WWE announces the Global Cruiserweight Series

[DC 536]

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WWE Finally Announced The Cruiserweight Tournament We’ve All Been Waiting For

BY: DANIELLE MATHESON 02.16.16 • 29 COMMENTS

 

 

WWE NETWORK

 

Wrestling fans have had a cruiserweight hole in their hearts for far too long. Now, our long national nightmare is over, and WWE is finally bringing a bunch of lithe, flippy dudes back into our lives in a major way.

 

GLOBAL CRUISERWEIGHT SERIES — SERIES PREMIERE WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 AT 9 P.M. ET

 

For the first time ever, WWE invites cruiserweights from all over the world to compete in the inaugural Global Cruiserweight Series. Thirty-two of the greatest in-ring competitors under 205 lbs. will descend upon Full Sail University in Orlando, Fla., and collide for 10 weeks to earn the right to call themselves the best cruiserweight in the world.

 

Participants rumored to be locked up for the show, or at the very least holding dates open, include Noam Dar, Will Osprey, and current independent belle of the ball Zack Sabre, Jr. Apollo Crews BFF Akira Tozawa is also reportedly in the mix, as well as returning names like Evan Bourne and Brian Kendrick. Kendrick, of course, has been featured on Total Divas in his efforts to re-train current NXT women’s wrestler Eva Marie. This is also a great opportunity for recent NXT signee Rich Swann, regulars like Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, or even main roster call-ups like Neville and Kalisto to get in the mix.

 

Now that WWE has confidence in flexible appearances over long-term contracts, who do you most want to see show up at Full Sail in July? Tell us in the comments below!

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Credit: Uproxx

[Evil Gringo 279]

It would be cool to see Liger come back, maybe Taiji Ishimori, Ricochet, Aries, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste should be signed by then as well... I have such a long wishlist for this!

 

Tozawa or anymore of the DG crew would be immense as well... Imagine Dragon Kid v Kalisto! That would rock so much.

[Guest Barbarian1072]

It would be great to see the likes of ACH, Cedric Alexander, Chris Sabin and Alex shelley from ROH and New Japan get involved as well, I'd love Kyle O'Reilly to make an appearance but i think he's signed a deal with ROH stating that he can't compete elsewhere in the US for any other company other than Ring Of Honour. Otherwise he'd be on my list for NXT signees.

[DC 536]

They don't have to actually sign / be signed with WWE; it's along the lines of the one-shot deal for Liger or the short-term James Storm run.

 

I mean, Gargano still works the indies and is Evolve Tag Team Champion alongside Drew Galloway (ostensibly a TNA wrestler).

[Guest Barbarian1072]

Yeah and that's great for other indie wrestlers but I'm pretty sure the way this ROH exclusive contract works is that wrestlers signed to it can't compete at all for other companies in the US, even if it's only a one off. Only ROH's top talent are signed to it though, guys like Jay Lethal, the Young Bucks, The Briscoes and Roderick Strong, so other ROH talents could take part.

It should hopefully be very good though because wwe have the opportunity to bring in cruiser weights from all over the world, can't believe well have to wait till July to see it though!

[Omega 354]

'mon the Dar.

[Guest Jayfunk]

this should be good, not original but a decent idea

[Guest]

And then Tommy End posts on Facebook he's 220lbs. Booooo! Imagine the kicks!

 

Can anyone compile a list of 32 wrestlers that would possibly take part? I figure anyone in an exclusive Lucha Underground or ROH contract will probably be out of this, TNA of course too. I think they could lock 2 or 3 guys in from New Japan. I'll have a try myself.

 

1. Neville

2. Kalisto

3. Hideo Itami

4. Austin Aries

5. Finn Balor

6. Sami Zayn

7. Biff Busick

8. Rich Swann

9. Andrew Everett

10. Zack Sabre Jr.

11. Marty Scurll

12. Brian Kendrick

13. Johnny Gargano

14. Jushin Thunder Liger

15. Noam Dar

16. Will Ospreay

17. La Sombra

18. Akira Tozawa

19. Rey Mysterio

20. Matt Sydal

21. Paul London

22. Drew Gulak

23. TJ Perkins

24. Mark Haskins

25. Juventud Guerrera

26. Tajiri

27. TAKA Michinoku (Just please have his TAKA IS COMIN' theme xD)

28. AR Fox

29. Sin Cara

30. ACH

.

.

 

OK, this is where my mind starts to draw a blank... Throw Drake Younger in there too. :D

[Guest Barbarian1072]

TBH I think 205 lbs is a bit low for the weight limit, I'm pretty sure WWE's old cruiserweight division weight class was under 220 lbs, and i know that's the limit for NJPW's junior heavyweight division currently, so i don't understand why they're knocking it down to 205.

 

As for Rey, mysterio, i don't think he will be taking part because he is signed to two seasons with Lucha Underground, which would keep him with the company until summer 2017. Then again, there is a chance they might release him for his contract so we really don't know. If he is in the tournament I really hope he doesn't win the whole thing, I'd rather he put future stars such as Neville over, but I could see WWE giving him the win if he came back because we know how Vince loves to rely on the superstars of the past to keep the company going.

[Omega 354]

this should be good, not original but a decent idea

 

Oh buck up boy, you're becoming a littler ridiculous now in trying to piss on every WWE based post.

[Guest Jayfunk]

Why I said it would be decent.

 

All I mentioned was people like tna and others have done this thing before

[Evil Gringo 279]

I see it as an American version of Best of the Super Juniors or the Super J-Cup. The versions in TNA where more team orientated events but this will be a one on one competition only, I assume given that they have 10 weeks, it will have a group stage like the BOSJ and then a single elimination stage, made up of semi finals followed by a final but given that their are 32 wrestlers, it could well have quarter finals as well.

 

Given that it takes place around the same time of year as NJPW's BOSJ tournament it might well clash and rule some Japanese talent out (although last year it finished on the 6th of June, they haven't announced the dates for this year yet).

[Guest FWWCyrus]

So looking forward to this.

 

I can see a few UK based wrestlers getting the call.

[Guest Sean Valentine]

Is this going to be spread out over Raw / Smackdown or is it just an exclusive Network thing?

[Guest Barbarian1072]

Is this going to be spread out over Raw / Smackdown or is it just an exclusive Network thing?

It will just be on the Network as they've announced that it has its own series and that it will be taking place at Full Sail. I think it's better that way cause if it was on Raw or Smackdown the matches would get about 5 minutes.

[The Fury 65]

Rich Swann, Zack Sabre Jr., Ciampa, Dar, Gargano, Ho Ho Lun, Akira Tozawa have been announced for WWE's Global Cruiser Tournament according to wrestling observer

[DC 536]

Progress, Rev-Pro and Evolve have also announced that they will be holding some of the qualifying matches for entry into the tournament.

 

The Marty Scurll Bandwagon starts here!

[dsrchris 190]

#VILLAIN

[Guest doros]

Hope Gargano gets it - great young talent

[DC 536]

EVOLVE have two qualifying matches on May 7th; Drew Gulak v Tracy Williams and Fred Yehi v TJ Perkins (formerly the last incarnation of Suicide / Manik in TNA).

 

Meanwhile, on April 24th, PROGRESS will also have two qualifiers; Zack Sabre Jr. v Flash Morgan Webster and Jack Gallagher v Pete Dunne.

 

Winners will then move on to the actual series, which begins on July 13th.