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The first round of the WWE King of the Ring 2019 came to an end this week on SmackDown Live and brought down with it a couple of upsets. When the tournament began last week, sixteen competitors started off and after the conclusion of the first round, only eight Superstars are left.
King of the Ring had some unexpected results in the first round. Perhaps the biggest upset from RAW was the elimination of Drew McIntyre, who was beaten by Ricochet this week. Kevin Owens was another big name who failed to advance to the next round, although, he didn't have a clean defeat as Shane McMahon interfered to help Elias register a win.
Samoa Joe, Ricochet, Cedric Alexander and Baron Corbin won their respective matches on RAW while Elias, Ali, Andrade and Chad Gable were the SmackDown Live Superstars to progress in the tournament.
Considering the results of the tournament so far, it is not easy to pick a winner. The second round will start next week and here is a prediction of the four Superstars who can progress in the tournament.
#4 Andrade (Set to face Chad Gable)
Andrade had a fantastic start to the tournament as he beat Apollo Crews. Prior to the match, the former NXT Champion crossed paths with Crews a couple of times on SmackDown Live and when the two men collided in the first round of King of the Ring tournament, Andrade didn't toil hard to defeat Crews.
Andrade will face Chad Gable, who moved forward following an impressive victory over Shelton Benjamin. Though Gable and Benjamin had a short match, their athleticism was on show and the former could be a challenging opponent for Andrade when the two men cross paths in the second round.
The tournament has not been predictable thus far but Andrade should be one of the favourites to win the crown. There is no doubt that Gable is an exceptional performer as well but he doesn't have notable momentum while after dominating Rey Mysterio in recent weeks, Andrade is on a roll.
#3 Ricochet (Set to face Samoa Joe)
Following a stunning victory over Drew McIntyre, Ricochet should be the ultimate favourite to sit on the King of the Ring throne at Clash of Champions. The former US Champion produced one his best performances on the main roster this week when he came out victorious against the Scottish Psychopath and is one of the favorites.
While Ricochet crossed a major hurdle in the first round, he is set to face another big name in the second round. Samoa Joe overpowered Cesaro to qualify for the next round and Ricochet is scheduled to fight the Samoan Destroyer.
The match between Joe and Ricochet should be a close battle. Out of the four quarter-final matches, this match might stand out from the rest.
#2 Ali ( Set to face Elias)
Ali squared off against Buddy Murphy in the first round of the King of the Ring 2019 tournament. It was not their first encounter as they have fought each other a few times on 205 Live. Although Murphy dominated Ali in the Cruiserweight division, the latter stood tall on SmackDown Live this week.
Elias, who is set to take on Ali, pinned former Universal Champion Kevin Owens. Shane McMahon influenced the outcome of the match as he was the guest referee of the match. After a quick pinfall count from Shane, Elias clinched a controversial Kevin Owens.
Since Shane McMahon is having a feud with Kevin Owens, the former is unlikely to get involved in the second-round match. If Ali fights Elias in a fair match, the former could be expected to finish with a win.
#1 Baron Corbin (Set to face Cedric Alexander)
Baron Corbin got through the first round by overcoming a formidable opponent in The Miz, and should be confident enough to progress to the next round. Prior to his inclusion in the King of the Ring tournament, the Lone Wolf was in the Universal Title picture. Despite three valiant attempts, he failed to capture the most coveted prize of the Red Brand.
With a new in-ring gear, Corbin returned to the singles action this week. He had an astounding match with the A-Lister. Their match was certainly one of the best matches of night.
Corbin is scheduled to face Cedric Alexander who has been enjoying an outstanding run. Cedric Alexander met Sami Zayn in the first round of the tournament, as the former Crusierweight Champion was triumphant in this clash and also gained momentum after defeating Cesaro this week.
Overcoming a challenge from Cedric Alexander will not be a cakewalk for Baron Corbin and the former Cruiserweight Champion could be expected to give a tough fight. If Corbin manages to advance to the third round of the tournament, he should be the top pick to win the crown. A tournament victory could allow him to return to the Universal Title picture once again.
