PWTorch.com - 20 YRS AGO KELLER EDITORIAL: Making the case that pro wrestling would benefit greatly from a light-heavyweight division, pitch "cruiserweight" name

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20 YRS AGO KELLER EDITORIAL: Making the case that pro wrestling would benefit greatly from a light-heavyweight division, pitch "cruiserweight" name

Oct 9, 2014 - 11:40:55 AM

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By Wade Keller, editor

The following editorial was originally published 20 years ago this week in Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter #303 cover-dated Oct. 15, 1994.

Original Headline: The light-heavyweight quagmire
Originally Published: October 15, 1994

There are two main factors consistently working against a light-heavyweight division being effective in the United States. First, it's nearly impossible for American promoters to overcome stigmatizing the division as being one made of wrestlers who can't cut it with the heavyweights. Second, it's the division whose wrestlers are held back by promoters they don't show-up the slower heavyweights.

Boxing doesn't have a problem marketing and promoting its different weight divisions. In fact, at various times throughout boxing's recent history, light-heavyweights have dominated the interest of the mainstream public due to their more flamboyant, more active style. The fact that at any given time the lighter-weight boxing champions could more often than not be defeated by the heavier weight boxing champions has not detered interest.

Because of the continued failures of a lighter weight division in wrestling to draw money and establish credibility in the U.S., one conclusion can now be drawn: Unless it's an all-out effort and long-term commitment, it will be seen merely as a preliminary division and thus fail.

WCW has talked about starting another light-weight division. If the reason is merely to give Brian Pillman something to do and to give a short-term boost to TV ratings, it is sure to fail. If the reason is to create an entire new dimension in the promotion, a renaissance of sorts, then the division has a chance to succeed.

WCW will benefit in one way no matter how committed they are to a light-heavyweight division because they'll add better wrestlers and better matches to their events. As a rule, light-heavyweights have a higher percentage of good matches compared to the heavyweights. That's partially because smaller size allows for more high-flying and innovative mat moves and mostly because no one who is small and without remarkable skills makes it in wrestling, yet big wrestlers without remarkable skills often find a top paying job thus flood events with poor wrestling matches. So even if WCW doesn't actually commit to making the division work, there will be some entertaining matches to watch along the way.

Naming the division "light-heavyweight" might be a bad start. A better name might be "cruiser weight," a la boxing, a name without the stigma that "light" has in pro wrestling. Many wrestlers don't want to be dubbed a "light-weight" wrestler, but might not mind a "cruiser weight" title (or a similar substitute). That alone is half the battle. Wrestlers have historically been reluctant to be labeled light weight because it virtually eliminates them from serious consideration as a title holder in the heavyweight division.

Ricky Steamboat, for instance, never competed as a "light-heavyweight" despite being smaller than many wrestlers who are classified "light-heavyweights" (e.g. Tom Zenk, Denny Brown). Someone like Steamboat who has found success in the heavyweight division despite his size could add tremendous credibility to a lighter weight division merely by wrestling in the division rather than running from it.

Also, the champion needs to be treated with more respect than champions of the past. Long time NWA light heavyweight champion Denny Brown, who wore his belt to the iring, did jobs on TV after. Brown, like others such as Mike Graham, Buck Zumhoff, Steve Regal, and Nelson Royal, were average wrestlers at best. They brought nothing special to the division while holding their respective titles. The champion, whomever it is, needs not only to be treated with respect, but to be worthy of that respect.

The title belt, unlike WCW's last one, shouldn't look like a kiddie toy off the souvenir stand. The winner of the tournament (presumably Pillman will be a finalist, if not the eventual tournament winner) should never defend the title on the first half of a major event. The title should never be defended against jobbers, either. The title should be paid the same or nearly the same reverence as the world heavyweight title.

The plans are for wrestlers from Japan and Mexico to be brought in, which is good, but the division should not suffer as it has in the past by having only two or three mainstays. One key reason the lighter weight division works in Japan, among many reasons, is that there are dozens of established names in the division. The last thing WCW needs is another belt that means nothing. If the title ends up being a trophy that two wrestlers fight over month after month, the division is a waste of time.

The division does have an advantage over the heavyweight division in that it can survive without traditional wrestling angles. The feuds in the light-heavyweight division can survive based on the premise of two wrestlers wanting to see who is really the better wrestler, a refreshing break from the endless series of rehashed angles that lead to most feuds. While angles should not be eliminated entirely from the division, athleticism and bragging rights to being "the better wrestlers" should be stressed more in the lighter weight division.

Besides the possibility that WCW will fail to learn from the past mistakes, it's also likely that some will go out of their way to sabotage the division. Of course the sabotage will be disguised with a rationale that states "it's best for the company if these guys don't show-up the heavy-weights" or "we better not pay too much attention to this belt because the heavyweight belt will suffer."

One person who may be at the forefront of the subtle, covert sabotaging of the division is Hulk Hogan. Hogan has never been one to encourage undercard wrestlers to work especially hard and thus put on a match much better than his. Hogan can get away with his formula-style wrestling as long as, thanks to his charisma, most fans don't realize his wrestling routine is made of basic moves in a predictable format that involves little creativity and limited athleticism. Hogan would have to work harder in the ring and actually fight a somewhat talented opponent in order for him to not be totally outshined in many fans' eyes by the light-heavyweight title match that would take place earlier in the card.

Because of that fear of exposing his weakness, Hogan may do everything in his power to make sure the lighter weight wrestlers are restricted in how good their matches can be, how innovative their moves can be, and where the title matches are placed on the cards (he would prefer the lighter weight matches to be distant opening matches rather than semi-main events).

There are very few wrestlers who can have a credible match against Vader. Brian Pillman vs. Vader would be a good match, just as Steamboat vs. Vader has been in the past, but it wouldn't have the credibility necessary to carry a major event. That limits WCW's main event talent pool to bigger wrestlers. That leads to a hiring policy that favors bodybuilders and rotund wrestlers more than athletic, talented, charismatic wrestlers. Surely no promotion should be so desperate for bigger wrestlers that someone as athletically limited as Warlord is considered for main event status. If WCW instead moved about half of its focus to the lighter weights and gave them a credible title to strive for in its storylines, it would double the pool of wrestlers to choose from and eliminate the need to hire stiffs.

A long term commitment would be needed by WCW for the division to reach its peak level of success. If WCW showed a solid commitment to the division and paid reverence to the wrestlers in the division, younger up-and-coming wrestlers who stand less than six feet would have reason to invest time in the independent scene in order to improve. Instead, today's smaller up-and- coming wrestlers have only two reasons to stick it out during tough times - hopes to eventually hook up in Japan where smaller wrestlers are given great opportunities or hopes to eventually form a tag team with another smaller wrestler (such Marty Jannetty, Rick Morton, Bobby Fulton, and others have done in the past). If WCW were added to the mix, it would create an added incentive for smaller prospective wrestlers to make pro wrestling their career choice.

Another benefit that the mere commitment to a lighter weight division would provide is that it gives the smaller Japanese and Mexican wrestlers a place to shine in U.S. rings. With WCW's working relationship with Mexico's AAA, a good way for the two promotions to integrate more - if that is a mutual goal - would be for WCW to use some of Mexico's lighter weight wrestlers in the division. A long-term benefit could also result. If WCW effectively got foreign lighter weight wrestlers over to the domestic audience due to their tremendous workrate, that could lead to an acceptance of heavyweight wrestlers from Japan and Mexico who could - dare I say - draw money as main event wrestlers based on their athleticism. There is no reason that pro wrestling in this country has to have every main event based on a grudge of some sort. If professional pride were sometimes the reason a champion wanted to defeat a top contender (which is the main factor worked into most of Japan's major title matches in both the light and heavyweight divisions), that would give fans a breather from the endless string of grudge title matches and bring a greater sense of athleticism back to wrestling.

The best chance a lighter weight division has of surviving in a major promotion in this country (and all of the above benefits could apply to the WWF as well as WCW) is if the promoters study and pattern their attitudes toward the division after boxing's approach. Then their attention spans have to last longer than a few months. Perhaps putting a light-weight wrestler in charge of the booking of that division - including match-placement, hiring decisions, finishes, and overall approach - would be the best way to assure the heavyweights don't have the edge and bury the upstart division.

The odds are against it being done right but the potential payoff makes it worth trying... again.