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

Last week, Cesaro and Samoa Joe gave us a near A-grade match on WWE Raw for the King of the Ring tournament. While it would have been difficult for another duo to top their effort, Ali and Buddy Murphy rose up to the occasion on SmackDown Live this week.

As expected, the two superstars killed it between the ropes and gave fans the match of the night in a fantastic display of skill and athleticism. Both men have had several matches on 205 Live against each other, which has helped them build great chemistry in the ring.

With Ali riding on the momentum he has built over the past year and Murphy fresh off a victory over Daniel Bryan, it was difficult to predict who’d win the match to progress in the tournament.

Ultimately, it was Ali who managed to pull off the victory, progressing to the quarterfinals where he will take on Elias.

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In this article, we'll look at the 5 reasons why Ali defeated Buddy Murphy to advance into the quarterfinals of the tournament.


#1 Buddy Murphy could continue to be a part of the Roman Reigns storyline

Will this storyline help Murphy secure some more high-profile matches?
Will this storyline help Murphy secure some more high-profile matches?

Roman Reigns’ mystery attacker storyline may not have been as interesting as it is now had the fans not spread rumors on the internet due to eagle eyes. One of the beneficiaries of this storyline is Buddy Murphy who was able to receive a huge push thanks to fans spotting him at the ‘scene of the crime’.

Not only did it allow Murphy to finally start getting screen time, but it also enabled him to get a match on the pre-show of SummerSlam, a match against Roman Reigns, and a match against Daniel Bryan which allowed him to score the biggest clean victory of his career!

Since Murphy has benefited so much from this storyline, it is expected that he will remain part of it for a while longer to keep fans invested.

With that in mind, it makes sense to have Murphy get eliminated from the tournament, bringing his focus back to the storyline, while Ali moves on and possibly becomes the King of the Ring in the coming weeks.

#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.

#3 To make it another heel vs face quarter-final

The WWE King of the Ring quarterfinal is now evenly matched up
The WWE King of the Ring quarterfinal is now evenly matched up

Vince McMahon loves having matches between distinguished heels and faces. This is what has been embedded in the minds of WWE fans as well, and they prefer to see matches with a babyface to cheer for.

Apart from the match between Cesaro and Samoa Joe, all other first-round matches have been between WWE Superstars playing heel and face characters. The progression from each match has also allowed all four quarterfinals to have distinguished heel and face characters battling one another.

While Buddy Murphy seems to be a heelish figure, Ali is a babyface. His WWE King of the Ring quarter-final will be against Elias who is a heel, and this will allow WWE Creative to continue their love for booking heels against faces, getting the crowd behind one of the characters.

#4 Ali’s massive push has been in the pipeline

An injury to Ali forced him out of his Elimination Chamber spot
An injury to Ali forced him out of his Elimination Chamber spot

When he came to the main roster, Ali was pushed to the top via a storyline involving the then WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan. Just like Bryan has done a few times in the past, he allowed Ali to work off him and his ability to make opponents even better than they are, which made Ali an instant main roster star.

This allowed Ali to garner a huge backing from the WWE Universe, and fans demanded that Ali get more championship opportunities and titles in the coming future. While he was in the middle of a push, an injury brought him down, and he has since been trying to find his footing.

While Murphy is one of the best wrestlers in the company today, he comes second in line when a push is in question. Ali is currently leading the pack and should get back to winning ways so he can challenge superstars for top titles again.

Keeping that in mind, WWE did a great job by booking the first-round match between two great 205 Live exports and allowing Ali to come out on top, putting him in contention for a major opportunity.

#5 Ali is a great candidate for the King of the Ring moniker

Fans have been excited about Ali's success
Fans have been excited about Ali's success

Ali is one of the few men who helped build WWE 205 Live, bringing more eyeballs to the show. His talent and charisma helped make many feuds much more interesting, and his highflying style of wrestling brought the best to the SmackDown roster in December 2018.

Since arriving on the main roster scene, he has managed to increase his fanbase, with calls for WWE to crown him a champion on the main roster. While it can be argued that an injury affected his rise to the top, the King of the Ring tournament could be the perfect substitute. It could enable him to contend for a top title soon.

Even if Ali does not win the tournament, his performances would undoubtedly make the WWE Universe demand for him to have main roster title opportunities.

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