WWE Cruiserweight Classic 2016: The Savior of NXT?

Could the Cruiserweight Classic be the spark to set a new fire underneath NXT?

NXT is not like anything we’ve ever seen before under the umbrella of WWE. It’s gone from being the supposed developmental territory, akin to Ohio Valley Wrestling or Florida Championship Wrestling back in the day, to a fully fledged brand of its own that has built into probably the best weekly television that WWE produces.

But in recent months it’s felt a little bit like certain elements that made the show such a great watch in the past have gone. We still have the likes of Nakamura, Balor, Samoa Joe and Asuka who  are some of the best talents in the entire world of professional wrestling. Some of the underlying feuds have felt a little stale at times. With only Bayley as a seemingly serious contender to Asuka’s NXT Women’s Championship, and Balor and Nakamura the only men who could carry the NXT title held by Samoa Joe, it seems like the brand could do with a shot in the arm.

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Then along comes the Cruiserweight Classic, and all our dreams can be answered.

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32 of the best wrestlers on the planet are all part of the tournament that looks to find the greatest Cruiserweight (205lbs or less) in the world, but there can only be one winner. When you look past Zack Sabre, Jr., Kota Ibushi, Rich Swann (already signed to WWE) and Johnny Gargano (reportedly signed already), there’s a cast of characters who would be a surprise if they won the whole thing. But there’s still a whole lot of talent that could find a home in NXT.

When the dust settles on the CWC after the finals in September, it’s more than possible that a large number of the participants end up with some kind of developmental deal in WWE. Whether that is the opportunity to train at the Performance Centre, or to become a full-time member of the NXT roster, there’s plenty of opportunities to make an impact in the WWE as a whole.

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Men like Sabre Jr and Ibushi, who are a couple of the best professional wrestlers in the world, would instantly be able to slot into the upper echelons of the NXT card. Someone like Sabre, Jr. could bamboozle the current NXT Champion Samoa Joe, or contest a match of the year candidate match with someone like Shinsuke Nakamura.

There is also a host of wrestlers who could fill spots lower down the card. Men like Akira Tozawa, Noam Dar and Jack Gallagher could all hold their own on both NXT tv and live shows all around the country. Even the elder statesmen of the tournament, Tajiri and Brian Kendrick could have a role to play in the future of NXT. They don’t have to be full-time roster members, they could make their presence felt backstage and in the training rooms at the PC.

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For many men, the Cruiserweight Classic, and the pre-tournament training in Florida, could be the perfect audition for a big future in the world of NXT and WWE as a whole.  The field of 32 men will be whittled down to find one winner, but you can rest assured that more than one man will become a staple of the NXT roster in the months and years to come.