Ranking Every WWE Cruiserweight Champion Since 2016
1. Neville
The King of the Cruiserweights, indeed.
Despite a hot debut on the post-WrestleMania Raw in 2015, Neville floundered for his first year and a half on the main roster. Eventually, fans figured he'd be better off in the Cruiserweight division, and in December 2016, he returned from a multi-month absence and confronted Cruiserweight champion Rich Swann.
Not only did he officially enter the Cruiserweight ranks at Roadblock: End of the Line, he also turned heel for the first time in his WWE career. Although it was originally unknown how he'd fare in the role because of his subpar mic skills, he immediately took to it and proved himself to be a natural antagonist.
Just a little over one month removed from his heel turn, Neville captured the Cruiserweight Championship from Rich Swann at 2017's Royal Rumble event and proceeded to embark on a dominant reign as champion. Gentleman Jack Gallagher, Austin Aries and Akira Tozawa stepped up to challenge him for his prized possession over the next seven months, and one by one, they all fell to the self-proclaimed King of the Cruiserweights.
Neville was the only thing making 205 Live feel must-see at the time, and shortly after losing the belt to Enzo Amore that September, he was gone for good. The Cruiserweight division never fully recovered from his departure.