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The King of the RIng has been a staple of WWE for many years now, and some of the names that have won the tournament have gone on to do great things for the company and becomes its featured players. Everyone remembers Stone Cold Steve Austin winning the 1996 version of the King of The Ring tournament and becoming the star that he became.
And now, the tournament returns in its 2019 incarnation. Here are 5 theories as to why that may be the case.
Feel free to voice your thoughts, comments, views or just your reaction to the announcement in the comments section below. I'm curious to hear what you may have to say about the return of King of the Ring.
For my part, here's what I think...
#5 Answer to the G1 Climax
As ridiculous as it sounds that Vince McMahon would have the time and the inclination to watch the G1 Climax, I think that this year could be a very different case indeed. This is because one of his biggest stars, Jon Moxley has gone to Japan to make a name for himself. This could be his way or those of the people in power at WWE to put together their own tournament in response.
Even though I did not watch too much of the G1 Climax myself, because I was otherwise engaged, anyone who logs into social media cannot help but see the posts from NJPW fans praising the event. A glance at the list of names in this tournament shows that it'll be the 'workers' competing here, which should attract this sizeable audience.
AEW also plans to do a tournament to crown the first-ever AEW Tag Team Champions. Tournaments are in vogue now from the looks of it!
See WWE RAW Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE RAW Results page
#4 Multitude of underutilized talents in the roster
Remember the angle that Kevin Owens did not long ago, where he blamed Shane McMahon for hogging up all of the screen time on SmackDown Live? He named a lot of Superstars who weren't getting any exposure because of the tyrant boss. This is a great way for WWE to remind fans about the depth of their current roster.
There is only a bunch of talent that will get the top spot in the company. It is the top spot for a reason, but the very fact that some talents like Chad Gable cannot get any TV time at all is criminal and then some. Many feel that Drew McIntyre should have been the Universal Champion by now, but he's stuck in a mid-card feud.
Maybe this tournament is a grant exposure to the men who've been yearning for an opportunity to shine.
#3 To give Kevin Owens his Stone Cold moment
When you look through the list of participants in the most recent edition of the King of the Ring tournament, there is one name that stands out of the pack by a pretty fair margin. This man is Kevin Owens, someone who's being groomed for the big Stone Cold spot.
Stone Cold Steve Austin's career skyrocketed after he won the King of the Ring tournament. Because there are so many similarities between the two men, could Kevin Owens' push begin with a King of the Ring victory too?
Drew McIntyre and Ricochet are the only two other men in the field of 16 that seem like they have a chance of wining the whole thing. The rest just seem like names who've been added to the list to fill up a specific spot.
Could Kevin Owens cut a Stone Cold-like promo following his win too? He certainly does have the ability!
#2 Multiple matches that do not need a storyline
When you watch your favorite TV show, whether it's Walking Dead or Better Call Saul, you have to remember that the writers get a lot of time to come up with storylines. WWE is a constant wheel that keeps turning, and since there is no off season, the writers have to keep churning out storylines on a daily basis.
When you have a tournament of this nature, you do not really need a storyline. You can just have two performers from the WWE roster take each other on in competitive matches.
Sometimes, that is all that is needed for performers to connect with an audience as the G1 tournament proved to us recently. While stories can always be told by the writers backstage, the performers in the ring can also tell a very compelling story if they're given the chance to showcase their wares.
#1 The necessity of creating new stars away from the title picture
WWE may have more titles than it needs, but it also has the most amount of Superstars that it has had in its rich and illustrious history, I think. How can you have someone like EC3 in the roster, not getting any TV time?
The King of the Ring tournament became a device to create new stars. From Kurt Angle to Edge, to Brock Lesnar, a lot of Superstars became a much bigger deal after they won this tournament, elevating themselves to the next level.
WWE needs its stars to be globally recognized household names like they used to be once upon a time. Not everyone can be in the title picture at all times, but when your stars are over, you can also keep them away from the title picture and just book them in compelling programs.
Win or lose, the talents have a chance to showcase their wares and get over with the fans through this tournament that they wouldn't otherwise get.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
