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Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa Can Lead WWE Raw’s Cruiserweight Division

By Rob Wolkenbrod

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Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa are coming off a red-hot WWE Cruiserweight Classic match, and may have shown enough to be driving forces behind the upcoming cruiserweight division.

WWE Raw is set to introduce a cruiserweight division, as announced on a show before July’s draft. No date was given, though. Promos continue to air every Monday that highlights its impending arrival, however.

As seen in the clip, all Cruiserweight Classic competitors are shown. While WWE has yet to announce any official signings from the 32-man field, it’s obvious that we’re going to get a handful of names transitioning to Raw.

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Well, we’re at least one step closer to this with the first round of the CWC over. Two names that stood out from the opening bouts were Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, who took part in a singles match against each other. These NXT tag partners laid it all on the line to deliver exciting back and forth action in what was possibly the best contest of the first four weeks. It was a grueling, physical war that had Full Sail University on their feet.

These two impressed and received rave reactions on social media. Could they have done enough to be part of the WWE Raw cruiserweight division, though? How about potentially being at the forefront?

Johnny Wrestling even weighed in.

Not everyone watches WWE NXT, but the portion of fans who do know Gargano and Ciampa well. They have been seen at Full Sail University for the past year, originally debuting as “free agents” (which they technically were). A tag team was formed, and from defeating Tyler Breeze and Bull Dempsey, to putting on a very underrated match with American Alpha in October 2015, and defeating The Revival, these independent stars have become red-hot. While they are talented, no one could have thought they’d become this popular and successful.

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These accolades were passed onto the first round of the CWC, which turned into WWE making their match the main event of the original taping. A platform was given to show what Gargano and Ciampa can do in singles action, and they delivered without a hitch.

Gargano and Ciampa didn’t need a proving ground to show what they can do, but for fans not familiar with their singles styles, this was a great showcase. It showed the hard-hitting entertaining action that they can display. For a potential main roster crowd that may have no idea who they are, the excitement showed in this match could be a great sign for getting over with the 10,000-plus fans.

Kota Ibushi will probably be a name brought up to headline the WWE Raw cruiserweight division. While he’s extremely talented and is a dynamic performer, there is a potential language barrier. The Golden Star came into WWE not knowing how to speak English. While this may just be nit-picking, the company hasn’t handled Japanese talents well due to their perceived inability to connect. That excludes what’s being done with Asuka, Hideo Itami, and Shinsuke Nakamura in NXT. It’s unfortunate, but it may mean he doesn’t receive the push that someone like Johnny Gargano or Tommaso Ciampa receives.

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As for the former PWG competitors, what they did on August 3 is a preview of a potential match for the main roster. This could be seen on a three-hour Raw, or a brand-exclusive pay-per-view. They could steal the show and be mentioned in a potential Match of the Year candidate for WWE.

Gargano and Ciampa have also shown a solid ability on the microphone. While it’s not top-notch, their speaking skills are more than serviceable, mostly recently seen on August 3. Cruiserweights receiving mic time isn’t guaranteed, though. It depends on how much respect WWE treats them instead of “guys that just flip”. If this “New Era” is any indication, they should be fine.

Their NXT futures would have to be factored in as well. Gargano and Ciampa seem likely to face The Revival at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn for the tag titles. If the former duo wins, that probably places spots in the cruiserweight division on hold. If they lose, then we could see this team jump to Raw sooner than later. There wouldn’t be a lot left to do in NXT, especially with The Authors of Pain and TM-61 on the rise. More than three tag teams are needed, though, so Ciampa and Gargano could stick around until someone else is built up.

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There is plenty of potential for Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa to succeed on Raw. They can either be players or lead wrestlers in the cruiserweight division, with the potential to become stars.

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