What were the best moments of the 2016 WWE Cruiserweight Classic?
On Wednesday night, the WWE Cruiserweight Classic game to its conclusion. This saw the live special take place, with the semifinals and finals occurring. Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins and Gran Metalik vs. Zack Sabre Jr. were the matches that led to the final bout. Perkins and Metalik won, leading to their encounter to close the show. The former TNA star would walk out victorious.
This evening culminated a 10-week event. It was the first time WWE tried out an event like this, meaning this may have been a test run. An argument can be made that it passed, and may be used in future years. WWE has yet to confirm if the Cruiserweight Classic will return in 2017.
The CWC saw sporadic downs, but mostly ups. There were emotional moments, shocking ones, and others that made fans jump out of their seats. Even a chant to get someone signed to WWE happened, and saw an even bigger surprise of a secondary moment. Did any of the opening round competitors, who lost, shine on their biggest stage?
With the summer event over, though, it’s time to look at the best things about the tournament. What stood out the most from July to September?
Here’s a look at our 10 best moments of the first Cruiserweight Classic.
WWE.com
8. Remember What Raul Mendoza Did?
The opening round of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic saw plenty of wrestlers who seemed like obvious outs. They faced the bigger names on the independent scene, and all lost. Few shined, as they paved the way for the likes of Kota Ibushi, Akira Tozawa, and Jack Gallagher. However, one person who stood out the most without getting a win, was Raul Mendoza.
In the first round, Mendoza lost to Brian Kendrick. However, after being booed because the crowd had no idea who this Mexican wrestler was, he turned them around midway through the match. One way included doing a coast to coast on Kendrick, which may have been the move of the tournament.
Mendoza won the fans over with this move, and seemed like he had a legitimate chance of defeating the former WWE star. This didn’t turn out to be the case, but it got him a great highlight reel moment.
7. Cruiserweight Championship Unveiled
Coming into the Cruiserweight Classic finale, fans knew of the trophy to be given to the winner of the tournament. While not confirmed, it seems this could go to the champion if this becomes an annual event.
However, before TJ Perkins vs. Gran Metalik began, Triple H made a surprise appearance. He would unveil the Cruiserweight Championship, leading to a shocked crowd and the stakes being raised. The winner would walk into Monday’s WWE Raw as the champion, headlining the new division. It’s a big deal, and went to the wrestler who walked out victorious in the finals.
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6. Gargano’s Gone
Johnny Gargano became a “WWE guy” over the past year, being placed in a tag team with Tommaso Ciampa and getting plenty of opportunities on NXT. This made him an early favorite to win the Cruiserweight Classic.
However, in Round 2, eventual CWC winner TJ Perkins pulled off the upset, working on the injured leg of Gargano’s. He hurt this in the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II match against The Revival.
Gargano arguably became the first potential favorite to go home. His status within WWE made it seem like he had a shot at winning it all, but a second round appearance ended his dream. Brackets were destroyed, too.
5. Those Two Top Guys Not Going to Raw
When the WWE Raw cruiserweight division got announced, two obvious omissions were Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Jr. They were arguably the highest profile names of the Cruiserweight Classic. Both have wide-ranging popularity around the world, and are invested in other promotions. Sabre is most notably the PWG Champion.
Due to this, these two not making the finals may not be considered a huge surprise. However, they still made it to the live special and delivered phenomenal bouts.
Go further back and look at what Sabre and Ibushi did throughout the tournament. Every match of theirs became must-watch and were thrilling encounters. The Golden Star and Technical Wizard shined in their own ways, and won’t be forgotten. Maybe they’ll return for 2017, if WWE does another tournament.
WWE.com
4. Gargano and Ciampa Tear the House Down
The main event of the opening round matches saw tag team partners Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa go head to head. It seemed early for such a high-profile matchup, but this ended up captivating the first match of contests.
Ciampa and Gargano told an emotional story of two friends that cared about each other, but had no issue doing whatever it takes to win. Things got chippy, with the hard-fought action wearing at these two wrestlers. Vicious chops and stiff kicks took over the action, and made for an exciting conclusion. It saw Gargano getting a quick pin, which created even more emotion.
Afterward, DIY hugged it out in the ring, which made their bond stronger. It would seemingly have been the non-wrestling moment of the tournament, but two others are ahead of them.
3. Brian Kendrick and Daniel Bryan Share a Moment
One of two former WWE stars working the Cruiserweight Classic, Brian Kendrick continued to note how this could be his last chance. At 37 years old, and having been released once, this may have been the final opportunity for Kendrick to stand out. He already did during his first WWE sting, but has mostly been out of the picture since.
Well, this wrestling veteran all throughout the tournament. His match with Raul Mendoza was one of the best of the opening round. A hard-hitting affair with Kota Ibushi also had plenty of eyes.
What may have been Kendrick’s moment, though, had been when he got emotional after losing to Ibushi. CWC commentator Daniel Bryan noted how good of friends they were, and when the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion saw his buddy upset, he ran down to the ring, and they embraced. Two wrestling friends got to share the ring for a special instance, one they won’t forget.
For Kendrick, his opportunities are continuing with a return to Raw on September 19.
WWE.com
2. “Please Sign Cedric”
Potentially the match of the Cruiserweight Classic saw Kota Ibushi defeat Cedric Alexander. There were plenty of emotions in this, with the wrestling moves performed being unique to even the cruiserweights. It displayed how talented both were, especially the former ROH star, who had a slightly lesser profile than his opponent.
Well, after the match, the crowd became so enamored with Alexander, that they chanted “please sign Cedric”. This led to Triple H surprisingly walking out of the curtain to congratulate Alexander on his performance, and give a nod, which could have been indicative of something.
Weeks later, the 27-year-old became official for the cruiserweight division.
This is arguably the top non-wrestling moment of the CWC. Emotions were higher than ever, leading to a longtime independent wrestling star getting a spotlight.
1. TJP’s Time to Shine
The Cruiserweight Classic became all about TJ Perkins, it just didn’t seem apparent at first.
Perkins had to run through the likes of Johnny Gargano and Rich Swann to make the semifinals. These two “WWE guys” had been favorites to make it far in the tournament, but got eliminated in the second round and quarterfinals, respectively. Both losses were handed by TJP attacking the leg, using ring psychology to take them out. He looked like a star throughout.
To make Perkins’ star shine brighter, he did the same to Kota Ibushi in the semis. The Golden Star had been seen as the favorite by many, so his defeat was shocking. It came from the man who seemed to upset everyone, too. However, it became part of the plan.
The finals would see Perkins defeat Gran Metalik in a fantastic match, becoming the first Cruiserweight Classic winner and Cruiserweight Champion. He gets to walk into Raw on Monday with the belt, standing out among the other nine wrestlers. How much better could it be than that?
The goal of the Cruiserweight Classic seemed to become turning TJ Perkins into a star. He may not have been loved at first, but respect for what he did and his performances were too much to overlook. This choice couldn’t have been better.
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