Can the Superstars of 205 Live Still Fit In on WWE Raw?

Once upon a time, the cruiserweight division was exclusive to WWE Raw. But changes to how 205 Live is booked and produced have resulted in few recent appearances on Monday nights. Is there still room on Raw for Cedric Alexander and crew?

After the success of the Cruiserweight Classic in the summer of 2016, fans were excited about a new cruiserweight division in the company. TJP had won the newly established Cruiserweight Championship, Cedric Alexander had captured the hearts of the WWE Universe, and The Brian Kendrick experienced a career renaissance. When WWE Raw became the exclusive home of the division following the brand split, it seemed things were looking up for the under-205 crowd.

It wasn’t too long before WWE decided to create a cruiserweight-centric program for the WWE Network. 205 Live was a place where the majority of the stories would be told, but the major stars would still get their chance on Raw. Personalities drove 205 Live, with the likes of Enzo Amore, Rich Swann, and Akira Tozawa leading the way. Their appearances on Raw would be highly entertaining, but any matches would be sort of blah.

When personal and legal troubles popped up for Enzo and Swann, the division was at a crossroads. Neville had left the company, likely not to come back, and he was the top cruiserweight for many months. Austin Aries, too, had stepped away for other opportunities. Many of the big personalities that carried the early incarnation of 205 Live were gone. Also gone: many of the appearances on Raw.

2018 has been a turning point for both 205 Live and the cruiserweight division as a whole. An authority figure was brought in — Drake Maverick, formerly known as Rockstar Spud in Impact. And the focus gradually shifted away from colorful personalities, and towards what many always felt should have been 205 Live’s main selling point: high energy, exciting wrestling.

With 205 Live better than ever, one would think the once “exclusive” home of the division would find some time to showcase the talent. But there’s only been a handful of times Raw has hosted the cruiserweights since Maverick took over. Less than two years ago the entire division was up for grabs in a cross-brand match at Survivor Series 2016; now, they don’t merit air time at all? What gives?

The most likely explanation is the simplest: no personalities, no Raw airtime. Despite being a wrestling show, Raw usually focuses on the “other stuff” — to the detriment of the new 205 Live. At first glance, it seems like the cruiserweights have “outgrown” Raw, stuck to only their own show. Of course, this is ridiculous — the superstars on 205 Live have personalities; they just aren’t the over-the-top caricatures that they were when Jack Gallagher turned into Mary Poppins.

But should the superstars of 205 Live still appear on Raw? While being contained in their own environment on the WWE Network makes sense, getting the additional exposure on a major primetime cable show would do wonders for many superstars. Back in the wacky character days, Drew Gulak won over large portions of the WWE Universe with his Powerpoint presentations. Even if those things aren’t the norm anymore, you can still give guys like Hideo Itami or Gran Metallik a shot on Monday nights.

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In the age of twenty minute show opening promos, it’s always a welcome surprise when WWE Raw kicks off with a match. Remember the gauntlet match that ate up the first two hours of the show a few months back? How awesome was that? Well, why not throw out a 205 Live showcase to kick off the show? Not every week, but once in a while. Whether it’s a Cedric Alexander title defense, or Mustafa Ali flying through the air, or Lucha House Party hyping the crowd, it would be a nice change of pace for the stale pattern of Raw.

Keeping the cruiserweights a semi-regular presence on Raw would also provide a reason to include them on pay per views. With all shows going co-branded now, time is short on the big events. By continuing to acknowledge the 205 Live crew as “Raw superstars,” there’s a better reason to find a spot for them on Backlash, or Extreme Rules, or what have you. While the Cruiserweight Championship will probably feature, everyone else deserves an opportunity, too. Furthering storylines on Raw helps.

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Do you think the cruiserweights should remain on WWE Raw? Sound off in the comments below!