The State of the Cruiserweights

Since the reincarnation of the cruiserweight division following last year’s brand extension, the superstars weighing in at 205 lbs and under (excluding Finn Balor) have been exclusively wrestling under the cruiserweight banner. The ropes are purple and the nameplates are different. The cruiserweight division set itself apart on Raw with its unique branding that reminded fans of the Cruiserweight Classic.

Speaking of the Cruiserweight Classic, there could not have been a better reintroduction to the high octane action than what the 32-man tournament featured. All 32 men were presented as legitimate threats to win the whole thing and the superstars were given the time to craft an engaging match. Unfortunately the treatment of the cruiserweights would never be the same once the division became a part of Monday Night Raw.

It is not news that the cruiserweights have been shafted since September. For months many have criticized WWE for wasting segments on Raw with pointless cruiserweight matches that rarely reached the three minute mark. The two cruiserweight segments on Raw do nothing for the performers and fans are unable to connect with any of the wrestlers. Instead, they are just smaller competitors who come out and have a 2-minute sprint without any storyline or background.

The message? They are not worthy of the same promotion as their 206-lbs-and-up counterparts.

The cruiserweight division could have been an invigorating way to refresh the product. Raw could have featured the over-the-top entertainment provided by larger than life figures like Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and Triple H as well as the exhilarating action and work-rate the cruiseweights could have provided. Instead they have become a sideshow that the audience is uninterested in.

The damage was done and the division foundered. By the time the cruiserweights got their own show on the WWE Network the crowd already didn’t care. Every Tuesday night we are treated to roughly 40 minutes with 3 matches that are still too short (due to WWE’s nonstop advertising of the network…on the network) and a crowd that couldn’t care less. The WWE’s presentation of the cruiserweights was flawed the moment Mick Foley botched all of their names while introducing them to the audience. It hasn’t gotten any better since.

The Cruiserweight Classic’s best matches featured the likes of Kota Ibushi, Gran Metalik and Zack Sabre Jr. and yet they have not appeared on Raw nor 205 Live. While that is not the reason why the division hasn’t worked, it serves as a microcosm of what is wrong with the cruiserweights. We have been given a much smaller taste of the action than what we wanted.

It is unclear if the cruiserweights will ever be treated properly. It certainly doesn’t appear to be headed that way. Outside of Neville and Austin Aries, the WWE doesn’t seem to take any other cruiserweight seriously. Gentleman Jack had potential but without silly segments like the “gentleman’s duel” (I know people hated it but I loved it) he is just a pale man with an umbrella and a silly mustache. Cedric Alexander was the star of the CWC and yet WWE has not even featured him in any position of prominence outside of Alicia FOOOOOOOOXXXXXXX. And for the life of me I don’t understand why guys like Noam Dar and Drew Gulak get the little amount of ring time available over the Alexanders of the world.

The cruiseweights have been completely misused. The division has become the new bathroom break for viewers and those in attendance. At this rate, if the WWE doesn’t change their booking, 205 Live will be gone and the cruiserweights will be relegated to NXT…where they might be better off.