Why should someone win?

I keep tossing an idea around in my head that involves PvP instances capping the number of matches for each player, but it always involves an overhaul of the ranking system and/or introduction of new ranking elements, not to mention a completely different PvP scoring model.

Example - Earth's Mightiest is a 60-hour PvP instance with 500 players per bracket, which wouldn't change. However, each player would be limited to a match cap (50? 100?) for the event and would have that 60-hour window to complete it. Maybe each player is restricted to playing against each opponent once. Scoring would then almost certainly need to be based on win/loss record instead of the points system in place now, and maybe that record is weighted based on overall player ranking/roster strength/some other variable. Might also call for the brackets to shrink down from 500 to something more manageable.

Good news is that players wouldn't be penalized for starting a PvP early anymore...and players who wait to participate at the eleventh hour would struggle just to get their allotment in. Unfortunately, this model simply won't fly. Not only would sharding/bracketing have to be redone completely, the format would nearly eliminate the need to shield hop, which is a big revenue stream.

Ultimately the whole format would need someone with more time than I have to sit and work out all the details.