WWE: Top Superstars of the Week; Cruiserweights Rule After Chaos
By Bryan Heaton
Cedric Alexander & Mustafa Ali
Amazing. Breath taking. Magnifique.
All of these words can be applied to the 205 Live main event this week between Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali. Two of the most popular superstars on the roster are also two of the most talented. And babyface vs. babyface matches aren’t always the easiest thing to pull off with the audience enjoying themselves.
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But Alexander and Ali blew it out of the water this week. It’s fitting that they did, because in a way, their match was the unofficial new beginning of the Cruiserweight Division. After the events of the weekend surrounding the Enzo Amore scandal – beginning with allegations of sexual assault, proceeding to suspension, and eventual release – things were looking bleak for 205 Live.
Think about it: WWE had spent months building the entire show and division around Enzo, thanks to his charisma. The success of 205 Live was almost solely dependent on him. But with changes needing to be made, it was time for the superstars who had taken a backseat to Enzo’s gift of gab – namely, Alexander and Ali – to prove that they had exactly what it takes to carry the show on their backs for a while.
If you watch this match and don’t think that a sort of “rebirth” of the division with a new direction – focused more on the in-ring action that got these superstars on WWE’s radar in the first place – centered around Alexander and Ali, well, I don’t know what to tell you. This match great from a performance standpoint. But as a symbol of putting the past in the rear view and moving forward with this as a template, it was even better.
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