The WWE might finally have something with Neville. After years wasting away on the main roster, it appears that the higher-ups at the company have given him the push he deserves. And while it might not be the Universal Championship picture, the Cruiserweight division has never been stronger.
When Neville returned at Roadblock, many were shocked to see the former NXT champion turn heel. It’s surprising seeing as Neville has never been a heel at any point during his main roster stint, and was relatively a babyface during his NXT run. The decision was the best thing to happen to Neville though, as he now has the ability to connect with the audience in a much more effective way than during his babyface days.
[DanielG]
The whole Neville turning heel program has given him a chance to finally address the lack of respect the WWE universe gave him as a face. He would get no reaction from the crowd. As a heel, Neville now berates the crowd for their lackluster attitude towards him in the past. He’s also gotten a lot of heat because of his jabs at American fans, a classic heel move.
Neville is now calling himself “King of the Cruiserweights”. The name really fits him, as he doesn’t look at all like he meets the maximum 205 weight limit to be a cruiserweight. Although, he’s also the most seasoned 205 Live star on the roster, seeing as he’s been on live WWE programming for over two years. He really does look to be in a class all by himself when compared to the other cruiserweights.
Why should fans finally care about Neville? It wasn’t a surprise that he never got over with the WWE universe before. He had virtually no charisma on the mic, and his move set was virtually all high-flying and acrobatics, good for a few oooh’s and awe’s but won’t do anything for his popularity with the fans. His heel gimmick has finally given him the ability to cut promos, and most of all show some charisma. And for the most part, he succeeds in getting a reaction from the crowd.
While 205 Live hasn’t really taken off the way WWE has hoped, characters such as Neville will help it get over with the fans. The one issue with the cruiserweights has their inability to get the crowd invested in their stories. Neville is one of the only cruiserweights to get a reaction from the WWE universe. He’s going to do a great job at putting guys like Rich Swann, T.J. Perkins, and Jack Gallagher over. Even if he doesn’t feud with them directly, it will add a lot of fuel to the 205 Live fire. That’s exactly why WWE turned Neville heel, as he’s the perfect choice to lead the cruiserweights in the WWE.