phd in kevin knight

'cruiserweight' is the WCW coined term (circa 1996) for, generally unenforced by any actual weight measures, 'middleweight' or 'junior heavyweight' wrestling informed by varied stylistic traditions like lucha libre, joshi puroresu, and technical grappling/catch

basically creating a messy catchall box for 'anything that isn't heavyweight' in terms of style/presentation. it has coherence only in the reference to what it isn't.

these categories have long existed in their own rights but under the guise of 'actual' weight classes. it's generally shaky/sometimes kayfabe on whether weight measures are enforced or are broad sweeping loose categories (this is interesting)

in puroresu in japan there's multiple weight classes including junior heavyweight and heavyweight. in lucha libre theres multiple weight classes including lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, heavyweight. these are ostensibly literally weight based, give or take

in american wrestling, heavyweight is overvalued because of the relationship to masculinity-as-prescribed, our persistent brainworms abt body image and physicality, mcmahonism as a homogenizing force

generally in american wrestling the highest valued men's world title is definitionally openweight, but functionally heavyweight in terms of stylistic traditions because of the relationship with consensus masculinity

notably, the TNA X Division is the reverse: definitionally openweight but functionally the cruiserweight title

'definitionally openweight, de facto heavyweight' is still the case for AEW men's world title. exceptions being stuntbooking 4x WCW cruiserweight champ Chris Jericho as the inaugural AEW mens champ, Bryan Danielson (special in his own way, more on that later), and recently stuntbooking D*rby Allin

american audiences are so primed to our own understanding of consensus masculinity that deviations have to be 'justified' or given a reason to exist, given a garden to grow. this intelligibility has to be created. this is the reason for the creation of the cruiserweight class

also thinking about how when Claudio Castagnoli held the generally de-emphasized CMLL World Heavyweight title and AEW commentary kept calling it the 'CMLL world title'

the CMLL heavyweight title has only existed since 1991, compared to its national welterweight title created in 1934. part of why Claudio was holding it was an attempt to elevate its status because it was so undervalued! but this is alien to american audiences

also an example of the aforementioned 'constantly changing noncoherent meanings' & small things on commentary being works, contextually shifting realities etc. but its a work because it needs to be

Bryan Danielson is a weird one because he's a grappling/technician specialist who repeatedly won people over with little to no character/storyline, his persona was more relational. did you know gender is relational

his run in WWE is famous for being weirdly counterintuitive. not pushed by the company, bullied by mcmahon, but beloved by the fans. because he connects with them. the whole 'yes' movement. etc. resonating with audiences

the nonsense coherence of bryan danielson being in the same category as, say, rey mysterio. 'he's not-huge. and he's vegan which is basically gay or something. this is the same as a luchador' the sameness is in only in the notness. equally failing-to-be under consensus masculinity

if you're a mat grappler that never once jumps you are functionally the same category as an aerial high flyer. because you are not-[thing], the same way a term like 'nonbinary' as a category is a broad sweeping of countless things that simply aren't the specific consensus of what 'binary' is

FEAR NOT! for how often formal queerness blossoms from the rot of failure-to-be: things are found in the glitching & gaps of this class. the very *creation* of the cruiserweight class gave rise to careers that wouldn't have found a place the same way

it's almost like desire paths or visible mending: we draw attention to the limits of what is & what has been before. this is the creation of broad, nonbinary incoherence. a garden for things to grow