You Wanted It, You Got It! WWE Reviving the Cruiserweight Division

[Deexter Jorgan]

- There has been discussion within WWE lately about the company looking to see what cruiserweight or light heavyweight talents are out there and signing them to developmental deals.
It hasn’t been confirmed yet that WWE will be doing a full-fledged revival of the cruiserweight division but they are interested in bringing talents who fit that bill. The idea is that cruiserweights will give guys like Evan Bourne or Sin Cara someone to work with and would add a quality of wrestling to WWE’s undercard.
This goes back to Triple H and changes he is making as he slowly takes over day-to-day control of the company.
Source: PWInsider

With Triple H's promotion to head of talent within the company there is a feel that the Undercard is lacking so by providing the with a revival to the WWE cruiserweight division it will enable the undercard to promote quality matches and hopefully lead to more stars like Mysterio, Gurerro, Jericho who all made their mark as Cruiserweight stars elevating themselves to the midcard and even (for these three in particular) world titles.


Now I have voiced my opinion about dividing the cruiserweights from the rest of the roster I am curious to see if this will give guys like Evan Bourne something to work towards, guys who were sparingly used in the midcard who have alot to offer the company rather than just jobbing to the next big thing.


Now what I want to know from all that post within this thread is this:


Do you think that bringing back the cruiserweight title will elevate the undercard?

Does a divide in the division divide the talent ?


I will start, the fact is bringing back the title will help the undercard produce more quality matches but it will also segregate the talent, look at guys like daniel bryan, cm punk, sin cara guys who may be in danger if this division is set in motion, but there is a plus, alot of talent such as evan bourne will finally get a shot at becoming champion in the WWE and may even be able to elevate themselves within the division in hopes of gaining a spot on the uppermidcard.


whats your opinion?

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Wow, just....wow.


revamping the tags and the CW division, well holy shit.

Its not a bad idea considering WWE is by far the monoply in mainstream American wrestling, it would only make sense for them to have a little something of everything. They already posses the roster depth to do it, the absolute most important, pivotal thing I can stress is to allow the guys to work their style, and to open the booking up for them. Dean Malenko and Kidman should head up the booking and direction of this division, and let the guys get over how they are capable. Also, the emphasis must be on the title belt, angles need to be centered around it....Which is something the WWE has been VERY hit or miss on with the US and IC titles.

Sounds great in theory, but I dont have a whole lot of faith in how it will play out in reality.

 

[The Future Rises]

Do you think that bringing back the cruiserweight title will elevate the undercard?

Of course I do. Guys like Evan Bourne and Tyson Kidd are jobbing out right now and they need something to do. Being in a division with guys like them and a title made for their weight class and wrestling style is exactly what they need to get some TV time and put on great matches. If this is true I can't wait to see how this plays out.

Does a divide in the division divide the talent ?

Of course it does. Like I mentioned above guys like Tyson Kidd, Evan Bourne, and Justin Gabriel need some TV time and a good title to go after. Bringing back the Light Heavyweight Championship or the Cruiseweight Championship and putting all of the Lightweights in one show would be great. Maybe they can make WWE Superstars watchable again by making it a show for Cruiserweights. Where they can feud and have good matches. They can have both the Cruiserweight title and the Light Heavyweight title on it. That would be great in my opinion. Though it would never happen unfortunately.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Whoa whoa whoa, no need to keep them seperate, they need to all be on one brand, or have a unified, floating title (the latter, likely)


Also, you absolutely do NOT want them all dominating one shows programing, the entire point of the appeal is they will be something different from the rest of your program and card, not the same thing over and over. You would want a whole show of just super heavyweights, you dont want a whole show of tag matches, you damn sure dont want a whole show of CWs.

Should be a unified title, more focused on on Superstars and SD, but should have at least a small presence on every show.

 

[Deexter Jorgan]

Whoa whoa whoa, no need to keep them seperate, they need to all be on one brand, or have a unified, floating title (the latter, likely)

I think a floating title would work more to establish the cruisers, having them all on one brand will end up keeping the title brand exclusive, with those who dont watch smackdown or raw for that matter will then only be able to see it on PPV's with no build, by making the title an undisputed or flaoting title you will get to see a broader range of talent challenging for it which IMO is a plus for guys who are sparingly used.

Also, you absolutely do NOT want them all dominating one shows programing, the entire point of the appeal is they will be something different from the rest of your program and card, not the same thing over and over. You would want a whole show of just super heavyweights, you dont want a whole show of tag matches, you damn sure dont want a whole show of CWs.

Should be a unified title, more focused on on Superstars and SD, but should have at least a small presence on every show.

Agreed, most of these guys have yet to show their skills on the mic, they cant carry a single show or brand by themselves, in order to produce a broader range then need to be working with talent that can "work", guys like Punk, Morrison, Truth, Gabriel ( to some extent), established talent that can work within the division or even visit it giving the title holder and the challengers more meaning.

I just hope that the division does not define each talent, it needs to be a stepping stone rather than a glass ceiling.

 

[kidmetal24]

I would love to see this but I think it may almost be a set back for some. Guys like Evan Bourne, Tyson Kidd, and Heath Slater will benefit from a cruiserweight division but what about other light heavyweights like Kofi and Jomo. They are on the edge of main event status and I don't want to see them get lost in this division. Just think of which superstars will benefit. Justin Gabriel (future WWE champion of some kind in my opinion) who is the closest thing to WWE's version of AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan now has a place when he is not in the main event, and Sin Cara will I think get himself stuck here in this division. Basically I'm not sure if WWE can do this correctly. TNA has something special with their X Division and I see WWE doing a watered down version of this where I feel they need to go 100% and make wrestling edgy again.

As for the Tag Team Division. They need to watch the Uso's and really base their building around them. They are the most legit team the WWE has seen in years. They look like a team and work together as a team. WWE needs to quit just pairing guys up and calling them a tag team for a month (although I am impressed by Kofi and Evan pairing). I like seeing 2 person finishers and it makes the TT division look even better not just Otunga' spinebuster or Hennig's neckbreaker.

 

[Kizzani]

the CW title would be great if it was like the Divas match and you could get the show on both shows. But Del Rio already jumps shows.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I would love to see this but I think it may almost be a set back for some. .

Only in theory, if not booked properly. Is the lightweight belt in the UFC so much less valuable than the heavyweight title? No, of course not.

I know, different animals, but going towards a more realistic athletic contest form of booking is the only way to make a CW title seem like its NOT a real step down, more just another division. I remember back in 96, 97 the CW division was absolutely on fire in WCW, and while it obviously isnt on par with the heavyweight title, it was still seen as a damn big deal and the top rung of competition to guys that size.

If booked properly, it doesnt need to seem like a step down at all. Although the same can be said of the US and IC titles, and as we showcased earlier, isnt handled real well.

Could be done in theory, little faith of how it will likely be done in practice

 

[poppycock]

I would be all for this and very much look foward to see how the idea develops (if it does at all). Quite a few WWE Champions once held either the Light-Heavyweight or Cruiserweight Titles such as Jeff Hardy, Christian, Rey Misterio, Eddie Guererro and Chris Jericho (may have left some out). If the belt could be built up to mean something again then I don't see how it would hold anybody back. There is great potential on the current WWE roster to have a really entertaining division in this weight class and I hope it happens. Not everybody can win the main two belts nomatter how entertaining they may be and this would be a great substitute for those who I don't feel belong in the main event picture such as Kofi Kingston but also means they would stay relevant..all depending on if the Title is booked right of course.

 

[UFOcalling]

With TNA making their X-Division a 225lb and under division, I think this is a smart move on the part of WWE. This isn't for sure yet, right? It's just in the planning phase?

I don't think this is a dumb move, on the WWE's part...with the X-Division now essentially being a Cruiserweight Division, the competition between the two Divisions (TNA's X-Div and WWE's potential Cruiserweight Div) could make for some great matches for both Companies (TNA & WWE). If the WWE goes ahead with this, which show will the Cruiserweight Champion be showcased? Smackdown seems like the logical choice...also, will the Cruiserweight Champ be able to go between both shows (like the Tag & Diva Champs)? There are a lot of open-ended questions to answer....

A new WWE Cruiserweight Division could be good for some guys, but where will that leave guys like Rey Mysterio? Will he go back to being just a "Cruiserweight guy", or will he stay at the top of the card (competing for the WHC)? This also begs the question of what will happen to guys like Sin Cara & Evan Bourne...will they ever be able to rise to the top of the card (like Mysterio & Eddie Guerrero were allowed to?). This will have to be handled delicately, if it happens at all...but I think the WWE is up to the challenge. I'm looking forward to a new Cruiserweight Division in the WWE, complete with a shiny new Title Belt (if that is indeed what the WWE is planning). If the WWE does create a new Cruiserweight Division, I'm pretty sure I'd be a fan.

 

[Rockyfolifebo!!!]

Yo, I literally just said "Stop lying" when I read the headline! The cruiserweiht division has to be THE MOST exciting in wrestling history. You have your:
Heavyweights: the main attraction, the guys people pay to see
Mid Card: The Up and coming guys who are on the path to success
Cruiser: The thrill of the show, the guys that give you the OMG moments!

Hopefully with this, we see some great luchadores from Mexico, Japan, or any where else as long as they're bringing the fire and excitement of the high-flyers of the late 90's (Kidman, Juvi, Mysterio, etc)


#TOOOOO EXCITED!

 

[Agent J]

I feel this is the BEST move for the E as most of their better workers are smaller wrestlers. Give Daniel Bryan a run with the Light Heavy strap to give it some burn at first and let him put on some good matches someone like say Tyson Kidd. Money

 

[madrox]

Either Triple H actually wants to try and turn WWE from shitfest into legit wrestling company again, he figures people like Bourne or Sin Cara won't ever get midcard belts so this is their safest option or choice number 3, he wants something to compete with the X Division now TNA have had a very successful X Division ppv, an influx of talent brought in specifically for that division and the old 225 pound weight limit from WCW's cruiserweight division added to keep the fast paced matches between smaller wrestlers.

Option 3 seems the most likely to me.

 

[Agent J]

if these midcard time killers cant do anything with the ic or us title then why would they be able to do anything with a cw title

Instead of the stupid, pointless, storyline match you have at every pay per view, you could have an additional tittle match with good, talented wrestlers who would otherwise not be on the card because of their size.

 

[Maddog Lionheart]

I'm actually really looking forward to this. This will satisfy a lot of people inculding mid carders and the IWC. It's going to be a great addition simply because it's going to stop highlighting the WWE championship so much.

Lately, it's been like this: if you don't have or aren't in contention for the WWE championship, then you're nobody. Everyone focuses on solely the WWE Championship. Not even the World Heavyweight Championship has the same attention that it used to. But now that everything in the WWE is going to be revamped, I'm excepting people like Alex Riley, R Truth, Sin Cara, Dolph Ziggler, and others should be getting some major looks now.

 

[daddyJ_t]

i dont think it will seperate people like some think. lets take matt hardy for example. he was a solid mid card and couldve challenged for the ic title anytime. but he tryed to pick on the smaller cruiserweights and dropped the weight and took the cruiserweight strap. so no i dont think it will seperate people that way. now some people like slater will get pidgenholedinto the division. but what the hell, it may save him from future endeavorment down the road. now they also bring back alot of people that were released jus to fill the division. jimmy wang yang anybody? i heard hes tired of tnas shit already. it could be fun as long as hornswoggle doesnt win or defend his title EVER. afterall he was the last holder which inturn killed the division

 

[whoopin' ass]

why bother? any suprised that tna starts to push them and all of a sudden wwe wants to? anyone remember the last cruiserweight champ? and before you say wwe doesn't care about tna and what they do, don't kid yourself. they may not be a big risk to wwe but vince would be an idiot not to pay attention to them. remember how wwf's light-heavyweight got pushed more when wcw's cruiserweight division started to get noticed? having a title just to showcase the guys is a joke. you could have crusierweight matches now - vince doesn't want them. if you think a title is going to change things, why didn't it a few years back when they got rid of the crusierweight belt. tna is pushing their x-division guys much like wcw was pushing the crusierweights as a way to be different than the competition so wwe is going to jump on the bandwagon.

the only good part is that guys like mysterio won't be pushed as heavyweight champ anymore. no offence, but he is too small. punk is no giant at 6 foot 1 and 225 pounds but at least you can believe he could win. you can't put mysterio in against someone like hhh or sheamus and seriously believe he can win. and before anyone gets off onto the whole "it's sport entertainment" bit, you still need to believe in what you are seeing. would you believe a world war 2 movie if you saw someone in the background talking on a cell phone? you need some degree of realism and mysterio being heavyweight champ isn't.

 

[DJ Kyo]

This is very much awesome if it's true and they deliver.

I'm a little worried that they won't to be honest, but I am semi-excited for now.

I can't go by a month or two without mentioning that I wish the cruiserweight division would come back. As someone said, it IS the exciting part of the show and great for entertaining. They have some talent already that fits in, and they could easily bring more in as well!

*crosses fingers*

 

[VinnieSunshine]

If this is true you need to have the championship be defended on both RAW and Smackdown...et the champion go to both shows. It also should be something thats defended more on TV than PPV.

I do have to say...if this IS true, WWE needs to drop either the Intercontinental or US title. Neither of them are relevant at this point and adding another championship into the mix just clutters up the roster. You'll have too much going on and very little defending of titles...kinda like now.

 

[911 JP]

Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, Tyson Kidd, Primo, Hornswoggle (haha), Trent Baretta. Thats a fair list of talen (give or take) to make a reputable cruiser weight division. 90% of the list are jobbing or not even competing at this current time. It would turn a group of guys with nothing going for them / to do. They woulodnt need to sign much talent to make the division something, and if done right could be just what the card needs. Weekly shows could feature Cruiserweight rivalrys to fill time and give PPVs some extra spots and OMG moments, it will be what many fans pay to see, that is if they go about bringing the division back correctly, similar to what they are doing with the Tag Team division. I am all for it as the cruiserweight division was a great division, it was just too bad that I started becomking an avid wrestling viewer around the time the division was killed.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

im really happy to hear that wwe is bringing back the cruiserweight title! im wondering who there gonna bring in to fill out the divison more as it seems bourne and kofi wont be there for a month or 2 anyway sense there tag champs now but as long as hornswogle doesnt end up being the champ again this could work really well!

 

[PagingMr.ass]

I really hope this happens, I love the idea of bring back the cruiser title, forget the light heavy weight title, it never caught on and the division wasn't very defined. It only makes sense and its kind of ridiculous that its been gone for this long. The cruiser weight title is what kept wcw interesting and helped boost smack down with its brief run in the early days of the brand division. It also put TNA on the map some six or seven years ago with the x-division and has made a struggling program that is Impact start to regain momentum with its revival that has taken place in recent months. If WWE does decide to run with this, and they should, they might not have to look to far for talent. They already have Tyler Black, Hunico, Steamboat Jr., etc in their developmental program. Throw in Bourne, Sin Cara, Kid, etc and you have a pretty legit division already. Cruiser weight matches have the ability to steal the show night in and night out and replace boring segments with amazing in ring action. Whats more entertaining, watching mid carders like Swagger bitch into a microphone for five mintutes, or seeing high flyers do things nobody else can for ten to fifteen. However this could spell trouble for TNA, If they do this and it works (which it will!) they will probably start luring great cruiser weight talents from other companys whith higher paying contracts that tna has an abundent of, Shit Sabin&Shelly could help out both that division and the rumored revamped tag divison.

PS. Two currently unsigned guys that would help reboot this, Jack Evans and Amazing Red (just drop the name)

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Contrary to the topic's title it's not something I want, I mean if the WWE didn't do a good job before, even with some great cruiserweight talents, what makes you think they will do a good job now? But, then again, perhaps Triple H's influence might have something to do with this. I will keep an open mind but remain pessimistic

If WWE is serious about signing talents I would think they will resign Kaval to the WWE. He has worked for the company before and it seems like the actual wrestling talent in the WWE likes him.

 

[TheCrusher]

Let's try and gather our thoughts here. I was trying to figure out pretty much who is available for a lighter weight division. Current wrestlers they list at 225 or under. (Not going into developmental talent.)
Bourne
Bryan
Rhodes
Mysterio (shelved for time being)
Sin Cara
Ziggler
Morrison
Gabriel
Kofi
Primo
Kidd
Hawkins
Yoshi
Zack

That's at least most of them. Now, some you might want to keep out of there. Example, if you're using Ziggler, Rhodes, JoMo, Kofi and Rey as guys sniffing around the heavyweight titles/US title/IC title, then don't remind people how light they are.

Other guys like Santino and Baretta are technically too heavy, but fudge on it a bit. They might fit in the lighter division anyway. Change their weight on the website. One is listed at 227, one is 230. But both "feel" small enough.

 

[lee9715]

Who needs Cruiser Weight when Bryan is actually in the hunt for the WHC? He'll cash in the MITB case and win the WHC, eventually, the fans will demand it. Look, in the past month, they've tried to put more meaning on both the US Title and the ICC Title as well, and it's not been the best, but it's working, and it's a start. Now, they're pushing the tag division. This is good. It could lead to a new cruiser like division in the long run, but to think it's going to happen lightning fast, well, that's wishful thinking at best.