Professional wrestling is always evolving. Comparing the product of today with the action and presentation of even a decade ago will turn up some stark contrasts. For example, while watching Samoa Joe battle Rhyno on an episode of NXT recently, I couldn’t help but think to myself how only a few decades ago, some fans would be rolling their eyes at two heavyweight hosses locking up. The traditional big man matches of the 1980’s are long gone, and in their place are matches with athletes that can throw their weight, as well as their opponents, around.
As I was watching these two broad shouldered behemoths engage in battle, I got to thinking about all the fantastic heavyweight talent World Wresting Entertainment has in NXT. Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin, Bull Dempsey, Big Cass, Marcus Louis, Jason Jordan, and the aforementioned Joe and Rhyno just to name a few. All of them fit the modern big man mold of having large bodies and bigger repertoires. They are men who can move and go the distance from bell to bell.
What about their counterparts? Wrestlers of a smaller stature have benefited the most from the stylistic evolution of wrestling in the last few decades, with cruiserweight wrestlers being more appreciated for the exciting offense and break neck pace they can set in the ring. NXT has no shortage of performers who are smaller in stature but big on excitement. Tyler Breeze, Sami Zayn, Solomon Crowe, Enzo Amore, Hideo Itami, and even current NXT Champion Finn Balor all fit that mold.
It’s a great time to be an NXT fan when we are getting such a great mixture of both heavyweight and cruiserweight wrestlers. It does make me curious that if given the green light, could NXT successfully create two separate but equal weight class divisions within NXT? Would it make sense and would it even be a good idea? More importantly, would it improve or hurt the product overall?
Let’s start out with the positives. Many fans have been begging WWE to reinstate the cruiserweight division for years now. This would be an answered prayer to those fans who yearn for those days once more. If NXT wishes not to associate with World Championship Wrestling, they could always take a page from New Japan Pro Wrestling and create a junior heavyweight division instead. Same style, better brand association.
It could also lead to some interesting competition among fans and performers. Which division has the better matches? Which has the better characters? Which championship is more important? These are all questions that could arise from such a division and lead to some interesting stories being told. You could have guys like Jason Jordan try to make or cut weight to excel in both divisions, or have a Survivor Series style fight each year between the two and build some stories around that.
Finally, it could give guys on the fringe something to shoot for. Some of the names on this list are already stars, but many of them are lucky to see any television time. This is a shame especially considering some of the talent listed there. Creating a new weight division could allow a guy like Solomon Crowe to be something other than a jobber, and Marcus Louis the chance to explore his character more. These guys need more exposure, and having another championship to contend for could be just the boost their career needs.
Of course, there are some problems with this idea. The first one that comes to mind is the potential for diluting the importance of the NXT Championship. If it becomes the NXT Heavyweight Championship, does it take away from the prestige that has been built up for it so far? By allowing two big names on top instead of one, does it water down the product, or worse, push down one division over another?
Another issue to consider is the separation issues. If there is a weight class split, does that mean less contests where we have smaller guys wrestling big guys? While creating a weight division would create competition, it could also make things stale for both competitors and fans. Of course, just because there are two divisions it doesn’t necessarily mean that would be the end of David vs Goliath contests, but the writers would need to get very creative with reasons as to why those barriers would need to be crossed again and again.
That brings me to the final potential problem for a weight class split in NXT. NXT is a one hour program, and while they have done an admirable job of mixing up the Men’s, Women’s, and Tag Team divisions, it can still get pretty crowded on the WWE Network Wednesday nights. Adding in another division could lead to matches being cut for time in order to accommodate the new weight class on display. Of course, another option is to increase NXT to a two hour program. While it certainly has the talent and ability to pull off such a change, part of NXT’s charm is the fact that each episode is only an hour. You can watch it without getting bored or have it feel like a marathon the same way RAW feels like when some fans watch it.
In the end, NXT is an entertainment program trying to pass itself off as a sport. It is the dilemma wrestling companies have faced for decades since pro wrestling “came out of the closet” and admitted what generations had suspected all along. Even in 2015 it seems to be an issue, when it really shouldn’t be. If NXT really wants to add to their illusion of legitimacy with a weight class division on their program, then I have no objection. There are lots of ways they can make it entertaining, but that is the key. If those in charge and in the ring can’t make that kind of jarring change work for them, and make their show more entertaining in the process, then all they are doing is throwing their weight around.
