The WWE Cruiserweight Classic is a brand new program on the WWE Network! It features 32 men 205 pounds and under as they compete to win the tournament. The ten-week tournament is set to run until September 14th. So in the meantime, it only makes sense for it to be reviewed weekly here on WWE Network News, much like NXT and Superstars already are.
This week’s edition of the Cruiserweight Classic features another four matches. This is the second to last opening round episode, and as a result we get a look at some of the last big names in the competition. Once again, Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo are on commentary. Let’s see if the show stacks up to recent weeks:
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tyson Dux
One of the aces and favorites of the tournament, Zack Sabre Jr. is here. I’ve seen people disappointed, feeling he wasn’t worth the hype, but I think his style is just something a lot of people aren’t used to. This same logic could be applied to Drew Gulak who appears later. A lot of their offense isn’t flashy, but that is part of the fun of the Cruiserweight Classic. We have flashy lucha, we have strikers, we have technical wrestlers. The variety is the fun part.
Anyway, as expected, Zack won it. His submission was fun and in a lot of ways, this was a match dedicated just to show off Zack. Dux got some licks in, and hopefully he gets a chance again in the future. Good match here, and a different one compared to what we’ve seen thus far in the tournament.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo are so refreshing as commentators. Again, I’m not saying I’d want every WWE program to be presented like this, but here it works. Bryan discussing how if he could wrestle he’d steal from Zack Sabre Jr. was a cool thing that stands out to the normal commentary we here.
Drew Gulak vs. Harv Sihra
Harv is one half of the Bollywood Boys, and he was fun here. I’ve seen him before, but only in tag team matches. The GFW Tag Team Champion did pretty well here, however, and I’d be interested in seeing the team get a shot together. Maybe on NXT?
As for Drew Gulak, I’m sure many were aware of him before going into this, as he’s one of the top guys in EVOLVE, Beyond, CZW, etc. while having spotlights in both CHIKARA and PWG. He is a great technical wrestler, and his matches with NXT’s Oney Lorcan were great. This was good, even if his style might not be one a lot of people will appreciate.
Winner: Drew Gulak
Drew Gulak celebrates his win after, with the referee raising his hand. I still think that’s a nice touch, and it helps the presentation of the show. It feels considerably different for things like that and the ref being mic’d at the beginning of the matches. Cool.
Anthony Bennett vs. Tony Nese
So, this was probably the worst match of the night, and maybe of the entire series thus far, and it was still solid. Nese is a very good talent, and quite crisp. But I hadn’t seen Bennett before and while I was hoping he’d impress, he didn’t. He was far from terrible, but he wasn’t great either and he had a habit of telegraphing what was coming.
With that being said, it was still fine enough. Nese’s offense was a ton of fun and while some of it was a little too contrived, primarily from Bennett’s telegraphing, it still was quite fun. Nese won here with the 450 Splash and moves on to the next round.
Winner: Tony Nese
Before the main event, we had a look at both Raul and Kendrick. Kendrick comes across as a more mature version of himself, but will he truly be that way? That’s to be determined.
Raul Mendoza vs. Brian Kendrick
Wow. I went into this match not expecting much, but instead this was certainly my favorite match of the night. Brian Kendrick is a good talent, as most know, but his NXT matches weren’t particularly good. This, however, worked excellently.
As for Raul, I went in without having seen him previously and he delivered big time. The blood here helped make things feel more intense, and the crowd got way behind Raul as the match went on. With this impressive performance, hopefully he appears more in the future. He’s good enough to at least be given a shot again.
My only issue with this match was Brian Kendrick using that submission finish. I get why they had him use it, but with Oney Lorcan on NXT, I worry that means he won’t be using that move going forward. And that’d be a shame, as it always worked as part of his moveset. Either way, this match ruled and I definitely recommend you check it out.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Brian Kendrick celebrates his win and that wraps up this week’s edition of the Cruiserweight Classic. Corey Graves shows us what to expect next week, with Rich Swann, Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and others set to appear.
Match List
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tyson Dux
Drew Gulak vs. Harv Sihra
Anthony Bennett vs. Tony Nese
Raul Mendoza vs. Brian Kendrick
Closing Thoughts
This week’s edition of the Cruiserweight Classic was the weakest yet, but it was still really good. For my money, the main event stole the show with Raul having a very impressive performance. Looking ahead, next week might be the best week yet, so I’m very much looking forward to it.
What did you think of the show? Make sure to leave your thoughts and feedback. As always, stick to WWE Network News for the latest WWE Network news, polls, reviews, and rumors! Bookmark us, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @WWENetworkChron!