King of the Ring First Round Predictions

King of the Ring has returned. We polled the FPC Wrestling writers to see who they feel will move on in the opening round. Doing our predictions are:

• Evan Gomes, Managing Editor for FPC Wrestling
• Justin Hix, Contributor for FPC Wrestling
• Ryan Adverderada, Managing Editor for FPC Cardinals & Contributor for FPC Wrestling
• Javier Melo, Contributor for FPC Wrestling
• Kaden Hanafi, Contributor for FPC Wrestling

RAW

Cesaro vs Samoa Joe

• Evan: Cesaro
• Justin: Samoa Joe
• Ryan: Cesaro
• Javier: Samoa Joe
• Kaden: Samoa Joe

Justin: Cesaro is a sneaky pick to win the King of the Ring, and Joe is a betting favorite in Las Vegas. This is a tough first round draw for both men, however it will produce a fantastic match for television. Samoa Joe is top notch in the ring, and on the microphone. A serious push for Joe could start here with winning the King of the Ring.

Ryan: The Swiss Superman just has the feel of someone poised for a deep run. Going with my gut on this one.

Ricochet vs Drew McIntyre

• Evan: Drew McIntyre
• Justin: Drew McIntyre
• Ryan: Drew McIntyre
• Javier: Drew McIntyre
• Kaden: Drew McIntyre

Justin: Drew McIntyre (along with Kevin Owens) have the best odds to win the King of the Ring tournament at 9/2 according to Las Vegas. However, Drew draws a rising star in Ricochet in the first round. Ricochet is coming off a United States Title run and is currently feuding with AJ Styles and The O.C. Styles and company could come into play here and affect the outcome of this match. A “Dusty” finish would keep Ricochet clean, and advance Drew while continuing the feud with The O.C.

Javier: Ricochet is still involved with the O.C. so it really wouldn’t shock me if they came out to interfere in the match. Drew is in desperate need of a big win and this is where he’ll get it.

Cedric Alexander vs Sami Zayn

• Evan: Cedric Alexander
• Justin: Cedric Alexander
• Ryan: Cedric Alexander
• Javier: Cedric Alexander
• Kaden: Cedric Alexander

Evan: Alexander is one of the best 205 Live graduates WWE has. While it’s unfortunate that he has to eliminate the always-entertaining Zayn, this tournament could be a launching pad for Cedric.

Javier: Sami Zayn was once one of the most promising wrestlers on the roster. Sami Zayn is a walking great match. Sami Zayn should win this whole tournament. Sami Zayn won’t win this tournament. Cedric vs Drew pt. 593824 will happen later on so Cedric wins and advances.

The Miz vs Baron Corbin:

• Evan: Baron Corbin
• Justin: Baron Corbin
• Ryan: Baron Corbin
• Javier: Baron Corbin
• Kaden: Baron Corbin

Ryan: This is a “wishful” thinking selection. Imagine the anger if Corbin wins this thing! 

Kaden: I don’t even wanna talk about this match. Baron Corbin wins *sigh*.

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SmackDown Live

Kevin Owens vs Elias

• Evan: Kevin Owens
• Justin: Elias
• Ryan: Kevin Owens
• Javier: Kevin Owens
• Kaden: Kevin Owens

Justin: The Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon feud does not appear to show any signs of slowing down. It just so happens that Owens draws a first round matchup against Elias, one of Shane’s allies and another man Owens has had recent history with. While Owens is a betting favorite, Shane could play upset here and cost KO the match. Look for the upset victory for Elias, with interference from Shane, possibly as a surprise special guest referee. 

Kaden: This will be a squash match. KO will hit him with the stunner and get the win to head into the second round.

Ali vs Buddy Murphy

• Evan: Buddy Murphy
• Justin: Ali
• Ryan: Ali
• Javier: Buddy Murphy
• Kaden: Ali

Evan: It may be a surprise push, but Murphy is a real threat. Making it to the second round comes at the cost of some of Ali’s momentum.

Ryan: Which cruiserweight will reign supreme? Murphy has all the momentum right now, but Ali has the clearer path.

Chad Gable vs Shelton Benjamin

• Evan: Chad Gable
• Justin: Chad Gable
• Ryan: Chad Gable
• Javier: Shelton Benjamin
• Kaden: Chad Gable

Javier: I have no idea who is winning this match so I went with Shelton because he looks around a lot. Gable is awesome but he’s viewed as more 205 Live than King of the Ring.

Ryan: This should be given a full 15 minutes. Both men are great wrestlers and can do things that many can’t fathom. Going with the youngster on this one. 

Andrade vs Apollo Crews

• Evan: Andrade
• Justin: Andrade
• Ryan: Andrade
• Javier: Andrade
• Kaden: Andrade

Evan: Andrade just feels like a sure-thing, right? That logic sometimes falters in wrestling, but he’s been hot as of late.

Kaden: Although it should be a competitive match, Andrade will take the win here. Vince sees Andrade as a future champion and the same can’t be said about Apollo. This should be one of the best matches of the first round.

That’s who we have winning in the first round. Some unanimous decisions (sorry, Miz) and some split votes. Let us know who you’re taking in the King of the Ring tournament in the comments or with us on Twitter.