10 Mistakes WWE Is Repeating With The Current Brand Split

7. Resurrecting The Crusierweights

Authority Figures Raw And Smackdown
WWE.com

Bringing back the cruiserweights has always been a good idea on paper.

Unfortunately, whether it was the Light Heavyweight division in 1997 or after unifying the WCW Crusierweight Championship in 2001 just prior to the first brand split, WWE has never done cruiserweights right.

The recent Cruiserweight Classic (CWC) tournament that took place throughout the Summer of 2016 on the WWE Network was an exception. Triple H and the powers down in Orlando at WWE's Performance Center went out and procured talent from all over the world to compete in the CWC. It was like nothing WWE had ever done before by featuring independent wrestlers with no contractual ties to WWE like stars Zack Sabre, Jr., Jack Gallagher, Drew Gulak, Kota Ibushi and many more.

Despite this initial bright spot, the Cruiserweights' presentation on RAW thus far has been lacklustre. Not dissimilar to the company's historical usage of their lightweight athletes, including during the first brand split of 2002.

When it comes to the sub-200lb wrestler, Vince McMahon seems cursed. It's well known how much he favours the larger athletes, and that has to play a part in the lack of success the Cruiserweight division has had throughout the history of WWE.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.