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chatty
August 22nd, 2013, 1:55 PM
Now would be as good a time as any, they have shit loads of TV time to fill and a load of guys that could fit the bill in Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio, Brad Maddox, Hunico, Hawkins, Primo & Epico (or under whatever they are coming back as), Bounre, Kidd, Gabriel, Tatsu, Neville, Zayne, Graves - probably a fair few others who could get away with qualifying for that weight as well.

Plus if they are bringing in more indies then they will probably get more in. Also when TNA goes flat they could acquisition some of there top cruisers like AJ, Daniels, Aries, Kazarian, King etc to beef it up (some maybes before then).

There is a problem of too much gold but a IC/US unification could clear that up as both belts aren't needed, especially with the WHC taking a secondary role thesedays.

Smackdown would be the best place to have it with maybes the best guys making an appearance on Raw - we'd get amazing match ups consistently and it would help propel guys like Cara who seem to be struggling making their way in the main roster.

The Rogerer
August 22nd, 2013, 1:58 PM
It's an archaic division. Daniel Bryan is a cruiserweight. Dolph Ziggler was the world heavyweight champion who wasn't a heavyweight.

Cewsh
August 22nd, 2013, 1:59 PM
Absolutely not. Making crusiers wrestle crusiers doesn't ever seem to get over to WWE audiences, and its a waste of their talent to segregate them.

chatty
August 22nd, 2013, 2:04 PM
I liked it when it was there, did good work for guys like Helms, Noble, Tajiri, Spike, Taka etc - it would have to be handled better but I think it would be better for guys like Cara who just get destroyed of ADR every week. I mean the guys who are gonna be on top dont need to use it but I think it would be a fine addition for those who need a lower to midcard belt to push themselves. It couldn't be any worse than the US championship which is pretty pointless the way it is used.

Funboy
August 22nd, 2013, 2:05 PM
I would like them to create midcard feuds and tag feuds with their roster before worrying about introducing a new belt.

Cewsh
August 22nd, 2013, 2:07 PM
Yeah, the problem is that the Divas get no attention, and the tag teams get no attention, so why would a new division get any attention? All it would do is stifle anyone under 200 pounds from mixing in with the big guys and getting over.

chatty
August 22nd, 2013, 2:10 PM
The Tag Teams look like they are gonna get another crack at the whip, it seemed to be going well last time but a million injuries killed it. The Divas division aint been doing nothing because they never had any amount of decent women in for years and still don treally until some of the NXT lot come up and fill it out.

The Law
August 22nd, 2013, 3:40 PM
It would be a good idea if they handled it right. But they almost certainly wouldn't. When was the last time WWE had good non-heavyweight titles? They've always been bad with it. Other than the IC and Tag Titles in the 1980s secondary championships have always been pretty weak.

Atty
August 22nd, 2013, 3:42 PM
Err... What they need right now is fewer divisions, not more. Really, IC/US and WWE/World should be combined with more defined ranks for each.

Bennedy
August 22nd, 2013, 3:45 PM
The cruiserweight division was great back in the day, but there is no way it will fit in with what the WWE has going today.

Cewsh
August 22nd, 2013, 3:48 PM
And I think the crusierweights were mostly great because it gave them a way to get on tv. Most people have always preferred to see Rey Mysterio wrestle Randy Orton rather than The Hurricane.

Andy
August 22nd, 2013, 3:53 PM
It would be a good idea if they handled it right. But they almost certainly wouldn't. When was the last time WWE had good non-heavyweight titles? They've always been bad with it. Other than the IC and Tag Titles in the 1980s secondary championships have always been pretty weak.

Nah in the Attitude Era all the titles were huge. Even the Light Heavyweight Title got regular TV time and Dean Malenko defending it like a boss.

mth
August 22nd, 2013, 4:31 PM
No need for a cruiser division. Get the cruisers into the other divisions and mixed in with the rest of the roster, not segregated. If they're talented enough, they'll shine regardless of where you put them. I'd much rather see Daniel Bryan as WWE Champ than Cruiserweight Champ.

The Rogerer
August 22nd, 2013, 5:26 PM
Nah in the Attitude Era all the titles were huge. Even the Light Heavyweight Title got regular TV time and Dean Malenko defending it like a boss.i think that's selective memory. They had an abundance of talent in 2000-2001 but those people all rocketed up the card

chatty
August 22nd, 2013, 5:38 PM
i think that's selective memory. They had an abundance of talent in 2000-2001 but those people all rocketed up the card

They had a good tournament to get it going, Talka was getting a good push using the division, then they had guys like X-Pac, Malenko, Tajiri, Noble, Hurricane and Spike have good runs with it throughout. I thought it was a decent division when booked right, better than what the US title is booked like now, that belt is completely needless.

chatty
August 22nd, 2013, 5:43 PM
See you drop the US and bring this in and it would give someone like Cara or a stepping up Neville/Graves etc something to do and something good rather than jobbing. It would give Kidd/Gabriel yes a platform to push themselves as well, a platform they will never get when going up against even the mid-carders.

Guys like Bryan wouldn't even go in it, they are too high up the card, I only used Myseterio as an example because he's pretty much done and it would be a good name to get it re-started. Even at one match on each show it could be used well and the guys can still wrestle the bigger guys, nothing about having a cruiser title stops them from mixing with the rest.

I can understand people wanting to see the tag and IC division pushed first but I think both of them are well ont heir way to full recovery with lots of mid-card feuds going on and loads of tag teams getting pushed currently.

Just unify the main titles and scrap US and that will help push everything into place.

Cewsh
August 22nd, 2013, 5:48 PM
I'd love for all that to happen, but I find it tough to believe that current jobbers would be pushed better because a new division was formed to funnel them into. Somebody still has to job.

chatty
August 22nd, 2013, 5:50 PM
I'd love for all that to happen, but I find it tough to believe that current jobbers would be pushed better because a new division was formed to funnel them into. Somebody still has to job.

Sure, but at least if they are winning cruiser matches then losing in good matches with the bigger guys it can still make them look good.

I'm not saying its gonna happen or expect it, its just something I would personally like to see.

Simmo Fortyone
August 22nd, 2013, 6:03 PM
Could be something that just gets defended on Saturday Morning Slam, with the odd Main Event match.

G-Fresh
August 22nd, 2013, 6:04 PM
I wouldn't mind them starting the Cruiser division back up if it's gonna be aired on WWE Network.

milo
August 22nd, 2013, 6:07 PM
It was becoming a joke once they put the Title on Jacqueline and later on Hornswoggle....

Cewsh
August 22nd, 2013, 6:09 PM
Part of the problem with a crusier division is that things aren't like they were in the late 90s. Most of the eligible guys don't work a crusierweight style, and most of the roster has no idea how to wrestle luchadors, as has been proven with Sin Cara.

Version 6
August 22nd, 2013, 6:16 PM
No need for a Cruiser division.

Weight classes in wrestling are nonsense. It would be different if there were firm divisions like in other sports, but in wrestling where a guy who weights 190 pounds can fight for the World title, fighting for the Cruiserweight title just makes the other Cruisers look like shit really.

Too many belts as it is. Fuck the WHC off, have the US title be defended under TV Title rules and make that the workers belt. People romanticise WCW's cruiserweight division (and it was great at points) but some of the best run of TV matches in that era came from Ultimo Dragon and William Regal defending the TV Title every week.

G-Fresh
August 22nd, 2013, 6:32 PM
There is no need to mess with the US belt. Retire the IC belt since it's been tarnished and introduce a TV belt.

Zacharie
August 22nd, 2013, 6:40 PM
Nah man, just let the weights be mixed. Besides, there seems to be a lot more smaller guys these days than big boys. Plus there's always a Womens divison and Tag division that could use some work.

Hero!
August 22nd, 2013, 7:08 PM
I hate the cruiser division becaus it locks guys in and keeps them from doing other things. What if Evan Bourne wants to challenge for the IC or US title, but NO he's a cruiser? Juniors wrestling is not important in the states and having titles like that does no one any favors.

ive mentioned it before, but I'd love if they ditched the US belt and have Main Event a TV Title. Having a TV title would ensure a guy a spot on TV every week and give them some gold to make them look like a bigger threat when they're on RAWR/SMACKDOWN

Jarrod1983
August 22nd, 2013, 10:20 PM
Cruiserweights were dead as soon as Hornswaggle won that belt. I think that was Vince's way of saying "OK we are done with this. You won't see this belt again on my TV shows".

mth
August 23rd, 2013, 12:21 AM
Considering they retired the belt as soon as he got it, yeah, right on the mark there.

Kneeneighbor
August 23rd, 2013, 1:19 AM
Part of the problem with a crusier division is that things aren't like they were in the late 90s. Most of the eligible guys don't work a crusierweight style, and most of the roster has no idea how to wrestle luchadors, as has been proven with Sin Cara.

Devils advocate here:

Could you agrue that SIn Cara doesnt know how to work a non-cruiserweight style?

The Law
August 23rd, 2013, 2:14 AM
I think the World Heavyweight Championship should be eliminated because I dislike having two world heavyweight titles. It just defeats the purpose. A world championship is supposed to symbolize the best wrestler in the company, so having two doesn't make sense. I know they're not on equal footing, but they do refer to cumulative numbers of world championships.

If they dumped the WHC it would be a good idea to create a new midcard title. The IC Title would take the place of the WHC, the U.S. Title would stay where it is, and they could either create another lower card title, or some kind of specialty championship (cruiserweight title would be best, not a fan of the hardcore title).

Beer-Belly
August 23rd, 2013, 3:56 AM
There is no need to mess with the US belt. Retire the IC belt since it's been tarnished and introduce a TV belt.

Tarnished because of Chyna? The IC title is THE WWE mid-card belt. Getting rid of it would be some egregious shit. Retire the US title.

Hero!
August 23rd, 2013, 6:30 AM
They got rid of the IC title once before and the fans were pissed. Hell, I'm still upset that they retires the original tag and women's belts in favor of the new ones.

Jarrod1983
August 23rd, 2013, 11:00 AM
As tarnished as the Intercontinental title may be it still holds more clout than any other mid card title. We can thank Savage, Perfect, Hart & HBK, just to name a few for that. The US belt has a nice history but that would definatley be the one to go, not the IC title.

The Law
August 23rd, 2013, 1:17 PM
I don't understand why the midcard titles never get defended on TV. The best way to make them more prestigious is to have lots of matches for them, especially if the champion is retaining a lot and building himself up. That way when someone beats him, it seems like a real accomplishment. I only watch Raw, but it seems like Axel and Ambrose have barely defended their titles since winning them. I think with 10 hours of TV (or whatever it is) every week, they should be able to get a defense for each of those titles in almost every week. The roster has 60+ guys on it, so it's not like there's much risk of running out of potential challengers.

They've cut it out lately, but that period earlier this year where they were having the champions lose non-title matches almost every week drove me absolutely insane. Totally devalued the titles and made the champions seems worthless.

I think they need to do a better job of establishing unique identities for the titles-like, what do they really mean? What kinds of wrestlers generally challenge for them? The IC Title is definitely the #3 title in the company, but I would like it more if it was clear that it was a stepping stone to the World Heavyweight Championship. It would be totally reasonable for the IC Champion to be considered a top contender for the WHC. And the U.S. Title should be the championship that anyone can get a shot at. The champion has to be ready to defend it anytime, anywhere, against anyone. This means the champion has to be prepared to wrestle against a wide variety of styles and opponents. One week he's fighting a high flyer like Sin Cara or Justin Gabriel. The next week it's a big man like Khali.

This is also unrealistic, but I would really like it if they had clear and established divisions. As in, they should be able to show a graphic on the screen telling us who the top contenders for each title are. We can pretty much figure this out on our own, but it would really bring clarity and realism to the process. It would make matches between the contenders matter more because the winner would be one step closer to getting a title shot. And when guys from different divisions faced off, it would be clear who the favorite was going into the match, making it a bigger upset and surprise if the underdog won. I don't think a true ranking system is a good idea, but a clear idea of who the contenders for championships are would make them mean more.

Kdestiny
August 23rd, 2013, 1:18 PM
WWE is too busy trying to think of ways for Champions to lose in a non-title match so that the challenger can be built as a threat right away.

G-Fresh
August 23rd, 2013, 1:44 PM
Tarnished because of Chyna? The IC title is THE WWE mid-card belt. Getting rid of it would be some egregious shit. Retire the US title.

She is the main reason, but not the only one. It hasn't held any importance for 10+ years. It's almost never defended on PPV. The US belt has been the predominate of the mid-card titles.

Cewsh
August 23rd, 2013, 1:56 PM
Devils advocate here:

Could you agrue that SIn Cara doesnt know how to work a non-cruiserweight style?

Absolutely. However, what the crusierweight style was, was a mismash of American indy style, Japanese Jr. style and Lucha Libre. Sin Cara has experience with Lucha and Japanese Jr, but those are both kind of incompatible with the current WWE style. And in fairness to him, just about every dedicated crusierweight they introduced ran into the same problems. WWE's style doesn't lend itself to fast paced matches with tons of spots. It's a totally different philosophy that these newer guys have been brought up on. So naturally, Sin Cara and Jack Swagger aren't going to have the first idea of how to wrestle each other.

Tainted Eclipse
August 23rd, 2013, 2:03 PM
At the same time the entire point of Sin Cara is that he wrestles a "lucha" style. He SHOULDN'T be predominantly working something other than a very lucha-influenced high flying sort of thing. The thing is in lucha the ability to work as a "base" is something very important and valued -- the guy catching the high-flier, making sure he's in the right place at the right time, setting the high flier up so he can connect with his big moves, etc. is as important, or more, than the guy doing those big moves, and it's a skill that WWE wrestlers don't need to have, so they don't. The onus was really on the agents to make sure that the guys in the ring with Sin Cara know how to wrestle him. Maybe they were sort of lulled into a false sense of security by how well Rey pulled it off, but Rey had tons of experience in America already and is one of the best of all times, and well Sin Cara isn't. I'm sure he'd have a good match with Cesaro, who can work as a base as good as any great luchadore.

The Law
August 23rd, 2013, 2:07 PM
Someone should write a book about Cara's tenure in WWE. It's turned out to be an absolutely fascinating disaster. Nice combination of bad luck and self-inflicted wounds too.

And yet I still believe.

Cewsh
August 23rd, 2013, 2:25 PM
At the same time the entire point of Sin Cara is that he wrestles a "lucha" style. He SHOULDN'T be predominantly working something other than a very lucha-influenced high flying sort of thing. The thing is in lucha the ability to work as a "base" is something very important and valued -- the guy catching the high-flier, making sure he's in the right place at the right time, setting the high flier up so he can connect with his big moves, etc. is as important, or more, than the guy doing those big moves, and it's a skill that WWE wrestlers don't need to have, so they don't. The onus was really on the agents to make sure that the guys in the ring with Sin Cara know how to wrestle him. Maybe they were sort of lulled into a false sense of security by how well Rey pulled it off, but Rey had tons of experience in America already and is one of the best of all times, and well Sin Cara isn't. I'm sure he'd have a good match with Cesaro, who can work as a base as good as any great luchadore.

He's had a number of very good matches with Cesaro for that very reason.

Anyone Cara has wrestled who had the first idea of what they were supposed to do with him in the ring has gotten a good match. There's just a limited number of guys with that knowledge.

That's why it's frustrating to see people blaming Sin Cara for all kind of botches, when half the time he's getting fucked over.

El_Dandy
August 24th, 2013, 5:25 PM
Sin Cara actually is one of the greats of all time, Americans just don't know that he is. Just saying. It's just like a lot of the luchas WCW pissed on while pushing the NWO etc.

Kneeneighbor
August 24th, 2013, 5:59 PM
Someone should write a book about Cara's tenure in WWE. It's turned out to be an absolutely fascinating disaster. Nice combination of bad luck and self-inflicted wounds too.

And yet I still believe.

How many legit injuries has he had since his arrival?

Greed
August 24th, 2013, 6:13 PM
Should they? NO.

Should they if executed correctly and allowed the light weights to wrestle their natural style and showcase their abilities? Yes.

But it won't happen, and there is no pressing need to have a cruiser weight division. So no.

Hero!
August 24th, 2013, 7:32 PM
How many legit injuries has he had since his arrival?

I believe he's up to 4, if his recent injury RAW keeps him out at all.

Hunico really needs to take the mask from him.

mth
August 24th, 2013, 8:21 PM
Checking his wiki, the finger injury of Monday (which didn't take him out of action since he wrestled the next night) is his third. There's one Wellness violation that sidelined him otherwise.

VHS
August 24th, 2013, 8:39 PM
I believe he's up to 4, if his recent injury RAW keeps him out at all.

Hunico really needs to take the mask from him.

Hunico, I miss this guy. Any word on where he's been? :(

mth
August 24th, 2013, 8:41 PM
Injured but apparently he wrestled at WrestleMania Axxess back in April according to wikipedia. Some reports are saying he's one of the new matador guys.

McBain
August 24th, 2013, 9:13 PM
Really? Everywhere I've read says its Epico and Primo.

mth
August 24th, 2013, 9:19 PM
Our main page had a second article about them that said Huncio but I just checked and they're since revised it to Epico/Primo. But I also was talking to Deewun on FB and he'd said he'd read a few places it was Hunico. :dunno: Blame idiot journalists who can't keep the names straight, I guess.

Hero!
August 24th, 2013, 10:22 PM
Dee keeps saying Hunico because Hunico & Epico had a pretty great tag team down in FCW. Best we know, it's primo & Epico as Los matadors with the possibility if Mascarita Dorada, which really interests me, if they're reporting the name right as he's the midget version of Mascara Dorada. I have no clue which one is actually signed.

The Law
August 24th, 2013, 11:42 PM
So here are the factors that made WCW's Cruiserweight Division awesome, none of which WWE would be terribly likely to replicate:

1) They signed the absolute top talent in the world. Rey Mysterio, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Ultimo Dragon, Psicosis, Juvi, La Parka, Eddie Guerrero. The absolute best, and several guys who are genuine legends in wrestling. Mexican wrestling was super hot in the mid-1990s and produced a ton of talent, neither of which appears to be true today. I'm not even sure that there are the guys out there to sign, even if WWE wanted to try to replicate it.

2) They let them work their style. They didn't try to force any kind of "WCW Style" on them. They just let them go out there and have straight Lucha matches. And guys who were Japanese, or wrestled a Japanese style, could have Japanese-style matches. It was like the cruiser matches took place in a different universe from the rest of the show. Guys would hit moves like Powerbombs and Tombstones that would be finishers in any other match and would kick out. Crazy high spots, questionable psychology. Most of the time it worked, sometimes it flopped. But they let them do their thing. They even had a few three-on-three trios matches on pay-per-views, which included Mexican rules. Obviously, WWE does not let guys work a non-WWE style. Their policy is to make guys adjust themselves to the WWE method of wrestling. I don't really like it, but it is what it is.

3) Mike Tenay. Apparently he's horrible in TNA now. I have no idea, I don't watch TNA. But he was fantastic in WCW as part of the CW division. He did a great job of explaining the traditions of Mexican wrestling, telling us who the wrestlers were, what their backgrounds were, who their primary rivals were. I really think he played a big role in making the division work by explaining it to the general audience who wouldn't have been familiar with it. Cole did some of this in the Sin Cara/Sin Cara Negro Mask Match, but in general this is really not the announce style that WWE favors.

I loved the WCW Cruiserweight division and even thought the WWE division was better than most people give it credit for. But I just don't think there's a plausible scenario were WWE could make this go well. It's just not what they do.

TimeSplitter
August 24th, 2013, 11:56 PM
I agree with everything in the above statement.

The Cruiserweight division was what brought me into watching wrestling. I remember the Battle Royale at Slamboree 1998, where Malenko was banned from competing, and he wore a luchadore mask. Juvi and Malenko were the final two. Juvi nods, jumps over the top rope. Malenko takes the mask off. Huge pop. Jericho scared shitless. One of my favorite wrestling moments of all time.

Jarrod1983
August 25th, 2013, 1:28 AM
Yes The Law laid the law down on that. I have a bunch of old Nitros on DVD and the CWs were definatley a highlight of the show.

Yes Mike Tenay does S-U-C-K SUCK now. I think him carrying the whole broadcast is just not his thing. In WCW he had Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and/or Larry Zbyszko (depending on the hour) to help smooth everything over and play off of.

JRSlim21
August 25th, 2013, 9:01 AM
TNA needs some new blood in the announce booth. Tenay hasn't been a decent to credible announcer in my book for the majority of time the promotion has existed. But yes, he's a great 3rd man in the booth dropping facts about talent.

The Law is 100% on the above statement, but since i keep repping him on his WCW thread, I can't rep him for this.

9-to-5 Jobber
August 25th, 2013, 2:04 PM
At this point, I think most of the relevant opinions have been expressed, so I can add my useless comment about how WWE missed an opportunity for a great parody with Eddie (Guerrero) and the Cruiser(weight)s. It would have been perfect timing in 2003, 10 years after the original movie, which fits in with Vince's cultural relevancy calendar. But it would never be. Sigh...

[I only made this "joke" because, coincidentally, I just found pictures of my old band doing an Eddie and the Cruisers parody at some shitty music fest (in Dolph Ziggler's fake home of Hollywood, Fla.). I would have loved to have WWE's resources for that.]

Hero!
August 25th, 2013, 5:52 PM
I don't understand The Law's first point. WWE can't sign top talent without a cruisers division? Guys like Bryan, Cara, Kidd, Kaval, Pac, Bourne, Primo & Epico, Justin Gabriel, Zayn, etc, who are tailor-made for a cruisers division without there actually being one. WWE is very much moving away from being a "big man" company, especially with Triple H now in charge of talent relations. They'll hire whomever is best for the job, not who they "need" for a division.

not to mention all the other top-level Indy talent that WWE has snatched up in the last few years. Hero, Cesaro, Rollins, Ambrose, Harper, Graves...most of whom very much lack the "physique" for the old WWE. There is pretty much no one worth a damn on the indies that isn't working for WWE or TNA (or NJPW).

aside from Quackenbush. :(

chatty
February 11th, 2016, 3:07 PM
Bumping this due to talk of new Cruiser title/Tournament/Network Special series or whatever turns out to be planned.

Anyone differing their view on this?

The Law
February 11th, 2016, 3:16 PM
Reading my post back (it's really weird reading some you wrote years ago and realizing you don't really agree with it anymore) my first point has proven to be incorrect. They're definitely showing a willingness to go get small guys. The style thing is also less and less of an issue now that the indy style is taking over WWE.

It's not that they couldn't make it work, it's probably just that they wouldn't. Vince doesn't really like small guys, would bury them, lose interest, ect. I love the idea of a Junior Heavyweight division, but I don't think WWE would follow through on it.

Nash Diesel
February 11th, 2016, 3:18 PM
I think the WWE had a good CW division for awhile. When it was Jamie Noble, Tajiri, Kidman, London, Rey, Matt Hardy, Super Crazy, Juvi (I always forget he was in the WWE and was champion as well). It was pretty damn good. But the WWE isn't WCW, different mindset, different reasons for having a CW division in the first place. The WWE imho will probably never do something with the CW division that is on par with WCW, or even TNA with the X division (at least the first 7 years or so). A lot of people try to say it pigeonholes talent that they're look at as cruisers for life and that's just not true. It COULD work.

Eddie Brock
February 11th, 2016, 5:20 PM
Only if they drop the weight limit to 180 or so. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan would've been cruisers in the '90s. Their average wrestler is around 200 lbs these days so to be a cruiserweight you'd need to be smaller than that. If they were to bring any title back I'd like it to be the Hardcore one. Have the high flyers break out ladders and tables, jump the barricades, and use the entire ringside area as their environment.

The Law
February 11th, 2016, 6:12 PM
Yeah, seems like everyone on the roster is a cruiserweight now. Jericho was the Cruiserweight Champion in WCW, and he fucking towers over guys like Styles and Neville. He was always a little big as a cruiser and he's put on weight since then.

A genuine weight limit isn't worth much, but I'd say a guy the size of Rollins doesn't belong in the Cruserweight Division. Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, those guys are heavyweights. Cruisers are more like Neville, Styles, Balor, Sami Zayn.

Nash Diesel
February 11th, 2016, 6:30 PM
Well you probably wouldn't see a guy like Rollins go after the CW title anyway unless it was part of a storyline.

A weight limit would be good. I think WCW and WWE had it at like 215-220lbs. They easily have a deep enough roster to do it. And again, it's not like being a "cruiserweight" limits your future. Rey, Eddie, Benoit, Jericho, all former CW champions, all former World champions. Knowing WWE, they probably will try to go the X division route, where they won't sell it as "smaller guys" as opposed to a particular style. At least that's how I would go about it.

Sasori
February 11th, 2016, 7:07 PM
They got rid of the IC title once before and the fans were pissed. Hell, I'm still upset that they retires the original tag and women's belts in favor of the new ones.

I still hate the new Tag Titles.

Slutty McWhoreface
February 12th, 2016, 2:16 AM
Right now would be the ideal time to reinstate the Crusierseight title.that, or create some kind of X-division title.Give guys like Neville and a handful of the NXT guys something to do.Aries; Neville; Styles; Kalisto; Zayn; Joe; Balor...and that's not even scratching the surface.fuck it-- bring in Daniels and re-do Styles/Joe/Daniels.

Slutty McWhoreface
February 12th, 2016, 4:59 AM
I'm not sure if anyone has picked up on this yet...

WWE is working on a cruiserweights-only show for the company’s streaming network-- featuring talent weighing 205 pounds or less-- according to a report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Initially reported last week, the concept for the show is supposed to be a finite –- but multi-week tournament, involving independent talent and unknown wrestlers; possibly with some NXT stars thrown in.

This week, Dave Meltzer is reporting that information regarding the show has been sent to WWE’s production staff-- indicating that the project is likely being green-lighted.


WWE’s close relationship with EVOLVE also strongly suggests that the independent company will donate some talent to the program –- prospects could include Zack Sabre; TJ Perkins; “Speedball” Mike Bailey; Caleb Konley; and Anthony Nese.

Additionally, EVOLVE Tag Team Champion and NXT regular Johnny Gargano would also make an ideal cast member.

This would make it even better than I originally envisioned.

Personally, I find this to be rather exciting.

Hero!
February 12th, 2016, 9:28 AM
If they do a BOSJ-style tournament, i'd use this roster:


WWE/NXT guys:
- Rich Swann
- Austin Aries
- Sami Zayn
- Neville
- Kalisto
- Chad Gable
- Enzo Amore
- La Sombra

Evolve guys:
- Fire Ant
- Silver Ant
- Johnny Gargano
- Zack Sabre Jr


Other indie guys:
- Shynron
- Marty Scurll
- El Ligero
- Chuck Taylor

I think that's a solid crew. Good mix of mat workers, flyers, and colorful characters. Have either La Sombra or Rich Swinn win it as a nice debut.

Sasori
February 12th, 2016, 5:53 PM
If they're going to bring back cruiserweights, having it be a separate show on the Network is the best route to go.

Atty
February 12th, 2016, 5:55 PM
Having cruiser division right now is slightly stupider than cutting your own balls off with a grapefruit knife.

Badger
February 12th, 2016, 6:13 PM
Instead of trying to pigeon-hole the roster, they should be trying to mix things up as much as possible. Plus there's no need for yet another title.

JP
February 12th, 2016, 7:05 PM
Wouldn't this be the worst time possible to create a new Cruiserweight Division? We're now at the point that smaller guys aren't considered less able or unbelievable as WWE Champion, by highlighting size they're more likely to bugger that up.

DDT
February 12th, 2016, 10:09 PM
I still hate the new Tag Titles.


I hate the penny-belts, too.


WWE has too many titles already; just have a the crusierweights go after the US title, and it will become an unofficial cruiserweight title. Problem solved.

Beer-Belly
February 12th, 2016, 10:47 PM
They really should have made the weekly United States title open challenge a permanent thing.

Atty
February 12th, 2016, 10:49 PM
It would be so ace with Kalisto right now. Every week he somehow beats someone else in a completely improbable run. It would get him over like mad and then get whomever beats him over.

Bill Casey
February 12th, 2016, 10:51 PM
Devils advocate here:

Could you agrue that SIn Cara doesnt know how to work a non-cruiserweight style?

Did you see him when he was Hunico?

Bill Casey
February 12th, 2016, 10:55 PM
You know, they could just periodically have two guys who are cruiserweights feud with eachother...

Other than the great face/heel divide, there's nothing stopping Neville and Kalisto from feuding over the US Title...
If anything, they should have more respect feuds and face vs. face matches...

Atty
February 12th, 2016, 10:58 PM
NEVILLE/KALISTO AT MANIA PLEASE.

Thank you.

Bill Casey
February 12th, 2016, 11:11 PM
NEVILLE/KALISTO AT MANIA PLEASE.

Thank you.

Neville/Kalisto has all the makings of a solid show opener...

Karla Pilkington
February 12th, 2016, 11:35 PM
We will definitely have Kalisto/Neville at Mania.

Except it will also include people like Ziggler and The Miz and Owens and other random midcarders who have nothing going in a ladder match spot fest.

It would be fun, but a singles match with just Kalisto and Neville could steal the show.

Beer-Belly
February 13th, 2016, 12:34 AM
If they're going to add a title, it should be a WWE Network title that's defended exclusively on the Network. I've suggested this roughly 87,954 times in the past, but it's still a great idea. If they don't want to spend the money on a new belt then they can just make a medal or something. I'm surprised they haven't already done this considering they should be looking for ways to increase subscriptions.

The_Mike
February 13th, 2016, 12:52 AM
A network title is a good idea, and they could possible stir a bit more interest in RAW or Smackdown by advertising in advance that it will be defended during a pre- or post- show on the network. Plus it'll add a little something to those random special events that they do now and again.

HHHnFoley_Rulez
February 13th, 2016, 12:55 AM
If they're going to add a title, it should be a WWE Network title that's defended exclusively on the Network. I've suggested this roughly 87,954 times in the past, but it's still a great idea. If they don't want to spend the money on a new belt then they can just make a medal or something. I'm surprised they haven't already done this considering they should be looking for ways to increase subscriptions.


We all know who'd win that:

http://chaddukeswrestlingshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/zack-ryder-is-internet-champion.jpg

Eddie Brock
February 13th, 2016, 1:45 AM
I hate the penny-belts, too.

WWE has too many titles already; just have a the crusierweights go after the US title, and it will become an unofficial cruiserweight title. Problem solved.

Since the idea of a Cruiserweight title seems to be outdated then I think the two concepts can be combined, and the Hardcore title should become (on an unofficial level) the new high flyer belt.

Additionally the hardcore scene can feature some types like Harper or Rowan who can do shit like this

http://i.imgur.com/zJPA0.gif

Focus the Hardcore Championship on gimmick matches and wrestlers with specific styles, rather than on garbage wrestling.

Give the belt a new look. Instead of going for a gritty look, like the ECW belts or old Hardcore title, give the belt a polished, elegant design; something that can symbolize going through pain and suffering to obtain the prestige of a championship. The faceplate can be traditional while the sideplates can feature chairs or one wrestler hitting another with a foreign object or something like that.

Beer-Belly
February 13th, 2016, 1:57 AM
A network title is a good idea, and they could possible stir a bit more interest in RAW or Smackdown by advertising in advance that it will be defended during a pre- or post- show on the network. Plus it'll add a little something to those random special events that they do now and again.

And honestly, they could hot shot it around if they wanted to. It's not like there's an important lineage they have to protect. They could use it to try and build up a lower card guy for a month or so, and then throw it on Cena or Brock later if they want to try and give their subscriptions boost. They could tape matches at house shows and it might have a positive effect on ticket sales for live events. If the title exists independent of the non-Network shows then they have a lot more creative freedom to experiment.

Slutty McWhoreface
February 13th, 2016, 4:28 PM
Would love to see Neville heel-it-up like a surly Dynamite kid and target Kalisto for the US title.

I get the point about the cruiserweight division being counterproductive to the progress of smaller guys in the business,
but let's be realistic here-- it's not like a large percentage of them have a realistic chance at breaking through in today's WWE anyway.

not unless Vince strokes the fuck out sometime soon.

and let me just go on record here by stating that i'm not exactly opposed to that happening...

Bill Casey
February 13th, 2016, 4:31 PM
Would love to see Neville heel-it-up like a surly Dynamite kid and target Kalisto for the US title.
He doesn't even have to heel it up...
The crowd loves both of them...

They can have one respect feud on the card where the wrestlers shake hands and act honorably towards each other...

It would add some variety to the program...

Slutty McWhoreface
February 13th, 2016, 4:44 PM
right on.

just to see him ditch the fucking cape and get more aggressive and target Kalisto would be amazing.

Sasori
February 13th, 2016, 6:57 PM
If they're going to add a title, it should be a WWE Network title that's defended exclusively on the Network. I've suggested this roughly 87,954 times in the past, but it's still a great idea. If they don't want to spend the money on a new belt then they can just make a medal or something. I'm surprised they haven't already done this considering they should be looking for ways to increase subscriptions.

Bring back the Hardcore Title, invoke the 24/7 rule, and have a 24hr. live stream following the current champion around.

Jaymz
February 13th, 2016, 8:06 PM
I think what's being asked for is a division that can actually be defined in some way, and I understand that desire.

Take the US Title for instance. Who's fighting for it beyond Kalisto and Del Rio? Nobody knows. There's not actually a division there; Not one defined by weight, nor even one loosely defined by a superstar's position on the card, a la the European Championship. The IC Title doesn't even exist right now, because WWE decides on the feuds and then worries about titles later.

Overall it creates a bit of a confused mess and leaves a lot of the roster in an awkward limbo.

Personally, I'd like to see the US title become what the European title was. More of the roster would appear to have a purpose, and if WWE could actually plan things a little better, make it appear that those divisions exist outside of whichever two superstars are vying for the title. As it stands, you've got a good chunk of the roster with very little prospect of getting near any belt at all, and when that's the case, the only route to go down is the comedy act.

Karla Pilkington
February 13th, 2016, 8:30 PM
The United States title should be retired because it is essentially just a cousin to the Intercontinental and the two fluctuate constantly in terms of importance. Eliminate it and cement the I/C title as either the workhorse title or a belt for a superstar on the brink of chasing after the World.

Bring back the Television Championship or some version of it like a RAW title where the lower card guys can battle it out over television time or like Beer-Belly said even a network title. It would clearly be the 3rd tier title but unlike the Cruiserweight or Hardcore titles it does not pigeonhole the talent. Anybody can go after it. One week you could have Neville and Tyson Kidd where you get your exciting fast paced action but then the next someone like Luke Harper could get in there. It would give all of the lower rung guys a shot to elevate themselves instead of only a portion of it.

Plus it could possibly reintroduce the idea of time limits in matches something that is sorely missed in today's wrestling.

Atty
February 13th, 2016, 8:41 PM
A Network Title would be the way to go. You could throw that on someone like Neville and have him tear down the house on a weekly basis in Network Exclusive matches that magically subtract $9.99 from my wallet each month.

Sasori
February 13th, 2016, 10:11 PM
I think what's being asked for is a division that can actually be defined in some way, and I understand that desire.

Take the US Title for instance. Who's fighting for it beyond Kalisto and Del Rio? Nobody knows. There's not actually a division there; Not one defined by weight, nor even one loosely defined by a superstar's position on the card, a la the European Championship. The IC Title doesn't even exist right now, because WWE decides on the feuds and then worries about titles later.

Overall it creates a bit of a confused mess and leaves a lot of the roster in an awkward limbo.

Personally, I'd like to see the US title become what the European title was. More of the roster would appear to have a purpose, and if WWE could actually plan things a little better, make it appear that those divisions exist outside of whichever two superstars are vying for the title. As it stands, you've got a good chunk of the roster with very little prospect of getting near any belt at all, and when that's the case, the only route to go down is the comedy act.

Agree 100%. The US and IC title's don't have any identity. It's just one big mid-card division. So much of the "Sport" of wrestling has been lost. Why are these guys here? What do they want to achieve in the WWE? Wrestlers should be calling out the champions and laying down a challenge every week. Instead, we have the same two guys going at it over and over like they exist in their own universe apart from everything else.

I'd rather see the US title to become the TV title which is where allot of people thought they were going when Cena started the Open Challenges. In the end, it just became the Cena belt. There's no reason to keep the IC belt on Ambrose when there are plenty of guys worthy of holding and defending it.

A TV title would be great for a group like the Social Outcasts. Put it on Heath Slater and let him run with it for a while.

Bill Casey
February 13th, 2016, 11:12 PM
Additionally the hardcore scene can feature some types like Harper or Rowan who can do shit like this

http://i.imgur.com/zJPA0.gif

Noone should do shit like that...
Jesus, Ziggler...

Atty
February 13th, 2016, 11:24 PM
Ziggler is going the next to be retired due to the stupid bumps he takes for no reason.

Bill Casey
February 13th, 2016, 11:36 PM
If Ziggler fell down the stairs, his head would hit every step...

DDT
February 13th, 2016, 11:43 PM
If Ziggler fell down the stairs, his head would hit every step...

:hyper:

Beer-Belly
February 15th, 2016, 7:32 PM
A Network Title would be the way to go. You could throw that on someone like Neville and have him tear down the house on a weekly basis in Network Exclusive matches that magically subtract $9.99 from my wallet each month.

A Network title could be great for a "Best of 7" series featuring internet nerd favorites like Neville and Cesaro.