If WWE fans are excited about what is going to happen with both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live now that the company has found success with Battleground and is moving toward SummerSlam, then they have to be equally excited about the Cruiserweight Classic tournament that has been a total success on the WWE Network.
The innovative concept, which has once again given all of us a chance to see some of the greatest talent from across the globe is just one more reason WWE is making this new “era” it continually talks about work in ways it should have been doing five years ago.
This is a dig at the McMahons or the creative team, rather it is a time to finally jump forward with talent, rather than going to the well once too often and not yielding water – which in the case is results.
The cruiserweights of professional wrestling are without a doubt the most enjoyable segment of any television program or pay-per-view because of the high risk, high rewards get from watching their favorites take chances. Nothing’s changed since the days of Chris Jericho and Jushin Thunder Liger in WCW.
This kind of tournament can generate that kind of excitement, but WWE has to be careful not to allow it to slip through its fingertips. In other words, don’t let a good thing get away. Here are five things that could go wrong if the company does not work hard to make the cruiserweight division one of the best parts of the new WWE machine.
Injuries
These wrestlers take the most risks to get the most pop from the fans. Of course, injuries are going to be the biggest part of success/failure for some of these performers. Fans can expect everything to be as exciting as a thrill a minute ride at their favorite amusement park but at some point, a major star will suffer a serious injury that will set them back and the division for a significant amount of time.
Bad booking
Timing and chemistry is everything. While someone like Neville might thrive in this kind of surrounding, how will his skill set mesh with others in the division? The biggest problem WWE faces on a nightly basis is booking stars to have continual success.
I am of the belief there should be booking committees to concentrate solely on the different divisions within the company. This is no different. If WWE wants to maximize the best talent and the full potential of its roster – especially something this new and exciting, then find a committee committed to making it the best it can be.
Stale match-ups
The same thing happens with the current roster. The lack of competition has led to a stale roster and a stale build of matches fans see all the time. How does a match between John Cena and Randy Orton not get old? WWE has to work hard to make sure the current roster doesn’t become complacent with common foes.
Since this is a new venture, seeing new talent will undoubtedly excite the masses, but once the roster has faced each other once or twice, there is no real value in having them square off anymore. Look for a steady influx of wrestlers to come in and become part of this segment of programming.
Lack of fan interest
I find this hard to believe, but at the same time, I thought fans would always love watching WWE no matter what was happening on screen. I was wrong, ten times over. Fans’ attention spans are short, forgetting what was great because they want more to become excited about. It’s new, it’s innovative and it’s the best thing to happen with the company since the creation of NXT.
That said, the creative team will have to work double-time to make sure fans are left with their jaws on the floor every night. Will there be factions? Will there be managers? Who will become a general manager of sorts? And would a pay-per-view event of its own create the same kind of buzz as the announcement of the competition in the first place?
Burying WWE talent for cruiserweights
This is the same thing that befell talent like Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes. They had talent and were exceptional when they were upstarts, but once talent started to move in from NXT and other promotions, they lost a step or two and fell down WWE’s ladder toward the top.
There are plenty of talented stars on the current roster who could qualify for this new division, but it remains to be seen if WWE will allow them to compete at this level. Will someone like Sin Cara or Kalisto move over, and will someone like Austin Aries get a chance to prove himself once he moves up from the NXT roster?
There are plenty of talented stars on the current roster who could qualify for this new division, but it remains to be seen if WWE will allow them to compete at this level. Will someone like Sin Cara or Kalisto move over, and will someone like Austin Aries get a chance to prove himself once he moves up from the NXT roster?
