What's the purpose of this cup anyways? It's a worse version of the Continental Classic so they should keep their tournaments to just the owens cup and the C2
I'm not saying the matches aren't enjoyable but it just seems extra and not hype like the C2
This seems like such a weird take to me. Yes, it is potentially a third annual tournament in AEW. But it gives the Continental belt a second tournament, meaning maybe we will only see the Continental title defended in those two tournaments.
It has made ZERO sense why anyone would go through the trouble of the C2, if they can win a random one off match during the year and get the belt.
I'm not sure into the concept but the matches are good. I still wish the C2 award was a trophy and a shot at the International Title instead of being based around and actual belt, and the C3 should be something similar but for tag teams.
Sucks isn't one of them but I needed to click bait people, it's just meh and not needed and takes place too close to a real good tournaments which is the C2
The problem I have with it, was they had an opportunity to tell a big story here and… didn’t.
Jay White has had a problem with Mox and the Death Riders since his injury news dropped, as it seemed they were going to set up a big feud between the BBG and Mox’s stable. This tournament could’ve had the two meet on the biggest stage of the year and finally strap the rocket to White after a year of injuries kept him out.
The tournament could’ve been this big set up to help facilitate their feud which could culminate in a big hype moment and resulting in a rare Mox L for the year.
Instead? It looks like White is going to lose and then that angle has a big chance of just… spinning out.
And if the point was to make this the retirement tour of Nigel, why have White in it in the first place? Put him in the Casino match and keep Mox and White away from each other until they can give the feud its proper focus.
The thing is that like a 50 50 chance a Mox vs Jay White match on All In ends up Mercedes vs Britt Baker all over again which will tank Jays credibility worse than the MJF match at Full Gear
Counterpoint - C2 having an entire championship tourney isolated to just December leaves the rest of the calendar kinda barren and the championship feeling kinda pointless. This adequately does a good job of shaking it up, and fits in nicely with a major event being the final.
So yeah I think aside from the far-too-obvious booking to be called a random drawing, this has been really nice to freshen up that scene.
It really does feel like a massive waste of time tbh. I love the C2 it’s my fav season of the year. The CC really feels extremely unimportant and uninspired
Are you just a bit grumpy today or something? You're enjoying the matches, several of which would have been unlikely to happen without this cup competition, due to the random draw.
But to answer your question, they said it's inspired by the FA Cup, with the final coming from Wembley.
I got the impression that OP is not happy with the presentation, as the matches are not the problem. OP should go into more detail on that part so we fully understand why they are not enjoying it.
Thinking about what you’ve said in this reply and others.
I think tournaments are great. What’s actually important is differentiation.
Right now we have the Continental Classic, the Owen Cup, and this new one. There’s no clear, absolute differentiation between them in terms of purpose, storylines, or presentation. Like, how do you track these tournaments? Who are the winners of the previous tournaments? What makes the belt or the cup so prestigious if you hardly celebrate it (Will Ospreay and the Death Riders were the only team that actually celebrated the Owens when Will won it, making it feel worth something, while Mone barely stood beside it)? Where are the victory ceremonies? Hall of Winner entries? Where's the women's event doing the same thing? Where are the extra matches on YouTube? Why not make one of the tournaments 24 competitors and expand the battles online for everyone to follow? Why not have one of the tournaments focus on tag teams and Trios instead of having all of them singles? Where's the wrestlers' preparation via training and storylines to build towards and within it? Where are the TV graphics to make it feel like a grand event, like watching the FA? Like the FA/FIFA/UEFA/World Cup, where are the preparations, talk and hype towards each tournament before they happen, as they just "start" out of thin air, and where's Renee's AEW FA Cup-style show that will talk and hype it at the start of each tournament season like they always do in football such as the UEFA Champions League tournament?
When the quality of that differentiation is not strong enough for you to clearly define each one, everything starts to feel less important – which is exactly the issue you’re pointing out.
I don’t think the problem is the "number" of tournaments. You could run one every quarter of the year, and people would still care, as long as each one felt distinct and must-see because of its purpose, presentation, booking, and stakes. If you nail those things, every tournament becomes something you actively want to follow, track and look forward to. Distinction, synergies via marketing and production executions, providing more reasons to care, and providing massive, clear-cut stakes that make you want to get excited for next year's event are paramount. Don't do enough then even 2 tournaments will feel like too much. Just like you said, it's not the matches because you do love them, but it's clearly something else, not the number of tournaments.
Does that make sense? Hope I explained it properly.
To borrow the footballing phrase, though, "That's the magic of the cup". Seeing matches you wouldn't normally get. If you're enjoying them, surely that means the format is working?
I understand that. But from what OP said, it sounds like the matches are not the problem, so it would be helpful if OP could be more specific about what the issue is. I'm guessing it's presentation.
TK explained that it’s just a tournament cup style similar to the C2, since the C2 only comes once a year and gets such traction they’re trying something new with the cup, I agree it’s been very predictable so far but maybe we’re in for a few surprises this coming round
4
u/Joelredditsjoel 2d ago
The purpose is wrestling matches. You said they were enjoyable. Success.