WWE News: Jim Ross Criticizes WWE Title Tournament, Says It Doesn’t Feel Important
Following Seth Rollins’ major knee injury last week, Rollins was forced to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and WWE announced that there would be a tournament for the vacant title. Upon the announcement, many assumed that the tournament would be taking place at Survivor Series, thus making it a one night tournament.
The possibilities for the tournament seemed endless, and there was a feeling that WWE would find a way to make the tournament interesting by bringing in guys like Chris Jericho, or perhaps even Brock Lesnar to compete in the tournament.
Instead, the tournament began on this past Monday’s RAW, and if you look at the current bracket, it’s not hard to figure out where they’re going. On top of that, there is a lack of big names in the tournament, as guys like Titus O’Neil and The Miz, who have been preliminary guys for the better part of their WWE careers, were put in the tournament for WWE richest prize.
Before Rollins’ injury, the idea was to put the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Roman Reigns at Survivor Series, and it still may be. However, WWE is considering not putting the title on Reigns because it would be too predictable, and because there’s a lack of top heels who could challenge them.
The tournament didn’t get off to a hot start on Monday, as the Cesaro vs. Sheamus match was the only exciting match of the bracket. After the show went off the air, the WWE Championship tournament felt anything but special, which is exactly the point WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross made on his blog over at JRSBARBQ.
Below are a few excerpts from Ross’s blog talking about the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament.
“The presentation of the WWE Title tournament did not feel special to me. I was let down by how it was presented which affects how it is going to be perceived. What’s more important in WWE than the WWE Heavyweight Title? NOTHING!!”
“The tournament has some unique entrants that likely would have not have been there if not for injuries and the number of stars that work part time or have to be protected as it relates to being entered in the tournament. I’d have thought that every healthy body would have wanted to throw their name in the tourney hat.”
Ross also pointed out that he expects Brock Lesnar to be the guy who eventually challenges the winner of the WWE Title tournament at WrestleMania next spring.
Following WrestleMania 31, WWE officials were pleasantly surprised at how good of a match Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns were able to have with each other before Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and stole the WWE World Heavyweight Title. So, due to how good Lesnar vs. Reigns was, WWE has been wanting to do a rematch between the two, and that rematch could happen at WrestleMania.
So, Ross expecting Lesnar to take on the winner of the tournament – which will likely be Roman Reigns unless WWE does change their plans – at WrestleMania isn’t the worst prediction in the world.
Before Seth Rollins was injured, there was some talk of doing another Brock Lesnar vs. Rollins match at WrestleMania, and if that was the plan, WWE now needs to find a new opponent for Lesnar, as Rollins is expected to be out of action until the middle of next year at the very least.
The tournament continued at Tuesday’s SmackDown taping, where Neville defeated King Barrett, Kalisto shockingly defeated Ryback, and Alberto Del Rio unsurprisingly defeated Stardust.
[Image via WWE]
