Let’s face it, thus far the Cruiserweight Division on Monday Night Raw has fallen a long way short of expectations.
The Cruiserweight Classic was a universal hit this Summer and when it was announced that Raw would be bringing back the Title and having their own exclusive division, expectations were high.
But it has already become what many people had feared, a watered down version of the aforementioned Cruiserweight Classic and nothing more than a filler segment for Monday night’s 3-hour broadcast.
The crowds are silent for the majority of the matches and it’s no fault of the performers in the ring, they get the odd reaction to an athletically impressive move which is all well and good, but this doesn’t get people invested in their characters.
Those who watched the Cruiserweight Classic got to know every single participant’s personal story in sit-down interviews that were shown before each of their matches, from Rich Swann’s tough childhood to Brian Kendrick’s last chance, even to some of the more obscure names who were the first to start up wrestling promotions in their countries.
Everybody had a unique and compelling back story. However, we didn’t get this on Raw, they were introduced to the majority of fans by Mick Foley who simply read their names off a piece of paper, how can these new superstars be taken seriously if the General Manager can’t even remember their names?
This was the first in a long line of mistakes that WWE have committed since the Cruiserweights arrived on Raw, but it’s not too late for the division to succeed. Here are five ways that WWE can improve the Cruiserweight Division…
#1 A Brian Kendrick stable
This one is more of a specific idea that I’ve had rather than a general suggestion but I do believe that it could help improve the Cruiserweight Division.
Let’s be honest, Brian Kendrick is the only Cruiserweight having any sort of character and therefore, out of the current crop of talent currently being used, he holds the key to adding some much-needed drama and story development to the division.
You could argue that TJ Perkins has a character, but his “I was once homeless” story is already growing stale and as for the video game references in his promos, well, they’re just painful to watch.
But I digress, my idea is for Brian Kendrick to recruit Tony Nese and Drew Gulak and form a heel stable that looks to dominate the Cruiserweight Division on Raw.
It would make sense with Kendrick’s ‘desperate man’ character for him to hire some protection to hold on to his Championship and Nese and Gulak working with the WWE veteran would help their standing in the division.
Also, this would give the rest of the roster something to fight against and would, in turn, lead to some character development for everyone involved. This could only benefit them going forward. What do you think, would this work? Let us know in the comments below
#2 Get rid of the CWC traits
One of the main reasons, why the Cruiserweights haven’t found their place on Monday Night Raw yet is down to the presentation of it. Whenever there is a match from this division, WWE change the ropes, the lighting and the entire colour scheme to purple, which is the colour synonymous with the Cruiserweight Classic.
While it’s great to present this division as something different, I believe this goes too far.
Also read: WWE Rumours: WWE officials high on Tony Nese
Because of the obvious change in the presentation, when we get a Cruiserweight Division match, it feels more like a sideshow rather than an integral part of Raw. Presenting these matches in the same way they do all the other matches on the show would make them feel more legitimate while still feeling unique due to the personnel involved.
Another trait that has carried over from the Cruiserweight Classic is the pre-match handshake which just looks odd now due to it being too different to the other pre-match rituals on the show. Why would WWE have this tradition for Cruiserweight matches but not the other divisions? It doesn’t make sense.
Also, since the WWE audience are not used to seeing handshakes between opponents prior to a match, the ritual seems out of place and the desire to win doesn’t feel as intense. Handshakes are fine if done between friends or tag team partners, but not for rivals.
It makes it harder to buy into the competition between the opponents which brings me on to my next point…
#3 More Storylines/feuds
Besides the Cruiserweight Title picture, none of the other matches mean anything. We get random tag matches with the same 7 or 8 rotated wrestlers with no personal issues between the participants and nothing on the line for the winners.
The feud between TJ Perkins and Brian Kendrick has been good, but outside of that there has been nothing and the rest of the division do not seem overly concerned with going after the Championship.
Rich Swann defeated Brian Kendrick a few weeks back which surely gets him in the conversation for a title shot, but no, like the other matches in this division, the victory was meaningless.
Also read: WWE Rumours: WWE to tone down Cruiserweight division?
The heels, namely Tony Nese and Drew Gulak, should be looking to take shortcuts and get cheap victories to climb the ladder in the division, while the faces such as Swann and Cedric Alexander need to start showing a desire to win the Championship.
This in itself would create issues between the rivals and would in-turn, lead to feuds and give everyone a reason and a need to win their matches. Instead, everyone besides Perkins and Kendrick seem content with just being given the opportunity to showcase some of their high-flying moves.
.#4 Involve Neville
It is frankly baffling that Neville has yet to be involved in the Cruiserweight Division. When the announcement was made that the Cruiserweights were coming to Raw, Neville was one of the first names that came to mind when people thought of someone who could spearhead the division.
He is one of the best in the World in this weight class and would immediately add legitimacy and star power to the division.
He has managed to remain one of the more popular members of the Raw roster despite being away with a long-term injury and being used sparingly since his return. This in itself raises questions as to why WWE are not utilising Neville to validate the Cruiserweight division since they seemingly have nothing else for him to do.
Many had presumed that current WWE talents would be involved with the Cruiserweights, yet besides Sin Cara, the division has been made up exclusively of Cruiserweight Classic alumni.
Using Raw roster members that have already established themselves with the audience, particularly Neville, would improve the division immediately and it is beyond me as to why this has yet to happen.
#5 Interaction with the rest of the roster
Neville shouldn’t be the only established act that’s used to elevate the Cruiserweight Division, why do the Cruiserweights have to live in their own world away from the rest of Raw? Surely it would make sense for them to cross paths with other members of the roster once in a while.
Some of the CWC alumni could set their sights on the United States Championships or the Tag Team titles, they don’t have to be exclusive to the Cruiserweight division.
Someone like Cedric Alexander scoring a win over an established heavyweight would make him look like a legitimate competitor and get people to start taking the Cruiserweights more seriously.
It’s not too late for the Cruiserweight Division and it seems like most people are wanting them to succeed. However, without some significant changes happening soon, it will continue to be looked at as filler segments between the more important matches on Raw and that’s not fair to the amazing talent that WWE currently have at their disposal.
Do you think these ideas would help improve the division? Or do you have some ideas of your own? Join the discussion and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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