Yes, SVB and Sky are absent, but SVB has not been playing in WNT events this year so far and Sky, arguably the only successful member of Team USA over the last decade and a two-time Mosconi MVP, may feel he can still pick his spots and find his way onto Team USA. Fedor, of course, is in this field, but he is a lock for inclusion on Team USA.
SVB didnt play at this event in 2025, 2024 or 2023, it seems. Sky did play in 2025.
To me, the only supposed Mosconi aspirant missing of note is Justin Bergman who has still yet to play in even one WNT ranking event in the over four-year history of the tour.
Bergman playing in a WNT ranking event will be cause for champagne! (-:
Over three hours to play nineteen games of 9-Ball! And people wonder why pool is boring to watch on TV or streaming.
I mostly watch matches with a shock clock unless the players are playing at a fast pace. Or I skip between shots.
I don’t believe the majority of Americans in this event are truly chasing the Cup for ranking points. I understand you’ve been a strong supporter of the Matchroom and WNT over the years. I used to be as well. But when I started to notice what I felt was favoritism, it took some of the shine off for me. And then there was the WNT Filler prohibition, which I won't go into. You and I do agree on an aspect of the aftermath.
Predator uses a selection process that has favoritism built in. Top players get in on points, same as WNT. Yet there are a lot of players who get invited to big events because they are preferred by some regional federation or, if they lack points, are seen as good draws. Predator is just less overt about its selections.
WNT has played favorites with the two wild card picks for the Mosconi, mainly the US players. Given the high visibility of the event, it's pretty glaring.
The first three players on each team, however, are chosen on points (with the one-off exception of Filler's exclusion). This is often ignored.
The choice of player captains was the most political. I'd argue Jayson Shaw was a logical and deserving choice. Sky not so much. And he compounded the error by picking Billy.
The selection of the Reyes Cup was a disaster last year. Team World is a bad concept.
Still, any top pro who wants to, can get into a top Matchroom open. They can't do that with Predator.
The other way MR plays favorites is by who it markets (AJ Manas the most recent flavor). I get it, though. MR is trying to build and popularize a tour, and Frazer thinks smarter marketing is the answer. One could argue its marketing is flawed, but all marketing involves a choice. It's never pure in any sport.
Even with increased prize money in U.S.-based WNT events, I’m not convinced it’s enough. A $40,000 first-place prize today doesn’t go nearly as far as it once did. Honestly, it feels comparable to $10,000 back in the ’80s. Meanwhile, the cost of living of hotels, airfare, gas, and just surviving on the road has skyrocketed.
Spot on. I think players have become even more cost conscious the past year or two. That's why WNT/Predator are both creating more events in Asia.
