Opinion Piece by @McIverTheMark – It’s hard to argue against the statement that the Cruiserweight Classis tournament that aired last summer was the best thing about WWE in 2016. In a time where huge stars were being suspended left, right and center- PPV’s weren’t living up to the hype (See Wrestlemania 32) and fans were calling out for fresh new match ups; the CC revolutionised the way we as fans viewed that division.

When it was announced the entire division minus a few names were coming up to the main roster- the anticipation was incredible. Seriously; go back and watch Gargano vs Ciampa, Alexander vs Ibushi, TJP vs Gran Metalik- then you’ll understand why everyone was so excited. However- it’s almost a year later and the cruiserweight division…well let’s talk about it.

There are so many issues with the way that the cruiserweights are presented on main roster television. The purple ropes make sure that casual fans know that this isn’t normal programming; and that’s where the first issue comes in. Just make them a part of the normal show. Get rid of the purple ropes and dedicated segments throughout the night and just let them breathe and flourish under the Monday Night Raw logo and brand. Segregating them into their own little bit tells fans- at the very least subconsciously that if you miss this bit of the show, it won’t impact on the rest. While this is true, you shouldn’t be shouting about it.

Secondly- the match style. How many months did we have just 4 random cruiserweights flung together into one tag match that meant absolutely nothing? It became so grating that the hardcore fans that had been crying out for these guys for years just stopped caring and switched off. You need to give them stories that transcend the division and make people relate to them- not just that they’re the guys who do flips and are small.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are definitely bright spots. The first being Neville. Since joining the division and turning heel- he has become the best he has EVER been since joining the main roster over 2 years ago. His pompous arrogance, his ‘King of the Cruiserweights’ mantra and the way he can perfectly craft a story makes him a joy to watch. Likewise- Austin Aries and Jack Gallagher breathe life into a division that is stale everywhere else with their fantastic character and in ring work. Those three guys make me want to watch the Cruiserweight division grow. The matches these three guys have had- Neville vs Gallagher at Fastlane and Neville vs Austin Aries at Payback were both absolutely exceptional.

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Overall, there is definitely promise in the Cruiserweight Division. The company just needs to sort out what they want to do with them and run with it. Because they definitely deserve it.

ANNOUNCEMENT: I, @McIverTheMark, have just founded a new wrestling podcast with my friend and we are airing the first episode THIS SUNDAY, 14/05/17, at 6PM GMT. I would really appreciate any of you guys following us on Twitter, @TheFalseFinish_, and keeping up to date with our Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/false-finish. Thank you for reading and I hope to see you all on Twitter!