6 Old WWE Tournaments To Return

WWE has been known for a number of tournaments throughout the company’s history.

Whether it be from the modern era or decades ago, these tournaments have created new stars and delivered some iconic matches as well as moments.

Looking at the company’s history, there are quite a few tournaments that could make a return to leave a lasting impact on this era of WWE talents.

Here are six old WWE tournaments to potentially return.

6. Global Heritage Invitational

Back in 2023, WWE NXT held the first Global Heritage Invitational tournament to determine the number one contender for Noam Dar’s NXT Heritage Cup.

Dar recently made his return to WWE NXT during a backstage segment with The Vanity Project and Romeo Moreno on the May 5 episode.

The officially recognized current NXT Heritage Cup Champion is Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo, but he has not defended the Cup since Tony D’Angelo threw it into the water during their rivalry in 2025.

Potentially wanting to bring the Heritage Cup back into play, WWE recently trademarked the Global Heritage Invitational and could bring back the tournament and set up a title match in the near future.

5. SmackDown World Cup

The FIFA World Cup will begin in June 2026 with a record 48 countries being represented.

Back in 2022, WWE took advantage of all the attention for the World Cup by introducing its own tournament around international play with the winner earning a shot at the Intercontinental Championship.

The SmackDown World Cup making a return in 2026 would allow WWE to once again take advantage of all the eyes on this international tournament.

With all the stars from different countries in the company right now, it makes sense for WWE to once again hold its own World Cup for someone to earn a shot at championship gold.

4. Gold Rush Number One Contenders Tournament

In 2005, WWE held the ‘Gold Rush’ #1 Contenders tournament that saw the stars of Monday Night Raw battle to get a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.

All these years later, this tournament is still brought up as one of WWE’s best considering the moments it created.

During the course of the tournament, Shawn Michaels delivered one of his best Sweet Chin Music finishers when he nailed Shelton Benjamin with a superkick in mid-air, while Edge formed a partnership with Lita to win the entire Gold Rush.

Now more than 20 years onward, WWE could bring back the Gold Rush tournament to determine who will face Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship in 2026.

3. Cruiserweight Classic

There is probably no other tournament over the past decade that has been discussed with as much reverence and esteem as the Cruiserweight Classic.

Back in 2016, stars from WWE and around the wrestling world took part in this single-elimination tournament to determine the new Cruiserweight Champion.

From Zack Sabre Jr and Kota Ibushi to DIY and TJ Perkins, these talents were showcased in a major way that still gets talked about to this day.

The CWC making a return in 2026 would open the door for WWE to invite talent from all over the world to get their first chance on the main stage.

2. Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

Starting in 2015, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic became the premier tournament on the NXT brand.

Honoring the WWE Hall of Famer, the NXT brand placed major stars together in new pairings and other tag teams in a single-elimination tournament.

Over the next few years, NXT held the tournament every year to determine who would earn an opportunity at the tag team titles.

From Finn Balor and Samoa Joe to duos like The Authors of Pain and The Broserweights, the past winners are noteworthy and could see another high profile tag team added to the illustrious history of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

1. Mae Young Classic

Women’s wrestling has been brought into prominence over the past 12 years in WWE.

Playing a large role in elevating the women’s division in the company, the Mae Young Classic introduced the fans to the likes of Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and IYO SKY.

Over two iterations, the Mae Young Classic became the best place for female stars to be highlighted or make their debut in the company.

WWE bringing back the Mae Young Classic would be a wonderful way for the promotion to elevate women’s wrestlers and immediately thrust them into the spotlight in a significant way.

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