WWE NXT: Predicting the results of the 2020 Cruiserweight Title Tournament

An interim WWE NXT Cruiserweight champion will be named via a tournament that begins on April 15.

Due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, NXT Cruiserweight champion Jordan Devlin cannot defend his title as he is in the UK. WWE NXT General Manager William Regal announced last week on The Bump that a tournament would take place to name an interim champion.

We now know who will be competing to become the interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion. Group A consists of KUSHIDA, former 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick, Tony Nese and Jake Atlas.

Group B is made up of Isiah “Swerve” Scott, El Hijo del Fantasma, Akira Tozawa and “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher.

The groups are a nice mixture of Cruiserweight OGs, NXT talent and newcomers. Superstars like Nese, Tozawa and Gallagher have been around since the beginning with the Cruiserweight Classic. Not only is Maverick a former GM, he’s also a former 24/7 Champion.

KUSHIDA mostly appears on NXT, but has wrestled on 205 Live. Swerve has quickly become a fan favorite pulling double duty on both brands. Atlas and Fantasma are hot prospects, with the former having already debuted on NXT.

Of these groups, Nese and Tozawa have both held the NXT Cruiserweight championship, although before it was renamed. Poor Tozawa only held it a whopping five days, while Nese carried the title for 77 days.

The tournament will be in a round robin format. According to WWE. com, the rules are as follows:

-Eight Superstars will be split into two groups of four.

-Superstars will compete against each of the three other members of their group.

-The Superstar with the best record in each group will advance to the championship match.

-Any ties will be broken by head-to-head record.

-The winner of Group A will face the winner of Group B to determine the new Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion.

Back in February, Devlin won the NXT Cruiserweight Championship at Worlds Collide. What would happen with the title on an NXT UK wrestler? Devlin defended his title a few times stateside before hearing back across the pond. He’s barely defended it since being home. Still, the champ is not thrilled with this tournament. He says the winner will be a fraud and is prepared to face them as soon as he’s able.

Group A has a rookie, a Superstar who is more known for his leadership, an OG and a Japanese Superstar (literally). Each one has a compelling case for why they could be the victor for their bracket. Ultimately, KUSHIDA will prevail. He has been fantastic in his WWE stint thus far, but it’s time to push him to the next level. Moving on to the finals for his chance to become the interim NXT Cruiserweight champion is just the trick.

Group B differs slightly with a rookie, a hot up-and-comer (in WWE, Swerve already made a name for himself in the Indies) and two OGs. Fantasma has been linked to the recent kidnappings that have taken place in the NXT parking lot. Swerve would be an obvious choice to win his bracket because of his talent and since he lost to Devlin at Worlds Collide to become the NXT Cruiserweight champ. An OG wins here and it’ll be the Englishman, Gallagher.

For the last six months, 205 Live has focused a lot of the OGs versus the new faces. Starting with The Brian Kendrick’s tirade last year, the OGs have been demanding respect from the new guys. This storyline will carry over to the finale with KUSHIDA vs. Gallagher.

Although he was a beloved Superstar in Japan, KUSHIDA is still trying to find his footing in the US. Fans who were familiar with him love him and others are coming on board. He had a surprise dream match in WWE when he teamed with his former tag team partner Alex Shelley in the Dusty Classic.

Gallagher was absent from 205 Live for a while. He returned in February sporting a new look, new ink and a really bad attitude. He was already pretty angry when we last saw him, but his attitude is on another level right now. The former Gentleman still demands respect and is beating it out of his opponents. He’s never held gold in WWE. Gallagher seems to be on a collision course to claim the title he’s never held.

Gallagher vs. KUSHIDA will be a contrast in styles. The former is a mat-based technician while KUSHIDA is high-flying. While not as violent as his opponent, KUSHIDA isn’t afraid to be aggressive to get with the win. Gallagher is on a mission and will do what it takes to become the interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion and he will finally prevail.

This is an exciting way to announce an interim champion. The Cruiserweights have never competed in a tournament like this before. We will get brand new matchups that we haven’t seen in WWE. It’ll be a great way for them to showcase their skills and to make the most of a bad situation with Devlin stuck in Ireland.