Don't Kill the Town: WWE's UK Championship and Show Might be a Bad Idea

WWE's new UK brand and Tyler Bate

are the talk of the town and rightly so.

But the company's enthusiasm should

not get the best of them.

Since January, it seems all anyone has been talking about is the WWE's foray into a new style and territory by starting a UK-based program with its own championship and roster.

There is good reason clearly.  The UK Title tournament was a success and fans can't get enough of the likes of Tyler Bate, Pete Dunne, Trent Seven, and Jack Gallagher.  All have been built and given due exposure on NXT and across the WWE Network in anticipation of what's to come.

Powers that be appear serious about the whole thing, which comes as a shock, to be honest.  Vince can't normally sign off on anything unless there is some shameless self-promotion or kitsch value attached to it (XFL mostly served to feed Vinny's ego, for instance).

You also can't discount the handwringing it must have taken to greenlight the idea.  WWE, an international conglomerate resurrecting a small market its globalization helped to kill? Are you mad? Absurd!  None of this -- the title, the tournament, the show, the acquisitions including Nigel McGuinness -- would have been possible without the assent of company men-cum-old school minds such as William Regal, Robbie Brookside, and Finlay, knowing full well what could happen.

And yet, here we are.

WWE's business model.

Granted, the UK is booming as certain regional pockets of wrestling are, and has been for a few years.  Vince, or one of the higher-ups, no doubt sees a golden opportunity to capitalize.

That reason, a cash grab by Vince, is a questionable motive.  The gambit could be construed as devious, but even aboveboard it could turn out one-sided and at worst stupid.

Britain is not seeing the hand-over-fist amounts of money from the old territory days by any means.  What the nation has going for it is its unique alternatives and depth of talent (who are getting over without the WWE system, might I add).

But the wrestling ecosystem across the pond is a small, fragile one.  Any disruption could upset the balance.  All WWE has to do is lock up every top guy under an exclusive contract, or get greedy and take steps to crowd out the marketplace by competing directly against all the smaller promotions.

Since they've been at it a long time, the smart money would be on the McMahon gang coming out on top.  They raided, defeated, and eliminated competitors before, making a living out of it like one big sports entertainment Galactus.

Objectively speaking, there is room enough on the turf for everyone, however, we know how Vince thinks.  He is so fiercely competitive; when he does battle, he goes to war.  He may very well encroach and nudge until the house gets pushed over the cliff with everyone inside.  He can't help himself.

Pray sense and restraint prevail this time.