WWE Cruiserweight Classic 2016 Finals Review: Results, Analsysis, and Grades; TJ Perkins' One Shining Moment
Follow along with our review of Wednesday night’s WWE Cruiserweight Classic finale.
On Wednesday night, the finale of the WWE Cruiserweight Classic took place from Full Sail University. This two-hour live special showcased the top four competitors of the show in Kota Ibushi, Gran Metalik, Zack Sabre Jr, and TJ Perkins. These wrestlers made it through the first three rounds to get to this point.
Metalik vs. Sabre is a matchup of contrasting styles, ones these two may be unfamiliar with. Opposites may attract, though, and turn into a classic match. Metalik, with his high-flying ability, and Sabre, with his technical wizardry, might mesh. Who would walk out of this one?
Then, there is the other semfinal of Ibushi vs. Perkins. The Golden Star has been the odds-on favorite of many to win this tournament. Ibushi’s matches against Brian Kendrick and Cedric Alexander were thrilling, and put his talents on the map even greater than before. TJP has upset two WWE guys, though, in Johnny Gargano and Rich Swann. Knocking off Ibushi may be the toughest of them all, so could he pull this off at the finale?
The finals would culminate the evening, with the winners of the semifinals moving onto the grand match. It would result in a trophy being handed out, and a surprise that may not have been expected.
So, what happened on the last night of the Cruiserweight Classic?
WWE.com
Semifinals Matchup No. 1Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Gran Metalik
Result: Gran Metalik defeats Zack Sabre Jr. via pinfall to advance to the finals of the Cruiserweight Classic.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
This match saw Sabre’s technical wizardry go against Metalik’s high-flying ability, and man, did it deliver.
From the second the bell rang, Metalik went to work on Sabre, taking him out with a tope con hilo, which sent Full Sail into applause. This didn’t turn out to be the only highlight, as almost everything these two did had the crowd in the palms of their hands.
As for the former Mascara Dorada, him going over here may be a surprise. Sabre came into this tournament as a favorite to make the finals, potentially winning it all. That obviously won’t happen, though. A theory could be that Metalik is signing with WWE for Raw’s cruiserweight division, and the PWG Champion is not. That could factor into who WWE wants to give the spotlight at the end of this inaugural tournament. Why not give it to the person who’s going to stick around?
This isn’t to fault anything Sabre has done, though, because he has delivered throughout the summer. He’s a special talent that will hopefully go to the WWE, one day.
So, who did Metalik face in the finals?
WWE.com
Semifinals Match No. 2Kota Ibushi vs. TJ Perkins
Result: TJ Perkins defeats Kota Ibushi via submission.
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Gran Metalik vs. Zack Sabre Jr. may have been outstanding, but an argument could be made for this being the tournament’s best match.
Kota Ibushi and TJ Perkins started this bout slow. They cooled down the crowd with holds, steadily grounding each other. However, once The Golden Star nearly got counted out, this sent the match into a whole other stratosphere.
Perkins’ ring psychology stood out throughout. His goal seemed to be to take Ibushi’s legs out, which seemed to work for a while. Given how well WWE has built him up to be, this wouldn’t be enough. So, TJP went after the surgically-repaired neck, which proved to be too much for the CWC’s Shining Star. It became Perkins’ third consecutive upset of the summer event, as he previously defeated Johnny Gargano and Rich Swan. Gargano has been with the company for one year, and Swann signed to the WWE Performance Center around the same time.
The finale would see Perkins vs. Metalik to become the first WWE Cruiserweight Classic Champion. Who would win?
WWE.com
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa vs. Noam Dar and Cedric Alexander
Result: Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa defeated Noam Dar and Cedric Alexander via pinfall.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Given how Gran Metalik and TJ Perkins worked two rigorous matches, something had been needed to bridge the gap. So, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano teamed up to take on Noam Dar and Cedric Alexander. The latter two will be in Raw’s cruiserweight division, and were eliminated in the CWC.
Everyone got their moment to shine in this match. Dar and Alexander were over with the fans, including the “Dar Dar Dar” chant, which resembled the classic “Star Wars” theme. With the former ROH star, he’s had the crowd on his side since the Kota Ibushi match. They love the guy, and will see him in just five nights.
Gargano and Ciampa seem to be going for the NXT Tag Team Championships. They flashed the title-around-the-waist motion, or the”discount double check” movement. The Revival still hold them, so we could be in for a rematch soon.
So, we are onto the finals of the Cruiserweight Classic.
WWE.com
WWE Cruiserweight Classic FinalsGran Metalik vs. TJ Perkins
Result: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Rating: TJ Perkins defeats Gran Metalik via submission to win the WWE Cruiserweight Classic and become the Cruiserweight Champion.
The original plan had been for Perkins and Metalik to battle for the Cruiserweight Classic trophy. While that would still be given out, Triple H would make a surprise appearance and unveil the Cruiserweight Championship. The winner of the match wouldn’t just receive the award, but the belt, too. It made the match feel grander.
Perkins and Metalik ended up putting on one fantastic match. How it compares it the previous two is difficult, because they were great in their own right. The work was solid throughout this one, though. All the near-falls and the use of Perkins’ kneebar took over this match, with the latter working on the Luchador’s injured leg. It became a focal point and led to the eventual finish with the kneebar.
So, your first Cruiserweight Classic winner is TJ Perkins. He went through some of the best this competition had to offer, and deserved this victory. The new Cruiserweight Champion will head into Raw on Monday, belt in hand, and ready to be the star of the division.
The WWE Cruiserweight Classic is over, though. It captivated Wednesday nights at 9:00 PM ET for two months, and could be declared a success. This was something WWE didn’t venture into before, but seeing them go into this for years to come wouldn’t be surprising.
What a tournament.
More from Daily DDT
This article originally appeared on 
