Take a look back at the best of the Cruiserweight Division’s 2018 with the first ever 205 Live in Review show! What moments do you remember and love best?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

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Welcome to the Best of 205 Live 2018!

The Cruiserweight Division found new life in 2018 when the then SmackDown General Manager helped appoint the first ever 205 Live General Manager, Drake Maverick! Maverick would then help the fastest brand in WWE down the path to a new Cruiserweight Champion at Wrestlemania 34! Superstars all had an even shot in the single elimination tournament, and the cream of the crop would rise to the top!

Cedric Alexander would go through Gran Metalik, TJP and Roderick Strong. Mustafa Ali would go through Jack Gallagher, Buddy Murphy and Drew Gulak. The Heart and Soul of 205 Live would collide in New Orleans. Neither man was going to back down, and were both prepared for a fight! And at the end of that stellar match, we would have the first Cruiserweight Champion of 2018, Cedric Alexander!

Cedric Alexander speaks.

“It may be cliche to say, but Wrestlemania was a dream come true for me.” But how else can that match be described? Alexander’s friends, family and daughter all got to see him win a title he chased for roughly two years. Whatever’s next for the Age of Alexander, he’ll always have New Orleans. But it also hurt to have lost that title. Alexander vows to be a two-time Cruiserweight Champion. Will 2019 have a second coming in the cards for the Soul of 205 Live?

Superstars share New Year’s Resolutions.

Hideo Itami vows to finally get respect or break more faces. Akira Tozawa vows of achieving his dream. He will work hard to become the new boss, and finally fire Drake Maverick. TJP wants to eat more lumpia, and even get Maverick fired, too. Noam Dar vows to mature, get a stable relationship with anyone, so long as it’s not Alicia Fox. Mr. & Mrs. Kanellis will use their power of love to ruin anyone’s lives who get in their way. Kisses! And Happy New Year.

205 Live takes a look at the Lucha House Party.

This trio of luchadores came together to take over with their tag team abilities! Kalisto uses speed and agility, Lince Dorado uses hybrid styles, and Gran Metalik accels at ropes and excitement. These three amigos look to take over, but what will 2019 hold for their fiesta?

The Age of Alexander collided with The Juggernaut.

Cedric Alexander had an undefeated streak in all of 2018 from the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament to winning the title at Wrestlemania to defeating challenger after challenger. But then after a blockbuster summer, Alexander came across the Best Kept Secret turned unstoppable behemoth. Buddy Murphy would be in his hometown at Super Show-Down, and vowed to break the Soul of 205 Live. Alexander refused to believe him, but when the two went 1v1, Melbourne would celebrate alongside their hometown hero as a new reign would begin!

Buddy Murphy speaks.

“I knew I was gonna win at Super Show-Down. It took place in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia, but I was gonna win anyway because I am the best Cruiserweight on 205 Live.” Alexander was on borrowed time, and Murphy has a message for everyone else: “I am this Division, I own this Division, and this title might as well retire with me because it’s not going anywhere.” Murphy dares anyone on 205 Live to step up and do something about it. Who will step up and challenge Murphy in 2019?

205 Live comes up with a list of Top Ten Moments!

10. Tony Nese powerbomb-ing Lio Rush out onto all his opponents in the Furious 5 Way.
9. Roderick Strong making a 205 Live debut against Hideo Itami and winning!
8. Mr. & Mrs. Kanellis making their own 205 Live debut to screw with Lucha House Party.
7. Cedric Alexander suplexing himself and Drew Gulak out to still suplex Gulak again!
6. Noam Dar’s surprising return and even more surprising and fast win over TJP.
5. Lio Rush’s 205 Live debut and his very fast win streak.
4. Akira Tozawa uses his Super Senton on the complex surfboard stack.
3. TJP stealing masks from each member of Lucha House Party in turn.
2. Drew Gulak & Jack Gallagher mercilessly kicking THE Brian Kendrick to the curb and making him tap out.
And best of all, Mustafa Ali’s SUPER 450 onto Hideo Itami in their extreme Falls Count Anywhere match!

Drew Gulak interrupts- er, speaks.

The Philly Fury disagrees. This is not a Best Of 2018, this is “Everything Wrong with the Cruiserewight Division.” But one man stands apart from all the high-flyers and show-offs. That man is him, Drew Gulak. “Who is Drew Gulak?” From a humble upbringing in Philadelphia, he is now the franchise player of 205 Live and is an inspiration to all with his fight for a more grounded Cruiserweight Division. Gulak is the most feared submission specialist in the world. Stunt men may get all the accolades, but Gulak quietly leads by example. 2019 will be his best year yet, so please join him in his pursuit for a #Better205Live.

Mustafa Ali has been the highlight of 205 Live.

The Heart of 205 Live, The Beacon of Light, and the most intense underdog of the Cruiserweight Division, Ali would defeat Tony Nese and Hideo Itami on the way to his second shot at the Cruiserweight Championship. It was at Survivor Series this year that the two major rivals would battle for title and pride. In the end, Buddy Murphy would again be unstoppable as he would retain. Mustafa Ali himself has since joined the ranks of SmackDown and is now on the “New” Daniel Bryan’s radar. Will Ali bring that heart from 205 Live to SmackDown Live and find gold in a new land?

Mustafa Ali speaks.

“I’ve given 205 Live my heart, and it’s given me everything back in return.” It took him to Wrestlemania, to Survivor Series, and now to SmackDown. Now he’ll be there, but that doesn’t change who he is. He will always be the Heart of 205 Live and always be watching. “Because you never know when the Heart of 205 Live will beat again.”

Drake Maverick previews 205 Live in 2019!

“WWE Universe, I would like to thank you for your continued support in what has been an incredible 2018 for the entire Cruiserweight Division here on 205 Live.” That momentum will continue to start 2019 with a bang. Buddy Murphy has already had a remarkable reign, and wants to be THE best Cruiserweight of all time. He demands competition, and Maverick will find it in time for the Royal Rumble. Maverick wants a big match for a big show. There will be three qualifying matches, and those winners challenge Murphy in a Fatal 4 Way! Kalisto VS Lio Rush, Akira Tozawa VS Drew Gulak and Cedric Alexander VS Hideo Itami will all happen in the first two weeks of 2019! Who will reach the end of the race to see if they can finally stop the unstoppable Juggernaut?

My Thoughts:

Since this is mostly a review show that uses old footage to fill for time, I clearly didn’t need to worry about doing brand new play by play for something we’ve already seen. And for those who didn’t know, the reason this was just a Best Of episode was because of that double booking of SmackDown on one night for Christmas. The Cruiserweight Division didn’t have to work on Christmas, which is fine by me, all these guys deserve a holiday at home.

The episode chose the right highlights for 205 Live for me. Wrestlemania’s Alexander VS Ali, Super Show-Down’s Alexander VS Murphy, Murphy VS Ali, were all great matches. The only problem is that 205 Live and the Cruiserweight Division hasn’t gotten the attention and ratings they all deserve. When Raw has struggled to deliver this year, and even when SmackDown had its summer slump, 205 Live was always consistent bringing the action. The Cruiserweight Division looks to be going through a transformation, as Lio Rush, Lucha House Party and even 205 Live GM Drake Maverick are on Raw in various roles, while Mustafa Ali is making the move to SmackDown.

I really hope WWE doesn’t cancel 205 Live because it’s the only place all these superstars get proper play. Personally I hope Ali can be the man to jailbreak the Division and the title so that we can see a Cruiserweight Champion Ali going up against any number of champions on the other brands. Of course, it sadly sounds like Ali’s move to SmackDown is full-time, WWE isn’t trying to figure out how Ali can be on both shows. That’s not really the “listening to fans” “fresh start” the McMahons spoke of but maybe they’re hoping fans won’t notice. But I’ll notice, as will the die-hard fans who watch on the Network or show up before/after SmackDown to watch live. I really hope WWE wasn’t just blowing smoke or fans will have a whole new reason to dislike and distrust Vince McMahon.