WWE SmackDown: 5 reasons why Ali defeated Buddy Murphy to progress in the King of the Ring Tournament

Ali scored a great victory over his former 205 Live rival
Ali scored a great victory over his former 205 Live rival

#2 Buddy Murphy is still building a fanbase

Murphy needs to connect with the main roster fans more
Murphy needs to connect with the main roster fans more

Of all the Superstars who have competed in the King of the Ring matches so far, Buddy Murphy is by far the newest to the main roster.

While WWE 205 Live fans are already used to seeing the Australian born superstar tear it up in the ring and perform high-risk maneuvers, fans who are invested solely on Raw and SmackDown will need some time to know him.

Murphy’s stock rose thanks to his inclusion in the Roman Reigns mystery storyline, and we can assume that he was made part of the tournament only after he got the attention of the fans because he hadn’t featured in a televised main roster match-up previously.

Ali, on the other hand, was the first man to jump ship from 205 Live to the main roster and make a name for himself. Keeping that and his babyface character in mind, it makes perfect sense to give Ali the benefit of advancing in the tournament, while still working on Murphy and his main roster character.

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