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The WWE World Cup will take place at WWE Crown Jewel in The King Fahd International Stadium on November 2, 2018. The show is WWE's second in Saudi Arabia after the successful Greatest Royal Rumble event in April this year. WWE signed a ten-year deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia earlier this year to produce two major events every year, so this is likely to be the norm for the foreseeable future.
Although not much is known about the tournament at the moment, it will more than likely feature eight competitors and take up most of the show's matches. WWE should consider featuring a NXT wrestler in the tournament to spotlight the "Yellow Brand". NXT has grown massively in the past couple of months and the brand deserves to be shown off on a big main roster event.
Here are the top 5 NXT wrestlers who should compete in the WWE World Cup.
#5. Kassius Ohno
No one can deny that Kassius Ohno deserves a chance to impress on the main roster. Since Ohno returned to NXT in 2017 he has not featured in the main event scene. Ohno was a beloved on the independent wrestler and has done very little in WWE's developmental brand. The WWE World Cup would be the perfect opportunity for Kassius Ohno to impress the main roster fans.
He is likely to stay in developmental indefinitely as a Wrestler/Coach but he at least deserves fifteen minutes in the spotlight. The perfect match for Ohno would be against Cesaro. Ohno and Cesaro teamed together as "The Kings of Wrestling" on the indie scene for years and were the Wrestling Observer Tag Team of the year in 2010. Cesaro and Ohno could produce an excellent match if given enough time.
#4. Ricochet
Ricochet recently won the NXT North American Championship and has been a fan favourite from the moment he walked into NXT. His lightning quick and high-flying style has made him stand out from the crowd. He would be an incredible addition to the World Cup and could make a massive impression on the main roster fans.
He has had a lot of experience in tournaments in the past. He won the Best of the Super Jr's in 2014 and won the Super Jr Tag Tournament with Matt Sydal in 2015. He has also won PWG's Battle of Los Angeles tournament twice in 2014 and 2017.
#3. Adam Cole
Adam Cole has been a major star in NXT since his debut in August 2017 at NXT TAKEOVER: BROOKLYN 2. Cole became the first ever NXT North American Champion at NXT TAKEOVER New Orleans in April 2018.
Cole made a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble match back in January. Despite already appearing on one of WWE's biggest events this year, Cole deserves a spot in the World Cup. Cole won the PWG Battle of Los Angeles in 2012. He has a bright future in WWE and a spot in the World Cup would be the perfect way to properly introduce the main roster audience to ADAM COLE BAY BAY!
#2. Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano has had an incredible 2018. He has main-evented every NXT TAKEOVER so far this year and has had produced three classic matches with Tomasso Ciampa. Although impressing since his NXT debut in 2015, he has not been featured on any kind of main roster TV.
A spot in the World Cup would be the icing on the cake for Johnny Gargano in 2018. "Johnny Wrestling" keeps going from strength to strength and has a big future on the main roster. Hopefully, he is not demoted to the cruiserweight division and gets the chance to work with the WWE's biggest stars like Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.
#1. Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa has been excellent since his return at NXT TAKEOVER Philadelphia. He returned with a new look and a new attitude and has become one of the best, if not the best heels in the business. He won the NXT Championship from Aleister Black on an episode of NXT in July.
The NXT Champion is the most obvious choice to compete in the World Cup. What better way to introduce new fans to NXT than to give the current NXT Champion a spot on the card. Despite the fact he is champion, Ciampa deserves the chance as much as the four other guys on this list. He battled his way back from an ACL injury and has produced some of the best matches this year.
