The Cruiserweights Get Some Time
Two strong segments on WWE RAW featured many Crusiserweight talents. The faces, including Gallagher, Swann and Tozawa took out the heels in Tony Nese, The Brian Kendrick and Noam Dar. Rich Swann knows how to keep the tempo up, flipping in the ring and hitting a frog splash. I like his combination moves more than most in the division. The marketable Jack Gallagher used his head, literally, to get the offensive advantage and Tozawa hit a body splash to the outside which allowed The Gentlemen to pin Brian Kendrick. If you like fast paced matches that showcase premiere athletes, this was a good match for you. Lost in the shuffle, mind you, is that WWE is truly focusing on Austin Aries, TJP and Neville. Not that it is a bad thing, but a fun match like this at least helps us remember why we used to enjoy them on the WWE Network.
TJP’s heel turn continues, as we do not call him TJ Perkins anymore. A little change in gear, going to a darker color, was nice. TJP is going to be a tough sell, especially since he was shoved down everyone’s throats until we vomited him back up. The talent is there. The mic work is not, but I do think this pairing with Neville is benefitting him. They want him to succeed, so give him something else to try. Snapping on Austin Aries and really trying to take him out is a positive step. Do not overlook TJP, but make sure WWE knows Aries vs. Neville is far from over. It was just enough to make me interested in the division as a whole, but let’s see if they can continue their momentum.
Sheamus and Cesaro
It was much needed and finally worked. The attack from WWE Payback onto Matt and Jeff Hardy showed us the aggression, the power and the intensity what this team needs. On WWE RAW, new black jackets and a serious tone is all they needed to make me want to listen to what they have to say. It was logical. It made sense. Their moment was stolen by what they consider as a nostalgia act. This could be the perfect setup, in time, for the Broken gimmick to come to WWE. They can strip themselves away from the fun and happy Hardy Boyz. I like the potential here and like how Cesaro and Sheamus are working together. Neither man is extremely strong on the mic, but both men together help getting their point across. It also helps that they both look like they could kick someone’s backside.
This is the tag team feud I want to see for the next 2 months, sprinkling in a little Club/Enzo and Cass. Tonight was NOT about Matt and Jeff. It was introducing us to a new heel team in Sheamus and Cesaro.
