5 Ups And 2 Downs From WWE Cruiserweight Classic (July 27)
WWE Network tournament continues to entertain.
The WWE Cruiserweight Classic continued to chug along Wednesday night, as the next set of four first-round matches were presented, featuring international stars like Zack Sabre Jr. and former WWE superstar (The) Brian Kendrick. The matches showed contrasting styles meshing and sometimes clashing, usually with positive results.
The 32-man tournament has to be considered a success so far for bringing so many “underground” wrestlers into the limelight. Even those who watch wrestling regularly can’t be aware of every talented performer in the world, so having a tourney like this provides an opportunity to learn more about wrestlers in other corners of the world. Plus, it’s pretty damn good wrestling without the fluff.
That said, the tournament could use a shot in the arm at some point. While the wrestling is mostly really good and the video packages beforehand humanize the competitors, it’s clear that throwing 16 matches out there in one night can burn out the fans. That isn’t a call to turn it into “sports entertainment,” but it’s an acknowledgement that wrestling without some storyline can wear a little.
Still, this tournament has been mostly very good, good enough that the only negatives you can really find are the occasional bouts that are merely adequate. With that said, let’s take a look at the latest installment of the Cruiserweight Classic…