WWE Cruiserweight Classic 2016 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction for July 20

For the second week in a row, WWE delivered an episode of the Cruiserweight Classic with four entertaining matches.

We got to see a familiar face when Tajiri competed against Damian Slater in the opening match, but there were two other guys with a lot more hype.

T.J. Perkins and Akira Tozawa are popular on the indy scene and in Japan, and they brought their A-games for their first-round matches.

Daniel Bryan continued to be a breath of fresh air at the commentary table alongside Mauro Ranallo, but they couldn't do their jobs without great action in the ring.

Let's take a look at what happened on this week's episode of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic.

Tajiri vs. Damian Slater

Australia's Slater took on the legendary, 45-year-old Tajiri in the opening bout. This was the first time we had seen anyone over 40 wrestle in the tournament, but nobody should ever underestimate The Japanese Buzzsaw.

Tajiri used his veteran experience to control the pace early on, but Slater kept him on his toes with a series of quick offensive maneuvers.

Neither man played the heel, so the crowd got behind Tajiri because he was the more recognizable of the two Superstars. But Slater got a few pops with some of his more exciting moves.

After a barrage of kicks, Tajiri picked up the win to secure his spot in the next round. This was a solid matchup to kick off the second week of first-round matches.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights

• Ranallo and Bryan acknowledged Bryan's new role as the general manager of SmackDown. Wasn't this taped before the big reveal on Raw?
• The ring announcer said this match had a 20-minute time limit. Did he mention time limits last week? Either way, it's cool to see that element return. It can add some extra suspense as the time runs low.
• Bryan's referencing William Regal when Slater hit a running knee makes me like him as an announcer even more than I already did.
• Was anyone else disappointed we didn't get to see any green mist?

Da Mack vs. T.J. Perkins

Perkins took on Da Mack in one of the most anticipated first-round matches of this tournament. Perkins has made a name for himself as one of the most exciting talents on the indy scene, and his skills were on full display in this bout.

The crowd got behind both men as they kept upping the ante with more intricate sequences and death-defying moves.

Perkins was the heavy favorite going into this match, so it came as no surprise to see him pick up the win. But the predictability did nothing to hurt how fun this contest was.

Perkins is someone to keep an eye on. He could easily be one of the final two Superstars fighting for the trophy.

Grade: A

Notes and Highlights

• Da Mack's entrance music is awesome. Disco is not dead.
• The handshake and hug after the match was a nice show of sportsmanship.
• This match should have taken place in Round 2. Da Mack deserved at least one victory in this tourney.

Mustafa Ali vs. Lince Dorado

Mustafa Ali and Lince Dorado wrestled another fast-paced match. Other than a few sloppy spots, both men looked good.

Dorado had the crowd's support from the moment both men entered the ring, but Ali won some people over with his own arsenal of high-flying offense.

It looked like both men were going to win several times, and the fans chanted "this is awesome" to show their appreciation.

When the dust settled, Dorado picked up the win with an impressive Shooting Star Press.

Grade: A-

Notes and Highlights

• Ali's outfit looks like something someone would design in a WWE video game for a custom Superstar.
• Dorado might have the best lucha mask I have ever seen.
• It wouldn't be surprising to see both of these guys signed to NXT deals at some point. They put on a great show.

Kenneth Johnson vs. Akira Tozawa

Akira Tozawa is another Superstar coming into this tournament with a lot of hype, but Kenneth Johnson made sure he wasn't overlooked.

They used a lot of chain wrestling and reversals early on to show off their technical skills, but it was just a matter of time before one of them took to the air.

This was another match where neither man played the heel, but it was obvious Tozawa had the lion's share of the support.

There were times when it looked like they were on two different rhythms. But for the most part, Tozawa and Johnson capped off the night with a good performance.

Tozawa took Johnson to Suplex City with two German suplexes to get the win.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• It's always funny to see Corey Graves standing in what is clearly an entire green-screen set with some poorly rendered graphics behind him.
• Bryan told an interesting story about Johnson's having to overcome a speech impediment in order to deliver promos.
• Tozawa is another person who could be offered a deal to help fill out the new cruiserweight division on Raw.

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.