5 Ups And 4 Downs From WWE King Of The Ring 2015
Hail to the king, baby!
WWE brought back an oldie but goodie this week, resurrecting the King of the Ring tournament for the first time in nearly five years. Throughout the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s, the single-elimination tournament was a staple of WWE, often providing a springboard for up-and-coming wrestlers to compete for a title that typically carried little more than a crown and scepter, but managed to become a fairly prestigious designation. That might sound a little surprising to more recent fans, but one look at some of the WWE Hall of Famers who have won or simply competed in the tournament shows that this event certainly was a big deal and viewed as a stepping stone for wrestlers, particularly in the late 90s and early 2000s. So it was somewhat surprising to see King of the Ring sputter in the 2000s, disappearing for three years between 2003-05, then returning every other year in 2006, 2008 and 2010 before fading out again. For whatever reason, WWE brought the tournament back this week, throwing eight superstars into the mix, holding the four first-round matches on Monday Night Raw and airing the semi-finals and finals Tuesday on the WWE Network. The tournament largely accomplished what it set out to do: bring back a once-popular event, showcase a couple midcard wrestlers and hopefully provide some direction and storylines for the future. So lets see what moments ruled and what moments groveled for the 2015 WWE King of the Ring.