WWE SmackDown: Ali & Buddy Murphy renew rivalry in King of the Ring clash
Wednesday 28 August 2019 06:03, UK
One of 205 Live's most intense rivalries will be renewed on SmackDown tonight as Ali and Buddy Murphy clash in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament.
In their time in the cruiserweight division, Ali and Murphy clashed on numerous occasions and delivered an all-action encounter every time.
Tonight, both superstars find themselves in interesting positions - Ali trying to re-establish himself after an injury put him on the shelf, and Murphy fresh off a victory over former WWE champion Daniel Bryan.
Live WWE Late Night Smackdown
The second of this week's opening-round King of the Ring battles feature former tag team partners Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin going head to head.
Benjamin started playing mind games with Gable last Tuesday, poking fun at the former Olympian's height. Will Shelton's mind games pay off, or will Gable show that size doesn't matter once the bell rings?
Flair to respond to champion Bayley?
After accepting Charlotte Flair's challenge for the Clash of Champions pay-per-view on September 15, SmackDown women's champion Bayley sent a message to The Queen by shoving her off her chair during a heated "Moment of Bliss."
The Hugger will have her work cut out if she is to make a successful defence of her title at the event, which takes place in the heart of Flair country - Charlotte, North Carolina.
Several weeks of television remain until the Clash, however, and Flair could look to reassert her status as one of SmackDown's top players with a big statement tonight.
The Viper prepares to strike back
After vicious attacks by Randy Orton and The Revival on The New Day that put Xavier Woods on the injury list, WWE champion Kofi Kingston took matters into his own hands last week, dropping The Viper with Trouble in Paradise, then pummeling Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder with a steel chair.
It is unlikely the newly-formed heel faction will take such an attack lightly, and Kingston surely remains very much in their sights.
Will The Viper and his new allies be out for payback against the WWE champion tonight? And could we be heading for a winner-takes-all double championship match at Clash of Champions?
