WWE: The Real Winners of the Cruiserweight Classic

As the CWC rolls along, its tournament format means that competitors will be eliminated one by one. However, many of those who lost have won over the crowd, which may be more important in the big picture.

The Cruiserweight Classic is as much a showcase as it is a tournament with a prize at the end. In presentation, the endgame to be won are the CWC medals. Behind the scenes, many fans presume the eventual winner will not only win a medal, but a WWE contract. Because of this, they’ve latched onto Kota Ibushi as the perennial favorite to win the whole thing. The mere thought of Ibushi competing in a WWE ring is a wonderous prospect to many wrestling fans.

However, over the past couple of weeks, the crowd has been introduced to and enamored with several of the competitors, many of them being seen for the first time in front of a worldwide audience. Although, some of these competitors have since been eliminated, they made a memorable impression on the fans. For some of these wrestlers, that in of itself, visibility, recognition, and getting their name out there, is more important than actually winning the tournament.

For some of these wrestlers, visibility, recognition, and getting their name out there, is more important than actually winning the tournament

Cedric Alexander had possibly the match of his storied career against Kota Ibushi in the opening week of the second round. As the match progressed, the crowd almost flipped in favor of Cedric who was putting it all on the line, over who they christened the favorite to win the CWC. Although Cedric would ultimately lose in the end, he may have in actuality become the biggest winner of the entire competition as he was serendaded with “Please Sign Cedric” chants in return for his hard work and long journey, which was met with a surprise appearance from CWC organizer Triple H. This moment has led many to believe that Cedric may have or is in the process of being signed to WWE.

Ho Ho Lun, billed as the father of pro-wrestling in his home country of China by starting its first promotion, got perhaps more than he bargained for by competing in the CWC. He was never pegged to win the tournament or to go very far at all, however, to Ho Ho Lun, that is more than likely besides the point. Ho Ho Lun’s appearance and entry in the CWC was to cast the spotlight on Chinese pro-wrestling, which is in its relative infancy. Win or lose, Ho Ho Lun accomplished what he set out to achieve and that was to get wrestling in his country some visibility worldwide.

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Jack Gallagher, who was recently eliminated on Wednesday night’s episode, won over the Full Sail crowd almost immediately with his quirky appearance and in-ring style. Jack’s inherent charm and mannerisms turned him into a fan favorite, despite not many knowing about him, much less picking him to win the CWC. Jack is also more than capable of cutting a promo, as evident in the introductory pre-tape material he recorded for the CWC. With a unique look, impressive in-ring ability, charisma, and good mic skills, Jack Gallagher may also possibly earn himself a WWE contract. With Raw looking to host its own Cruiserweight division in the near future, Jack would be a perfect fit for the company’s brand of entertainment.

Also eliminated on Wednesday night was the physically impressive and athletically gifted Tony Nese. Nese has the exact look, not a unique look like Gallagher, but the standard definitive look that WWE has historically looked for in all of their male talent. Raw’s upcoming Cruiserweight division would be greatly helped by having someone like Tony Nese on the roster. Physically and in-ring wise, he would be the perfect foil for Neville, but what he has over Neville is presence on the microphone. Nese, should WWE sign him, would be the perfect heel within the cruiserweight roster.

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There have been others over the course of CWC who, despite losing, took advantage of the platform they were given to work with and got their name out there. Alejandro Saez, Ariya Daivari, Clement Petiot, Fabian Aichner, the Bollywood Boys, Mustafa Ali (who competed on NXT recently), Raul Mendoza (who became a star during his first round match with Brian Kendrick), and Tyson Dux. In pro-wrestling, sometimes it’s not about definitive wins and losses, it’s about furthering your career and getting a chance to show an audience what you’re capable of.