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Formerly one of WWE's signature pay-per-view events, King of the Ring has been largely been ignored by the company over the last dozen years. That has finally changed, as WWE announced the return of the tournament on Monday Night Raw. It will begin next week, with superstars from both Raw and SmackDown.
The once-annual event that helped make the careers of such superstars as Bret Hart and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin among others. But in recent years, King of the Ring has not been a consistent concept for WWE. Ever since they discontinued the pay-per-view in 2002, it has been held only four times.
The final few editions of King of the Ring were largely frustrating, taking place over the span of one or two nights. While this year is set to be TV-only as well, it should last a few weeks. Sixteen superstars will vie for the crown. This presents a golden opportunity for WWE. They have to nail this edition of the tournament.
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Here are five things that WWE must ensure for this year's King of the Ring to be successful.
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#5 Lengthy matches
Monday Night Raw is three hours long and SmackDown Live is two hours long. This should really allow WWE to book longer matches. After all, it is called King of the Ring. Guys like Cesaro, Ricochet, Andrade, and Ali among others would be able to produce 20-minute classics which would only serve to benefit them in the future, whether they win or lose. They have the in-ring acumen to do that. They should be let loose by the company.
WWE could have a couple of tournament matches on each show, starting from next week's Raw. That way, there is enough time to breathe and the matches can be longer. With the unbelievable talent that WWE has on its roster and for King of the Ring, they must allow them to just go out there and wrestle. If you don't watch 205 Live or NXT, you might be surprised to see what Chad Gable is really capable of. WWE should just give him some time.
#4 Tournament-wide storytelling
One of the best things that WWE has been known to do overtime, is tell a good story. The newly-announced tournament has presented a golden opportunity for the company to flex its creative muscles. With sixteen competitors, King of the Ring should likely last a month or so.
WWE could highlight the journey of various superstars in the tournament, really getting the crowd behind them. Every match in the tournament should mean something. It would help if the wrestlers exuded desperation to win the entire thing, selling the importance of it.
The blueprint for this would be the outstanding efforts from the Cruiserweight Classic in 2016 and the Mae Young Classic in the past two years. Along with the brilliant action, the storytelling was spot-on and emotions were running high.
WWE can build multiple storylines throughout the tournament, setting up the next few months of rivalries on Raw and SmackDown. This way, even the losers of the matches could get over and nobody really loses. After all, wrestling feeds on storytelling.
#3 Creation of stars
The result of a good story and long matches can only lead to one thing, establishing a new star. This should be WWE's main goal for the King of the Ring tournament. They are in a dire need of new stars, aside from the few superstars who do feel special.
WWE must not let this huge opportunity slide, especially after most of the field has been on the cusp of mega-stardom. It would help King of the Ring return to its glory days in the 1990s when the tournament created legends.
Paul Heyman is said to be really high on Ricochet, so expect the King of the Ring tournament to document his ascent up the card. The former Prince Puma could well reach main event status as a result of this tournament.
WWE should attempt to do the same with other superstars, possibly on the SmackDown side. While Kevin Owens is already a huge star and former Universal Champion, somebody else could step up to the plate. How about a shock victory for Buddy Murphy or Ali?
#2 High stakes
The last three King of the Ring tournaments were solely on TV, saved for an abrupt WWE Network special in 2015. They were won by William Regal, Sheamus, and Wade Barrett. See a theme? They all became "kings" and nothing else, probably because they were British (or Irish). There was no real implication of any of their victories.
Regal was set to do something interesting with his victory in 2008, but he got suspended soon after winning and therefore, the gimmick was scrapped
Sheamus entered a damaging losing streak heading into 2011 and Barrett would suffer a similar fate, before being gone less than a year after winning the tournament. This is a bad habit that WWE will have to drift away from.
Back in the 1990s, there usually was a championship match or at least a push in store for the winner. WWE should grant the winner a title shot at the next pay-per-view following the tournament, or perhaps even on SmackDown Live's debut on Fox depending on who wins. This would drive up the intensity and the excitement behind the entire tournament.
#1 A proper plan for the winner
As mentioned earlier, the previous couple of winners of the coveted tournament were languishing following their victory. This bogged down the prestige of King of the Ring, but this year seems to be the revival of the concept. The winner of the entire thing should get a title match of his choosing, but WWE must follow through with them beyond that match.
That is how the company would build a new megastar. The winner must receive a sustained and consistent push in the coming months, or possibly years.
The company has been known to fail to follow through with pushes for a variety of superstars. That failure has ruined the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, making it a clear way to get everybody on WrestleMania.
Superstars like Cesaro have not been capitalized on following big victories. WWE has a proven track record of successful King of the Ring winners, with Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar winning the WWE Championship shortly after their tournament victories.
WWE must stick to their guns and sustain a push for this year's king of the ring. After all, the primary way of judging a tournament's success is how well the winner does after it.
