8 predictions for the World Cup at WWE Crown Jewel

Bracket WWE World Cup
WWE World Cup

In less than 48 hours, WWE Crown Jewel will kick-off. Amidst the controversy, WWE stood adamantly on its stance to go to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Although John Cena and Daniel Bryan pulled out from the pay per view, the rest of the scheduled crew members are either in transit or have reached the Kingdom.

Even though the Universal Championship, WWE Championship, and SmackDown Live tag team championships are defended during the event, the primary gimmick of the event is the inaugural World Cup tournament, where eight superstars, four from RAW and four from SmackDown Live, will compete in a knockout tournament, and the winner would be crowned as the "Best in the World".

The scheduled superstars for the World Cup tournament are Seth Rollins (RAW), Kurt Angle (RAW), Bobby Lashley (RAW), Dolph Ziggler (RAW), The Miz (SmackDown Live), Randy Orton (SmackDown Live), Jeff Hardy (SmackDown Live), and the returning Rey Mysterio (SmackDown Live).

In this article, we will be analysing all the participants in the World Cup, and predict the progress of each superstar in the tournament. So, without further ado, lets get started.


#1 Dolph Ziggler

Can Ziggler show the world his worth?
Can Ziggler show the world his worth?

Dolph Ziggler defeated Dean Ambrose in the qualifying match on RAW to secure his spot in the World Cup. The Showoff has clinched the United States title, Intercontinental title and RAW tag team title within the last 12 months. Thus, he would be looking forward to adding a significant accolade to his resume.

With Drew McIntyre in his corner, Ziggler looks set to advance to the next round. However, he is taking on the Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle in the preliminary round. WWE could be using Ziggler as a stepping stone for Kurt Angle, and hence Ziggler may not go beyond the first round.

Prediction: First round exit

#2 Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle won the battle royale on RAW as the conquistador, to seal his ticket to Saudi Arabia
Kurt Angle won the battle royale on RAW as the conquistador, to seal his ticket to Saudi Arabia

Although WWE has not made any buzz about it, the match against Dolph Ziggler is Kurt Angle's first singles WWE match in more than 12 years. WWE usually does not spoil the return matches of superstars, especially that of someone like Kurt Angle. The former Olympian might edge past Dolph Ziggler.

However, Angle may not go past the semi-final, since both of his potential semi-final opponents are protected by WWE. Thus Kurt's journey in the World Cup may come to an end in the semi-final.

Prediction: Semi-final exit


#3 Seth Rollins

Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins has many things to worry about
Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins has many things to worry about

Seth Rollins is in an intense feud against Dean Ambrose. Hence he would not be caring much about this tournament. Either way, Rollins is scheduled to battle 'The Dominator' Bobby Lashley in the preliminary round.

However, with Ambrose lurking around in the shadows, Rollins may fail to beat Lashley. The Lunatic Fringe might make a surprise appearance to cost Rollins his match, thus adding fuel to the fire.

Bobby Lashley would possibly beat both Seth Rollins and Kurt Angle to advance to the final.

Prediction: First round exit

#4 The Miz

The Miz rolled up Rusev to qualify for the World Cup
The Miz rolled up Rusev to qualify for the World Cup

The Miz is one of the most popular names on WWE's roster. However, when it comes to winning matches, his name takes a back seat. Although Miz has been outstanding on the mic, he has not been used as a credible opponent.

He is usually portrayed as a cowardly heel who uses underhand tactics, or outside interference, or both, to win. With Miz taking on Jeff Hardy on his own, it would be safe to say that Jeff would advance to the next round - giving Miz a first-round exit.

Prediction: First round exit


#5 Jeff Hardy

How far will Jeff Hardy go in the World Cup?
How far will Jeff Hardy go in the World Cup?

Even though Jeff Hardy may go over The Miz in the preliminary round, his chances in the semi-final look grim, since he has to face either a venomous Randy Orton, or a returning Rey Mysterio. Both of them have been in excellent form, whereas Hardy is not.

Thus, The Charismatic Enigma may have to end his World Cup journey in the semi-finals.

Prediction: Semi-final exit

#6 Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio recently made his return to WWE
Rey Mysterio recently made his return to WWE

From earlier predictions, it is sort of clear that the winner of Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton may proceed to beat Jeff Hardy in the semi-final, advancing to the final.

Thus, this bout is probably the hardest clash to predict. Both Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio are very popular in Saudi Arabia. Rey Mysterio has just returned to WWE, whereas Randy Orton has been on fire since turning heel.

Therefore, we are picking Rey Mysterio to lose the first round, only based on instincts. That means Randy Orton would proceed to the semi-finals and beat Jeff Hardy, thus earning himself a spot in the final.

Prediction: First round exit


#7 Bobby Lashley

Lashley replaced Cena on the World Cup card
Lashley replaced Cena on the World Cup card

We predicted Bobby Lashley to be RAW's entrant for the World Cup final. However, The Dominator has been having a cold reaction from the crowd since his return.

Moreover, his momentum dropped by massive strides since his loss to Roman Reigns before SummerSlam. He has lost to Finn Balor in consecutive weeks, and also lost to Kevin Owens. From the looks of it, Bobby may not end the night standing tall, as he will probably have an opponent heading into the final with better momentum.

Prediction: Runner up

#8 Randy Orton

Randy Orton might win the tournament
Randy Orton might win the tournament

During the Greatest Royal Rumble, barring The Undertaker, Randy Orton got the biggest pop for his entrance. The Viper is very popular in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, his predicted opponent for the final, Bobby Lashley, had a rather cold reception during the same event.

Last Tuesday, Shane McMahon said that if the SmackDown Superstar who gets to the final failed to win the World Cup, he would be fired from the blue brand. Since the whole PPV is just a glorified house show, there wouldn't be any major repercussions, and hence it is entirely possible that a SmackDown Superstar would win it.

With Randy going through a special phase in his career as a sadistic heel, his aura should be protected at any cost. Thus the most logical decision will be to put the World Cup on The Apex Predator.

Prediction: Best in the World

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