For many years, the majority of WWE fans wanted to see the re-birth of the Crusierweight division to give us that high flying, lucha libre style action to give us some variety again, then earlier this year we got the Cruiserweight Classic.
The Cruiserweight Classic brought back many fond memories, and showed that there was still a place in the WWE Universe for that style of action. It was fast paced, high flying, daredevil stuff mixed with an excellent array of technical wrestling, that really captured the imagination of the fans. It lead to us all wanting more, and it was soon announced that during the brand split, the Cruiserweights would be exclusive to Raw.
With Raw being 3 hours long, compared to Smackdown, who had the original cruiserweights, only being 2 hours long, it made a lot of sense. However something happened that few were expecting to happen….the main roster, and all it’s glory killed off all momentum these guys had build up on the Crusierweight Classic, and it became a watered down affair, that has really struggled to keep the fans engaged.
Something I believe that hasn’t helped the guys appearing on Raw has been the lack of consistency with who is appearing on the show. Sure we’ve had the constants of former champion TJ Perkins and current champion Brian Kendrick, however the others seem to be on rotation, and with that happening, how are they meant to connect with the audience properly? Even more so when some of them are appearing on NXT and on Raw, that kind of consistency is a killer for even the most established guys, let alone those who are trying to make a name for themselves in the WWE.
Then the story flips again. WWE announce that the Cruiserweights would be getting their own show called the 205, which is to showcase the Cruiserweights. Brilliant right? What isn’t known is will this show be a separate entity, or will it just be highlights of what the 205 pounders and under have done the previous week?
Then we get the bombshell that at Survivor Series it’ll be Brian Kendrick vs Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Title, and if Kalisto wins it means the Cruiserweights will then be exclusive to Smackdown….but what about the 205 showcase show? What is going to fill the small slot they get on Raw, more filler to annoy the fans? Does SD have the capacity to fit the Cruiserweights in and keep things to the level they’re currently at?
I know logistically it makes sense for them to be with the blue brand with them “Taping” the 205 show on a Tuesday, however with all these unanswered questions, with all this inconsistency, with all the watering down of the product, will this current crop of Cruiserweight wrestlers ever get the solid foundation to attempt to match, or even better the offering from the last time we had these guys in full flow?
I guess time will tell, but at the moment it isn’t looking too good for them, I challenge WWE to prove me, and everyone who agrees with me wrong.
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