Andre the Giant Memorial = Modern King of the Ring?

[HeymanHustler]

Lets say that this Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale becomes an annual thing at WrestleMania (and considering they keep referring to it as the "inaugural" AGMBR, I'm guessing it is). Do you think that this has the potential to become a modern King of the Ring event?

Now, the common discretion among the IWC against the AGMBR is that winning and getting an Andre the Giant statue doesn't mean anything other than just becoming an accolade some superstar can brag about. Well, wasn't King of the Ring the same way? The winner of KOTR never was guaranteed a World Title shot (except maybe when Booker T won; correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he win the World Heavyweight Title a month after he became King Booker? If so, I can't remember if he got the shot because he won KOTR or not) and the only prestige came from knowing the majority of its winners went on to win World Titles and their career would take off because of winning (Stone Cold, Bret Hart, etc) but other than that, and if the WWE never hyped the event up like that, it wouldn't mean anything. William Regal's career didn't change much after winning KOTR. Sure, he became Raw GM and won the Intercontinental Champtionship, but it's not like he became #1 contender for the WWE Title because of it and his career never exactly skyrocketed. Now lets say Alexander Rusev wins this AGMBR as it's widely predicted. His career could get a jumpstart because of it, much like most young winners of KOTR have gotten jumpstarts in their careers. He doesn't become #1 contender for the WWE Title or even the Intercontinental Title, but he gets to brag about having a statue. Just like how KOTR winners only got a crown, a coronation, and bragging rights.

Could this serve as a modern KOTR and years from now, be hyped up as an event where future main eventers and world champions emerged, much in the same way KOTR did?

 

[Dagger Dias]

I really do not see the connection. The Andre Memorial match is a Battle Royal. King Of the Ring was a tournament. It can become an annual event that gets the midcarders with nothing else to do onto the Wrestlemania card. The event has needed some type of multi man match attraction to replace Money In the Bank when that match received its own show. These matches (if tonight's won't be the last) will likely never be anything to write home about, but they can be good for a number of things. A break from the action of the big matches if it is placed further up the card, a way to hype up the crowd if it goes on first, or simply just a way to get more wrestlers on the card.

Now, for that trophy. It seems to be absolutely useless at this point. If it ends up being able to be used to get someone a title shot, then yes maybe this can be a modern answer to what King Of the Ring used to be in a sense. I hope that happens. The trophy winner needs to get a title shot. It doesn't even have to be for the World Heavyweight Championship. Give them an Intercontinental or US Championship push from it. Make that stupid trophy mean SOMETHING. I couldn't care less about it otherwise no matter what Hulk Hogan says about it. The Bragging Rights trophy meant nothing in the long run, so without some type of push coming alongside it why should this one?