When Enzo Amore won the WWE Cruiserweight title against Neville many fans of the product let out a collective groan.
Ever since the Cruiserweight Classic the 205 competitors have not been showcased in the way that many had hoped and while the decision to put the belt on Enzo could be seen as ‘desperate’ this could be a positive for 205 Live and the Cruiserweight Division in general…why? Here’s why:
Everybody Hates Enzo
The Champion always has a target on their back. This has never been more apparent than when Enzo took a beating from the ENTIRE Cruiserweight Division on RAW. There have been rumors circulating for months regarding the temperament of Enzo Amore and how he seems to rub people the wrong way. Corey Graves made it clear on Bring It To The Table, stating that he flat out did not like the Certified G.
WWE has had a tendency to ‘over-bake’ story lines that include elements of reality, however with a personality such as Enzo and how frankly irritable he is why not play on that?
You can disregard Faces and Heels here, if EVERYBODY hates Enzo then you can feasibly put anyone from the division up against him.
He Can Talk People Into The Building
The Cruiserweight Classic was easily one of the best tournaments ever devised by WWE. The highlight packages and the self contained story lines flowing throughout the tournament were clear, concise and added a huge deal to what some see as a ‘spot fest’ style of pro wrestling.
The issue with 205 Live is that you now have a weekly show with no clear end goal, you need to produce content on a weekly basis and give fans a reason to tune in and give them a reason to care about the performers.
Love him or loathe him you cannot disagree that Enzo Amore has a magnetism, his natural charisma and ability on the microphone is something very different for the 205 Live program and it will add a very different dynamic to the show.
While Enzo is obviously not the most technically gifted in ring, he will be able to add a vocal element that no one else on the roster can offer.
In The End, Something Needed To Change
Neville was a fantastic Cruiserweight Champion. His portrayal as the King of the Cruiserweight’s completely reinvigorated his career and put him a step above everyone else on the 205 roster.
The issue is this, fans were not watching 205 Live on the WWE Network. It’s a fact that you cannot get past, are you are the sort of fan that believes Jinder Mahal shouldn’t be champion because he isn’t drawing ratings? Then you cannot disagree that Neville wasn’t pulling in the numbers.
I completely see why 205 isn’t securing viewership, it airs at completely the wrong time and it isn’t in front of a hot crowd, but if they won’t change the time slot or the location then what can they change? The Champion.
What they (WWE) believe is this, it doesn’t matter what time slot you’re on, if people want to watch you then they WILL tune in…we’ll see if Enzo is the man to move the needle.
