Thursday Morning Backlash on Who Should Win WWE King of the Ring with Wade Barrett, The Miz, and More

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The King of the Ring will return for 11/29’s 3-hour Raw, so I thought I’d bust out my own Dark Horse Picks and Likely Winners. Here’s Andrew Wheeler discussing the same and, if for some reason you haven’t gotten enough of me lately, check out this podcast interview with Kyle Paul right here.

My Top 5 Dark Horse King of the Ring Winners

5. Goldust – With Goldust getting a push due to the book and the DVD, this would be a fitting way to make people notice he’s really good, as well as King Goldust giving us some excellent comedy. More likely though, like the Million Dollar Belt, Goldust will lose and stalk the winner.

4. Kaval – He won NXT Season 2 and has had some nice matches on Smackdown, but is mostly forgotten. If the WWE remembers that he exists, this would be a nice way to remind us that he matters, since fans clearly liked him on NXT.

3. Ted Dibiase – He needs something new, and I’d prefer a face turn, but he isn’t his father and should stop trying to be. King Ted might get him over, as this current gimmick isn’t working.

2. MVP – Another guy in need of a turn, MVP needs to be a heel. He’s barely complained on the ‘net, so perhaps it isn’t too late for a push. Becoming King and reminding himself how much more successful he was when he was cocky would be a great story and give him a chance to improve once more. I’ve got a bit more on MVP tomorrow.

1. William Regal – Regal needs a push badly. The WWE have so many young workers in need of guidance that Regal could improve in programs with. Giving him the crown as King of the Ring gives him impetus to get all arrogant and start kicking ass again.

How I’d book it: I’d have Regal and Dibiase team up with both men being cocky, then put both in the King of the Ring and have them bet that the loser becomes the winner’s manservant. Let Regal cheat to win, abuse Dibiase and slowly turn Ted face to a huge pop. He’d learn a ton from Regal and come out more over in the exchange. They don’t even really need to have Regal win for this to work, but the win would give the much disrespected Regal a means to regain some credibility.

My Top 10 Likely King of the Ring Winners

10. CM Punk – I don’t think it’s going to happen, but the King of Straight Edge would be great, as would “Being the King means Straight Edge means I’m better than you!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVUOyFwckCo

9. Cody Rhodes – Cody is already cocky and could really be put over the top with a win here. His team with McIntyre is collapsing and this would give them something to feud over. He’s the Smackdown heel I’d most like to see win.

8. Drew McIntyre – Drew seems to be turning face, since WWE can’t be foolish enough to turn heat machine Cody Rhodes. Drew will need something to do since the WWE is so high on him and becoming an ass kicking face and winning this tournament would make a great deal of sense… it even sounds kind of familiar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT_3wUvPR5o

7. Jack Swagger – Swagger is mostly failed as Kurt Angle 2.0, but WWE might want to give their investment another try as King Swangle.

6. John Morrison – Morrison is getting a mini-push in a likely feud with Sheamus. If that continues, Morrison winning this gives Sheamus another reason to murder him.

5. The Miz – He’s lost a bit of steam lately and, while he brags about MitB, getting this big win also would help put him over the top without really needing a world title win yet.

4. Edge – If he’s in this, I’d expect him to win. He’s being pushed as Smackdown’s Orton/Cena-type superstar, which means winning at every opportunity. For the record, I fully expect him to beat Kane at Survivor Series and not be in the KotR or he’d be higher up.

3. Alberto Del Rio – The most likely Smackdown heel to get the crown, his already imperious attitude would be incredible with the crown. I wouldn’t mind this one bit.

2. Sheamus – With the top of the Raw card busy, Sheamus destroying everyone and taking this would keep him over and give him a new thing to feud about while waiting for his next title shot.

1. Wade Barrett – He has to win at Survivor Series. Cena being fired makes no sense at this juncture, and Orton has no one really new to face yet… so Barrett wins the title, Cena, freed, attacks him and Miz cashes in. Barrett then goes on to continue to feud with Cena, but needs heat back for looking like a fool. Enter King of the Ring.

Glazer is a former senior editor at Pulse Wrestling and editor and reviewer at The Comics Nexus.