During the kickoff of the Stomping Grounds pay-per-view in Tacoma, Washington, “the Philadelphia Stretcher” Drew Gulak fought in a triple threat match against Akira Tozawa and Cruiserweight Champion Tony Nesse, where his technical grapples won out over his opponents’ high flying acrobatics.
HE DID IT!!!! @DrewGulak defeats @TozawaAkira & @TonyNese to become your NEW #Cruiserweight Champion! #205Live #WWEStompingGrounds pic.twitter.com/tYBtgwZi4L
— WWE (@WWE) June 23, 2019
The 32-year-old Gulak debuted in the squared circle in 2005 and has been with the WWE since 2016. In 2010, while he was still making his way in the world of professional wrestling and studying at University, Gulak came to Israel on Birthright, and trained for a brief period of time with the Israeli Pro Wrestling Association (IPWA) in Netanya.
The training clearly left a mark, as the Gulak’s skills as a performer are top-rate. The Philadelphia Stretcher has become a highlight of the weekly episodes of the WWE’s 205 Live brand, where he now holds the top prize.
Gulak is expected to have his first high profile title defense on July 14 in Philadelphia during WWE’s annual Extreme Rules pay-per-view.