WWE Has Some Brand New Royalty (And Someone Cried)

The one true king. There are a lot of titles in wrestling these days and some of them are a lot more prestigious than others. Sometimes things can be made even more confusing when you factor in unofficial titles, which can also be defended despite not officially counting. That was the case again this week, and now someone has something new to wrap around their head.

This week on SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura defeated King Corbin to become the One True King of WWE in a match billed as the Battle For The Crown. The match was the fifth between the two in six weeks with Nakamura winning the series 3-2. As a result, Nakamura gets to keep Corbin’s crown. Nakamura was crowned King after the match as Corbin cried. It is not clear if the crown will be defended going forward or if Corbin will still be referred to as King Corbin, a title he has held since September 2019.

WWE previously had an unofficial King’s Crown title in the 1980s, with names such as Harley Race, Jim Duggan, Haku and Randy Savage holding it. The crown would be defended on occasion before ultimately being retired in 1990. The change also comes as WWE has been hinting at the return of the King of the Ring, though nothing has been officially announced as of yet.

It’s a big change. Check out the change and the King of Strong Style:

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. King Corbin - Battle for the Crown Match: SmackDown, June 18, 2021

Two-time NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura debuts on SmackDown LIVE: SmackDown LIVE, April 4, 2017

Shinsuke Nakamura’s greatest moments: WWE Top 10, Jan. 24, 2021

Opinion: This might not be the biggest change in the world, but it does feel like the end of the King Corbin run. That is not the worst thing in the world as Corbin has gotten a lot out of the deal, though it might be time for someone new. The King of the Ring is a good way to go and if it means Nakamura finally has a little something to do, it should be seen as quite the positive.

What did you think of the change? Should there be another King of the Ring? Let us know in the comments below.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books.

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