10 WWE Experiments That Completely Failed

If the aim of the UK Championship was to shine a light on some of the brilliant grassroots work currently being done by independent wrestling promotions in Britain, then fair enough. Mission accomplished.

Nobody really believes WWE's intentions are that pure, though. The truth is that putting roots down in Blighty had less to do with showcasing talent than it did gearing up for a potential ratings war with ITV's World of Sport reboot.

Of course, it still needed to be profitable. That's why news reports late last year claiming that running shows across the pond had left a big hole in the company accounts were so disheartening. It basically confirmed this would only be a short-term thing.

Admittedly, Vince McMahon is bringing his crew back to the UK next month for round two, but like tying Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate down to exclusive contracts, this all feels like a defensive move. It's basically damage limitation.