On the August 22 episode of "205 Live", Amore debuted in the cruiserweight division and began a feud with Cruiserweight Champion Neville. On the September 5 episode of "205 Live", Amore earned a title opportunity against Neville, winning a Fatal five-way elimination match also involving Cedric Alexander, The Brian Kendrick, Gran Metalik and Tony Nese. At No Mercy on September 24, Amore defeated Neville with a low blow to win the Cruiserweight Championship. This decision was made because of "205 Live"'s lack of success; Vince McMahon thought a "strong" character as Amore would improve the brand, making him the core of the show. The following night on "Raw", Amore closed the show with a "championship celebration", where he insulted the cruiserweight division and stated that he made "205 Live" "relevant" and that the "205 Live" roster was "jealous" of his accomplishments, turning heel for the first time since 2013. He also showed a signed clause by General Manager Kurt Angle that if any cruiserweight touched him, they would lose their title opportunities. The week after on "Raw", Amore revealed another paper clause stating that any cruiserweight that tried to touch him would be fired. Subsequently, Kalisto was introduced as the newest member of the cruiserweight division and attacked Amore. On the October 9 episode of "Raw", Amore lost the Cruiserweight Championship to Kalisto in a lumberjack match. However, he regained the title in the rematch at on October 22, via an illegal thumb shot to the eye behind the referee's back. At the Survivor Series pre-show on November 19, Amore successfully defended the title against Kalisto. This was his last WWE pay-per-view appearance. In early January 2018, Amore was unable to compete due to suffering from influenza.