10 Best Tournament Finals In WWE History
3. T.J. Perkins Vs. Gran Metalik - Cruiserweight Classic
The Cruiserweight Classic got fans excited as soon as it was announced, but ultimately, it was just an experiment. Could WWE, with a track record of misusing stars under a certain height and weight, really promote a successful tournament filled with men weighing under 205 pounds?
The answer was yes. The tournament was presented as different from any other WWE programming, with wrestling being the focal point of everything and nobody's style being toned down - in fact, different disciplines (like lucha libre) were actually celebrated.
Heading into the final show, Kota Ibushi, Gran Metalik, Zack Sabre Jr., and T.J. Perkins were left in the tournament. Metalik beat Sabre to advance to the finals, followed by Perkins submitting Ibushi to punch his ticket to the championship match.
Both Metalik and Perkins unleashed some of their breathtaking high flying in the final match, but Perkins used his mastery of submissions to wear Metalik's leg out. When the lucha libre star hit his Metalik Driver, he wasn't able to follow up with a cover, and when he tried it again, Perkins countered into a legbar (and then a reverse figure four) to get the submission win.