10 Most Must-See Matches, Moments, And Segments From WWE This Week

4. The Cruiserweight Division Arrives On Raw

The Miz Dolph Ziggler
WWE.com

On social media over the past week, skepticism abounded as it pertained to WWE's potential handling of the new Cruiserweight division on Monday Night Raw. Given past history, perhaps the doubt was well-founded. Mick Foley's awkward introduction of the division's well-hyped debut seemed to give the doubters fuel for their pessimistic fire, but once the action in the ring began and the minutes ticked by, it became clearer that, so long as the wrestlers are given the proper opportunity to work, the division does have the ability to add something dynamic to the program.

Rich Swann, Gran Metalik, Brian Kendrick, and Cedric Alexander were given plenty of time to dazzle with their unique brands of in-ring style and the end result was the Match of the Night and a "This is Awesome" chant that, on degree of difficulty plus execution alone, it could at least be argued to have deserved.

The challenge for any current WWE division is in creating compelling reasons for matches to take place and, at least for the first week, the Cruiserweight match was afforded the benefit of a #1 Contender stipulation. As Fatal 4-Ways go, this was a very exciting change of pace for the show.

Contributor
Contributor

"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition. Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.