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Heading into 2018, 205 Live was the black sheep of the WWE family. The brand had, for the most part, failed to recapture the excitement of the Cruiserweight Classic and had not captured the audience's imagination in the way that the WWE had wanted.
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Then, something incredible happened and slowly but surely, the show began to deliver top quality matches week in, week out. Whether this was down to a change of creative or something else, 205 Live all of a sudden became a must-see show for fans and it has only gotten better as the year has progressed.
While the show may not be drawing the viewers that the WWE would like it to, anybody who has tuned into an episode in 2018 can see that something special is happening on Tuesday nights and the brand has delivered some legitimate match of the year contenders.
Don't believe me? Let's take a look at five 205 Live matches from the first six months of 2018 that might just change your mind.
5: Drew Gulak Vs Mustafa Ali- March 20
For those who worry that 205 Live lacks a variety of styles, then I invite you to go back and watch all of Drew Gulak's matches from the first half of 2018.
Since leaving Enzo Amore's side, Gulak has transformed himself into one of the most vicious heels in all of the WWE and his grounded and aggressive in-ring style often works as a great juxtaposition to the more high flying performers on the brand.
Like a lot of wrestlers on 205 Live this year, Gulak really began to grab everyone's attention with his impressive performances in the championship tournament that took place before WrestleMania.
While Gulak's quarter-final performance against Mark Andrews was excellent in its own right, it was his semi-final match with Mustafa Ali that really stood out.
Ali was being sold as the underdog throughout the tournament, and Gulak played the role of the bullying heel expertly. The two men had a thrilling encounter that went for around 15 minutes and told an excellent story in the ring.
Ali's eventual victory had the crowd standing on their feet as a sign of respect for what they had just witnessed and both men helped propel the brand to new heights here.
4: Number 1 Contenders Gauntlet- April 24
Gauntlet matches have been all the rage in the WWE this year, and 205 Live decided to join the party in April to crown a new number 1 contender for The Greatest Royal Rumble after Buddy Murphy was removed from the match.
If you are looking for a match that really showcases the range of excellent performers that are currently working in the company's cruiserweight division, then this is the one you should go to.
The match featured Mustafa Ali, Drew Gulak, TJP, Tony Neese and eventual winner, Kalisto. Opting to give the match the full hour run-time of the show, this was a thrilling encounter that was fast-paced from the opening bell to the last.
Starting out with Mustafa Ali and TJP, the two men put on a great high-spots brawl which saw Ali progress. Drew Gulak then entered the ring and that was when things really got interesting. Gulak eventually took down Ali as revenge for their match in the tournament earlier in the year and then quickly took care of his friend turned nemesis Tony Neese.
Gulak wouldn't have enough left in the tank to defeat a fresher Kalisto but this was still his night. He told an excellent story in the ring, as did everyone involved and he got brought out the best in all of his opponents.
This was one of the best episodes of 205 Live of all time and should be checked out straight away.
3: Cedric Alexander Vs Roderick Strong- March 13
What really sparked the 205 Live renaissances this year was the tournament held to crown a new champion after the release of Enzo Amore.
Much like the Cruiserweight Classic, this allowed the talent a chance to showcase their abilities in a tournament format and it did away with any sort of storylines for nearly two months.
The best match of that tournament came when Roderick Strong, who had been brought over from NXT to help fill up the numbers, took on eventual winner Cedric Alexander for a spot at WrestleMania.
Alexander was the hot favorite for the tournament and the crowd was really behind him, while Strong, who was still a face at the time, had been one of the tournament's stand-out performers.
The two men put on a thrilling bout, which saw both men give it their all before Alexander picked up the victory. This was one of the rare occasions where the crowd, who are normally tired after SmackDown was totally hooked and they showed their appreciation throughout the bout before finally topping it off with a 'you deserve it' chant for Alexander.
2: Buddy Murphy Vs Kalisto- April 3rd
Buddy Murphy has had an exceptional year in 205 Live since making his debut in the first round of the cruiserweight championship tournament and has perhaps been the brand's biggest break-out star so far this year.
This match took place on the 205 Live before WrestleMania and came a week after Buddy Murphy secured himself a future shot at the cruiserweight championship.
With Mania just days away, these two men thrilled the crowd in attendance putting on a match that started out slow but slowly built towards a crescendo of excellent spots leading to Murphy picking up the victory.
Murphy and Kalisto earned themselves a standing ovation after the match and this was one of the best matches of WrestleMania week.
1: Cedric Alexander Vs Buddy Murphy- May 29
This match was originally scheduled to take place at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia but it was sidelined and Alexander took on Kalisto at the event instead.
While it would have been nice to give Murphy a chance to show the wider WWE audience what he is capable of, putting the match on an episode of 205 Live allowed it more time and both men put on an incredible performance because of it.
Murphy has been the surprise star of 205 Live in 2018, and this was his best performance yet. Everything about this match was excellent. The build throughout the night gave it a big fight feel and the bout was expertly paced, whipping the crowd into a frenzy as it reached its closing stages.
These two men put on a spectacular show for 20 minutes and this may well be the greatest match in 205 Live history.
