3 WWE tournaments that worked (and 1 that didn't)

#1. Tournament that didn't work: Brawl For All

WWE Brawl for All

As the finish to the recent Hell in a Cell main event displayed, you can get a good feel for how a wrestling moment is received based purely off the live audience in attendance.

So when your unique tournament concept is met with chants of "Boring!" and "We want wrestling!" you know you have a flop on your hands.

The idea behind the Brawl For All back in 1998 was a legit shoot-fighting tournament, as opposed to the usual scripted nature under which wrestling operates.

It was conceived by the notorious Vince Russo whose exploits have been discussed over the years. WWE boasted of some legitimate tough guys back in the day like Bradshaw, Bart Gunn, The Godfather, Steve Blackman and Marc Mero amongst others.

At the time, WWE were trying to use the growing popularity of UFC to legitimize some of their genuine ‘tough guy’ members of the roster.

While MMA was growing, it wasn’t near the level then that it is now. As a result, fans rejected the concept instantly. To make matters even worse, Brawl for All had the opposite effect WWE had originally intended.

Steve Williams was the man pegged to win the whole thing, and eventually got a massive push, but he was unexpectedly knocked out by Bart Gunn in the second round. Williams was injured as a result and never did receive that push.

Gunn would eventually go on to win the tournament, but it was clear that WWE never saw him as anything more than just a name in the mix. So, what did the company do with him? Bart Gunn was knocked out cold by professional boxer Eric 'Butterbean' Esch at Wrestlemania 15.

It was a popular setup but failed to be marketed correctly. The flipside also saw superstars receive plenty of legitimate injuries and hence remains an infamous episode in WWE history