Can there really be too much of a good thing in pool?

For a sport that has endured its share of patiently waiting for promise and stability — and more than a few one-step-forward, two-steps-back rollercoaster rides — one would think the answer is a resounding no.

But after watching the recent Reyes Cup, I couldn’t help but wonder if Matchroom isn’t (at least temporarily) killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

In theory, of course, the idea of duplicating the long-running and wildly successful Mosconi Cup made all the sense in the world. Bringing pool-prosperous Asia into the mix checked off a lot of boxes on the “successful promotions” list. First, it satisfied the yearnings of the Asian players and their huge legions of fans, who have long felt left out in the yearlong cycle of news about Team Europe and Team USA battling for global supremacy. The Reyes Cup also offered an opportunity for Matchroom to eventually build a paying audience in Asia that might rival the continually growing numbers at the Mosconi Cup, which today annually draws 2,000-plus fans a day over four days.

Finally, with the decision to meld Team Europe and Team USA into one squad (Team Rest of the World), the 2025 Reyes Cup appeared to have found a format that would draw raving nationalistic fans from Asia, the U.S. and Europe to a single event at one time.

But I’ve noticed some interesting fallout following year two of the Reyes Cup in Manila, which Team Asia once again dominated, 11-3. One, the event, despite great anticipation and a seemingly perfect host, just hasn’t captured the huge fanbase that had been so vocal in its desire to see an Asis vs Europe-USA-World matchup in recent years. Over the course of two years, Asian fans, and particularly local Filipino fans, have voiced virtually every excuse available as to why the stands have been only partially filled. Arguments range from Manila traffic, to the neighborhood surrounding the venue, to ticket prices, to the days of the week on which the event is held.

Yet, only a week later, Filipino pool fans flooded three floors of the Gateway Mall to watch matches at the Philippines Open. The reason? There was no admission charge to the Philippines Open (save for the arena seating on the final day). My takeaway is that the Filipino pool fans love to watch pool, as long as they don’t have to pay to do so.

That, of course, would seem to be an easy fix. Move the event to Vietnam or Taipei! And, eventually, put Team Asia under the glare of a partisan European or U.S. crowd. Seeing their charges screamed at and rooted against would likely drive more passion from the Asian pool community. Another fix might be to separate the two events by six months to allow for more build-up traction.

The more interesting takeaway from year two of the Reyes is that the dueling team events seems to have diluted the pool community’s attention on what had been a 12-month Mosconi Cup battle waged on social media. From both the Matchroom side and fanbase side, the Mosconi has been an afterthought through most of the year. The uncertainty of the team selection process and long delays in announcing captains and even automatic picks have certainly played a role. I blame the confluence of overlapping events and pool politics for some of that.

But between U.S. and European players joining forces and playing nice together just four weeks from what used to be the most contentious and adversarial event of the year, and the general lack of enthusiasm and drama from the Reyes Cup, Matchroom Pool’s Golden Goose seems a bit tarnished. Nothing a dramatic finish couldn’t fix.

Of course, only time will tell. With any luck, players from Team USA and Team Europe will use the down time to once again become bitter enemies. As for fans, with two weeks to go, ticket sales for Alexandra Palace (approximate seating capacity of 2,700, based on the ticket map), Day One appeared to be approximately 60 percent sold, while Day Four had reached 90 percent.

Here’s hoping pool’s best-ever event continues its reign.