Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins: WWE Cruiserweight Title Match Winner and Reaction

Brian Kendrick lost the battle but won the war on Raw, falling to TJ Perkins by count-out Monday night and thus retaining the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

Perkins delivered a hurricanrana off the top rope to the ring apron, sending both wrestlers to the outside.

WWE shared a replay of the impressive move:

ESPN.com's Brian Campbell didn't enjoy watching Perkins' head bang off the apron on his way down:

Rather than re-entering the ring, Kendrick stayed outside as the referee finished his 10-count, ensuring he wouldn't lose the cruiserweight title.

WWE painted itself into a corner by having Perkins' rematch with Kendrick the day after after Hell in a Cell. Having the cruiserweight title change hands so quickly won't help the belt gain any prestige. Conversely, the last thing Perkins needed was another loss after Kendrick won their last two head-to-head meetings.

Although the count-out allowed WWE to avoid both of those scenarios, it's an underwhelming finish in any title match.

Fighting Spirit Magazine thought of a way the match could've been salvaged:

"

Now this is where you use the babyface GM: he recognises what Kendrick did and he makes it right for Perkins & the fans. #Raw

— Fighting Spirit Mag (@FSM_Editor) November 1, 2016"

Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari applauded Kendrick's work Monday night:

When WWE unveiled the cruiserweight division on Raw, it looked like a big step in the right direction. The Cruiserweight Classic was a success on the WWE Network, so the timing was perfect to transition most of the stars from that tournament over to WWE's flagship program.

In theory, the cruiserweight wrestlers were set to provide something different than what fans had expected to see on Raw every week.

Instead, the division has been a disappointment. WWE has done little to establish any of the cruiserweights as stars. As the Miami Herald's Scott Fishman tweeted, the focus has been on only Perkins and Kendrick:

Monday's finish suggested Kendrick and Perkins still have unfinished business, but both wrestlers would benefit from going in different directions. Their story has run its course for now after the two have wrestled on Raw's last two pay-per-views.

It's time for WWE to begin shining the spotlight on one or more of Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado or Gran Metalik.