5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE Raw (22 Aug)

5. Winners: The Cruiserweight Division

The division was announced months ago, but WWE’s Cruiserweights finally have a start date. September 19th will see the division take full flight, and last night’s Raw saw the first participants finally revealed.

Cruiserweight Classic participants Brian Kendrick, TJ Perkins, Noam Dar, and Rich Swann were all unveiled via vignette. All four are still alive in the CWC itself, so here’s hoping the Raw announcement draws some new viewers to what’s been a thoroughly enjoyable tournament thus far. There are also widespread internet reports that fellow CWC standout Cedric Alexander has inked a WWE deal, though this is yet to be confirmed by the company.

The timing is perfect. Raw continues to struggle with the three-hour format, and introducing a handful of the world’s most exciting wrestlers to the show should work wonders for its consistency and enjoyability. The four announced names are all incredibly accomplished wrestlers in their own right, though Swann’s charisma and Kendrick’s comeback story have made them real CWC highlights. They’re two TV-ready talents who’ll only bring good things to WWE programming, and the well-rounded Dar and flashy Perkins are equally well-positioned to make an impact.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.