WWE: Let Cruiserweights Go Back To Competing For Major Titles
By John Brown
The WWE Cruiserweight Division began with such high hopes from fans. The main issue with its staleness is the fact that its members seem satisfied with being simply cruiserweights when competitors their size have already been winning world championships.
In my favorite Facebook professional wrestling group, Kult of Kayfabe, a member posted a PhotoShopped picture of Rey Mysterio with the WWE Cruiserweight Championship over his shoulder. This picture made me immediately realize why the Cruiserweight Division has not gotten over with the fans: world champions have already been performing high-flying moves for years.
The Cruiserweight Division spawned from the Cruiserweight Classic that took place over the summer of 2016, In a WWE that seemed to not be relying upon the bodybuilder physique of champions past any longer, the Cruiserweight Classic was a welcomed treat for diehard fans growing weary of the same execution of the product.
Current Cruiserweight Division stars (that title being a bit of a stretch) such as T.J. Perkins, Jack Gallagher, The Brian Kendrick, and Cedric Alexander collided with well-known independent wrestler talents like Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Jr. among others to feature high-flying matches not typically featured on WWE programming.
Although these high-flying matches are not typically featured on WWE programming, high-flying superstars often are. Therein lies the main issues with the struggles of the WWE Cruiserweight Division: it’s members are competing amongst each other for the same belt, being shackled to the same weight class. Competitors their size have been winning world championships for years. With that being the case, how does it make sense to not look beyond the WWE Cruiserweight Title?
That question is a rhetorical one. Of course it does not make sense. The WWE Cruiserweight Title is still a title that should never be discounted. However, it should be seen as a stepping stone, as if saying “It’s time to graduated from this weight class. I’m ready to look beyond.” Neville’s run with the title never really made sense to me.
Although he was arguably doing the best work of his career promo-wise, dubbing himself the “King of the Cruiserweights” after already being an NXT Champion, a title sought by the likes of Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Kevin Owens, was the equivalent of saying “I’m settling for this division because it is difficult to compete elsewhere.”
That would be his character admitting to this. Maybe that is why he chose to leave the company? Interesting….
Neville once competed valiantly for titles beyond the Cruiserweight Division, but there are and have been those to utilize a Cruiserweight style who are competing and have competed for world championships. Shawn Michaels may be the patriarch of that pursuit, with Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins, and Daniel Bryan also serving as prime examples. Rey Mysterio is the prime example, as he is the face of the cruiserweight style of wrestling, and has won the World Heavyweight Championship (twice), WWE Championship, and Intercontinental Championship.
Would Rey Mysterio still compete for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship if he was still under WWE contract? Probably. Would he allow himself to be confined to the division? Hell no.
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with have a Cruiserweight Division in the WWE. It should be a division that spawns rivalries and ensures a great match whether or not a title may be on the line. The issue is the fact that the division is being portrayed as a sidebar to the rest of the programming, and its competitors are being confined to competition for one championship….and seem happy to do it.
Who would want to get behind that cause?