6 Superstars who shouldn't win the WWE World Cup and 2 who should

As the WWE heads to Saudi Arabia for a second pay-per-view this year with Crown Jewel, while there is excitement among a first time match between D-generation X and the Brothers of Destruction, it is not the only ‘first’ happening at Crown Jewel, with the pay-per-view also hosting the first ever WWE World Cup (albeit, with all of the superstars representing the United States of America).

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However, in order for the WWE World Cup tournament to be a success, it needs to avoid the mistakes made with the Greatest Royal Rumble, which, unlike the main Royal Rumble, has left Strowman with a meaningless afterthought of a victory to his name, where he essentially won nothing.

In order for this World Cup tournament to have the significance of, say, winning King of the Ring, the victory should go to the right wrestler. A big part of being the ‘right wrestler’, it would effectively have to go to someone who can make the WWE World Cup be relevant, and not all of the competitors participating fit that criteria.

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#8 Shouldn't - John Cena

John Cena has already won it all.

With over 25 Championships to his name in the WWE, including a record-equalling 16 world title wins with Ric Flair, John Cena has simply done it all in the WWE. His list of accomplishments also includes 2 Royal Rumble victories, a Money in the Bank win, and main eventing WrestleMania five times.

John Cena’s decorated career at the WWE is envied by most past and present WWE superstars, who have barely accomplished a fraction of what he’s managed to achieve. Simply put – he doesn’t need to win the WWE World Cup as well.

Moreover, John Cena’s last twelve months have been focused on Hollywood with his WWE career consisting of 3 out of 5 losses in his last 5 pay-per-view appearances, including being demolished by The Undertaker in under three minutes at WrestleMania 34. In many ways, if John Cena was to win the entire tournament, despite spending more time away from the ring than in the ring, it would be somewhat of an insult to most of the other wrestlers that are wrestling week in, week out.

If you also take into account that John Cena is the only wrestler competing that didn’t go through a qualification match to be part of this event, a World Cup victory for John Cena would simply be unwarranted, unfair, and unnecessary.

#7 Shouldn't - Randy Orton

Orton's sadistic return would be ruined with a trophy.

Randy Orton’s return at Extreme Rules 2018 has been memorable, to say the least. From threatening to tear out Jeff Hardy’s earlobe to attempting to break Tye Dillinger’s finger, Randy Orton’s disturbing return has shown shades of the Attitude Era and definitely flirted with the lines of WWE’s PG programming.

In fact, Orton’s current persona is so unpredictable, the WWE Universe has no idea what will happen to whatever ‘victim’ Randy Orton has his eyes on.

For Randy Orton to win the WWE World Cup after his recent change in character would be pointless. Nothing is gained if he wins the tournament, yet a loss to any wrestler could easily make said wrestler the next object of Orton’s ire-raising the question of what he could possibly do to shock and sicken the WWE universe next? Orton has already ‘unmasked’ fellow qualifier Jeff Hardy – can you imagine what his next personal mission might be if he loses to Rey Mysterio?

#6 Shouldn’t – Seth Rollins

Rollins proudly has the Intercontinental Championship and Raw Tag Team Championship already.

The main storyline in the last few months of Raw has been the ongoing feud between The Shield and The Dogs of War. It also must be stressed that all of the gold available to anyone competing in the men’s division on Raw currently resides in one of these two stables. For that reason alone, Seth Rollins shouldn’t have more gold after Crown Jewel.

Rollins is also currently one half of Raw Tag Team Team Champions and the Intercontinental Champion and only recently but didn’t defend the title at the last two pay-per-views, with the main storylines being focused on protecting his brotherhood.

Whilst the dissolution of their main rivals has now become clear, Seth Rollins can start proudly defending his Intercontinental Championship again, most likely against Dean Ambrose, having recently betrayed the brotherhood. Having a WWE World Cup on top would be overkill for the WWE Universe, even if he is one of the hardest workers in the company.

#5 Shouldn’t – Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler has many things going on at the moment.

Whilst the stability of the relationship between him and his tag team partner Drew McIntyre is quite rocky as they have only recently lost their tag team championships, in order to keep the Raw Tag Team Championship as a respectable title to hold as well as building a relationship (or feud) with McIntyre, Ziggler should have his focuses on this instead.

In many ways, he’d arguably be an ideal candidate to win the World Cup, as this trophy win could potentially cause further friction between himself and McIntyre. However, Ziggler has many things going on in the WWE.

On top of his relationship with McIntyre, he’s also dealing with his split with Strowman, his hatred for the Shield, and there’s still a potential desire to reclaim the Intercontinental Championship. Winning the WWE World Cup would be too convoluted.

#4 Shouldn’t – Kurt Angle

The power struggle for managing Raw is much more important than winning the WWE World Cup.

Kurt Angle’s return to the WWE in May 2017 has been welcomed and also long overdue with the WWE Universe. Inducted in this year’s Hall of Fame class, it’s safe to assume that Kurt Angle has forever left his mark on the WWE. Angle has also shown he hasn’t missed a step, winning every match he’s been in since his return, including victories at TLC, Survivor Series and WrestleMania.

However, it is clear that there is a much bigger story brewing with the Olympic Champion, and that doesn’t include winning the WWE World Cup. The ongoing power struggle he has with Baron Corbin and Stephanie McMahon for the right to be the Raw General Manager has been a proven storyline that has worked in the past and is still an exciting storyline with the way Baron is running the show (for eg. making impossible handicap matches).

Back in 2003, Eric Bischoff and Steve Austin’s feud culminated in a Survivor Series 5-on-5 classic match for the winner to run Raw. Kurt Angle winning this trophy would deter from a repeat of something like this again, but Corbin costing him the cup could easily steer this storyline in the same direction.

As Survivor Series is less than a month away, it is a very plausible option that the 5-on-5 could have meaning again, as opposed to the ‘brand supremacy’ duels they’ve been having the last few years.

#3 Shouldn’t – Jeff Hardy

WWE desperately needs a Jeff Hardy

alter

ego

like Willow or Brother Nero.

Jeff Hardy is one of the biggest crowd favourites in the WWE Universe, so surely Jeff Hardy would be on the ‘should’ list rather than the ‘shouldn’t’, no? If this competition had taken place during his first stint at the WWE, then this isn’t even a question.

However, during his time away from the WWE, Hardy has shown he is capable of developing a much darker side, creating characters like Willow the Wisp and Brother Nero.

One thing that is currently missing from WWE’s stacked roster at the moment is a truly bizarre character that everyone loves. With his brother Matt Hardy recently retiring, Bray Wyatt currently missing in action and Finn Balor only showing his demon side once every blue moon, the WWE desperately needs a Willow the Wisp (or something similar to his kind).

If Jeff Hardy was to win the WWE World Cup, this would delay the possibility, but another sneaky attack by Orton, or the obsession of gold and not getting it could speed up the possibility of the breakout of a darker Jeff Hardy on WWE.

#2 Should – Rey Mysterio

A victory would launch Rey Mysterio back up the ladder.

Rey Mysterio’s entire wrestling career spans almost 30 years, and in that time almost half of his career has been spent entertaining the WWE Universe. He has proved that size and weight don’t define a wrestler - although his weight comfortably fits in the Cruiserweight category, Mysterio is more than capable of fighting the heavyweights, winning a Royal Rumble and three major Championships, which even lead to The World Heavyweight Championship having to be renamed due to his weight.

Even though Rey Mysterio has a decorated career at the WWE and has won every Championship available to him during his tenure, it cannot be ignored that the later years during his time at the WWE will not be part of his highlight reel with his last title coming in 2011.

Mysterio recently signing a two-year deal with WWE gives him a new lease of life, and if SmackDown 1000 showed us anything, it is that Rey Mysterio is very capable of once again challenging for the major titles again, and winning the WWE World Cup could be a good start to climbing up the ladder.

#1 Should - The Miz

A Miz Victory would not let the WWE Universe ever forget about the inaugural World Cup.

If there’s one thing that can be said for the Miz, it’s that he loves to talk about his accomplishments. If you’ve never watched wrestling and only tuned into one of the Miz’s speeches for the first time, you will realise he’s trying to be the longest combined reigning Intercontinental Champion in history, former Money in the Bank winner and how he has headlined WrestleMania.

The possibility of The Miz winning is probably slim to none here but if he did, you can guarantee that, just by word of mouth, nobody is going to forget about his victory (and, by extension, the World Cup tournament itself) for a long time.

Miz loves to brag about making the Intercontinental title relevant – if he was to win the World Cup, his big mouth would mean the fatal mistake made with the Greatest Royal Rumble would be avoided and the World Cup would definitely become relevant.