9 Mistakes WWE Made With The Debut Of The Cruiserweight Division

Another minor but noticeable element of the Cruiserweight Classic’s presentation was the pre-match ritual that took place or, at least, was supposed to take place, prior to every showdown.

The referee would call either competitor to the centre of the ring, ask if they had any questions regarding the rules, before requesting they shake hands in order to get things underway in good old-fashioned sporting spirits.

Obviously this was all for show; wrestlers already know the rules, however loose they may tend to be. Even so, it was another nice touch that added to the authenticity of the matches and in some cases helped to progress the stories beneath them.

Surprise, surprise though, these pre-match handshakes, as well as the whole address from the referee, were scrapped on the main Raw broadcast. Admittedly the ritual made an appearance at Clash of Champions, but that may simply have been because it was a title match.

I get that some changes to the show’s presentation could be a little difficult to incorporate into Monday Night Raw, but surely a simple pre-match handshake and a few words from the referee wouldn’t have been too much to ask for?