6 Ups And 2 Downs From WWE's Cruiserweight Classic (July 13)
First episode of tournament gets off to good start with Ibushi headlining.
Say what you will about Triple H as a wrestler, that he overvalues his importance and historical significance, that he has an ego that needs to be fed at the expense of the rest of the roster, etc. But Triple H the WWE executive certainly knows that professional wrestling has been stagnating in the biggest sports entertainment company in the world, and he has done something to change that.
Hunter deservedly gets a ton of credit for NXT and what it’s become in recent years, but if Wednesday is any indication, he could be due for similar kudos regarding the Cruiserweight Classic, which kicked off with its first episode. The 32-man tournament is slated to run 10 weeks, with superstars from all over the world competing. The first hour featured four of the 16 first-round matches, and while nothing really could be labeled a “five-star classic,” there was plenty of great, entertaining action to behold.
What’s really interesting about this tournament is that it brings in wrestlers who have never been affiliated with WWE – and might not ever sign a deal with the company. It openly acknowledges that there are talented wrestlers who don’t work for WWE, and then showcases them on the WWE Network.
A quick caveat with this column: This writer is admittedly not terribly familiar with several of the performers, so polite comments expanding on them are appreciated, but snarky criticisms about not knowing some intricate detail of a guy’s backstory can be checked at the door.
With that said, let’s take a look at the first episode of the Cruiserweight Classic. Let’s get to it…