WWE last week released the bracket for the latest, and very welcome, incarnation of the King of the Ring tournament. The 16-man field is split between “Monday Night Raw” and “SmackDown Live” superstars, and matches will be on the two shows over the coming weeks, likely culminating at the Clash of Champions pay-per-view on Sept. 15.

Sami Zayn versus Cedric Alexander has been announced for Raw on Monday night. Apollo Crews against Andrade and Kevin Owens vs. Elias will take place on SmackDown on Tuesday. The tournament is a chance for WWE to show it can produce high-level wrestling matches and potentially boost the profiles of a few underused superstars.

With the field set, The Post’s wrestling writer Joseph Staszewski takes “the pencil” and tries his hand at booking the 2019 King of the Ring tournament. Here’s how he sees it going down:

First Round

Raw Bracket

Cesaro over Samoa Joe



King of the Ring should be about match quality, and Cesaro delivers that. Joe, who could turn babyface soon, doesn’t need the push from this tournament. There are other heels to get over.

Ricochet over Drew McIntyre



Not sure I agree with this pairing so early, unless they go back to this for a feud after the tournament. The winner of this match could win the whole thing, but you don’t turn off your TV when Ricochet is on. Just think of the quarterfinal he and Cesaro will have.

Cedric Alexander over Sami Zayn



Zayn is pretty cold right now and Alexander is coming off a good match with McIntyre. WWE could even make McIntyre and Alexander the Raw bracket final because there is history there. A win gives Alexander some credibility and a chance for fans to see him against more upper-echelon guys.

Baron Corbin over The Miz



Corbin has been off TV since Extreme Rules, and this is a chance to reintroduce him to the audience. A loss doesn’t hurt Miz at all, and fans need to believe Corbin may win this thing to play off their emotions.

SmackDown Bracket

Kevin Owens over Elias

Owens is one of the hottest babyfaces in the company and has a built-in issue with Elias, who has been booked as a punching bag. No reason to change that now, but some Shane McMahon interference just might.

Buddy Murphy over Ali

These two had a classic in a no-disqualification match on “205 Live” last July. Both really need a credibility win. Don’t like having Ali lose on TV for the second time this month, but it feeds his underdog story and doesn’t put Owens up against a true babyface in the quarterfinals.

Chad Gable over Shelton Benjamin

This is a fun pairing of old tag team partners, and either one winning works. Gable has had some superb matches on “205 Live,” and a win here is a good way to add to his resume despite Benjamin’s weird eye gimmick needing a payoff.

Andrade over Apollo Crews

Andrade just went over in a feud with Rey Mysterio, is a rising star and a favorite in this tournament. Hard to see him losing to Crews, whom WWE has not invested much in lately.

Quarterfinals

Ricochet over Cesaro (Raw)



Will be hard to take your eyes off these two with their combination of power and athleticism. Ricochet is a recent United States champion and a rising star. He goes over in a classic.

Baron Corbin over Cedric Alexander (Raw)

Great little-man-vs.-big-man story to tell here. The underdog Alexander will make Corbin look as good as he possibly can before getting caught in an End of Days for the finish.

Kevin Owens over Buddy Murphy (SmackDown)



Owens will continue his winning ways and Murphy gets a second rub — much like with Roman Reigns — of having a good match with one of WWE’s top stars.

Andrade over Chad Gable (SmackDown)



Man, this could be fun, mixing Andrade’s Lucha style with Gable’s more traditional grappling. Zelina Vega plays a role in getting Andrade the opening he needs to advance.

Semifinals

Ricochet over Baron Corbin (Raw)



This tournament needs to be about good wrestling and Corbin has proven he doesn’t provide that. Also, what better way to further endear Ricochet to the fans than having him deny Corbin?

Andrade over Kevin Owens (SmackDown)



McMahon can’t let Owens win this thing right? Way too much interference from McMahon, Elias and Vega is eventually too much for Owens. It’s adds fire to the blow-off of the McMahon-Owens feud.

Final

Andrade over Ricochet

The two most exciting wrestlers in the tournament finally meet. If you want a final people will talk about afterward, this is it. Think of the seamless flow of combat they can produce. King of the Ring becomes the vehicle WWE finally uses to give Andrade his much-deserved push up the card.

King of the Ring: Andrade