WWE Crown Jewel: Predicting the World Cup tournament

The first ever WWE World Cup, which will take place at the upcoming Crown Jewel event, is just a few weeks away.

After a couple of weeks of qualifying matches, the final eight competitors for the tournament have all been confirmed, and it must be said, it's quite the star-studded lineup.

All eight competitors in the tournament are former WWE or World Heavyweight Champions, and while it remains unclear as to whether there will be any benefits to winning the tournament, there is every chance the WWE will use the victory to give the winner some serious momentum heading into Survivor Series.

While it has not been officially confirmed, it looks as though the tournament will operate under a traditional knock-out format, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final all taking place over the course of one night, meaning there will be a total of seven matches taking place at Crown Jewel.

With that in mind, let's take a rather optimistic shot at predicting exactly how the tournament is going to play out at Crown Jewel.

Quarter-Final 1: Rey Mysterio Vs John Cena

A big opening match is a good way to get the crowd invested in the tournament

The WWE is going to want to give the Saudi audience a big match to open the night, and given the negative press they have received because of the event, an opener featuring two of the company's most popular babyfaces may not be too bad of an idea.

Mysterio and Cena know how to entertain a crowd, and a good 15-minute opening match could set a nice pace for the rest of the night.

Both of these men, given their popularity, should be considered strong favourites in this tournament, but you can never rule out the WWE giving John Cena a big victory at these kinds of events.

Prediction: John Cena Wins

Quarter-Final 2: Kurt Angle Vs The Miz

Angle will compete in his first singles match in over two years

While it is going to be great to see Kurt Angle back in the ring at Crown Jewel, his chances of progressing too far in this tournament are very slim.

The former WWE Champion has not been involved in a singles match for over two years, so it seems highly unlikely that he will be wrestling three in one night.

The most likely outcome for Angle is that Baron Corbin will interfere and cost him his match, and The Miz, being the opportunist that he is, will benefit from that and score the cheap victory to progress.

Prediction: The Miz wins

Quarter-Final 3: Jeff Hardy Vs Randy Orton

The opening bracket of this tournament, whenever it is released, will be a huge indication of the way the WWE is going to go with this tournament.

One thing that does feel fairly certain here though is that Jeff Hardy is likely going to be treated as cannon fodder in the first-round.

The former US Champion is not really involved in any sort of storyline at the moment, so there is really no need to build up his momentum in the tournament. Having him taken out by Orton in the opening makes a lot of sense, especially given their recent history together.

Orton can use this as a chance to get some early heat in the night, and can even deliver another post-match beat-down to Hardy if necessary.

Prediction: Randy Orton Wins

Quarter-Final 4: Dolph Ziggler Vs Seth Rollins

Rollins and Ziggler have had some of the best matches of 2018

Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins have been involved in some of the hottest matches of 2018 so far, and there is every chance that they could deliver yet another match of the year candidate if they were to meet again in Saudi Arabia.

Booking these two men against each other at Crown Jewel also provides the WWE with a unique booking opportunity. With the tournament currently set to feature eight matches on the night, having these two men compete to some sort of no-finish would be a nice way to not only continue their feud but also to cut down one of the matches and provide someone with an easy route to the final.

Given the fact that the WWE has recently teased a break-up between Ziggler and McIntyre, and also between Ambrose and Rollins, having their two partners get involved in the match could easily lead to a double disqualification that results in both men's eliminations from the tournament.

Prediction: Double disqualification

Semi-Final: Randy Orton Vs John Cena

Cena and Orton have had many classics over the years

With only one semi-final taking place due to the double elimination of Rollins and Ziggler, the WWE can go ahead and book another massive match-up at Crown Jewel, pitting old foes Randy Orton and John Cena against each other one last time.

Orton and Cena have had some excellent matches over the years, and while they may both be a little older now, they know how to entertain a crowd and tell a great story in the ring.

Orton's latest psychotic persona makes him the perfect foe for John Cena, and it would also play into the narrative of the night quite nicely.

Orton could beat Cena down, only for the 16-time World Champion to rally back and overcome his long-time nemesis. This would leave Cena battered and beaten for the night's final, making him a much weaker opponent in the final than he normally would be.

Prediction: John Cena wins

Final: John Cena Vs The Miz

Which leads us nicely onto the night's grand finale, which would pit a fresh-faced Miz, who will have benefitted from not having a semi-final match, against a battered and beaten John Cena.

Booking The Miz as the night's ultimate opportunist would be a great way to help him rebuild some momentum following his quick defeat to Daniel Bryan at Super Show-Down and would also help get some nuclear heat from the audience in attendance.

Having Cena try his hardest, only to be undone by fatigue from his previous matches would really play into The Miz's cowardly heel persona, and would give the whole tournament a nice narrative arc. The Miz will have qualified to the tournament with a cheap victory over Rusev, had assistance from Corbin in beating Kurt Angle, skipped the semi-final, and then defeated a severely battle worn John Cena to lift the trophy.

The Miz winning this tournament in the easiest way possible, and then going on to brag about it on SmackDown and demand a WWE title shot at Survivor Series would be a nice touch, and would instantly establish him as the next big heel challenger for AJ Styles' WWE title.

Prediction: The Miz wins the World Cup