WWE: Ranking The 5 Greatest Masterpieces Of Neville’s Career

Neville vs. Austin Aries – WrestleMania 33: 4.2.17

The WWE cruiserweight division got off to a rocky start once the Cruiserweight Classic ended. TJ Perkins was the first champion, and his reign left a lot to be desired, as did Brian Kendrick and Rich Swann. But it was Neville’s reign as champion that kicked off a better division for the “smaller” men on the WWE roster.

Neville’s time as the heel champion showed how far he could go as a heel character and he delivered in that role. In looking at his time as the cruiserweight champion, his feud with Austin Aires was easily the best that his reign had to offer.

If we fast forward a year into the future, we may see an interesting parallel between the careers of Neville and Aries. Before their time in the WWE, both Neville and Aries carried other promotions around the world. That’s why when they were paired together to feud over the title; many knew that they would deliver between the ropes.

Unfortunately, Neville and Aries were never given the placement that they should have received. But when given the chance to shine at WrestleMania 33, that’s exactly what they did.

Even though this match was on the preshow, Neville versus Aries was one of the better matches during the biggest WWE show of 2017. Go back to watch how they finally matched each other in both high flying and technical ground work; showing that both wrestlers have a diverse set of skills in the ring.

Neville took the title home that day and the feud continued, but nothing that they would do afterward would live up to their WrestleMania 33 bout. Even though it was curt from the DVD, fans should take a moment to go back and enjoy this exceptional match. You never know, there’s a chance we may see a rematch on the independent circuit.