WWE Cruiserweight Classic Finale 9-14-16

CWC recap leads to Bryan saying that the CWC roster is doing what Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid did in the '80s, and what the NJPW Juniors did in the '90s. TJP's rise in the tourney is chronicled and Gran Metalik comes out to face Zack Sabre Jr. This is going to be an interesting style matchup as it's basically lucha vs. British style. ZSJ is dropkicked to the floor and eats a flip dive! A springboard senton gets 2.5! Metalik goes up, but gets uppercutted and eats a punt on the rope.

Metalik counters ZSJ's wacky British submissions with a wacky lucha submission! ZSJ gets a dragon sleeper holding his hands together behind his back. ZSJ gets a series of quick submissions, but Metalik hops out before eating a leaping Yakuza kick. He runs in and eats a sick kick. I guess he doesn't really need a jaw - James Ellsworth seems to get by just fine without one. Slap/uppercut fight off the knees! ZSJ eats a lariat and a running superkick before a springboard elbow gets 2.

ZSJ hits a series of forearms and uppercuts in the corner. He locks on a top-rope cravate before ZSJ gets crotched and eats a ropewalk rana. A springboard splash is met with a triangle turned into an armbar by ZSJ. Metalik turns it into a cradle for 2. ZSJ runs in and eats a Metalik Driver - giving Metalik the win! Regal gives Metalik a CWC medal and he is interviewed after the match. DIY says they're ready to rock and roll.

 

 

Ibushi comes out to face TJ Perkins in the other semi-final. TJP impresses with fancy matwork, while Ibushi shines with a springboard dropkick. Golden Triangle moonsault is avoided with a kick. Ibushi comes in at 9 and eats a dragon screw legwhip. Ibushi ranas him to the floor and hits the Golden Triangle moonsault! Delayed missile dropkick hits for 2.5. In-ring Golden Triangle is met with a knees to the gut and a kneebar, but Ibushi gets the ropes. Deep bridging German gets 2 for Ibushi! TJ eats some nasty kicks on the apron while the fans chant "yes!"

Ibushi goes for the apron to ring German, but TJ fights out of it and lands a triangle wrecking ball dropkick. Ibushi hits a Pele! Ibushi goes for the last ride, but eats a DDT and the inverted lungblower gets 2.5! Ibushi goes for a Pele, but is locked into a kneebar! They slap one another hard and the Golden Star Bomb hits for 2.9! Phoenix Splash misses and they go back and forth with forearm shots. GTS hits for TJP, but the inverted Dudebuster by Ibushi hits and gets 2! Golden Star bomb is countered into the kneebar! He transitions into a necklock and taps him out!

Cedric and Dar are backstage to face DIY. Sasha Banks is in the crowd along with Kalisto and Rich Swann and Jack Gallagher and Bayley. DIY gets a huge pop before Bryan says that Johnny will actually be wrestling his fiancee soon. Crowd overshadows the match by chanting the Empire March at Dar. Dar eats a big knee by Johnny, who fires away with running forearms after Ciampa locks on a cravate. Spear gets 2 for Johnny. Ciampa lands some knees to the jaw, then Johnny eats a knee before Ciampa hits a roaring lariat. Ciampa chops Dar hard up top before Dar avoids an Air Raid Crash. Dar avoids it and lands a boot to Johnny before Cedric tags in and gets 2 off a brainbuster. A giant spinkick gets 2.9999, but the ref calls it 2. Superkick by Johnny leads to the lawndart and kneeling superkick/knee strike for the win!

Bryan, Mauro, and Regal chat about the CWC. Everything here is of course due to HHH. Corey chats for a bit before TJP comes out. HHH says that the winner here is the inaugural CWC winner and the first WWE Cruiserweight Champion. It's a large purple and silver belt with WWE logos and globes and it looks very create-a-belt ish.

TJP gets a headscissors, then a rocking horse and 2 off a cradle. TJ gets locked into a modified surfboard and makes it to the ropes. Triangle rana sends Metalik to the floor! TJ locks on a nasty body lock, but Metalik gets to the rope. TJ stands on the apron and METALIK SOARS AND HITS A RANA OFF THE APRON! That needs to be an OMG move in 2K18! Double-jump flip dive hits!

TJ lands some kicks, but Metalik hits a springboard dropkick. A standing SSP misses, so TJ locks on a kneebar! He gets to the ropes and we get more forearm exchanges, but a superkick takes TJP out! Big DDT hits and they're both worn out. A Metalik moonsault meets the knees and a do-dan leads to the kneebar! METALIK DRIVER, but he can't cover due to the kneebar. It gets 2! Metalik slaps the daylights out of TJ, who avoids the Driver and hits a rebound dropkick! Metalik kicks him up top and goes for a super Metalik Driver! TJ turns it into a flying kneebar! The legs are crossed and Metalik taps! TJ Perkins is now a former X Division and current Cruiserweight Champion who makes his Raw debut this Monday night. "TJ Perkins was living on the streets and now he is the first CWC winner and Cruiserweight Champion!" TJ's chest is beaten to death with welts.

 

After the match, TJ holds a key that he says is to the last place he was evicted from. He said he used to hold onto the key to remind him of where he was - and now he no longer needs it. This was an excellent show and so much better than Backlash. This CWC was star-making and I hope they go all the way with the cruiserweights now. I doubt they will, but I at least have some hope now.

Screenshots -
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/tsyv29pbbyu3bt873qof3retwlgzqt1k