WWE SummerSlam 2017: 10 Early Predictions
By Rob Furness
WWE.com
5. The King is Dethroned
All good things must come to an end. And this is where we are with Neville’s reign as Cruiserweight Champion. Since being reintroduced at the finale of the Cruiserweight Classic on September 14, no one has held the title longer than Neville. In fact, Neville has held the belt longer than tall 3 previous champions combined, by a pretty substantial margin.
Since his win over Rich Swann at Royal Rumble in January, Neville has elevated the prestige of the title and the division as a whole. He’s scored impressive victories over all who challenge him, including Austin Aries, Gentleman Jack Gallagher, Austin Aries, and the inaugural champion TJP. And for that reason, at SummerSlam, he will drop the belt.
Since establishing himself as the King of the Cruiserweights, Neville has transcended the division. He no longer needs the title belt to remain at the top of the division. I think of him as the Undertaker of the cruiserweight division.
However, WWE has to be creative in the way they book Neville’s loss. Having him lose evenly 1-on-1 would hurt his credibility. But a multi-man match, where Neville doesn’t take the pin would maintain his credibility and move the belt onto another competitor that could benefit from it.