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The 2019 WWE King of the Ring tournament has certainly been an unpredictable ride throughout the past several weeks, and heading into WWE Clash of Champions this weekend we officially know one of the two competitors who will appear in the tournament finals.
During this week's episode of WWE RAW, former acting RAW GM Baron Corbin defeated Samoa Joe and Ricochet in a thrilling triple threat match to advance to the finals of the King of the Ring tournament taking place this Sunday night.
On this week's episode of WWE SmackDown Live, Chad Gable will battle Elias to determine the second competitor in the tournament finals, with Gable enjoying very unpredicted success in this year's tournament.
Given the above, let's take a look at 5 theories as to why WWE booked Baron Corbin to appear as a King of the Ring tournament finalist.
#5 WWE has big plans for other tournament competitors
Heading into this week's WWE RAW, it was reported that the company wanted to feature Ricochet on a major platform for RAW's return to MSG, hence him being involved in the KOTR semifinals.
Last week on RAW, Ricochet faced Samoa Joe in what was supposed to be a match to determine Baron Corbin's singles opponent for this week's RAW, but when the bout ended in a double pin situation, the decision was made to book a triple threat match this week.
Ricochet has established himself as one of the most promising up-and-coming talents on the RAW roster, and with his excellent showing in the triple threat match this week at MSG, it's likely WWE has big plans for the rookie outside of the King of the Ring tournament.
As for other talents in the tournament, such as Samoa Joe and Ali, they are likely to be used in other capacities which do not require a KOTR tournament win.
#4 WWE intends to reintroduce Baron Corbin as a top heel
Baron Corbin was on his way to being RAW's top heel earlier this summer, when he was the number one contender to Seth Rollins' WWE Universal Title.
The number one contendership led to a match at WWE Extreme Rules, featuring Corbin teaming up with Lacey Evans to face the team of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, with both the Universal and RAW Women's titles on the line.
Corbin and Evans lost the match at Extreme Rules, and following the loss both Corbin and Evans essentially disappeared from WWE TV.
Neither Corbin nor Evans competed at this year's WWE SummerSlam PPV, and Corbin made his return to TV when he was announced for the King of the Ring tournament.
After a lengthy absence from WWE TV, Corbin could be heading to the KOTR finals in order to reestablish the RAW star as a top heel on the red brand.
#3 Baron Corbin is the best choice to lose in the finals
On the other side of the WWE King of the Ring finals, representing SmackDown Live at Clash of Champions, will be either Elias or Chad Gable.
Given WWE's penchant for booking babyface vs heel matchups on PPV, it's more than likely that Gable will defeat Elias on SmackDown Live this week to face Baron Corbin at WWE Clash of Champions.
With names such as Samoa Joe and Cesaro on the losing end of numerous high profile matches in recent months, WWE likely wanted to keep them from the finals so they don't suffer yet another big loss on WWE TV.
With Drew McIntyre exiting the tournament early due to a minor injury, it makes sense for Corbin to compete in the finals, as he can take a loss to Gable should the company decide to crown Gable as the king.
#2 Baron Corbin is the most hated heel in the tournament
The 2019 WWE King of the Ring tournament has boasted some of the company's most hated heels, including Cesaro, Drew McIntyre, Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn and more.
Probably the most hated heel in the tournament, however, is Baron Corbin, who the WWE fans have been booing with vigor ever since he became the more corporate-oriented heel that we currently see on television.
Corbin is undoubtedly someone the fans will despise as the 2019 King of the Ring, so he will make the perfect foil for Chad Gable, who fans will no doubt be very behind this Sunday at WWE Clash of Champions.
It's not yet confirmed that Gable will be the one to face Corbin this Sunday night in the finals, but with WWE pushing numerous mid-card talents on TV in recent months, it seems likely that the hated Corbin will face Gable in a highly-anticipated tournament finals match.
#1 Baron Corbin is a Paul Heyman guy
WWE RAW has seen numerous changes since Paul Heyman took over as the new Executive Director of the Monday night brand, and talents such as Ricochet and Cedric Alexander have been on the receiving end of major pushes due in part to Heyman.
After making his return to WWE TV following a brief hiatus after the Extreme Rules PPV, Baron Corbin spoke with Sporting News and revealed he has a great working relationship with Paul Heyman.
"Paul and I have a very good working relationship because he's not afraid to tell me if I'm doing something wrong. He's not going to sugarcoat things. He's a man's man in the sense of he's not afraid if he hurts your feelings for me. He knows how to handle people.
"That's what I relate to. That's why I get along with Vince (McMahon) and Hunter and Taker. Those guys will tell me that wasn't good and I'm not going to get offended. 'OK, I'm going to make it better, then. I'm going to show you.' They push you to be better."
With Heyman high on Corbin, it makes sense that he has advanced to the finals of the KOTR tournament this year.
Why do you think Corbin is in the KOTR finals? Let us know in the comment section and be sure to follow Sportskeeda Wrestling and Sportskeeda MMA on Twitter for all the latest news.
