History Wrestling / WWECruiserweightClassic

* RingOldies: At 45 (will be 46 by the Tournament's end), Tajiri barely clears the threshold. Although, for this tournament, he's a definite outlier, as the ''next'' oldest competitor in the 32-man field is the 37-year-old Brian Kendrick.

* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: During his quarterfinals match against Kota Ibushi, Brian Kendrick pulls out [[spoiler: the '''Burning Hammer''']], famed for being one of the most dangerous[[note]]high risk of injury[[/note]] and protected[[note]]most likely to decisively win a match[[/note]] [[FinishingMove Finishing Moves]] in wrestling lore. This would be one of the rare occasions the move is ''ever'' seen in the WWE. [[spoiler: And Ibushi ''still'' kicks out of it]].

* LightningBruiser: Several.

** ProgressWrestling by Zack Sabre Jr and Jack Gallagher.
** DragonGate by Akira Tozawa
** {{Wrestling/CMLL}} by Gran Metalik

** Wrestle-1 by YoshihiroTajiri
** WWENXT by Johnny Gargano, Tomasso Ciampa and Rich Swann.

* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: The thirty-two men in the tournament come from several different promotions and from several countries all over the world.

* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: During his quarterfinals match against Kota Ibushi, Brian Kendrick pulls out [[spoiler: the '''Burning Hammer''']], famed for being one of the most dangerous (high risk of injury) and protected (most likely to decisively win a match) [[FinishingMove Finishing Moves]] in wrestling lore. This would be one of the rare occasions the move is ''ever'' seen in the WWE. [[spoiler: And Ibushi ''still'' kicks out of it]].

* [[TheProducerThinksOfEverything The Bookers Think of Everything]]: One isolated instance revolving around Johnny Gargano. [[spoiler: Basically, the second round matches of the tournament were taped a month before NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II, where Gargano would hurt his knee after being targeted by The Revival. The '''actual''' CWC episode broadcast just days later would show Gargano's knee bandaged up, allowing his second-round opponent TJ Perkins to attack said weakness and advance to the quarterfinals]]. In short, [[DramaPreservingHandicap Gargano was selling a knee injury]] [[MindScrew ''weeks before it actually happened.'']]

** Akira Tozawa is stated to be the competitor with the most speed by Daniel Bryan himself. He's also wrestles strong style, which has a particular emphasis on strikes, and his signature move is the German suplex.
** Tony Nese, who is probably the best pure athlete in the tournament. He's incredibly quick and strong.

* MaskedLuchador: Two in the 2016 Tournament - Gran Metalik (Mexico) and Lince Dorado (Puerto Rico).

* FightingYourFriend: The last match of the the first round was between tag team partners Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa, with this trope fully acknowledged. [[spoiler:Ciampa had the match all but won, but couldn't find it in himself to truly hurt Gargano, allowing the latter to steal the win with a crucifix pinning combination]].

* LightningBruiser: Several.

* TheBusCameBack: Tajiri and Brian Kendrick, both of whom achieved some level of notoriety in WWE but hadn't been seen in a handful of years. Tajiri, in fact, hasn't competed regularly in WWE in about ''a decade.''

* TheAce: [[Characters/NewJapanProWrestling Kota Ibushi]]. While there are a lot of favorites in the tournament with their own impressive resumes, Ibushi is arguably the biggest star out of the bunch and the overall favorite to win.

* Tony Nese, who is probably the best pure athlete in the tournament. He's incredibly quick and strong.

* PintSizedPowerhouse: It's a tournament for ''cruiserweights'', and contrary to popular belief, not all of them are high-flyers.

* {{Bishonen}}: Kota Ibushi and Akira Tozawa.

* FightingYourFriend: The last match of the tournament was between tag team partners Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa, with this trope fully acknowledged. [[spoiler:Ciampa had the match all but won, but couldn't find it in himself to truly hurt Gargano, allowing the latter to steal the win with a crucifix pinning combination]].

[[caption-width-right:220:[[Wrestling/DanielBryan This is going to be awesome!]]]]

* AscendedFanboy: Commentators Mauro Ranallo and DanielBryan.

-->''(On NXT regulars Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa)'' I personally hope they both lose.
* TournamentArc: A yearly one, if the first tournament is successful enough.

* DanceBattler: TJ Perkins, full stop.

* TournamentArc

* PintSizedPowerhouse: It's a tournament for ''cruiserweights'', and contrary to popular belief, not all of them are high-flyers.

* FaceHeelDoubleTurn: [[spoiler:[[Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick Brian Kendrick]] and Raul Mendoza gradually turned over the course of their match. Kendrick was initially presented as the veteran who didn't make the most out of his chances and was looking to redeem himself by winning the tournament. Raul was presented as the cocky hotshot who was looking to make a name for himself at the expense of his opponent's dreams. But over the course of the match, it became clear Kendrick was willing to do anything to win and "redeem" himself, using increasingly underhanded and brutal tactics while Mendoza tried to fight through it all to win, making him look more and more like a sympathetic underdog. By the end, Kendrick was the heel and Mendoza was the face]].

* HeelFaceDoubleTurn: [[spoiler:Wrestling/TheBrianKendrick and Raul Mendoza gradually turned over the course of their match. Kendrick was initially presented as the veteran who didn't make the most out of his chances and was looking to redeem himself by winning the tournament. Raul was presented as the cocky hotshot who was looking to make a name for himself at the expense of his opponent's dreams. But over the course of the match, it became Kendrick was willing to do anything to win and "redeem" himself, using increasingly underhanded and brutal tactics why Mendoza tried to fight through it all to win. By the end, Kendrick was the heel and Mendoza was the face]].

* FightingYourFriend: The last match of the tournament was between tag team partners Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa, with this trope fully acknowledged. [[spoiler:Ciampa had the match all but won, but couldn't find it in himself to truly hurt Gargano, allowing the latter to steal the win with a crucifix pinning combination]].

[[caption-width-right:220:[[Wrestling/DanielBryan This is going to be awesome!]]