We have our First Pool on the International side in Today’s Article on the World Cup of Wrestling. And just like the United States, these Pools and the Countries Represented have Very Storied Histories! These Pools aren’t separated by Regions, as the US side was. They’re just grouped, as I mentioned in the first article of this series. So let’s see what we get to play with today!
EASTERN CANADA
*EDGE (Toronto) – WWE Hall of Famer, 11 Time WWE World Champion, 2 Time PWI Feud of the Year, 2 Time PWI Match of the Year, You think you know him.
*CHRISTIAN (Toronto) – 2 Time WWE World Champion, 2 Time NWA/TNA World Champion, 2 Time ECW Champion, 2 Time PWI Match of the Year, Instant Classic Match Maker
*BOBBY ROODE (Toronto) – 2 Time TNA World Champion (Longest Reign in History), Former NXT Champion, 2 Time PWI Tag Team of the Year, Absolutely Glorious!
*KEVIN OWENS (Marieville) – Former WWE Universal Champion, Former NXT Champion, Former RoH World Champion, Prize Fighter
*TRISH STRATUS (Toronto) – WWE Hall of Famer, 7 Time WWE Women’s Champion, PWI Woman of the Decade, 4 Time PWI Woman of the Year, Gives People Stratus-faction!
JAPAN
*ANTONIO INOKI (Tokyo) – WWE Hall of Famer, WCW Hall of Famer, NJPW Greatest Wrestler (Hall of Fame), Former IWGP World Champion, Unrecognized Former WWE World Champion
*THE GREAT MUTA (Land of the Rising Sun) – Former 4 Time IWGP World Champion, Former NWA World Champion, Original Mist-Spitter
*JUSHIN LIGER (Tokyo) – WWE Hall of Famer, 11 Time IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion, Former WCW LightHeavyweight Champion
*SHINSUKE NAKAMURA (Kyoto) – 3 Time IWGP World Champion, 2 Time NXT Champion, Unified IWGP World Championship with IWGP 3rd Belt Championship and NWF Heavyweight Championship, Enjoys Good Vibrations
*ASUKA (Osaka) – 3 Time WWE Women’s Champion, Unbeaten Former NXT Women’s Champion, PWI Woman of the Year, Nobody is ready for her
PUERTO RICO
*PEDRO MORALES (Culebra) – WWE Hall of Famer, former WWWF World Champion, PWI Wrestler of the Year, First-Ever WWE “Triple Crown” Winner
*SAVIO VEGA – Legendary Feud and Strap Match with Steve Austin, Leader of Los Boricuas, Member of Undertaker’s BSK
*CARLITO – (San Juan) – Defeated John Cena in WWE Debut to become WWE United States Champion, Unified WWE and World Tag Team Championships, Spits in the faces of people who don’t want to be cool
*AMAZING RED (Cayey) – 3 Time TNA X Division Champion, Former NWA Tag Team Champion, Former RoH Tag Team Champion
*NIDIA (Mayaguez) – Inaugural WWE Tough Enough Competition Winner, Made Out with several random people at the request of her Boyfriend, Jamie Noble
SCOTLAND
*RODDY PIPER (Glasgow) – WWE Hall of Famer, Former WWE Intercontinental Champion, 3 Time WCW United States Champion, Main Evented 1st WrestleMania, Outta Bubblegum
*DREW MCINTYRE (Ayr) – 2 Time WWE World Champion, Former NXT Champion, Former TNA World Champion, Carries a Giant Sword
*JOE COFFEY (Glasgow) – 2 Time ICW World Champion, Main Evented 2 NXT UK Takeovers, His Kingdom
*NOAM DAR (Ayr) – ICW World Champion, Host of the SuperNova Sessions, Youngest Competitor in WWE Cruiserweight Classic, had a Relationship with Alicia Foooooox
*KAY LEE RAY (Glasgow) – Longest Reigning NXT UK Women’s Champion in History, Former 3 Time ICW Women’s Champion
As you can see, just because we switched from the US Bracket to the International Bracket, it doesn’t get any easier! A LOT of All-Time Greats in this Pool! Lots of Great Potential Matchups here! Antonio Inoki vs. Pedro Morales is a Legendary Matchup with two All-Time Greats! Roddy Piper vs. Christian would be so entertaining! If you like Cruiserweights, Noam Dar vs. Amazing Red would satisfy that itch! Do you think Trish Stratus would be Ready for Asuka? And after Edge’s Return, a Matchup against Drew McIntyre is potentially looming present day.
Even with Scotland’s Toughness and the Eastern Canadian Team’s Technical Prowess, I feel like I would be doing Professional Wrestling a disservice if I didn’t pick Japan here. I feel like I already did Japan a disservice by not putting Kazuchka Okada on the team. But with the legends on that team and the History and Lure of Japanese Wrestling in History, I feel like it’s a MUST to have Japan win this Pool and compete further in this Tournament.
PICK: JAPAN (Inoki, Muta, Liger, Nakamura, Asuka)
So there are arguments here, I get that. Feel free to comment wherever you are finding this article. And stayed tuned to TheEasternObserver as this Tournament continues with Division B of the International side of the World Cup of Wrestling!