Clash of Champions 2016: T.J. Perkins v Brian Kendrick

There is no rest for the best when it comes to Raw’s newly launched Cruiserweight division. WWE Cruiserweight Champion T.J. Perkins will defend his title at WWE Clash of the Champions this Sunday against grizzled veteran Brian Kendrick less than two weeks after winning the coveted accolade in the Cruiserweight Classic.

This Sunday’s showdown will mark Perkins’ first official title defense of the Cruiserweight Championship and it comes fresh on the heels of outlasting 31 other competitors in WWE Network’s inaugural tournament to crown the best Cruiserweight in the world.

Kendrick also was a competitor in the historic CWC, making it into the Quarterfinal round only to lose in a grueling battle against tournament favorite Kota Ibushi. Despite the emotional loss, The Post-Apocalyptic Scavenger gained the respect of the WWE Universe and his fellow Superstars thanks to his scrappy style and unbreakable will.

Most remember Kendrick from his previous tenure in WWE, in which the blond-haired highflier became a WWE Tag Team Champion. However, the Brian Kendrick that WWE fans witnessed in the CWC and in his return on Raw is a much different man. Now a rugged veteran, Kendrick employs an anything-goes offensive style that has proven to be very dangerous for his opponents.

After reigning supreme in a No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match Monday night on Raw, Kendrick — who just weeks ago thought his WWE career was over following his exit from the CWC — now has a second lease on life. Will his embattled journey lead him to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship?

For the titleholder, the last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, rising from obscurity to the history books as the first WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Not only that, but the charismatic competitor also did it by defeating some of the best Cruiserweights in the world. Perkins has shown that he is worthy of being called the best, but with little time to recover from the grueling 32-man tournament, can he survive the ruthless Kendrick?