10 Booking Steps For WWE Queen Of The Ring
3. Give The Matches Time
This relates brilliantly to the previous entry; WWE may think they're doing a good job with specific matches, regardless of the incoming story, but more often than not, they're only making themselves look foolish.
They are occasionally right in saying this, however. Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks' WrestleMania 37 programme was banal, but the match banged. They rightfully earned the night one main event spot, delivering in nearly every capacity to be deemed a worthy 'Mania headliner. WWE has realised this ahead of their eventual SummerSlam rematch, with 'The Legit Boss' executing a stellar heel turn against Bianca on last Friday's SmackDown.
For Queen Of The Ring, there should be at least a couple of matches like this per round.
If WWE fails to make the opening round meaningful, then why should we pay any attention to the remainder of the tourney? Take All Elite Wrestling's World Championship Eliminator tournament from late 2020. A transcendent story was told throughout, intertwined with banger after banger to culminate in the inescapable final of Kenny Omega vs. Adam Page. That the final was inevitable meant nothing post-match; it had banged hard.
Belair vs. Banks is hardly a match that'll be part of Queen Of The Ring, but something along those lines should suffice. It ties in perfectly to a couple of new stars being created from the tournament, too.