Ever since the advent of the WWE cruiserweight division with the debut of last summer’s Cruiserweight Classic tournament, the defining characteristic of the division has been “purple.” When the cruisers were incorporated into Raw, all cruiserweight in-ring segments got their own look. Purple lighting, purple branding, and famously, all the ring ropes were taped up in purple for the (very short) matches, and the tape was then removed again before non-cruiserweights got back in the ring.
The idea was to make the cruiserweights an attraction and set them apart; to give them their own spotlight and signal to fans that they were watching something new and different. In theory, it was a really fantastic idea. In practice, it sort of made the cruiserweights stand out in a BAD way; like they were ostracized and not able to be part of the “real” Raw. Or at least, that was the popular conception.
The purple lights and purple ropes on Raw have slowly gone to the wayside. Maybe it’s because WWE is finally taking the division seriously after adding Enzo Amore, or maybe it’s just that they finally decided it wasn’t worth the hassle. Either way, the de-purpling of the cruiserweights has begun. The purple ropes are still in effect over on 205 Live, and they’ll probably remain there, just like NXT has the yellow ropes.
But maybe the entire cruiserweight everything is slowly getting a new look. The cruiserweight championship has been purple since the moment it debuted, and really does set it apart from all the other titles in the company. But on Sunday, current champ Kalisto shared a photo from a house show, and he’s holding a version of the belt with a black strap.
Make sure to stop by and join the #LuchaParty in #WWEYakima vamonos Orale!.. pic.twitter.com/bOIiWDszkN
— Samuray Del Sol® “Manny $” (@gloat) October 15, 2017
Of course, in another photo that Kalisto posted, it seems possible that the new belt is just a very DARK purple, but black seems most likely at this point.
Ain't nuttin' but a #LuchaParty at #WWEYakima with my homie @KalistoWWE @WWE #ConquerCruiserweights pic.twitter.com/trGEcoBdC1
— nodaysoff FRED ROSSER III (@realfredrosser) October 16, 2017
Or maybe all the lighting is jacked up on all of these photos? Who knows. If the strap is indeed black, it would still keep the title distinct from the other belts on Raw, as they’re all currently either red or white. But maybe it’s a good look? Maybe it’s long overdue? Or maybe we’re just getting some custom titles here, and when Enzo gets it back, it will revert to being purple. Or worse.
