WWE 205 Live Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from December 26

Some people may have doubted Enzo Amore when he was moved to the cruiserweight division, but he has carved out a place for himself on 205 Live with his recent work.

Becoming a heel was a natural move for Muscles Marinara. He has an antagonistic personality due to his gimmick, and he is as good as anyone at making you want to see him get beaten up.

We have also seen Cedric Alexander move up the ladder in recent weeks, which many fans would say was long overdue.

The introduction of Hideo Itami is sure to shake things up, and making Tony Nese into a sympathetic figure following his exile from The Zo Train could be what he needs to get his career on the right track.

It still feels like the division is low on the list of WWE's priorities, but the Superstars in the division always try to make sure they leave fans wanting more.

Let's take a look at everything from this week's episode of 205 Live.

Hideo Itami vs. Jack Gallagher

Credit: WWE.com

Jack Gallagher and Hideo Itami had their first singles match in WWE.

The first match of the night featured Jack Gallagher trying to get some revenge for his best friend when he faced off against Itami. 

The newcomer dismantled The Brian Kendrick on Raw, so Gentleman Jack was all alone when he came to the ring. He acknowledged Itami's toughness in a pre-match promo, but he also vowed to teach him a lesson in cruelty.

He made the mistake of slapping Itami across the face after the bell. The Japanese Superstar unloaded with a series of vicious strikes to make the Brit rethink his strategy.

Gallagher was able to get in some brutal offense, but the crowd never seemed to care. He even had to shut down a "This is awful" chant by taunting the crowd.

As expected. Itami turned things around and won the match with a unique submission. This match could have been better, but it didn't deserve the kind of response it received. 

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• A backstage segment showed Alexander trying to get through to Drew Gulak. It looks like the master of the PowerPoint presentation gave Alexander's words some serious thought.
• Vic Joseph updated us saying Kendrick suffered a few fractures from Itami's GTS. While it sucks for him to be injured, this will allow Gallagher to stand on his own two feet as a heel.
• The crowd was quiet for most of the match, which is surprising after it was so vocal during the episode of SmackDown taped before this show. Maybe Itami having been a heel in NXT hurt his chances of being cheered on the main roster.
• Gallagher using Kendrick's Captain's Hook submission was a nice touch. 
• Itami may not be allowed to use the GTS anymore after he injured Kendrick. 

Tony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa

Credit: WWE.com

Tony Nese is rarely overpowered in the cruiserweight division.

The second match of the night saw Nese take on Akira Tozawa. The two had a confrontation backstage before the match, so both men were angry from the opening bell. 

Nese continued to play a villain, which is a little puzzling. WWE could have immediately turned him babyface after he was ousted from The Zo Train. His wrestling style would make him an exciting hero for the fans to get behind.

The Premier Athlete showed more aggression than usual in this match, which makes sense considering why he was kicked out of the group in the first place.

Nese needed a win to get some momentum, and he got one here when he finished off Tozawa with a running knee to the face.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights

• Nese gave a backstage interview before the match saying he wants to beat up everyone in The Zo Train, but he understands the appeal of Amore's star power. Tozawa mocked him, and Nese took him out with one punch to the face. 
• Is Tozawa still supposed to be part of Titus Worldwide? He never appears with the group anymore.
• Tozawa's suicide dive is a thing of beauty, but he is going to give himself a concussion one of these days if he keeps using his head like a missile. 

Ariya Daivari and Drew Gulak vs. Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali

Credit: WWE.com

Mustafa Ali and Ariya Daivari always seem to cross paths.

Amore may have been absent, but The Zo Train still took center stage in the main event when Ariya Daivari and Gulak teamed up to battle Alexander and Mustafa Ali.

All four of these competitors are talented in different ways, but this is another one of those 205 Live combinations we have seen before.

It feels like WWE is just defaulting to random tag matches between two babyfaces and two members of The Zo Train. The small roster has already led to a lot of repetition from week to week, and it will only get worse until more new blood is brought in. 

Alexander and Ali got the win to help Alexander continue building momentum leading into his title match next Monday, but Ali was the one who pinned Daivari with the 054 to get a pop from the Chicago crowd.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• It was nice to see Ali get such a positive response from his hometown fans. 
• Gulak costing his team the match by admonishing Daivari for using the ropes is getting old. 
• It's going to be so stupid if Nese goes back to The Zo Train after what happened to him. It was fine for The Singh Brothers to go back to Jinder Mahal, but Nese needs to turn babyface and use his high-flying skills to get ahead.