'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAX/2gAIAQEAAAAAPU//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECEAAAAD//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAD//xAAiEAABAwMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAADAQIEAAUGBxESEyRRUmL/2gAIAQEAAT8AxvSy8xwIKLJtIUmiDsTZ6kTrD9/HzQNF8hAAYRz7DwG1GJ2zq//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEv/aAAgBAgEBPwCFP//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAf/aAAgBAwEBPwDWr//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE Crown Jewel was a controversial pay-per-view to say the least. Despite the controversy before the event; following the event, the biggest talking points are the finishes of the matches.
The WWE has continuously relied on older talent and part-time talent to lead the company. The Undertaker said in a recent interview that he continues to wrestle because the WWE talent today are not dedicated enough to lead the roster.
Further, Vince McMahon has stated that he feels the new WWE talent is not focused on grabbing the “brass ring.” These sentiments were on full display as WWE made very controversial booking decisions at Crown Jewel.
While WWE Crown Jewel was not an awful pay-per-view it did demonstrate a lot of key beliefs held by WWE Management. While the current WWE roster is filled with some of the best of the best, WWE Management still does not believe in them. Here are three booking decisions that buried the WWE’s full-time roster.
1. Brock Lesnar Winning the WWE Universal Championship
The problem with Lesnar’s victory at WWE Crown Jewel is that he has already been confirmed to be returning to UFC in 2019 by multiple sources. It is expected that he will challenge Daniel Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
This means that the WWE Universal Champion, the champion of the main WWE brand, will be leaving the WWE for an extended amount of time to perform for another promotion. While the UFC is not a wrestling competitor to the WWE this is still problematic because Lesnar defeated Braun Strowman in his pursuit to return to the UFC.
Braun Strowman is a full-time WWE Superstar who would have been the “fighting champion” WWE fans deserve.
Further, AJ Styles, the WWE Champion, is a “fighting champion”. He wrestles at SmackDown Live, house shows, and pay-per-views. AJ Styles’ championship reign will cross over one-year next week and fans still adore him. He has wrestled countless times throughout his near yearlong championship reign.
The WWE Universe respects AJ Styles for his hard work and dedication to the company. Lesnar on the other hand, has proved to be the opposite of a “fighting champion”. While Lesnar is an incredible athlete and a true WWE attraction, fans want a champion they can see on a regular basis.
Additionally, with a stacked roster that includes the likes of Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Dean Ambrose, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Drew McIntyre to name a few; WWE has some of the best talent in the world. So many of these heroes and legends put their bodies on the line every night in dedication to building the WWE to be the nucleus for wrestling talent.
WWE’s decision to crown Lesnar the WWE Universal Champion undermines the full-time roster’s talent and hard work.
2. Shane McMahon Winning the WWE World Cup
While the WWE Universe loves and adores Shane McMahon, very few would agree he is the best in the world. By stating that Shane McMahon is the best in the world the WWE has buried the true contenders on their roster.
Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, and Randy Orton were all in the World Cup Tournament. All of these names will be in the history books as some of the best ever.
Shane is a good wrestler considering he has not received formal training. However, the idea that the almost 50-year-old defeated Dolph Ziggler, who earlier had defeated Seth Rollins and Kurt Angle in the same night, demonstrates the WWE’s obsession with discrediting their full-time roster.
This decision is undoubtedly the swerve of the year, however, not in a good way. All of the men in this tournament are top-tier athletes that any wrestling promotion would grovel to sign.
The WWE reminded us of this when they read the qualifiers’ amazing resumes as they entered their quarterfinal matches. Thus, putting Shane McMahon over them undercuts their status of the top athletes in the world.
3. The Brothers of Destruction vs. DX Headlining
Everything about this match bellowed that it is time for the four to retire. Shawn Michaels’ return was not the biggest story of the night. The Brothers of Destruction’s feud with DX was not the biggest story of the night either. A new Universal Champion was crowned, and a World Cup Winner was determined.
However, this match with four men well past their prime headlined a pay-per-view over Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman and AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe. This main event tag team match was slow, lumbering and should have been earlier in the card somewhere between the two WWE Championship matches.
While fans love nostalgia, this match was further indication that WWE refuses to invest in their talent-filled roster. The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Triple H, all in the same match seems like a sports entertainment fan’s dream match…ten years ago. However now, these old timers are taking the attention from some of the best wrestlers in the word.
The WWE is risking losing their top talent because they refuse to have faith in them and build top stars. The echo throughout WWE Crown Jewel was that the WWE is unwilling to let their top stars have the spotlight.
This can prove to be detrimental to the company overall as Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and countless others have the ability to take the WWE into the next generation.
