WWE Raw: Cedric Alexander has breakout potential on Monday nights

Cedric Alexander was announced as Raw’s sole acquisition from 205 Live in the Superstar Shakeup. The arrivals of AJ Styles, The Miz and others took up most of the attention but Alexander could very well be WWE Raw’s biggest steal.

At the beginning of 2018, 205 Live was a brand looking for stability and identity. Alexander’s Cruiserweight Championship win at WrestleMania 34 marked the starting point for accomplishing both.

Alexander’s commanding six month run with the title saw the likes of Drew Gulak, Hideo Itami and Buddy Murphy fall to “The Age of Alexander” in exceptional encounters. It wasn’t until October that Cedric’s 2018 win streak and Cruiserweight Title reign came to an end thanks to the aforementioned Buddy Murphy.

Months later, Alexander would find himself back in the Cruiserweight Championship tournament that he won at the previous year’s WrestleMania. Despite besting former champion Akira Tozawa and newcomer Oney Lorcan, he fell just short of earning another Cruiserweight title match for WrestleMania, losing to Tony Nese in the finals.

Alexander’s impending arrival on WWE Raw was announced via video package on night one of the Superstar Shakeup. The following night, he made his final appearance as a member of 205 Live in a losing effort to heated rival Oney Lorcan. The crowd—recognizing the former champ’s accomplishments in the Cruiserweight division—gave him a well-deserved “Thank you, Cedric” chant.

Fellow new arrival Cesaro was Alexander’s first test on Raw, with a mid-air uppercut putting the latter on the losing end. The decision to have Alexander lose his debut is definitely an intriguing one but not uncommon for former 205 Live heroes. A few months ago, Ali lost to Daniel Bryan in the former’s first SmackDown appearance and went on to have one of the best Royal Rumble match performances in addition to challenging for the WWE Championship at Fastlane. As long as the losses don’t pile up too early, Alexander is still on the right track.

Much like Ali, Alexander is a determined and athletic performer who is capable of fitting in just about anywhere. Money in the Bank is still three weeks away which leaves plenty of time for him to make it onto the card. As of now, Samoa Joe does not have a confirmed challenger for the United States Championship. All it takes is a few wins and Alexander can put himself right at the front of the line for a title shot.

The participants for both the men’s and women’s Money in the Bank ladder matches are set to be announced on the next Raw. Considering every man on Raw’s roster besides Seth Rollins or AJ Styles, the possibilities are just about endless as far as who can make the cut. In the event that Alexander is named one of Raw’s representatives in the match, it would be a great opportunity for him to make an impact on a larger platform as multi-man ladder matches are prime for highlight reel moments and star-marking performances.

Beyond Money in the Bank, Alexander can mix up with a Raw roster loaded with performers like Ricochet, AJ Styles, Rey Mysterio, Sami Zayn, and Seth Rollins. The chance of a few—let alone all—of those matches taking place can create plenty of excitement for his future on Raw.

Alexander shined as the face of 205 Live for an entire six months. His run in the Cruiserweight Classic—specifically his performance against Kota Ibushi—prompted an entire Full Sail crowd to rally for his employment. As long as his momentum trends in an upward direction, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be able to establish himself as one of Raw’s key players going forward.