King of the Ring Return Is a Great Way to Utilise the WWE Network

In a series of promotional videos airing during the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, WWE announced the return of the hugely popular King of the Ring tournament.

As per WWE.com, the tournament will begin on Monday night's episode of Raw, with the finals airing live on Tuesday night, exclusively on the WWE Network.

Throughout April, the WWE Network has been free to new subscribers. The King of the Ring event will be the company's final attempt to sell the WWE Network to people who may have given it a try.

This is a smart move from WWE and a great chance to crown a new star.

King of the Ring was one of WWE's biggest PPV events during the 1990s and the early part of the 2000s. Stars such as Triple H, Brock Lesnar and, most notably, Stone Cold Steve Austin, received major pushes as a result of tournament glory.

It was after Austin's victory at the event in 1996 that he cut the iconic "Austin 3:16" promo that would establish him as one of the biggest stars in professional history.

The WWE Network has, in many ways, been built on nostalgia, with the Monday Night Wars programme and Attitude Era episodes of Raw used as a major selling point.

For fans who grew up during that era of wrestling, the King of the Ring tournament is yet another reason to subscribe to the WWE Network. By setting the tournament up with preliminary matches on Raw, WWE is guaranteed to lure more subscribers over to its on-demand service.

Whilst podcasts and documentaries are fun, it's by showcasing exclusive wrestling content that the WWE Network will truly become an essential purchase.

King of the Ring is the perfect example of a way to use the WWE Network to provide fans with something that feels genuinely important.

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In the tournament itself, WWE has presented itself with a major opportunity to make the most of its wealth of midcard talent.

The chance to become King of the Ring gives competitors just out of the running for title belts, like Dean Ambrose, Ryback and new sensation Neville, something tangible to fight for in order to make their name.

Rather than giving the trophy to a performer who has had time in the sun, WWE should use this opportunity to strap a rocket to a hot young star.

The options are endless.

Bray Wyatt has been referring to himself as the "New Face of Fear" for months. He could really begin to back up that claim with a victory in the King of the Ring tournament. He would be a terrifying figure if given the rhetoric of a ruler.

Neville, who has just emerged from NXT, is another option to wear the crown. He is coming off the back of a terrific PPV win over Bad News Barrett, so King of the Ring could really propel him into the stratosphere.

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Dean Ambrose, too, could really benefit from being a madcap King. He has struggled to win big matches, but a tournament victory would give him real momentum going forward.

Whoever WWE chooses as the winner of King of the Ring will have a great opportunity ahead of them. The moniker comes with a lineage of enormous stars, and it's a sure sign that WWE Creative has big plans for the winner.

The latest King of the Ring has some big shoes to fill.