WWE has officially rebranded one of its championship titles. The WWE Cruiserweight Championship, once connected solely to 205 Live, has been rechristened the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
The promotion revealed the change to the name in an article on its official website, hyping a forthcoming championship matchup between current champion Drew Gulak and number one contender, Lio Rush. The two are set to compete this coming Wednesday on WWE’s black-and-gold brand NXT, live on the USA Network.
With NXT’s move to USA Network and extension to a two-hour time slot, fans were unsure as to the future of 205 Live as a separate brand -- especially as WWE is now directly competing with TNT’s All Elite Wrestling Dynamite every Wednesday. In a recent interview, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H, mentioned that the brand and its Superstars would be consolidated into NXT. The rebranding of the Cruiserweight Championship confirms this, though it is interesting the promotion has made it an NXT exclusive title.
Lio Rush earned his opportunity against Drew Gulak during NXT’s premiere episode on USA Network on Sept. 18. He defeated Oney Lorcan to become number one contender.