8 Ways WWE Can Build Interest In 205 Live
3. More Well-Defined Personalities
Aside from a handful of performers, the Cruiserweight roster suffers from a distinct lack of strong personalities. Neville is brilliant, as are Austin Aries and Jack Gallagher, but what makes the likes of Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, and Tony Nese tick? Such wrestlers often seem like they’re defined solely by their alignment, giving fans little reason to root for or against them.
Rich Swann, for example, has one of the most compelling backstories in WWE history, yet it’s barely even mentioned. The company leaned heavily on it throughout the Cruiserweight Classic, but they’ve abandoned this approach on 205, and Swann has become nothing deeper than a happy guy who likes dancing and doing the occasional flip.
These aren’t three-dimensional human beings, but bland cardboard cut-outs. The CWC succeeded by making the performers real and relatable, and by abandoning that approach, WWE have given fans few reasons to care about any of the show’s personalities. This problem plagues every aspect of WWE programming, but it's particularly noticeable on 205, where the wrestlers still aren’t as familiar to the audience, and could really use well-defined characters to help get themselves over.