Although it was a strange experience for many, including myself, to be travelling for the inaugural event of the Series in Chinese city Wuxi between Christmas and New Year, I think it is fair to say that athletes, coaches and officials alike would agree it was well worth it.

Not least the Series' first-ever winners, Great Britain’s Bianca Walkden and Russia’s Maksim Khramtcov, who each earned themselves a very tidy sum of $70,000 (£52,000/€58,000) from the biggest prize fund offered in the history of taekwondo.

Granted, that amount of money might not seem like a lot to an athlete in an age where a distinctly average footballer could be earning the same on a weekly basis.

But to bring it into perspective, look no further than Walkden’s post-victory interview when she confirmed she and long-term boyfriend Aaron Cook, a fellow taekwondo player that represents Moldova and who also competed at the inaugural event of the Series, can now buy a house.

The Grand Slam Champions Series takes taekwondo to a new level and meets the demands of what World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue says the athletes have always wanted.

The glitz and glamour were there for all to see last Saturday (December 30) with Las Vegas-style presentation, dancers strutting their stuff between matches, and ring girls displaying the number of the upcoming round.

The venue, meanwhile, was custom-designed for television and screamed professionalism through its lavish sound and lighting effects.

Such was its appeal, that there was a lot of talk about "boxing up" the venue and taking it to events all over the world.

The show will no doubt have been an enjoyable one for the millions of viewers World Taekwondo claimed were watching. 

But with the increased attention comes the increased pressure to make sure proceedings run smoothly from the outset and it was disappointing to see issues with the Daedo protector and scoring system overshadow the opening contest of the event.

If World Taekwondo is going to achieve the increased commercial appeal and media profile it craves on a regular basis, situations like this need to be eradicated.

Wuxi will certainly have the time to get everything spot on with the city, located near Shanghai in eastern China, due to host the prestigious event through to 2020.

That is the same year as the next Olympic Games in Tokyo, where the amended rules being used at the Grand Slam Champions Series could be applied.

The Series sees more points added for spins and knockdowns, thus encouraging taekwondo's most spectacular kicks and rewarding powerful blows.

Furthermore, points are deducted if a fighter places even one foot outside the matted area, promoting offensive play and lively footwork.

Choue has confirmed that after reviewing the outcome in Wuxi, the World Taekwondo General Assembly will make a decision on the use of the rules at Tokyo 2020 in April.

This will come on the sidelines of the 2018 World Junior Championships in Tunisian town Hammamet.

Another reason for World Taekwondo to be positive about its newest venture came with Choue confirming to insidethegames that Russia and Mexico have both expressed interest in hosting similar types of professional events in the future.

If indeed that does come to fruition, it would be interesting to see whether the international governing body keeps the Grand Slam Champions Series in Wuxi beyond 2020, or takes it to different continents.

There is certainly a strong case for a longer stay in Wuxi with the likes of tennis' equivalent "best of the best" event, the ATP Finals, having been held in London for the past nine years and for the four years before that in Shanghai.

If the demand is there, then why not?

The important thing for World Taekwondo is that it has options and if the Grand Slam Champions Series can really establish itself as a focal point on the calendar, it would only help what is already a fast-developing sport.

The next opportunity for the event to show its capabilities is scheduled to come tomorrow when the men's under-68 kilograms and women's under-67kg categories are set to take centre stage at the Wuxi Taihu International Expo Centre. 

Among the names to watch out for at the top of the women's under-67kg division is number one seed and reigning Olympic champion Oh Hye-ri of South Korea.

Ivory Coast's Ruth Gbagbi and Turkey's Nur Tatar, the current world champions in the under-62kg and under-67kg divisions respectively, are expected to be Oh's biggest challengers.

In the men's under-68kg category, the man to beat is without doubt triple world champion Lee Dae-hoon.

Having won three out of four Grand Prix titles on offer in 2017, it is difficult to look beyond the South Korean.

But if anyone has the weaponry to take out Lee, it is arguably Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Alexey Denisenko of Russia.

He and Lee clashed for the gold medal at last month's Grand Prix Final in Abidjan in Ivory Coast, with the latter triumphing 14-13.

Following competitions for the men's over-80kg and women's under 49kg categories on January 13, and the men's under 58kg and women’s under 57kg divisions on January 20, the first-ever Grand Slam Champions Series is due to conclude on January 27 with a team competition.

As well as an event for both male and female teams, there will also be one for a mixture of both genders.

The mixed gender format, which made its debut at the 2016 World Team Championships in Azerbaijan's capital Baku and was demonstrated during the Closing Ceremony of the 2017 World Championships in Muju in South Korea, is one that World Taekwondo would like to see enter the Olympic Games.

It is just one other reason why so much emphasis is being placed on the Grand Slam Champions Series in terms of broadening taekwondo's horizons and if the opening event is anything to go by, it could be a real game changer for the sport.

Twenty-seven years after World Taekwondo was founded, the sport made its Olympic debut at Sydney 2000 in what has to be seen as its biggest landmark to date. 

The creation of the Grand Slam Champions Series could be held in equally high esteem in years to come, if it can fulfil its seemingly huge potential.