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Back in 2016, WWE hosted the one and only Cruiserweight Classic, which is still to date one of the most popular WWE Network Exclusive events. The tournament brought together some of the world’s best cruiserweights, coming from all walks of life, nations, and promotions, making it a unique spectacle, and different from anything WWE had done before. The matches were all well received, with it becoming the talking point of WWE every week, with everything from in-ring action to the presentation being perfect. Eventually, this developed into WWE creating a brand-new cruiserweight division, but this would ultimately be a huge failure, with everything going downhill.
The Cruiserweight Classic Provided Some Of WWE’s Best Content In Years
It came as a big surprise when WWE put together the Cruiserweight Classic, especially with the company’s focus on mostly larger individuals, but it was certainly welcomed by fans who love a certain style of wrestling. The Cruiserweight Classic was a display of incredible wrestling, with each show seemingly topping the previous, with notable highlights including Kota Ibushi’s brilliant matches against Brian Kendrick and Cedric Alexander, and the emotional battle between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, as the Classic was full of phenomenal action.
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Other big names such as Zack Sabre Jr and Tajiri took part, whilst several others who would eventually get signed by WWE also competed, making up a strong field of performers. By the time the final rolled around, it became clear WWE was planning on pushing their very own cruiserweight division, likely down to the popularity of the tournament. The two favorites, ZSJ and Ibushi, crashed out in the semi-finals, due to the pair not getting signed. Instead, TJ Perkins and Gran Metalik advanced, with TJP winning the Cruiserweight Championship, which he would take to the main roster.
On paper, adding a cruiserweight division to Raw seemed like a great idea, especially in the aftermath of the brand split, as it would provide the red brand with its own unique flavor, having a focus on great wrestling for a portion of the show. The names signed by WWE indicated that the roster would have some good depth, with many looking forward to what was to come, especially since the Classic had been a roaring success. The resulting few months made it clear very quickly that the experiment wasn’t working.
WWE Raw Handled The Cruiserweight Division Terribly
Instead of allowing the cruiserweights to seamlessly fit in with Raw, the ring ropes and titantron colors were changed to purple, making them feel like a completely separate entity. Perhaps this was to make them feel special, but it had the opposite effect, making the division feel unimportant and lesser, especially since they were often resigned to just one match per show, which didn’t last very long. The quick sprints were full of big spots, but due to the time constraints, it was nearly impossible to create solid psychology whilst also convincing fans that these were the most exciting wrestlers on the roster.
RELATED: Johnny Gargano's 10 Best Matches, According To Cagematch.Net
The lack of time also resulted in a complete lack of storytelling, with feuds being by-the-book and cliché for the most part. Not long later, an hour each week was given to the cruiserweights on their very own show, 205 Live, but WWE gave fans no reason to tune in, with Raw only giving a handful of minutes for the superstars to convince fans to watch. It also didn’t help that early on, WWE swapped the title around quite quickly, with TJP dropping the belt after just 40 days or so, with the next champion, Kendrick, holding it for just 30. There was no consistency or long-term planning, and this was very clear.
Eventually, WWE’s Cruiserweight Division Came To An End In NXT 2.0
WWE quickly gave up on trying when it came to the cruiserweights, with this likely being down to a lack of interest from fans, although this was caused solely by WWE’s neglect in the first place. Even with the slight rise in interest over the years, with the likes of Neville and Enzo Amore as champions, there wasn’t a true focus at any point in time, with the latter's reign being a complete mess.
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Eventually, the division moved from the main roster to NXT in 2019, when the developmental brand moved to TV and expanded to be a 2-hour show. This seemed like a perfect move, but for whatever reason, the title was never treated like a true priority. Several matches were great, and the in-ring action on 205 Live was never in doubt, but it became one of the most forgotten and pointless shows in WWE, with it recently coming to an end, with the Cruiserweight Champions being unified with the NXT North American Championship, when it was won by Carmelo Hayes, putting a decisive full stop to the division for good.
