WWE King of the Ring quarterfinals predictions: The rise of El Idolo
By Brett Grega
Samoa Joe versus Ricochet
On the other end of the Raw bracket, we have Samoa Joe taking on Ricochet in a rematch from their match of the night performance at Stomping Grounds.
Admittedly, I think this is the hardest to predict right now in King of the Ring. Both men could easily go on to face the surging Cedric Alexander, and I wouldn’t bat an eye.
Samoa Joe would probably make the most sense here on the surface. I can’t help but suspect it may have been a conscious decision on WWE’s part to have all face versus heel matches for the quarterfinals.
A win for Joe would continue that trend, and could help reestablish some of his credibility in high-profile bouts as well.
At the same time, a potential Ricochet versus Cedric Alexander semifinals could easily give us the match of the tournament, one that would propel the winner into the finals with an even greater head of steam.
Ricochet is also someone WWE clearly has plans for, yet still is somewhat directionless right now. An extended stay in the King of the Ring would give them more time to work out a storyline for him.
When you weigh both those sides of this bout together though, I think the winner does become a little clear.
Samoa Joe is primed to pick up the surprise W here. The face versus heel dynamics are too much to ignore, and he would make for the perfect final hurdle for Cedric Alexander to reach the finals at Clash of Champions.
Ricochet could also then relatively easily go into a feud with an angry Drew McIntyre, who would no doubt want vengeance for being taken out of the tournament so swiftly, if WWE felt it was important to showcase “The One and Only” at their next pay-per-view.