3 new directions for 205 Live

As most readers will now know, Enzo Amore has been released from his WWE contract. He had been the centrepiece of the Cruiserweight division and the 205 Live brand for the better part of the past six months.

Following his sudden departure, that brand looks set for a reboot, as Daniel Bryan revealed this week that on next week's episode of 205 Live, the division will be appointed its own general manager and the future of the now vacant championship will be addressed.

As 205 Live looks to be starting over, here's three possibilities to revitalise the brand.

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#1 Integrate new stars

Finn Balor

One of the key issues with 205 Live is its lack of star power. Who are these guys and why should we care about them? We've been given little reason to take an interest in the 205 Live roster and this can be seen (or rather, heard) by the lack of response the Superstars attract from the show's live audience each week.

Of course, taking place after an episode of Smackdown Live doesn't help, as cheering and jeering for major stars such as AJ Styles and Kevin Owens is going to deplete the crowd's energy before the cruiserweights even have a chance to enter the ring, but that's a whole other matter.

Prior to the launch of 205 Live, much of the roster had very little exposure to the mass audience. It could be assumed that anyone tuning in on the WWE Network had seen them appear in the prior summer's Cruiserweight Classic, but many attendees in the arena for Smackdown Live won't have seen or heard of any of them before.

This hurt matters from the get-go and adding to this, while the division was showcased on Monday Night Raw, it wasn't made to feel like much of a big deal. The purple ropes segregated the cruiserweights from their heavier counterparts, and that hurt their cause further.

In those early days, The Brian Kendrick was given a brief run with the Cruiserweight Championship, winning it from the inaugural titleholder, TJ Perkins. Kendrick's name rings with older members of the WWE Universe who remember him from his previous stint on the roster from the early to mid-2000s.

It wasn't until Neville returned from an injury and immediately joined the division, turning heel in the process, that fan interest would really begin to develop. Neville, as a former NXT Champion, had once been the face of the developmental brand, and had been built up as a solid mid-card babyface on the main roster with the most protected finisher in the whole company (nobody has ever kicked out of a Red Arrow on the main roster - Rollins once got a rope break).

His coronation as the dastardly King Of The Cruiserweights and champion of the division soon after made for great television and provided some superb wrestling matches. Neville's character was so well executed that it rubbed off on other members of the division, such as Jack Gallagher, for whom fan support started to swell.

Austin Aries then joined the roster, having first appeared on the show from behind the announce desk during an injury of his own. Aries was a fan favourite from years on the indies and in TNA, and was also presented as a star.

Unfortunately, back-to-back losses to Neville killed any momentum he started with and Aries left the WWE soon after due to frustration at his lack of creative direction. Neville had also gone through much of the roster and even as champion had little direction going forward. Enter Enzo.

Enzo had proven himself a draw. He shifted t-shirts and other merch, he was good on the mic, and he received a reaction from the crowd any time his music hit. His wrestling ablity left a lot to be desired, making him the antithesis of what many deem to be a good cruiserweight, but with viewership waning, 205 Live needed a shot in the arm of pure star power. Enzo provided the right dose.

Since then, Neville has gone MIA, Rich Swann has been suspended for his own legal issues, Brian Kendrick is injured, and Jack Gallagher is still inexplicably a heel. Kalisto was moved across to the division, but failed to light a lucha spark with the audience. With Enzo now out of the picture, there's not a lot of star power left.

Goldust is helping somewhat with his endorsement of Cedric Alexander, while Hideo Itami is still a big name for the more hardcore members of the WWE Universe and Drew Gulak has done a tremendous job of developing his character (and PowerPoint presentation). But, is it enough?

Johnny Gargano

There is the potential to sprinkle a little more star power onto the cruiserweight cake. There is talent under the WWE umbrella that fit below the 205 lbs weight limit of the division.

That list includes Finn Balor, whose accomplishments include being the first ever Universal Champion. Bringing the Demon to Tuesday nights with the Balor Club in tow is sure to turn eyes to the product. Gallows and Anderson could serve as big, bad bully enforcers, helping Balor to run roughshod through the division.

Meanwhile, on NXT we have fan favourite underdog Johnny Gargano, who's currently proving his ability to connect with an audience in ways many superstars struggle to. And where there's Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa is sure to follow to raise some hell for Johnny Wrestling.

There are other options on the roster, but these two immediately stand out. The challenge then would be to make sure that they retain their relevance as part of 205 Live, presented as being just as important as anyone on Raw or Smackdown.

#2 Join NXT at Full Sail

The majority of NXT tapings are held at Full Sail University

NXT has its highs and lows. The lows usually come when a raft of talent sails off to the shores of the main roster and the developmental brand is left to build up new talent to carry it forward. For the most part, the quality of the NXT brand remains high and its Takeover specials always deliver.

The current cruiserweight division got its start at NXT's home of Full Sail University during the Cruiserweight Classic. The crowds comprise more hardcore fans than Smackdown tapings and will react to the 205 Live roster. An invested audience will automatically improve the show's presentation.

There's even an argument to make for integrating 205 Live with NXT, combining them into a single 2-hour weekly show that's half NXT, half 205 Live.

This will benefit the cruiserweights, as its weekly TV show will feature a little variety in the form of NXT's heavyweight, tag-team and women's divisions, and will allow them to take part in featured matches on Takeover specials, as opposed to being relegated to the pre-show of a Raw pay-per-view.

As for NXT, the developmental brand benefits from gaining a consistent section of the roster, keeping familiar faces on its weekly shows when its talent pool gets raided by Raw and Smackdown.

#3 Bring back a CWC-style format

The Cruiserweight Classic was critically acclaimed. The tournament was a highlight of 2016, offering a more sports-like presentation than typical sports entertainment. Due to the nature of the tournament, each match felt important as there were stakes involved in each win and loss.

The talent was also given free rein to put on the best matches possible, no matter the style. 205 Live kept little of what made the Classic special.

It is presented as a light version of Raw or Smackdown with storylines that follow the formula of a typical lower/mid-card feud. While a tournament has to end and therefore doesn't work for an ongoing weekly show, there are still ways in which the more sporting nature of the CWC can be captured.

When the new general manager is named next week, let's hope he or she brings in a ranking system that sees every match count on 205 Live. If the matches feel important, the show will be worth watching.