Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Ben Williams, Dallas Allsopp, and Robert DeFelice will be giving their thoughts on the upcoming revival of the King of the Ring tournament!


ALLSOPP: Sheer joy! I love the King of the Ring format, and tournaments, in general, are exciting. WWE has been in dire need of freshening up their product, therefore a few breakout performances from some of the wrestlers involved could set them up positively for the rest of the year. If booked well, this tournament should produce a number of high-quality matches, considering the wrestlers involved.

WILLIAMS: I think tournaments are always a positive addition to weekly WWE television as it gives people a reason to tune in next week if they’re invested in the guys involved. WWE is smart to utilize guys like Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe who have quite a hardcore fan base who will want to see them do well!

DeFELICE: Some of my very best early memories are of the King of the Ring and the silliness that goes around when somebody is crowned King. My favorite Kings are those that take the act to the next level such as Booker T in 2006 or Owen Hart in 1994. this tournament, in particular, is ripe with tremendous names that arguably are all underutilized with the exception of Kevin Owens. There are some magical possibilities with this bracket and I hope that along the way we get a tremendous exhibition in what WWE television can be.


DeFELICE: II would suggest that Ali and Buddy Murphy are going to do everything within their power to replicate the magic that they had on 205 Live. However, do not sleep on the pairing of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. These two can easily provide a mat wrestling classic that we will never forget. For my money, Cesaro vs Samoa Joe should be one of the best matches on TV this year. These two guys will hopefully go balls to the wall with hard-hitting action and deliver something that most people would associate with a bingo hall type of indie match. This is the kind of match that can easily put Cesaro back on the map in a headlining capacity.

WILLIAMS: Cesaro vs Samoa Joe and Drew McIntyre vs Ricochet have the potential to be outstanding matches provided they get the time to really show what they can do. The brackets overall have some pretty awesome pairings though!

ALLSOPP: Ali vs Buddy Murphy is quite simply an exciting prospect. Murphy is coming off his amazing match with Roman Reigns, whilst Ali is determined to prove he is a top-caliber wrestler after his recent return from injury, which means we should be in for a classic. I would be happy for either wrestler to win this match, however, I feel Murphy has the bigger chance of succeeding in this tournament and therefore should win. I will be very surprised if this match disappoints.


DeFELICE: I think Drew McIntyre should win this tournament but I do worry that maybe he doesn’t need the win. I would argue that Cesaro is somebody who could utilize the victory to its fullest because he is already established as a very credible performer with a little bit of main event experience.

WILLIAMS: I could see King of the Ring going a few different ways with a couple of guys really in need of a strong push. I would rule out almost all of the babyfaces because it’s a pretty heelish role and also the guys that WWE refuses to fully get behind; Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe, Cesaro, Buddy Murphy, Shelton Benjamin & Elias. This leaves Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, and Andrade. Out of those guys, I think Andrade probably SHOULD win but all signs seem to point to Drew McIntyre as the guy who WILL win!

ALLSOPP: I feel this tournament will be Andrade’s coming out party. He has been stuck in the midcard for far too long, but winning the tournament would be the perfect way to elevate him to the main event scene. A heel character is better suited to winning King of the Ring, and with Zelina Vega as his mouthpiece, Andrade could embrace the King gimmick to finally become a main event player.