10 Ways Wrestling Is Ruining WWE

4. 205-And-Over

WrestleMania Seth Rollins Triple H
WWE.com

Enzo Amoré shook off cries of demotion as he took his first steps into the Cruiserweight Division, pulling double duty on Monday Night Raw and 205 Live with a new finisher and a new opponent bubbling under in the form of lightweight overlord Neville.

Much to the chagrin of the last remaining workrate fans still watching the Tuesday night wasteland, the 'Smacktalker Skywalker' is likely to feature prominently despite his limited in-ring ability, most likely at the expense of several rotating fliers that had previously dazzled in 2016's Cruiserweight Classic.

But herein lies the problem - it's not really a problem. 205 Live, and the division in general, has been absolutely crying out for somebody like Amoré. It's no surprise that the only folk close to standing out inside the purple ropes this year have been Jack Gallacher (funny look, moustache, umbrella), Austin Aries (banana, commentator, name value), and Neville himself (King Of The Cruiserweights, company's best all-round performer). The points within the parentheses are those crucial markers somebody like Vince McMahon actually clings on to. Not least when whatever used to pass as the 'Cruiserweight' style now features in every other main roster match anyway.

In Seth Rollins, for example, the company have a former (and probably future) topliner that wrestles exactly like an X Division star from a decade ago. It's tremendous that the style has evolved to be considered main event-worthy in WWE, but what has that really left the light heavyweights?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett