More New Blood For The Cruiserweight Division

[Jack-Hammer]

According to a report via PWInsider.com, WWE is looking to add a few more talents to the division soon. Allegedly, the company is looking to sign Rockstar Spud and immediately put him in the Cruiserweight Division. Spud recently left Impact Wrestling, where he's been the last 4 or 5 years, he had a couple of short X Division Championship runs about 2.5 years back and, from what I gather, has spent most of the past few years as more of a comedy guy. His last feud was against Swoggle, AKA Hornswoggle, so the guy's not exactly prime real estate.

The site also mentions that, even though there's no date for it to go down, Hideo Itami will be moving from NXT to the Cruiserweight Division. When Itami was signed to NXT in 2014, it was a pretty significant coup. Things were going well for Itami, there was a very good likelihood he was heading towards being NXT Champion, before a shoulder injury in the summer of 2015 that'd put him on the shelf for about 13 months. He made his return, was out doing his thing and suffered a neck injury in October 2016 and wasn't seen on NXT TV until April of this year.

While this is of some interest, I personally don't see a whole lot to be excited about. Spud is someone who will almost certainly never get out of the CW Division unless it's to wind up as some sort of comedy jobber or mascot due in no small part to his size, since he's about 5'3" and weighs around 130 lbs. As for Itami, I'm thinking that he'll be there also for much of the rest of his time in WWE. He'll turn 37 in March and at least half his time in NXT has been spent on the shelf injured, so my guess is that Vince doesn't have much confidence in him. On the other hand, Itami does have a good reputation as a tough guy and that could add something different to the division. If he debuts with some fan fair and hype, then MAYBE this could work out well; if not, then he'll ultimately just be another guy in the division with no real character to tout.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I don't care about Rockstar Spud. I also don't like Hideo Itami going over to 205 Live, although I understand why that may be the case. He hasn't exactly blossomed in NXT because of his injuries postponing his career and preventing him from actually taking off with a lot of momentum and showcase. 205 Live might be a better place for Hideo Itami since you never know if he'll get injured again and 205 Live wouldn't be as important as the main roster since there's no major investment in storylines. This wouldn't really tarnish Itami in the long run since there's no one in 205 Live with any major WWE credentials either. What sucks is that Hideo Itami will be a missed opportunity since he won't be battling guys like Samoa Joe or AJ Styles. KENTA really is a good wrestler and it just sucks what happened to him. He'll be able to show what he can do in 205 Live, but it's not something I'm particularly excited for due to the limitations. If he does win the Cruiserweight Championship, then what comes after that? If he doesn't, then it's easy to assume he'll just flounder until his release. While it's cool that the division is getting new additions, it just feels like such a confined place with no leeway for external opportunities. It's just limited to the same guys and no room for growth as competitors. It's not like WCW where Cruiserweights clashed against Heavyweights from time to time. This is how I felt about Austin Aries and Neville as well. I hope Itami can get his foot in the door this time and progress further than before, but unfortunately, I have my doubts.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

The problem with itami is that while he was a big deal when they signed him, he got injured twice while he was on the verge of getting a huge push on nxt. Then shinsuke nakamura got sign and pretty took all the thunder out of itami's sail. So now if they want to call him up the main roster, you got the choice between putting him in the cruiserweight division or become a jobber on one of the brand.

As for spud, he would fit well in the division since he's really good wrestler and his character work is great so he wouldn't have trouble with character development, like a lot of the other guys had when they first started

 

[Mr.Maikeru_Sawyer]

I admit that KENTA was awesome, but WWE has neutered him because of the restrictive move sets they are allowed. Hideo has been nothing special. outshined at almost every turn whether it be through injury or a new signing. He may work well at 205L but i've actually never watched it.

As for Spud he can act/talk circles around most of the cruiserweights. I don't really see him starting as a wrestler though. Going more of the TNA route where he debuts as a manager/mouthpiece for another wrestler with no ability to work the mic/can't speak English. I read on a comment thread here i think that mentioned that Kozawa is away from Titus now. so maybe put Spud with him/or with TJP cause of the TNA connection as the weasel manager/mouthpiece and occasional distraction/cannon fodder so his wrestler can get the upper hand on a larger wrestler.
I don't know though just spit-balling.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Itami going to the cruiserweight division could be a good idea. They already tried on NXT with him but he sadly got injured when about to receive a big push not once but twice. There's nothing left for him to do on NXT since I doubt they will try to push him there again. If he were to go to the cruiserweight division I could see him easily becoming a title contender. He may not get the title due to Enzo being there, but him being someone who should challenge for the title is a no brainer. As much as I dislike the cruiserweights being more or less "stuck" in that division.... Being in the cruiserweights would be better for Itami than being jobbed out all the time on Raw. He would get overshadowed by Shinsuke on Smackdown so Raw would be better. Heck, they could revisit his alliance with Finn Balor at some point. I'll be glad to see him get to the main roster either way. Spud I can't really comment on. I had mostly stopped watching TNA by the time he got there.

 

[ISkye]

Hideo had unlimited potential a few years back, but they really got him too late. He was kind of put on the back burner as Finn came in to NXT and then was plagued by injuries. Even before the injuries he was always the weakest link of "The NXT Five". Considering what Sami & Owens are doing now and even the short main roster stints of Pac (Neville) and especially Balor there just isn't a realistic chance in hell he'll overcome a single one of them. I'd be fine with them moving him to 205 Live if you could. At that point at least he'd be doing something and isn't just *there* in NXT for another couple years.

There are more than a few guys on the NXT roster who'd fit in pretty easily on 205 Live. I wouldn't see a point in snatching another outside talent (especially Rockstar) for 205 Live, but they probably have some motive for it. 205 Live is a really, really big double edged sword for the talent on it. I just hope my baby Tommy doesn't go on 205 Live, because I heard a few things about that months back

 

[ShinChan]

I can live with Hideo Itami going to Cruiserweight Division. It could work wonders like it did for Neville. Due to bunch of injuries, I can't see Hideo getting any relevance in any other division except Cruiserweight Division. The division does lack a wrestler who uses strong style and therefore could benefit from addition of Hideo.

Not sure what Spud adds to that division. The lite version of Enzo, I guess.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

Itami has been in NXT for 3 years so it would be a shame if they ended up released him and he never got a chance on the main roster. So I agree if they do bring him up then 205 would be a good fit for him. Their's other talent that could work with him and work a similar style. Even with the split roster it would be difficult for him to get get time to shine with his stature and having trouble doing promos and building a character.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Even though I didn't watch 205 Live last night, it's been reported that NXT star Hideo Itami will be part of the Cruiserweight Division soon. Apparently a "coming soon" graphic was aired for Hitami on the show last night so he'll probably make his way there in the next month or so.

Even though part of me wants to try to be optimistic about this, it's difficult to do when you consider that the Cruiserweight Division ultimately seems to be a dead end, a place for Vince McMahon to stick wrestlers that he otherwise feels he has no real use of. A few years back, Hitami was originally the biggest signing for NXT but his time there was marred by injuries to such an extent that he spent more time on the injured list than an active part of the roster. So yeah, I see Itami ultimately languishing here for a few years until his contract is up, in which case he returns to Japan, or he eventually asks for his release.

 

[#hamler]

Rockstar Spud isn't anything to write home about. He'll be better utilized on the main roster as a James Ellsworth replacement with a bit of actual talent. We already have a joke as a Cruiserweight Champion I don't see Spud exactly becoming anything other than the same.

As for Itami, I love him. I'm a sucker for stiffness and Hideo delivers some of the stiffest kicks in the business. I just wish he would be used on a grander scale like the main roster. Itami is better than the cruiserweight division. The only positive coming out of this is the eventual Hideo/Enzo face off with the potential for Hideo to kick Enzo's face off.

I see Itami ultimately languishing here for a few years until his contract is up, in which case he returns to Japan, or he eventually asks for his release.

I agree with this. With stories circulating about wrestlers making way more money for doing less on the independent scene, Itami is better off on his own . Whether it's in New Japan or on the US independent scene, he'll be treated way he was first treated when he signed to NXT a few years ago. There are a handful of wrestlers that should follow this route and unless the WWE can utilize Itami consistently, I wouldn't blame him (or any of then) for leaving.

 

[Vintage Punk]

It doesn't matter who goes to cruiserweights or 205 Live unless it was Daniel Bryan. The format and way it is presented on RAW sucks. The CWC was awesome because they let these guys go and have ample time to put on a great match and tell a story in the ring. They aren't doing that on RAW. Too many multi-person matches that end quickly and crowd can't get invested in it. They should have a tournament format on RAW (maybe even with rankings) and let these guys put on a match without watering it down.

And please for the love of God, get that belt off Enzo Annoying and get Cedric Alexander in the picture going against Itami. That's a money match right there!!