I reported on an exclusive that PWInsider obtained last week regarding the Cruiserweight Division's show 205 Live. For few weeks, Triple H has been running 205 Live, taking over for Vince McMahon. Other reports that came out last week mentioned Triple H is starting to take more responsibility with WWE overall as well.
This news is definitely something that the WWE Universe is excited about because they saw what Triple H has done with NXT to turn it from a developmental territory to its own viable brand since the dawn of the WWE Network in 2014.
I think this decision is not just great for the 205 Live brand, but for the WWE as a whole as it will help retain the talented wrestlers on the roster. It could even bring back others who have previously departed the company.
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#5 Can this change smooth over relations with Neville?
While I don't think Austin Aries will ever be back in the WWE, I think Triple H taking over 205 Live could potentially convince Neville and the WWE to work out their differences.
At the time of this writing, Neville is still under WWE contract, and the rumored plan is for the WWE to just let that contract run out instead of an immediate outright release. There were also rumors that the talks between the two sides have improved since he last appeared on television in September.
It is unknown when Neville's contract expires, so hopefully there is time for the two sides to still talk. I would like to think the shift in dynamics for 205 Live could be something that Neville sees as a positive and wants to be a part of.
#4 Triple H could build 205 Live to be a brand like NXT
It was rumored last week that Lio Rush might be on his way to 205 Live, and if you add in guys like Ricochet, Roderick Strong, and Johnny Gargano, it's not a stretch to say that 205 Live could grow into it's own brand like NXT eventually.
I think it is key to occasionally have these Cruiserweights mix it up with the main roster to add to their legitimacy. That has happened a little bit as of late with Hideo Itami's debut when he saved Finn Balor from Miz and The Miztourage.
Mixing it up doesn't have to just be relegated to story lines. Instead of making the Cruiserweight Division an exclusive brand, open it up and have guys from NXT, the UK Division, and even the main roster have a multi-month stay in the division to help build the brand.
Just like NXT, this is not going to happen overnight. There needs to be an importance placed on the brand that just isn't there quite yet. Once that happens, you can introduce superstars like Ricochet to the brand.
#3 The Game can change the mind of stars looking to leave...
Speaking of Itami, there have been several rumours recently that he is looking to leave as soon as his contract ends. These are well-known for those who closely follow the business, but there could be others within the company that were thinking of leaving.
Itami was in the group of indie stars known as The Leaders Of The New School with Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and Neville. Triple H has a special bond with all of those guys who started in NXT before being called up.
Itami already knows how Triple H does business, so with Hunter being in charge of 205 Live, it should calm down these rumours. For those who may not have worked as closely with Triple H in the past, there are many in the locker room that have who can speak well of their time in NXT.
#4 An overall change to the product, for the better
There is no doubt that since Triple H has taken over running 205 Live, the product has improved and gotten back to its roots. There have been some tremendous matches since the focus is now on what's going on in the ring rather than outside of it, and a couple of great examples would be Itami vs Strong and Gulak vs Nese.
When it comes to outside of the ring, Triple H brought in someone who is tremendous on the microphone to be the first General Manager of the Cruiserweights in Drake Maverick (aka Rockstar Spud). Bringing in Maverick as a General Manager helps the division in a positive way as opposed to the last major name they brought over in Enzo Amore.
The initial addition of Amore was interesting, but the entire show would become all about him and rest of the guys were in the background. This week's 205 Live is a good example that Maverick isn't going to overstay his welcome as he wasn't on the show much.
#5 Develop interest in the show
The experiment after the Cruiserweight Classic was given a fair amount of time, but unfortunately the growth and interest just wasn't there. I have to give props to the WWE for looking at ways to fix it rather than completely scrap the idea.
I've talked a lot about the new guys that can help to establish 205 Live as a brand, but it's the guys who have been there since the reformation that are just as much of a catalyst for the future as newer guys like Itami and potentially Rush and Strong.
I've said it since the beginning of 205 Live, anyone on the entire roster can be a legitimate WWE Cruiserweight Champion. It's great to see the growth of guys like Gulak's comedic side, Jack Gallagher's devilish side, and the superstar qualities of Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali come out over the past year.
The interest in this division hasn't been this high since the Cruiserweight Classic, and I feel under the guidance of Triple H, that interest is only going to grow.