Got to enjoy it a day late but damn did I have a good time. Metalik-ZSJ was awesome. Totally agree with this being the first match where Zack couldn't do his calm escapology and had to actually fight for it. Great bit of story telling there. Ibushi vs TJP was great too and I didn't expect Perkins to win. I had no problem with HHH showing up. I do have a problem with Metalik flying over the top rope to do that hurricanrana to the floor because wtf was that? I have never seen that! OMG. Perkins performed great and actually I think he and Gran Metalik both grew in the tournament a lot. Both deserved to win.
One thing that amused me was Mauro saying how much he disliked not having the cruiserweights on SD...Errh yeah the GM is standing right next to you looking sad. Don't rub it in dude (I know I know..he's not really a GM but still probably prefers seeing guys he knows/likes more often)
I do hope they can continue some sort of momentum on Raw. Am not getting my hopes up but fuck it, one 10 minute match a week between any of those guys would be sweet. It'll also probably make Rollins, Owens and Zayn and such work even harder too. So yeah fingers crossed.
When they have the Cruiserweights on Raw next week they have to give them some time and let them show what they can do. Hopefully they will be allowed to do what they have shown they can do. I am hopeful that with Hunter loving them they have a chance, but Monday is crucial for it. If TJP is allowed to show what can be done against an opponent who can do the same then fingers crossed people will see it and love it. If they rush it then it is screwed from the start.
If I remember what I read correctly, those signed will be Raw and also be a part of NXT as needed. I'm sure part of that is to give them the proper Performance Center WWE training.
"Oh my gosh" indeed. If there is no price they can pay to keep Ibushi in Winter Park city limits, I hope they will at least make him his own trophy. Dude legiterally made everyone in the tournament he worked with, and I will miss him so. I guess my 3 would be Ibushi/Perkins, Tozawa/Metalik, Ibushi/Alexander. But Kendrick was so good, and also the time when Gallagher tied up Tozawa and kicked him right in the butt.
I would agree that Neville and Kalisto (one of those expiring 8-week contracts) would be better off here than anywhere else, not that I'm sure that here will necessarily be that great. (OTOH, also agree that Gargampo are so good that they would be better off as a full-time tag team.) Just I M A G I N E if they let Ryan Ward's Smackdown keep Daniel Bryan And Mauro Ranallo's Classic Cruiserweights. While Smackdown has the glory of Becky baby and is making Nikki vs. Carmella a more compelling feud than the stuff with Sasha, Charlotte, and Bayley, in a world where everything could all be as good it should be, all the ladies should be in one deep, multi-program division on Raw with the cruisers on SD, just like the not-so-good ol' days.
The Cruisers exclusively on Smackdown would probably swing the ratings in that shows favor, and while most companies might be okay with one show surging the WWE won't stand for it if that show isn't Raw, so putting them on Raw where they probably won't be allowed to shine quite as much and maybe even flounder because that show is set in their ways is the backwards yet preferable option.
If it puts a stop to nonsense like the Prime Time Players never ending feud then we sort of win, but if that kind of stuff is still happening while the Cruisers are being shoe horned in with only one feud at a time and a bunch of six mans then, you know, that will suck.
Damn Lesnar and O'Haire would be an AWESOME tag team, maybe too awesome. That O'Haire guy was a stud in the WCW, and that would be some killer stable. DMC