3 Reasons The World Cup Tournament Was A Wasted Opportunity

#3 The tournament never felt important

Part of Rey Mysterio's big return was wasted in a worthless tournament

How does being labelled the best in the world advance a wrestler’s career? Shouldn’t AJ Styles or Brock Lesnar have that claim since they’re the company’s top champions at the moment? In fact, Styles, Nakamura, and Seth Rollins should’ve automatically been inserted into the tournament since the titles they hold should mean that they’re one of the best wrestlers in the world.

In the end, the tournament meant nothing. The winner won’t get a title shot. Or a guaranteed spot in the Royal Rumble. Shane McMahon received a tournament trophy and possibly a gift card to Ruby Tuesday’s.

Eliminating stakes took away the audience’s investment in the match. The WWE fans knew the matches meant nothing, so no one ultimately cared who won or lost.

Is there a reason Shane McMahon needs to be pushed? He is pushing 50 years old thus he should be in the position where he's helping elevate young talent. Does Smackdown really need another heel general manager, especially one who doesn't need to be the center focus of the roster at this stage of his career?

This whole world cup tournament is actually a great idea. As mentioned before, WWE could’ve put some NXT, 205 Live, and NXT UK wrestlers in this tournament to showcase the different styles or worlds (WWE’s world) in the company. They could've Incorporated some of the Evolve roster into the mix as well.

A 20-man tournament between the four brands spread across several weeks. Johnny Gargano could’ve faced Rey Mysterio in the first round or Seth Rollins could’ve gone one-on-one with NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne in the semi-finals. It's a shame because the company could’ve really had some fun with this tournament.