On Monday’s episode of Raw, it was announced that the King of the Ring tournament is returning and will begin on next week’s program.
A 16-man tournament will air over the next several weeks consisting of talent from Raw and SmackDown.
On Raw, they have announced The Miz, Ricochet, Cedric Alexander, Samoa Joe, Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, Sami Zayn, and Cesaro.
SmackDown will feature Kevin Owens, Ali, Apollo Crews, Chad Gable, Elias, Andrade, Buddy Murphy, and Shelton Benjamin.
The King of the Ring was a concept that dates to 1985 and was a themed event for house shows until being added as a yearly pay-per-view in 1993. Winners included Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Edge, and Brock Lesnar along with less successful picks like Billy Gunn and Mabel. It was shelved after the 2002 pay-per-view and brought back for television in 2006, 2008, 2010 and last done for a WWE Network special in 2015 where Wade Barrett won the tournament.
Hope this goes a lot better then the wade Barrett revival year. Then I guess they are doing this early enough that starting next June (post NBA and NHL finals) they can do KOTR 2020 an have it on smackdown and have it as sort of a Playoff format that can air on SD for the summer and it will appease to the casual (sports) viewer and get eyeballs on a broadcast network. Have it a yearly thing for SD.
I so badly want Cesaro to win and get the push he so rightly deserves… but at the same time I feel the “King” gimmick could really take Andrade’s career to the next level
Think King Of The Ring could be a good idea but only if the matches get treated seriously with no screwy finishes and a decent amount of time for each match. I also hope the winner gets presented with something other than the goofy crown and robe. Hopefully they also get a title shot.
The last person to do the King of The Ring gimmick right was Booker T. All hail, King Bookah!
I think making Baron Corbin king would be a great idea to get heat. Elias would be another great candidate to win it. Drew McIntyre is too boring and serious to get the crown.
I don’t really want a super gimmicky king. I’d much rather have it be like the way Charlotte calls herself queen but with them having a KOTR tournament win to add credibility.
Also, a queen of the ring tournament with someone other than Charlotte winning is an easy way to build up a Queen v. Queen feud.
I love tournaments in general and the King of the Ring in particular. The formula just works… have a cocky heel win the whole thing, set up a babyface with an upset win in the early rounds (or even an underdog run to the finals), and fill out the rest with solid wrestling.
I’d like to see the winner get a title shot of their choice or something similar rather than a comedy crown. Make the tournament mean something. Make it about good matches to push some people due to their performance.
I mean if you look at the history most king of the rings didn’t really play into the king gimmick. I feel like maybe Owen Hart was the first one I remember wearing a goofy crown, and the Mabel the next year really played into the king thing. But Stone Cold didn’t, I don’t remember Brock doing it when he won.
Unless the person has the charisma to pull it off, the king gimmick is worse than no gimmick. I mean if I look at he the above most of the guys I look at as able to pull off the King gimmick don’t need it. And even those guys I don’t want to be the King Booker level of king. Cesaro is the only guy there that I look at and think that it might be good for him.
King of the Ring should be treated like MITB or the Royal Rumble, with the winner getting a title shot. Simply being able to call yourself King is not worthy of a tournament.
My immediate guess is that someone from Raw wins. Raw needs both new contenders for Seth or mid-carders with gimmicks that can fill up screen time. Whereas Kofi’s feud with Randy could last awhile and could then go back to Daniel Bryan.
I can definitely see Drew winning and hopefully crushing the crown to be seen as a more badass heel.
Just looking at the talent involved I would agree. Hopefully they build up some of the Smackdown guys but the bigger names are on RAW.
Smackdown has a bunch of good workers in there but unless we are going goofy with this do we see: Benjamin, Gable, Murphy, or Crews getting a big push right now?