7 Things WWE Can Learn From NJPW

6. The Benefit Of Tournaments

Kazuchika Okada
NJPW

Vince McMahon's disdain of tournaments is well-known, but the positives of running such things are clear for all to see. Already this year outside interest in WWE has been pricked somewhat by the announcement and beginning of the Global Cruiserweight Series, and last year's NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was a success on all levels.

New Japan's year pretty much revolves around tournaments. With authority figures not around to meddle in interests and the performers having little care in talk shows, these tournaments act as the sparks for rivalries to begin. Potential challengers to titles stake their claim by defeating the incumbents in tournaments, and matches that may be less interesting on paper are given fresh meaning.

Tournaments allow rivalries to begin organically, and they also do a great job of establishing in-ring talent in a similar way. Even by running one big tournament a year, WWE could see an up-swing in the quality of its storytelling.

Contributor
Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.