Ranking Every WWE Cruiserweight Champion Since 2016

Before capturing the Cruiserweight Championship (a title that eluded him during its original incarnation) in 2016, it had been nearly a decade since The Brian Kendrick had last held gold in WWE.

Kendrick was brought back as part of that year's Cruiserweight Classic and had one of the best runs in the tournament. After being fired from WWE in 2009, he was out for redemption and winning the tourney was the only way he'd be able to secure a contract for himself. He was perfectly cast as a babyface at the time, which is why it was weird when he re-debuted on Raw months later as a heel.

He instantly entered the Cruiserweight title picture and attempted to lure then-champ TJ Perkins into a false sense of security so it'd be easier to beat him for the title. Sure enough, he tricked Perkins into feeling bad for him during their one-on-one encounter at Hell in a Cell, and thanks to his grueling Captain's Hook submission hold, he was Cruiserweight champion at long last.

Although it would have been easy to endear him to the audience, at least he was in his element as a heel. He reigned as the division's top heel for roughly one month before dropping the belt to Rich Swann on the premiere episode of 205 Live, never to regain it.

Essentially, he fulfilled his purpose as a transitional champ before stepping aside to allow the rest of the division to shine.