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It was announced earlier this week that WWE was canceling 205 Live. This was the final nail in the coffin of the promotion's cruiserweight division, as the title was merged with the NXT North American title.
The purple brand had a strange history from its launch to its finish. It went through several adjustments, moves and changes and never seemed to grab the footing it had upon its inception.
WWE initially signed numerous lighter high-flyers with tons of talent, and the cruiserweight division started off hot. TJ Perkins was crowned the initial champion as he engaged in gravity-defying clashes with the likes of Gran Metalik, Rich Swann and Brian Kendrick. The earliest titleholders in the division weren't all household names, but the novelty of what they were doing in, around and above the ring made them a special attraction.
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The division then went through a bizarre time when Enzo Amore was the champion. Amore, not known for his aerial prowess and mat ability, provided some memorable moments on the microphone.
However, for a division that is built on pure workrate, he was a bit of a round peg in a square hole. On the flip side, some of his segments during his title reign were the highest-rated that the cruiserweights had achieved at the time.
In the years that followed, it seemed like the title and the cruiserweight section of the promotion, in general, just kept spiraling down. Then eventually, it was gone.
It wasn't the first time that WWE tried to have this type of wrestling
WWE abandoned the premise then, as well. After showcasing stars such as Taka Michinoku and Dean Malenko, the WWF Lightweight title was frequently ignored to the point that it lost any relevance. It would later be merged with the WCW Cruiserweight Championship after Vince McMahon purchased World Championship Wrestling.
This is twice now that The Worldwide Leader in Sports Entertainment has attempted to have a division for the smaller guys, only to just let it go by the wayside until it died a slow death.
This same style thrived in places like WCW and IMPACT Wrestling. So why doesn't a cruiserweight subset ever seem to work in WWE?
Some might say it's because the promotion has always been built around big men, for the most part. It's also rumored that Vince McMahon is not a huge fan of the lucha libre style. And as we all know, if McMahon isn't behind it, then it's not going to last in his company.
There have to be other factors behind why this media machine couldn't produce enough stars on the purple brand to make things work. Motivation to do so seems to be the strongest reason why.
Will we ever see WWE launch a third cruiserweight division sometime down the road? Or will the the folks in McMahonland just leave their feet on the ground and never fly the friendly skies again?
Do you think we will see WWE launch another cruiserweight championship again? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
