WWE CWC: 9 Most Awesome Spots From This Week’s Show (July 20)

Just give them all a contract!

By Elliott Binks / July 21, 2016

WWE.com

When Daniel Bryan announces each week that the Crusierweight Classic is awesome, he does so because that’s his job. But unlike a lot of the things we hear on WWE commentary, it’s a claim that also happens to be true.

The CWC proved that again this week with another stellar showing of first round matches.

We had a returning Tajiri vs. Damien Slater, TJ Perkins vs. Da Mack, an excellent showdown between Lince Dorado and Mustafa Ali, and a main event featuring Dragon Gate standout Akira Tozawa against Kenneth Johnson.

But it wasn’t just your typical high-flying madness that stood out on the show this week. On top of that, we saw a smattering of strong style, some technical wizardry and an array of submissions to rival even Chris Jericho's list of 1,004 holds.

With no shortage of awesome spots to choose from, let’s look back at some of the very best moments from this week’s instalment of the Cruiserweight Classic.

9. Hammerlock Rope Break

It’s been two decades since Tajiri first appeared in a WWE ring, and that experience was on full display in his victory over Damien Slater.

With Slater wrapping Tajiri in a hammerlock, the latter made his way to the ropes to force a break. But rather than waiting for the referee to wade in, the wily old-timer used the ropes to his advantage and turned the tables on Slater.

Stepping through the middle rope then returning to the ring - with his opponent still in hand - he tangled Slater in the middle rope and locked in a modified hammerlock of his own. As convoluted as it sounds, it really was a simple move, but it was a perfect way to set the tone of the match and put over the fact that Tajiri was the seasoned veteran.

In a tournament such as the CWC, this was definitely one of the subtler spots, but a great one nonetheless.