Flashback Friday: WCW Cruiserweights

Welcome to the Flashback Friday here at Figure Four Writer's Block. Today we will be taking a look at WCW's cruiserweight division.

When I was a kid I was absolutely in love with the colorful masks and costumes introduced at the beginning of each show. With a few notable exceptions like Eddie and Chavo Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Jericho (sorry El Dandy), these guys had to sell so much more charisma through their wardrobe since they couldn't emote with their faces. The speed with which you would see competitors move, and the way they would fly, it was like watching a Saturday morning cartoon played out in real life.

Today, there's a lot of kickback on the performers on 205 Live, the new cruiserweight division for WWE. People complain that it just isn't the same and that's true, but let's think about why that is. The biggest hurdle for them to overcome is working the "WWE style", while still having to set themselves apart. If I can see the same moves out of Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, or even Kevin Owens and Kassius Ohno, I have significantly less reason to care about these guys only allowed to compete against each other. Along those same lines, they're so isolated. Chris Jericho is a legendary cruiserweight. Because of the lowered weight limit, and other unnecessary conditions, you will never see him on 205 Live, and 205 Live is a WWE Network exclusive program. This means, thanks to things like YouTube, Netflix, and cable, I can access a similar, if not superior, product just as easily. Lucha Underground on Netflix and cable, Impact Wrestling's X-Division on cable, or looking up Kota Ibushi or Zach Sabre Jr on YouTube will all result in higher quality matches, without a $9.99 premium.

In the mid to late 90's, WCW had some of the best in-ring action in America, and a lot of that is because of the cruiserweights. Here are some of my favorite characters from the time.

1) Chris Jericho - His feuds with Rey Mysterio Jr, Dean Malenko, and Bill Goldberg were some of my all-time favorite feuds from WCW, and you could tell from even then that he was bound for greatness. While WCW never put him in their main event scene, he was always a must-see segment.

2) Rey Mysterio Jr. - On the topic of must-see segments, Rey Mysterio matches from the time were groundbreaking. While he would go on to find even more success in the WWE as well, he was one of the most popular men on the roster, and Kevin Nash throwing him like a lawn dart into a sound truck is still one of the most memorable moments of the NWO invasion.

3) Eddie Guerrero - Similar to the two previously mentioned stars, Eddie's career would sore to even greater heights once he left for green pastures, but during his time in the cruiserweight division, he was one of the easiest to hate in the company. Eddie also did a great job, at least to me as a child, of blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality. Child-me also thought the LWO had the coolest of the NWO-themed t-shirts.

4) La Parka - Whether it was the skeleton themed attire, the absurd chicken-like dance, or that he was built quite a bit differently than the rest of his competition, La Parka was always a favorite of mine. Also going by the moniker of "The Chairman of WCW", he always stood out to me.

5) Blitzkrieg - Blitzkrieg was an interesting story. He had some of the best high-flying moves at the time. With a flashy appearance as well, he couldn't help but standout, to the extent of being named the Wrestling Observer's 1999 Rookie of the Year, and earning the #99 spot in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's top 500. After a career-ending concussion, he went to nursing school and continues to be a nurse to this day.

Were you following WCW at the time? Who were your favorite wrestlers 240 lbs. and under? Let me know in the comments below, and until next time stay (too) sweet.