3 Reasons The World Cup Tournament Was A Wasted Opportunity
WWE missed a huge opportunity when it came to the World Cup Tournament at Crown Jewel, in Saudi Arabia. When done correctly, tournaments can take the fans on a captivating emotional journey until the end. Sadly, the World Cup Tournament turned out to be a huge disappointment.
Let’s dig deep on the aspects of the World Cup tournament and the three reasons it was a such a huge letdown. Let’s begin with the first reason:
#1 The opportunity to build new stars
Tournaments offer a strong ability to build new stars. The World Cup could’ve easily been used to catapult and showcase up and coming talent such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Balor, Andrade “Cien” Almas, Drew McIntyre, or Luke Harper, while NXT stars such as Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Aleister Black, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong or many other talents with potential could have also benefitted with a win. The NXT UK or 205 Live division could've been included in the tournament pool as well.
The company could’ve easily put four talented newcomers that they’re high on at the moment against four veterans who have credibility. Drew McIntyre could’ve been the dominant force throughout.
Zack Ryder could've been a dark horse in this competition. Perhaps playing the role of the underdog who wants to prove to the WWE universe that he is worthy of being a main eventer.
WWE could’ve taken a risk with someone such as Johnny Gargano, who could’ve been given a strong showcase push throughout the competition. Gargano wouldn’t need to win in the end, but with his strong work ethic, he would definitely open more eyes to fans who don't know who Johnny wrestling is.
This tournament should’ve been a way to actively showcase the stars of tomorrow. Instead, it became a wasted opportunity. This is baffling for a company who continues to have trouble building stars.