10 Reasons Why WWE Needs To Implement A Clean Win Only Policy
6. Elevation In Defeat > Victim Of A Cheat
John Cena's United States Open Challenge crystallised the success of this philosophy in 2015.
Dean Ambrose was the first man to step up. The narrow loss he suffered did his standing no harm at all. Stardust, for one night only, transcended his status as trash pile gimmick to legit title contender. That is how bulletproof the series, which fans were conditioned to expect as meaningful, was. Sami Zayn brought the house down with Cena when he emerged, in a wonderful surprise moment, from Gorilla - and created hope for his permanent promotion by virtue of taking the champion to his limit. With this spate of battling, stature-enhancing performances, these men gained the respect of the audience - a far more effective tool than the constant deceptions subjected to WWE babyfaces elsewhere. A clean, spirited loss is worth more than a dispiriting, empty win.
The Challenge was not immune to chicanery - both Neville and Cesaro received plaudits and support even for disqualification wins - but the series represented how best to handle the f*ck finish in microcosm. With a straight-laced approach in place, put over by enthusiastically worked and received matches, the bastardy of Kevin Owens, who muddied pure waters, actually put him over as a heel.
When you carefully and considerately build a fictional world, destroying it actually resonates with those invested in its creation.