddy Murphy but wasn't a huge fan of what he did in the match. Buddy Murphy targeted his back and Cedric didn't do a great job of selling it throughout the match, only selling it every so often. He didn't really limit his offence to accommodate the back, doing a tope con hilo in the match and not really showing any signs of the back damage. Kinda disappointing from Cedric. I liked the ending of the match though, that was were Cedric impress me a bit more. Don't have a problem with the result too much. Cedric is a bit bland but him winning in his own town is the correct choice for me. Hope Buddy Murphy gets another chance down the line. Good match but I did expect a little more. (***1/2)"
[9.0] "Fantastic match. Arguably the best 205 Live has produced. Great action and storytelling. Only real downside was the rather anticlimactic end that could've used an extra minute of build up. Other than that this was fanatstic and had the crowd into it ****1/4"
[10.0] "No doubt, That was a tremendous match and the best for Buddy. Cedrick and Murphy did a phenomenal job. Especially a very emotional ending. Like an NJPW style. 205 live is growing up in my eyes."
[7.0] "For most of it, this was a complete Buddy Murphy carryjob in my eyes. His targeting of Cedric's back was wonderful & his strikes actually looked good unlike those of his opponents. Shitty selling by Cedric & the awful thigh slapping "epic" strike sequences during the finishing stretch brought the match down a notch, but it was still a good one & a great showing from Buddy Murphy. What an absolute lovely revelation that man has been in his 205 run. ***"
[9.0] "Ein richtig starkes Brett was die beiden hier liefern. Ich verfolge nicht alles von 205 live, aber auf dieses Match hatte ich mich schon etwas gefreut. Schönes Storytelling um Cedrics Rücken, den Murphy erstmal übel bearbeitet. Dann Comeback von Cedric und ein harter Schlagabtausch mit guten Kontersequenzen, stiffen Hits und einigen großen Spots sowie Nearfalls. Das lässt sogar die sonst eher lahme 205 live Crowd nicht völlig kalt, auch weil die Charakterdarstellung der beiden stimmt. Insgesamt hätte ich sogar gern noch 2-3 Minuten mehr gesehen. Dieses Match braucht sich nicht hinter den starken Jr. -Matches aus Japan zu verstecken. ****1/2"
[9.0] "Ich hatte ein wenig Angst, dass es das Niveau von Ali/Gulak (Tournament Qualifier, der es aus irgendeinem Grund nicht ins Matchguide geschafft hat) und Ali/Murphy nicht erreichen würde, aber ich wurde eines Besseren belehrt! Eines der besten Cruiserweight/Jr. -Matches des Jahres. Der Aufbau zum Match war klasse, und die beiden haben im Ring einfach richtig gut zusammengepasst. Viele Spots, feines Wrestling, harte Shots - wann kommt das Rematch? (****1/2)"
[9.0] "Awesome match. WWE's cruiserweight wrestlers is amazing. Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy it was a nice match. movements, moments are all incredibly beautiful. Cedric is a very good highflyer. The two names very nice sold movement. The reactions they give in a moment like kickout are very good. ****"
