WWE announces 2 day tournament to crown UK Champion

[Stopspot]

LONDON — At a historic press conference at the O2 Arena in London, Triple H revealed that WWE’s first-ever United Kingdom Champion will be crowned this January.

The WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament is a 16-competitor, two-day throwdown at Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom, airing live and exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network, featuring some of the best talent the U.K. has to offer. The last man standing at the end of the tournament will be crowned champion and awarded a title, which was also revealed at the conference.

WWE.com

Good grief. They are actually going after a global monopoly. The following talent are announced: Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, Tyler Bate, Wolfgang and Jordan Devlin.

Real shitty that these guys accepted the low paying guarantee deals which will mean they don't work mainstream WWE shows, but are not allowed to work promotions WWE do not approve of.

Cool that they are doing a tournament. Not cool that they are only doing this because ITV were discussing putting UK wrestling on TV again and thus becoming real competition

EDIT: I originally wrote that the yearly deals were for 12 grand a year but have been informed that it is not the actual figure. But it is lower than entry level wages at NXT.

 

[Ring Rust]

This will either help the U.K independent scene or completely hinder it and kill it.

 

[Aurtle The Turtle]

Vince McMahon is probably going for complete global domination before he dies and to be honest this is a risky path for WWE to walk. It's these kind of actions that could lead to a genuine rival company being either founded or a smaller independent promotion growing in popularity over the next few years simply because WWE are strongly coming across as a tyrant/villain and people don't like that. WWE have a largely hardcore wrestling fans fanbase at the moment and this is the kind of shit that's going to deter them. What I'm saying is that yes, this could potentially slaughter the UK independent scene by making it well...not independent but WWE are walking a very thin line between global investor and evil company.

I'm rooting for a full NJPW and ROH merge.

 

[Gman003]

So a uk championship. Is WWE setting up a more permanent shop in the uk? Like having weekly events or something but just not airing it? Or maybe airing it just in Europe?

 

[Stopspot]

So a uk championship. Is WWE setting up a more permanent shop in the uk? Like having weekly events or something but just not airing it? Or maybe airing it just in Europe?

Its a network special. Airs worldwide.

WWE are going to keep running WWE as usual. But this is a response to ITV funding a reboot to world of sports wrestling as a new years special and thinking of making it a weekly show. So WWE is swooping in to fight off competition.

These guys have been offered (and supposedly signed) special contracts that mean that they are but at the same time are not WWE talent. They'll get paid a monthly salary (lower than what the people in NXT makes), won't move to Florida, won't work US WWE events regularly, won't be on WWE TV regularly. But they'll get the monthly money. And WWE has the power to say yes or no to any other bookings they take. And they are not allowed to work for companies with any sort of "TV" presence (streaming, Ippv, youtube) unless WWE has agreed to it.

They'll basically be talent on retainer. WWE might set up some form of mini promotion in the future, but it is from what I have read not in the books as of right now.

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

How exciting. Hopefully WWE puts all the companies out of business soon. [HASHTAG]#therecanonlybeone[/HASHTAG] ity2:

 

[Gman003]

@Stopspot I get that the tournament is a special, but what significance does a uk title hold in the big picture? When the tourney is all said and done then what? How often will it get defended and where?

 

[Stopspot]

@Stopspot I get that the tournament is a special, but what significance does a uk title hold in the big picture? When the tourney is all said and done then what? How often will it get defended and where?

I have literally no idea. They have announced nothing about the future of the title so far. For all we know it could just as well end up being just a tournament title. Like the tournament becomes a yearly thing to crown the UK champion. Or it could end up on Smackdown or RAW just as well. EDIT: There is some talk among wrestling insiders/knowledge sources of talks of a weekly show of some sort. But if it is true it is all in the planning stages and a bit away.

What is known is that WWE has been on a signing raid in regards to UK talent to prevent them from working for ITV. And that this is a direct response to that.

 

[Prince Bálor]

That title looks nice. And it's nice that they're doing a tournament to crown the UK champion.

But, I don't get UK talent accepting that kind of deal. Seems dumb.

 

[Gman003]

Ah ok. Thanks for the clarification though. They could bring it to one of the main shows, but I'd be worried about them singling it out like the cruiserweights

 

[Stopspot]

Ah ok. Thanks for the clarification though. They could bring it to one of the main shows, but I'd be worried about them singling it out like the cruiserweights

Considering there are British talent on both brands it would be a clusterfuck to determine which brand would get the belt. Granted there are cruisers on both brands and that did not stop Stephanie from pulling a TV bitch move and taking the title to RAW.

 

[Gman003]

Only one solution. Thursday is wwe uk live from now on! 4 hour show every week! And a ppv every month lol

 

[¡Tranquilo!]

I don't know how to feel about WWE attempting to annex the indies around the world, it's kinda scary, is Japan next? Sure we'll get two days of good wrestling but how does this effect the UK independent scene in the future? WWE signing these guys to low-end deals as independent contractors then dictating where they can work is insane. Not like that's new or anything but it'll have a greater impact in the UK than it does in the US probably. To think this is their reaction instead of just improving their product...

Another thing is too much content! RAW,Smackdown/205live,NXT, WWEUK, Total Divas/Bella's + Bi weekly PPVs...WTF. I mean I only watch Raw/SDlive and PPVs so this doesn't apply to me but fuck do I feel bad for people who do for a living!

 

[Aurtle The Turtle]

I don't know how to feel about WWE attempting to annex the indies around the world, it's kinda scary, is Japan next? Sure we'll get two days of good wrestling but how does this effect the UK independent scene in the future? WWE signing these guys to low-end deals as independent contractors then dictating where they can work is insane. Not like that's new or anything but it'll have a greater impact in the UK than it does in the US probably. To think this is there reaction instead of just improving their product...

Another thing is too much content! RAW,Smackdown/205live,NXT, WWEUK, Total Divas/Bella's + Bi weekly PPVs...WTF. I mean I only watch Raw/SDlive and PPVs so this doesn't apply to me but fuck do I feel bad for people who do for a living!

The thing is, WWE are really NOT getting the top talent. The guys they have signed will not be an improvement on their product.

The following talent are announced: Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, Tyler Bate, Wolfgang and Jordan Devlin.

None of these guys are top talent or future stars, some are talented but they will never have the same appeal that guys like Ospreay, Scurll & Galloway have and that's WWE's real fuck up here, they want to extinguish an entire countries worth of competition and it's only semi-working here because of Britain having no big promotions. The minute they try this in Japan or Mexico it will be a massive failure. Like I said before, this may kill the UK independent scene or it might do the exact opposite and rally people against the asshole company with a lot of money but not willing to dish it out.

 

[C.M. Shaddix]

DAMN DAT BELT.

I like it, could give more feuds and elevate more midcarders.