5 Steps in Saving the Cruiserweight Division

Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Wrestling World,  I hope you are all well and good and as always have had an awesome week so far! Now, last week I was taking more noted on blog posts I wanted to write and dived into taking a deeper look into the topics I wanted to discuss here and the very first thing that popped up was the Cruiserweight division. It's revival two years ago the division has struggled greatly to live up to the expectations fans had following the Cruiserweight classic. With the talent all there the WWE have somehow managed to mess up something that could have been very special and a big big hit. Now, we are seeing signs of things improving for the division with the introduction of a new general manager but I have been sat here saying the exact same thing before. Promising signs have faded very quickly in the past and because of that, it's hard to remain optimistic. In today's blog post, however, I am going to be listing five steps in saving the Cruiserweight division. It's here I'm going to be diving deep into the booking decisions and changes the WWE needs and should be making in order to turn things around for what is a deserving, talented, and hardworking division. As always, any recent blog posts will be linked bellow including my most recent pay per view review! Finally, you can get involved and tell me what you believe the WWE should be doing in order to save the Cruiserweight division and even if it can be saved by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.

This post was pre-posted several weeks back 

General Manager 


The first point I wanted to make has actually already been done by the WWE and that is introducing a general manager. Now, when the Cruiserweight division was brought back to the WWE a general manager was never something I felt as though it needed or would benefit from. However, with the introduction of 205 LIVE and taking into consideration how poorly booked and used it has been, it has become evident that a GM is something the show and the division could benefit from if done correctly. There were a number of names fans decided would make for a good pick to take on the role from the likes of Corey Graves to Daniel Bryan but in the end, the right man (in my personal opinion) was appointed the role as Drake Maverick, otherwise known as RockStar Spud. A brilliant all-round performer Spud and his character work is on another level and he is quite simply the perfect man for the job. Sure to bring a lot of fun, character, and ability to shake up some storyline's Drake is exactly what the WWE needed to add to the Cruiserweight division and more importantly, 205 LIVE in order to give it that little something the show needed. The night Maverick made his WWE debut was the first night I had watched 205 Live in a very very long time. He makes me want to watch the show, he makes things a little more interesting and having a GM anyway gives the show more structure and the opportunity for more little twists and turns.

Moving to Smackdown LIVE


I'm going to be talking about quite a few different steps in order to save the cruiserweight division in today's blog post however, there is no point I am more passionate about than this one. Pretty much from the get-go, I have been saying that the best option for the Cruiserweights was moving them to Smackdown LIVE. It makes perfect sense. 205 Live airs every Tuesday after Smackdown, Daniel Bryan works with the divison more than the RAW GM, and there has always been a stronger position for these guys on the blue brand. Of course Monday night RAW is a three-hour show and so you would like to believe that there is more than enough time for the division to be showcased on a weekly basis but that hasn't been the case at all. We barely see these guys used on RAW and when they are the booking so weak no one even has an interest. Moving them to Smackdown LIVE does mean the blue brand is under more pressure to show all its brightest stars every week but what does do is have the effect NXT has always had where every week we're getting some different and in return every division is being used right,  having its time, and fans can actually find reason to have a genuine interest. This does also mean that some 205 LIVE stars could be working two matches or two segments a night but that only works in favor of the superstars and the division as a whole with more exposer. Plus it helps create an interest and allows storylines to come across far more effective. Say we have a segment between two Cruiserweights on the SDLive who clash on 205 later on in the night while another group of stars works actual matches for Smackdown.

As we have already touched on, Daniel Bryan is already mentioning and clearly has a stronger relationship with the 205 Stars and the cruiserweight division. They aren't being used correctly at all over on RAW and the change allows a fresh new start for the division as a whole and the worthy talent.

Star Quality


Whether the division eventually gets the move it needs to Smackdown LIVE or not one thing it is going to seriously benefit from is new additions. Now, there is no denying that the talent is there already. The likes of Drew Gulak, Cedric Alexander, Noam Darr and many more are extremely talented men that could lead the division and deliver matches we could all note as some of the best we have seen in a long time. However, it's been two years and we haven't really had anything. The WWE has failed to bring these characters to life, educate fans on who they are and give us all reason to tune in and get behind them. Looking ahead what we need is new faces that bring star quality. We've already touched on the fact that the arrival of Rockstar Spud has shaken things up early but what we need is in-ring talent to bring a spotlight on the division. The likes of recently signed Richocet along with other NXT stars including Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Fabian Aichner and Danny Burch to name just a few would give the division the depth, character, and interest it desperately needs. These are the big star names that will send the cruiserweight division to the level it needs and deserves to be at. Just imagine a twenty-five-minute contest between Cedric Alexander and Richocet! Now, if that doesn't get you excited I don't know what will!

We also have to look at past Cruiserweight stars that could make a return either to join as an active member, potential future GMs, or characters as part of the show and division to shake things up. Of course, Rey Mysterio is a big name to consider!

Make the Division apart of the roster


Excluding the cruiserweight division from the rest of the roster has been one of the biggest mistakes the WWE have made. They are completely on the outside with very very little interaction with the rest of the roster and it makes no sense and clearly hasn't worked nor benefited the stars or the division as a whole. This needs to change. The more these guys are featured the more their popularity is likely to increase which means fans are even more likely to tune into the 205 LIVE product because they have been given a reason to become invested in the stars. Again, you start booking matches like Brian Kendrick vs Seth Rollins or Cedric Alexander vs Samoa Joe, for example, you're going to leave fans wanting more of these stars. It doesn't take anything away from the cruiserweights as a division but simply highlights them as apart of the roster and giving them all a chance to work these killer matches that allow them to climb the ladder, increase fan interest and send the division right to the top!

Longer Matches and All round better Booking


And to top things off it's simple, book them better. Instead of a ten-minute slot in a three-hour show give these guys lengthy matches even if it's only a twenty-minute bout on RAW and then an hour of 205 Live on Tuesday. It's something and in those twenty odd minutes, they're getting the chance to sell themselves, the division and 205 LIVE. These guys dedicated an entire summer proving why they deserve a spotlight in the WWE and the classic was just that, a classic. They proved that give them the time and this is a group of men that can deliver wrestling magic. Don't leave them for the kick off show on pay per views, have them open a pay per view. Give them longer time slots on both RAW and pay per view. Make a little network special pitting the UK talent vs the Cruiserweights. The WWE have it all to make something interesting, something that can bring this division back to life and there are so many interesting factors. We have the UK and Cruiserweight division both being used fairly poorly and when used correctly we know from the tournament specials we have seen from these two sides that wrestling magic can happen and all of these guys could steal the show! Just take the Gargano vs Ciampa storyline from NXT as an example, if this was being shown on 205 Live I know I for sure would be tuning in ever week! This is a division the WWE is seriously wasting. The current tournament to determine a new Cruiserweight champion should be the start of something new for these guys. They've earned it and deserve it!

And there we go! Those are the five steps I believe could save the Cruiserweight division! As always, any recent blog posts will be linked bellow including my most recent pay per view review! Finally, you can get involved and tell me what you believe the WWE should be doing in order to save the Cruiserweight division and even if it can be saved by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.

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