Hmm... I wasn't sure about this one, but played it... then played it again... then again...
I think after winning a certain amount, being able to use those funds to sponsor your 'champion' could be cool. Or maybe the ability to 'tilt' the game in your favour by dropping in power ups that they can pick up... but "oh no the enemy picked it up... dammmit!" That sort of interaction.
The music was banging too and fit the aesthetic well. I also thought the AI battles and the effects etc were top notch. I just wanted to get in on the action myself eventually and because I couldn't I lost interest tbh. It got a wee bit samey but I think with more variety it could definitely be something that'd capture the attention for longer.