10 Big Questions About Future Of WWE’s UK Brand
9. Will Existing Stars Like Neville & Noam Dar Play A Role?
As usual, Neville was scathing in his criticism of WWE’s management when he appeared at last night’s show. Lambasting the company for excluding “the greatest talent this country has ever produced” from the UK tournament, Neville claimed he should’ve been “handed the title by default.”
The high-flying Geordie has been reborn as a heel on 205 Live, and there are a number of other Brits who could fill a role on WWE’s new show. Noam Dar would be another tremendous addition who UK-based fans would be immediately familiar with, and we might as well throw Sheamus and Finn Balor into the mix, seeing as WWE seem to think that Ireland is part of the UK.
Neville got an excellent reaction in Blackpool, while Dar has a huge fanbase from his time in ICW, PROGRESS, and other prominent British indies. Using these guys to help build interest for any new brand makes sense, but would WWE be willing to pull the trigger?
The company’s initial reticence at inserting Neville into the Cruiserweight division suggests they wouldn’t, but it’s hard to tell. Guys like Tyler Bate, Wolfgang, and Pete Dunne emerged from the tournament as big stars, but are the likes of Saxon Huxley and HC Dyer ready for weekly television? The smart move might be to lean on WWE’s existing British stars, at least until the younger guys are ready.