For the informal American wrestling fan, WCW’s Cruiserweight Division was maybe the primary time that they had seen smaller-sized athletes ship entertaining, credible performances. Globally, high-flying types have been definitely nothing new, however Eric Bischoff deserves no less than partial credit score for giving it an even bigger stage to shine in america.
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On “83 Weeks,” Bischoff mirrored on the affect of WCW’s Cruiserweight Division and its function in creating alternatives for in the present day’s stars.
“It opened the door for lots of potential skilled wrestlers who weren’t born to be 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5 and 300 kilos,” Bischoff mentioned. “Impulsively, you’ve got received 10, 12, 14-year-old youngsters which can be rising up watching guys like Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko. And children that have been watching [said], ‘Man, sometime I am gonna be an expert wrestler.’ 20 years earlier than that, they have been s*** out of luck.”
The prevailing criticism of WCW, even on the peak of its recognition, had at all times been that high spots have been reserved for getting old stars too reluctant to step apart. However the Cruiserweight Division stays a optimistic, making stars out of the likes of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, although each finally needed to be a part of WWE to interrupt by WCW’s glass ceiling.
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Bischoff named AEW’s Darby Allin as an individual who most likely would not have had a shot within the enterprise with out the Cruiserweight Division breaking down limitations. “Take a look at Darby Allin,” Bischoff mentioned. “I might put him in my pocket and take him for a stroll. He would’ve by no means gotten a shot within the enterprise. However in the present day he is there, and he is doing an excellent job.”
WWE stored numerous incarnations of the cruiserweight and light-weight division after buying WCW, although they’ve typically shifted from maintaining smaller stars in their very own “division” to integrating them with bigger wrestlers.
