TV Review: WWE Cruiserweight Classic #1 - Maluta v Ibushi

It's been a long time coming, but finally WWE's Cruiserweight Classic kicked off on the WWE Network on 13th July, with four first round match-ups. With names like Kota Ibushi, Gran Metalik (Mascara Dorada) and Cedric Alexander on the first episode, would the tournament start as it meant to go on? 

In the main event, DDT star Kota Ibushi would over-come Sean Maluta [Roundhouse Kick and Leaping Sitout Elevated Powerbomb] in a strong contest. Ibushi would come out of the bout looking like a real star, with a mixture of his in-ring performance, Maluta's selling of his offence and some brilliant commentary from Mauro Ranallo & Daniel Bryan. Considering this was Maluta very first broadcast match I thought he presented himself well and despite botching an angled tope conhilo attempt (wonderfully thoughtful commentary from Bryan here), he sold Ibushi's offence well, whilst bringing an underdog type fire to his performance, fighting Ibushi's superplex attempt off (and then getting nailed with a ridiculous Pele kick) before delivering the strongest near fall of the show, blocking a tiger suplex attempt and hitting savate kick with Ranallo adding to the drama on commentary. All these first round contest seem to have the aim of showcasing the winner to set them up for the rest of the tournament and Ibushi came out of this looking like a real star. 

Clement Petiot (Tristan Archer) came up short against former ROH regular Cedric Alexander [Lumbar Check] in a good demonstration of Alexander's potential. Petiot came across as a generic French heel type, which probably wouldn't last long on WWE's roster these days, but as a means of putting over Alexander and allowing him to show off what he can do it worked. There was a nice story of the brawl against the highflyer usedd here, with Petiot initially controlling the match with strikes, whilst Alexander looked for space. The strongest action of the bout came during a back and forth transition sequence that would climax with Petiot nailing a big lariat for a near fall. The prospect of Alexander taking on Kota Ibushi in the second round in a few week's time is positively mouth-watering and the quality of these opening round matches has a lot to do with that. 

Ho Ho Lun picked up a speedy victory over Ariya Daivari [Bridging German Suplex] in what was probably the weakest bout of the show. For me, this was carried by HHL coming across a very likeable performer, whilst Daivari played WWE's typical Iranian heel. It wasn't ground-breaking but it got the crowd going and kept the mediocre action entertaining for it's five minutes of air time. Despite the characters sizing up well, the duo didn't gel well in the ring and most of the action was kind of clunky. There were similarities to the Gran Metalik and Alejandro Saez opener as well, with Daivari's missed frog splash being the opening for HHL's final flurry of action. HHL will have to improve in the next round if he doesn't want to stick out like a sore thumb! 

If the opener that saw Gran Metalik (Mascara Dorada) defeat Alejandro Saez (Xtra Large) [Corner Clothesline & Samoan Driver] was supposed to be a little appetiser for things to come in CWC then it did it's job very well. At only four minutes long, the match was fought a real lightning pace with Metalik able to show off just a handful of his lucha libre style moves with a tightrope splash and gorgeous tope conhilo standing out amongst the bunch. Saez showed he wasn't just there to make up the numbers either, as the current XNL World Champion hit a shooting star press off the apron, that whilst not perfect, was impressive none the less. As mentioned above the finish shared similarities with the Ho Ho Lun v Ariya Daivari match, as Metalik moving out of the way of a Spiral Tap by Saez before finishing the match off. I can't help but feel that a little discussion between the various competitors would've helped and removed the similar finishes.

Next week's matches were also announced as former ECW Television Champion Tajiri will face Damian Slater, former TNA X Division Champion TJ Perkins taking on Da Mack, Full Impact Pro star Lince Dorada shaping up to Mustafa Ali and former Open the Brave Gate Champion Akira Tozawa going up against Kenneth Johnson.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 4.94/10 

This was a very easy to watch first episode for the Cruiserweight Classic and perhaps the score may seem harsh because of this. However, I wouldn't really have wanted the first episode of a show based on a tournament to be scoring much higher. If the Cruiserweight Classic had came out of the box with a couple of top top matches, then they would have had nowhere to go for the rest of the series. This was all about showcasing the winners, introducing Kota Ibushi, Gran Metalik, Cedric Alexander and Ho Ho Lun to a WWE audience, letting them show what they can do, whilst having as good a match as they could, without giving everything away in one go. As I had been expecting the show to be around this level, the main positives that I came away with here were the strength of the commentary from Daniel Bryan and Mauro Ranallo, who will only become better together throughout the next nine weeks, as well as the different types of presentation that WWE have chosen for the show, like the referee being miced up during the start of each match and the raising of the winners arm at the conclusion. 

I feel like many wrestling fans, I'm looking forward to the seeing the next three weeks of First Round matches and getting to see how the likes Akira Tozawa, Johnny Gargano and Zack Sabre Jr. get on, but this tournament is really going to get going in the 2nd Round. 

Opinion: Squad Goals (Sean Taylor-Richardson)

Before we talk wrestling, indulge me in some football speak. The key element in the modern game, according to all of the learned pundits on television and twitter, is to build a competitive and balanced squad. Unfortunately my team, Arsenal, failed to assemble such a collective and consequently did not have the legs to last the season. Performing well in fits and starts and overly reliant on our weaker performers, we stuttered to second place, behind the astonishing Leicester City.

I’ve often thought my Arsenal fandom marries well with my WWE obsession: I’ve loved both since the age of 12; my wife tolerates but understands neither; and they both tend to promise me more than they can consistently deliver. As Arsenal’s title push was derailed between January to March, almost simultaneously WWE’s Wrestlemania card was stripped of momentum as the roster deficiencies were laid bare for all to see. I couldn’t help but note another connection between my dueling passions: neither organisation has built a squad to last the course and meet their fan’s lofty expectations.

Now, Arsenal can head into the transfer window and fix these issues (Arsenal fans can insert their own sarcastic remark here) but let’s get back to wrestling. What would a perfect squad look like for a wrestling organisation? What compliment of performers would be required to appeal to a broad fan base across a whole year of intense competition? What mix of talent could handle both the pressures of a grandiose Wrestlemania and the challenges of a Superstars taping on a cold Tuesday night in Tulsa? If the unlikely happens and, stay with me here, Shane and Steph do fall out and begin feuding, splitting the roster in two for the next round of Raw vs Smackdown, then we may see some serious squad building, WWE style. Where I to be assisting in the assembly of such a roster, this would be the spine I’d be looking to create.

The Main Eventer: John Cena

John is still the man that ticks the most boxes: promo, wrestling ability, experience, look, crossover appeal. He has the work ethic and the respect of the locker room so if you want to build your brand around someone, quite simply this is the guy to start with.

The Big Heel: Kevin Owens

Maybe he is too funny to be a true heel right now but I get the sense that if WWE pulled the trigger and put KO in the main events, his witty repertoire would be replaced with outright badassery. Just as a football team needs two centre backs who can complement one another, a wrestling roster needs a top face and heel who can make the magic happen. Cena and Owens have done so before and they will do again.

The All Rounder: Seth Rollins

Injuries happen and plans change. That’s where the all-rounder comes in to his own. A role once perfected by Edge, Rollins, his New Era successor, could be that guy as he can perform any number of roles: face or heel, hound of justice or corporate schmuck, high flying sympathetic challenger or beatable champ. If crisis hits, Rollins is the safe pair of hands a brand manager can rely on. A must for any roster.

The Women: Sasha Banks and Charlotte

If you’re building a woman’s division in 2016, these are the MVP drafts. Just as Cena and Owens could be the recurring feud in the male ranks, Sasha vs Charlotte could be the staple match of this brand’s women’s scene. Paige has a quirky, unique style and Becky is adorable as the underdog but the upside of Miss Banks and Miss Flair is too strong to ignore: talented already but with scope to grow further. Character wise they are vastly different, opening up electric opportunities for any programme, whilst the flexibility they offer in regard to who can play heel or face only adds to their versatility.

The Veteran: Chris Jericho

A lot of options here: Brock Lesnar and Undertaker are box office superstars but I’d be looking for a veteran who can offer more in terms of dates and aiding character development. Brock might pop a crowd but how much could a young guy learn being viciously pummelled for 15 minutes? That makes Chris Jericho the obvious choice for this slot. Able to play a variety of roles and mesh with performers of different styles, he would be a guaranteed good match on the card and a positive learning experience for the younger worker. We’re often told there are not enough “good hands” left in the business so hold on to those that we have.

The character wrestler: Bray Wyatt

There is so much untapped potential for Bray that it would be a crime to omit him. His inclusion would add colour to the roster, with his promos, narrative arcs and angles being totally unique to a show in which variety is king. He also offers the prospect of a stable which is a required booking trope for any wrestling group. Some might go for Undertaker and, as was aforementioned, experience is great but more than a smattering of youth is needed to keep things fresh.

The Underdog: Sami Zayn

The following views do not represent ATPW: A friend of mine once commented that Sami Zayn shouldn’t be likeable as he is “ginger, a hipster, dances like an idiot and looks like Seth Rogen who hasn’t been funny in years”. A little harsh perhaps (Bad Neighbours was okay) but when pressed, said friend admitted he still did like Zayn, adding that he just “didn’t know why”. Innate and inexplicable likeability is always a good trait in an underdog babyface and, for my money, Zayn has delivered NXT’s two most emotive moments: his title win against Neville and his recent send off in Dallas. So I’d pick him. And his hat.

One for the kids: Kalisto

Kids love masked wrestlers. Case in point: as I attended a family event last week, I was greeted at the door by an excited, sugar high 9 year old who proudly declared he had a new Sin Cara mask. Ignoring the fact that this anecdote represents that my first social interaction at this fairly formal occasion was to talk wrestling with a child, it also proves my point masterfully. Kids love a fella in a mask even if adults are non-plussed. It looks cool, sells merch and it doesn’t matter if you switch the performer underneath it: they won’t know, they’re just kids! So my brand needed a masked wrestler and I picked Kalisto, the superior of the Lucha Dragons.

The Comedy act: The New Day

New Day Rock: fact. Funny equals money: opinion. But is the opinion shifting? The New Day supposedly moved the most merchandise during Wrestlemania weekend and at last month’s Raw taping in London, I was overwhelmed by the colourful sea of their shirts that spilled from the bars and restaurants. As well as popularity, a comedy act helps vary the tone of the show, providing something for everyone and ensuring entertainment is always at a premium. Whilst some see it as belittling to wrestling (and if overdone, it can be) many serious works have added laughs to keep audiences guessing. Think Fight Club were brutal bare knuckle scenes are counterbalanced by moments of farce or Shakespeare’s classic Macbeth where the murder of King Duncan was followed by a servant taking a piss and telling sex jokes. Now imagine Raw: Sami Zayn and Kalisto have been caught in a barbed wire bear trap and everyone is crying. But here come the New Day with some cereal and video game jokes. We’re all laughing now. Job done.

The Slow Burner: Big Cass

Big Cass has been turning heads lately. Better delivery of promos, more intensity in his work and remember: he’s got something you can’t teach. He seems a sure thing right now and whilst sure things in wrestling don’t always pan out, I wouldn’t want to let Cass slip away. There’s gold in them 7 foot hills. And to bring the Arsenal connection back into play: he and Giroud share the best chant in all of sports.

The Commentary Team: Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves

Commentary needs an overhaul: Cole and JBL are at the point I’d let them leave on a free transfer. Mauro and Corey seems a dream ticket: fresh and untainted, they would offer a classic face/ heel combo with a deluge of factual details and relevant pop culture references (JBL’s grasp of modern culture is so poor that referencing George Clooney as the guy all of the kids like is some sort of pyrrhic victory for him). Mauro could specialise in Japanese context, Corey could uncover the indie scene and should Byron Saxton join the team, they could jostle him with more humour and warmth than those bitter old boys on Raw.

Obviously I’d need more bodies in the mix and, having established the core of my roster with the above picks, I’d love to add the likes of A.J Styles, Becky Lynch, Finn Balor and Baron Corbin to broaden the stylistic qualities of the collective. But for now, with transfer windows upon us and squad overhauls in the sporting world afoot, ask yourself this: if you were drafting a roster within the world of WWE, who would you move heaven and earth for? Answers in the comments below…