WWE 205 Live Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from January 31

The Cruiserweight Classic got the entire division off to a great start, but it has had a hard time keeping people's interest ever since.

The introduction of 205 Live was supposed to help the division get over. Unfortunately, asking fans to instantly care about a handful of talents they are unfamiliar with is a hard sell.

Having veterans like The Brian Kendrick and Tajiri give longtime fans a reason to care, and adding Neville helped legitimize the Cruiserweight Championship because WWE Universe had already invested in him.

The program is never lacking for good action, but it still feels like the C-show compared to Raw and SmackDown instead of a complement to them.

It's still early in the life of the cruiserweights in WWE, so hopefully the show continues to improve and finds a balance between new and familiar talents.

Tony Nese vs. Lince Dorado

It took WWE a few months, but the powers that be finally saw the light and decided to give Tony Nese the push he should have had from the beginning.

As one of the most muscular competitors in the division, Nese should be portrayed as a dominant powerhouse compared to his smaller opponents.

He can also fly through the air with the greatest of ease, so putting him in the ring with someone like Lince Dorado doesn't force him to change his game plan.

Nese and Dorado worked hard to put on a decent match, but the crowd didn't seem to care unless someone was going for a risky maneuver.

Nese continued building on his winning streak after taking out Dorado with a brutal running knee to the face. At this rate, he will earn himself a title shot in no time. 

He attacked Dorado after the bell with a German suplex into the corner. TJ Perkins drove him off with a Detonation Kick, but he was too late to save his friend.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights

• Speaking of lucha libre stars, Kalisto not being on 205 Live still feels like a huge mistake.
• It's sad how many people in the crowd could be seen looking at their phones during this match.
• Have we talked about how good Austin Aries and Corey Graves are on commentary? We probably have, but it's still worth mentioning again.
• WWE aired a video hyping Gran Metalik coming to 205 Live soon. He is an incredible talent who will make a great addition to the roster.

Akira Tozawa vs. Aaron Solo

Anyone who watched the CWC was likely excited for the 205 Live debut of Akira Tozawa. WWE has been hyping his arrival for weeks, so he had the benefit of having some hype before his first appearance on the show.

An enhancement talent named Aaron Solo was sacrificed to Tozawa for his first match, but Solo is someone fans may want to remember. He is set to appear on an upcoming episode of NXT, so WWE may be looking to sign him if he does well in both matches.

Tozawa picked up an easy win, and he looked good while doing it. He has a lot of different tools at his disposal, so he can adjust to any style his opponent throws at him.

This match was short and as predictable as it gets, but it was entertaining, and that's the most important thing.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• Losing a bet is the only acceptable excuse for Solo's haircut. 
• What was the point of Austin Aries joking about Tozawa's lack of English during his post-match interview? It came off as slightly racist, even though it wasn't the intention.
• Tozawa needs a translator/manager. It worked with The Great Khali and Ranjin Singh, so it could work for Tozawa. Funaki would be perfect for the role because WWE fans already love him.

Jack Gallagher and Cedric Alexander vs. Neville and Noam Dar

The commentators announced Rich Swann had suffered a foot injury at the top of the show, and we got to see him walking around on crutches backstage when he had a confrontation with Neville. The new cruiserweight champion shoved his injured rival for no reason before walking away.

Neville teamed up with Noam Dar to take on Cedric Alexander and Jack Gallagher in the main event. Gallagher was subbing for Swann, but considering his storyline with Ariya Daivari just ended, he was probably happy to have the chance to keep himself on TV.

The three Europeans wrestled a technical style, but as soon as Alexander was tagged into the match, the pace picked up significantly.

Neville ended up leaving Dar high and dry after the Scotsman failed to make a timely tag, which led to Gallagher and Alexander getting the victory. 

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• If Gallagher isn't careful, he is going to become more of a comedy character than he should be. And let's face it: William the umbrella is no Moppy the mop. 
• Just in case you are too young to know about Moppy, Perry Saturn had a gimmick in WCW where he got a concussion and fell in love with a mop. 
• Gallagher's head-butt is one of the best in the business.
• Alexander has potential beyond the Cruiserweight Championship. He should be fighting for the intercontinental or U.S. title once the division can afford to lose him.