King Of The Ring: WWE Misses Out on Golden Opportunity

I attended the WWE King of the Ring last Monday night and it was a stellar event.  It was probably the best RAW of 2010 and one of the best live shows I've ever been to in my hometown of Philadelphia.

That being said, the WWE still doesn't get a pass on their major miscue from that night.

The Miz vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler bout for the WWE Championship is a Match of the Year candidate.  This TLC match had it all and then some.  Lawler, who celebrated his 61st birthday that evening, really delivered for a good 12 minutes.

The match really impressed me as Lawler even kept up with The Miz.  This wasn't the problem though on this night.  Instead, this match was well mapped out and utterly stole the show. 

What I do have a problem with however is how the WWE again failed to give John Morrison the push that he deserves.  Morrison is clearly one of the most gifted superstars in the business.  He's a major sell for the company and should become a "star" very soon.

The problem though is that Morrison, along with countless other young competitors are commonly misused by WWE Creative.  Morrison needs a mega-push in 2011.  The 2010 King of The Ring could've and should've been the start of this, but wasn't.  

Sheamus has already been champion twice and could be on his way to another title in 2011.  I don't particularly have a problem with this per say, but why not let Morrison take the crown instead?

This could have been the night to elevate Morrison into the mainstream of WWE talent. Sheamus was a poor champion and was merely a transitional champion in his two reigns.

If nothing else, at least have HHH return and disrupt Sheamus' winning the KOTR.  Again, the WWE missed out on a big opportunity.

Morrison though was the "true" missed opportunity.  Inserting HHH into RAW that night would've just been an added bonus.  King Morrison and The Miz could have been such a great rivalry.  

For now though, we can only be left wondering.  Albeit a great night, the company missed the chance to make a star.  There is very little gain in making Sheamus win the tournament in this situation.  

The King of the Ring Tournament has always been about a breakout star transforming into a legit contender.  On this night, that star was Morrison.  He's been so misused along his career path thus far. Hopefully, 2011 will be "The Year of John Morrison." 

The WWE has so many new stars to be made.  With a "changing of the guard" currently happening, the transition will need to be smooth.  The youth movement that includes so many guys (Daniel Bryan, Morrison, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, Ted DiBiase, Evan Bourne, Drew McIntyre, etc.) needs to be executed effectively.  

With stars like The HeartBreak Kid Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho and HHH on the move, the company needs to take a new direction.  This could have all started last Monday night on RAW.