8 Ups And 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Dec 5)

6. Swann Gets Flashy

Rich Swann Perkins
WWE.com

It’s amazing how a good crowd can make a few simple spots show up so much better on television versus how a dead audience can render the same spots dull.

Case in point, Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann and opponent TJ Perkins had dueling showboating routines and speedy exchanges in the ring, all of which got some good reactions from the fans. The match itself was fast-paced and didn’t last too long, but it showcased the cruiserweights nicely in a way that fans were able to rally around. Throw in Swann’s perfectly timed spin kick to win, and you’ve got a nice, tight package.

It’s a shame that we’re not getting the technical and/or high-spot masterpieces we got in the Cruiserweight Classic, but WWE didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for the division properly, which hampered its reception on a bigger stage. Having to start over with the reintroductions, this is probably the best way to do it: fast-paced action, showmanship and flashy characters. Hopefully, they can build out from here.

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Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.