Cruiserweight Classic: 2 Years Later

It’s hard to believe that’s it’s only been two years since WWE relaunched the cruiserweight division with an epic 10-week tournament that crowned a new champion. There was so much anticipation surrounding the division, but it hasn’t lived up to the hype that it initially produced. It could have been the saving grace of a three-hour Raw, but unfortunately, it is only remembered for six-man tag team matches and a terrible spot with T.J Perkins’ neck bouncing off the apron.

In this piece, I evaluate all the participants in order of elimination. Some participants will have more to be said for them than others, but I’ll evaluate the current state of each participant along with thoughts on the division and its future.

Commentary

Mauro Ranallo

Already on the commentary team for Smackdown since January of 2016, this was a break of a heavily scripted environment for Mauro Ranallo. Those familiar with his work from Bellator, New Japan and occasionally boxing knew he was a natural to call this type of action. After missing Smackdown after multiple weeks, it became public knowledge that along with managing his bipolar disorder and a heavy travel schedule, Ranallo had also endured alleged bullying from JBL. Since then, he has been on NXT and when not doing commentary for WWE, he’s working for Bellator and Showtime.

Daniel Bryan

In his first on-screen role since his retirement, Daniel Bryan was great at color commentary and really gelled with Ranallo. After the tournament, Bryan was named Smackdown General Manager. While it was less enjoyable than his commentary, he had some fun on Talking Smack and eventually returned to the ring at WrestleMania 34. Despite a lack of direction right now and uncertainty with contract negotiations, it’s just good to see him back in the ring.

Participants

Kenneth Johnson

After an exit from the tournament, not much has been heard from Johnson until a return earlier this year. It remains to be seen what else is in store for him, but he is a low-key member of the 205 Live roster.

Fabian Aichner

Despite few appearances in NXT, he is still under contract. His most recent appearance was in November against Johnny Gargano.

Damian Slater

Since the tournament, he has received tryouts with New Japan and was even part of NJPW shows in Australia earlier this year. As NJPW expands, expect Slater to be a key figure in the Australian market.

Alejandro Saez

He has competed for various promotions on the independent scene, most notably Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2017. He even had a brief tag team run with Bobby Fish. Saez has since returned to his native land of Chile to work for local promotions.

Harv Sihra & Gurv Sihra

You know them as Samir and Sunil Singh now. After a brief run as a babyface tag team, they joined Jinder Mahal as heel valets and were a crucial part of his WWE Championship run.

Tyson Dux

Dux has been a popular fixture on the independent circuit. He has had notable matches against Zack Sabre Jr. and Kyle O’Reilly.

Ariya Daivari

It has been up and down for Ariya. He was featured on pre-show matches for Hell in a Cell and Survivor Series PPV and even had a few singles matches on Raw in 2016. Then he was added to Enzo Amore’s short-lived heel stable, but after Enzo went bye-bye, Ariya has been lost in the shuffle. His latest appearance was at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Currently, he is out of action with an unspecified injury.

Raul Mendoza

He has been signed to the NXT roster, most recently appearing at NXT house shows and even having a championship match against Andrade Cien Almas in February of 2018.

Anthony Bennett

No other appearances for WWE other than the tournament, but he is known for his work in the Northeast indie scene.

Sean Maluta

Despite making multiple appearances in WWE, he is not signed and is currently working the independent circuit.

Clement Petiot

One and done.

Da Mack

Since the tournament, he has competed for What Culture Pro Wrestling (now Defiant).

Tommaso Ciampa

While the tournament will end up being a footnote in Ciampa’s career, it will also be where the seeds were planted for his epic rivalry with longtime partner Johnny Gargano. After this tournament, both he and Gargano would go on to win the Tag Team Championships as DIY in NXT. After losing the titles and failing to regain them at NXT Takeover: Chicago, it seemed like they were destined for he main roster, but Ciampa had other plans. He betrayed Gargano, igniting a hot rivalry that has captivated the wrestling world. Currently, Ciampa is the NXT Champion.

Mustafa Ali

Regarded as the soul of 205 Live, Ali has been a featured player on Tuesday nights despite not yet capturing the title. He came pretty damn close by taking on Cedric Alexander for the belt on the WrestleMania 34 pre-show.

Jason Lee

Now a star in Dragon Gate, he has fared pretty well, having won the Open Triangle Championship.

Jack Gallagher

Seemingly destined for big things in 2016, even appearing in the Royal Rumble the next year, Gallagher has lacked direction on 205 Live. He recently competed in the U.K Championship tournament.

Tajiri

After a long, storied career, this tournament was a great send off for the Japanese Buzzsaw.

Drew Gulak

A character that has lost steam, Gulak remains a fixture of 205 Live. The Enzo scandal really hurt his momentum as he was gaining screen time on Raw as the straight-laced sidekick.

Ho Ho Lun

A participant in the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Classic, he was released at the tail end of 2017 to care for ailing mother.

Tony Nese

A staple of House of Hardcore before signing with WWE, Tony Nese needs a push now that 205 Live has been revamped.

Cedric Alexander

After being greeted with the chants “Sign Cedric” and “Welcome Back,” and even given public approval from Triple H, things were initially looking up for Alexander. He was a fresh face that not only the division needed, but that the company needed. After a lack of direction, he was inserted into the title picture, simply as fodder for Enzo. However, Enzo’s scandal left an opportunity for Alexander to win the Cruiserweight Title at the WrestleMania 34 pre-show and become the face of the division.

Johnny Gargano

Perhaps the biggest babyface in NXT, Johnny Wrestling has gone on to great success after the tournament, highlighted by his classic rivalry with Ciampa and incredible bout with Almas at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.

Lince Dorado

It appears that Dorado is enhancement talent for now.

Akira Tozawa

Flavor of the month. After finding his role as a member of Titus Worldwide, Tozawa seemed to be next in line as he won the Cruiserweight Title. Unfortunately, his run was over before it began, as he dropped the title less than a week later at SummerSlam 2017.

Noam Dar

Alicia Fox’s former love interest, Noam Dar debuted in his homeland of Scotland during an episode of Raw. After a brief rivalry with Alexander, he made a one-night return to ICW, before suffering a neck injury. He came back this year during the U.K Championship tournament, winning a number-one contender’s match.

Brian Kendrick

Returning to WWE as the desperate veteran of the tournament, Kendrick quickly turned heel to challenge and conquer T.J. Perkins for the Cruiserweight Title. He then lost the title after a three-match series with Rich Swann, never able to regain that initial momentum.

Rich Swann

Due to an incident with his wife Su Yung that appears to be nothing more than exploitation, his WWE run has been overshadowed. Despite winning the Cruiserweight Championship and being a staple of the division, Swann was basically blacklisted until joining Impact Wrestling a few months ago.

Zack Sabre Jr.

As crazy as it sounds, ZSJ has probably not even began to scratch the surface. Along with other wrestlers in recent years, he has redefined what it means to be an independent wrestler. He most recently won the New Japan Cup this year.

Kota Ibushi

While some may criticize his work in promotions like DDT, others will praise him for his work in NJPW. He has rekindled his friendship with Kenny Omega, which formed the Golden Elite with The Young Bucks. As the Bullet Club civil war breaks out, expect him to play a key role.

Gran Metalik

Despite appearing in the finals of the tournament, he has been lost in the shuffle, treading water in a matches here and there.

T. J Perkins

It seems like this was five or seven years ago instead of only two, but T. J. Perkins was the winner of the Cruiserweight Classic. Even though he had an inspirational story for fans to get behind, as well as a defined character, in true WWE fashion, he has become nothing more than just another guy. WWE generalized him as this gamer character that dabbed. He will most likely go down as the least memorable champion of the relaunch of the cruiserweight division.

The Aftermath

The cruiserweight division was given its own show in 205 Live, but that was just a way to get it off Raw. The talents were given the ECW treatment in being tagged on to Smackdown. Eventually WWE used it as a tool to get Enzo Amore over, and hey, everybody loves a good train wreck. There hasn’t been a second tournament announced and despite Triple H being given control of the cruiserweight division, it’s just a show on Tuesday nights. At this rate, the championship has only been defended on one PPV this year, and technically, it was the pre-show. There’s no telling what’s in store for the division, but it’s nothing what people would’ve thought just two years ago.