Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson continues to impress outside of the ring as the Final Boss of WWE now has two Guinness World Records to his name.
Johnson shared the news on Instagram in a video to the tune of Also Sprach Zarathustra, better known to wrestling fans as the theme of Ric Flair. In the video, the Brahma Bull shared that he is now the most followed actor on TikTok with 77.4 million accounts (and counting) following the TKO board member.
This isn’t the only record that Johnson can lay claim to. In the video, he reveals that he is the most followed man from the United States on TikTok. This accolade puts the WWE megastar ahead of the likes of Will Smith, the Jonas Brothers, Lil Nas X and others. In the caption for his video, Johnson reflected on his World Records and had some tips to remain humble in spite of success.
Johnson is currently working on The Smashing Machine, a biopic about the life and struggles of Mark Kerr, a pioneer in the world of MMA. The film is being produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks company and will be distributed by A24.
In the world of wrestling, The Rock is currently absent but has confirmed that he will be returning. During the post-WrestleMania Raw, The Rock confronted Cody Rhodes and vowed to return to confront the WWE Champion. It is unclear when the Final Boss will be back but it has been reported that there are no major plans for Rhodes until Rock and Roman Reigns return to TV.
The top WWE merchandise sellers bring in a lot of money for the company, and their royalty checks also reflect that. Since WWE is always going, a lot of factors can play into someone’s rise up the charts, especially a title win.
For women’s apparel as of May 26, 2024. Leading the pack is Liv Morgan, whose ‘ProSphere Purple Liv Morgan Revenge Tour T-Shirt’ has become the top-selling item in WWE. Morgan, the new Women’s World Champion, will continue her reign on RAW this week after clinching the title at King & Queen of the Ring.
Following Liv Morgan in the rankings are the Kabuki Warriors, Bayley, Tiffany Stratton, and Lyra Valkyria. These stars have maintained strong merchandise sales, showcasing their significant fan bases and influence within the WWE universe.
Liv Morgan
Kabuki Warriors
Bayley
Tiffany Stratton
Lyra Valkyria
The top WWE merchandise sellers for men’s apparel includes CM Punk’s BITW Ringer T-Shirt tops the list, marking a significant achievement for the returning superstar. Jey Uso’s ‘Yeet’ T-Shirts, available in both black and white for youth and men, also made a strong showing, highlighting his continued popularity.
Another WWE executive has departed from the company.
Beth Fisher, WWE’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, was let go after 13 years with the company per Post Wrestling. This follows many other employee departures due to the TKO merger finalized last fall.
Fisher started with WWE in August 2011 as an assistant to Vince McMahon. She later became a senior manager in the Marketing and Communications department and was promoted to her most recent role in November 2019.
Her release adds to the list of notable departures in the past month. Our 2024 release and departure tracker has been updated. We’re sending our best to everyone that WWE has cut in recent memory, and we’re hoping they find new work very soon.
Michael Levin, Vice President of International Events and General Manager of Emerging Markets, was let go on May 11. Steve Rubin, who had been with WWE for 26 years and was the Senior Director of TV Event Relations, also left the company on the same day.
Kristen Prouty, who had been instrumental in securing the Logan Paul deal, held the position of Senior VP of Entertainment Relations for nearly 20 years. Her release was announced on May 23.
Tavia Hartley, listed as a Talent Operations and Appearances Manager, was also released, with news of her departure breaking on May 23.
Senior Vice President of Entertainment Relations Kristen Prouty, who had worked with the company since 2000, was also cut.
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland hopes to one day have a creative mind for wrestling that matches that of the late Windham ‘Bray Wyatt’ Rotunda.
Rotunda died in August 2023 at the age of 36. He had been pulled from WWE programming earlier that same year due to health issues. Before then the three-time WWE World Champion had been feuding with Bobby Lashley and a match had been planned for WrestleMania 39 in SoFi Stadium.
Swerve Strickland on Bray Wyatt
Rotunda’s tragically young passing came less than a year after his return to WWE in October 2022. In the weeks before his return at the Extreme Rules PLE, WWE teased something with their popular ‘White Rabbit’ mystery. Speaking to Adrian Hernandez, Strickland reflected on the White Rabbit.
“It was small things and it was layered and sprinkled out… Bray was just patient with that and he was meticulous and he was calculated.”
The AEW World Champion admitted to being very impressed with the White Rabbit, and hopes he can have a similarly creative mind for the business.
“Everything that he did, it came from him. I was always appreciative of that. For me, I would hope to have such a deep mind like that.“
What’s To Come?
While Rotunda is no longer with us, the enigmatic White Rabbit mystery has been revitalized with the ongoing QR code mystery. It is believed that the series of clues is building to the return of Uncle Howdy, as played by Bo Dallas. The former NXT Champion is expected to return alongside a faction consisting of Nikki Cross, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, and Dexter Lumis.
As for Strickland, he will defend the AEW World Championship later today at Double or Nothing 2024. Strickland will defend the title against Christian Cage in the champion’s first title defense on pay-per-view.
WWE United States Champion Logan Paul has thanked the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes despite the former’s defeat at WWE King & Queen of the Ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
‘The Maverick’ portrays a heel persona on-screen but couldn’t help from acknowledging the amazing match against Cody Rhodes. Taking to his X account, Paul said that he had “fun” during the match against ‘The American Nightmare’. Paul tweeted:
This marked Cody Rhodes’ second title defense at a PLE after successfully defending his title against AJ Styles at Backlash: France earlier this month. On the other hand, this was Paul’s second attempt at winning the World title as he previously faced Roman Reigns for the title at Crown Jewel 2022.
Cody Rhodes hitting Logan Paul with Cody Cutter on announce table
Cody Rhodes successfully retains the title over Logan Paul
Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul headlined WWE King And Queen Of The RingPLE. During the match, Paul used his brass knuckles despite promising he wouldn’t use it.
Rhodes almost won the match via count-out but stopped the ref’s ten-count. Paul soon took advantage and hit a spectacular frog splash on Rhodes through the Arabic announce table.
In the final moments of the match, guest ring announcer Ibrahim Al Hajjaj stopped ‘The Maverick’ from using the brass knuckles again. This distracted Paul and Cody hit three Cross Rhodes and pinned Paul to win the match.
Cody Rhodes will be looking forward to WWE’s next Premium Live Event WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland which will take place at OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow, Scotland on June 15.
The days of Becky Lynch being ‘Big Time Becks’ are officially over as World Wrestling Entertainment has abandoned its trademark on that particular term.
On May 24, WWE filed paperwork to abandon the trademark for ‘Big Time Becks,’ a former nickname of the popular Raw Superstar. WWE first filed for the term in September 2021 but was opposed nine days after the initial filing. The filing was opposed by James K. Duck, who has a trademark on “Bigtime” when it comes to the world of professional wrestling. Legal proceedings were ongoing as recently as April 1, 2024 over the term.
It’s not a huge surprise to see the ‘Big Time Becks’ name go to the history books. Upon her return to programming at SummerSlam 2021, Lynch established herself as a heel and would develop a vain ‘Big Time’ persona who believed she was the biggest thing in women’s wrestling history. This heel turn saw Lynch at odds with Bianca Belair who dethroned ‘Big Time Becks’ at WrestleMania 38 to win the WWE Raw Women’s Championship.
These days, Lynch is once again a babyface and while she remains one of the top women in WWE (if not wrestling as a whole) she doesn’t feel the need to rub it in the faces of the fans or her fellow Superstars.
Lynch’s Trademark Issues
This isn’t Lynch’s first trademark issue as she/WWE were in a battle with Ric Flair for some time over ‘The Man.’ Lynch began using the term in 2018 though Flair believed that the term was his given his “To be the Man, you’ve got to beat the Man” catchphrase.
The influence of Eddie Guerrero can clearly be seen in the evolution of Dominik Mysterio and Rey Mysterio wishes that his best friend was here to witness the progress of his son.
The Master of 619 recently had an interview with Peter Rosenberg to promote the upcoming A&E Biography: Legends episode focused on Eddie that will premiere this Sunday, May 26.
During the interview, Rey reflected on the infamous feud between him and Eddie with Dominik being in the center. Mysterio said that he wishes Eddie was still here to share the ring with Dirty Dom:
“It was such a cool moment. Such a cool phase of our lives, I should say, because not only mine, I know even though Dom was young, to be able to be in that position, and at his age, absorb everything that happened. Not only that night, but the months prior to that, him being part of the story, major part of the story and the connection that he had with Eddie as well.
The one thing I wish it would have happened and this would have changed the dynamic incredibly. If Eddie would still be here and just to see Dom and Eddie in the ring that would have been…that’s one of those dreams, that it’s never gonna happen, but I wish…that would have been a big opportunity for me to just witness.”
It Would Have Been Such An Incredible Time: Rey Mysterio
They also discussed how different Rey Mysterio’s current feud with the Judgement Day star would have been if Guerrero was still around. The WWE Hall of Famer revealed that he still thinks about how different moments would play out if Eddie was still here:
“I’ve had moments where I just overthink scenarios if Eddie would still be here. My mind just goes crazy. Just thinking about all the things we could have done, Eddie and Dom with me involved. It just, it would have been such an incredible time. It’s unfortunate that we will never experience that. But maybe in the heavens, when we’re all up there. We can do a special match for God.”
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio had been friends since the early 90s and shared the ring with each other many times in different stages of their careers in different promotions. Their most memorable encounter came at the 2005 SummerSlam event in August when Guerro faced Mysterio in a ladder match with the custody of a young Dominik being on the line.
Guerrero unfortunately passed away only a few months after this match in November 2005 at the age of 38. While Eddie may not be with us anymore, his legacy lives on and there are many current wrestlers who credit the late star for inspiring them to get into the business.
The Great Khali has joined the neck tattoo club of wrestling.
The former World Champion has been going viral in India recently for his involvement in the ongoing general elections and his collab with the world’s shortest woman Jyoti Amge.
One development fans may have not expected to see however is Khali getting a neck tattoo rivaling that of the current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
The former WWE star real name Dalip Singh Rana visited famous Delhi artist Karan for this tattoo of a tiger. This is a play on his real name Singh, which is a word describing the king of the jungle:
The neck tattoo wasn’t the only ink Khali got done on his visit to Karan. He also got a full right arm tattoo as a tribute to his mother.
The Great Khali’s Post WWE Career
The Great Khali has continued being a celebrity in India following his exit from WWE in 2014 after a successful run with the company.
The Giant opened his own wrestling school dubbed Continental Wrestling Entertainment in Punjab. Wrestlers such as Dilsher Shanky and Kavita Devi have been signed by WWE after beginning their careers with CWE.
The WWE Hall of Famer joined the current ruling party of India, BJP in 2022. He has been active in the ongoing general elections, making appearances to promote local candidates for BJP in the states of Punjab and Haryana.
He also recently went viral for his video with Jyoti Amge. Amge is the world’s shortest living woman according to the Guinness World Records and Great Khali was seen lifting the record holder in a video he shared on Instagram.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has spoken about the controversial finish to the 2024 King of the Ring tournament.
At WWE King And Queen Of The Ring, GUNTHER claimed the crown in the Men’s Tournament finals with a hard-fought win over Randy Orton. GUNTHER made it to the finals with wins over Sheamus, Kofi Kingston and ‘Main Event’ Jey Uso before dispatching of the Viper in Jeddah.
The match ended in controversy as Orton’s shoulder was not fully on the mat during the decisive pinfall. On Twitter, Levesque addressed the questionable result.
“I was out there. My vantage point was very difficult to see. Coming back here and seeing it back, I saw what everybody saw. Didn’t even seem very controversial to me, just seemed like Randy Orton’s shoulder wasn’t down. But I’ll say this, referee’s decision is final and GUNTHER is your King of The Ring.”
While GUNTHER’s victory is final, the Game added that he would love to see the two face off again to ensure there is a clear winner.
“Randy Orton deserves to have another shot at that and I think GUNTHER will want to have another shot at that to take the controversy out, to take the asterisk off the page where it says King of The Ring.”
With his (albeit controversial) victory, GUNTHER has earned himself a World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE SummerSlam on August 3. Currently, the Austrian is expected to face either current champion Damian Priest or Drew McIntyre, depending on who wins their title match at WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland.
Cody Rhodes had some choice words for Logan Paul after their Undisputed Title match at WWE King and Queen of The Ring PLE from the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The two competitors had an incredible match with the YouTube star once again showing off his athleticism. He delivered an impressive top rope frog splash on Rhodes through the Arabic announce desk which became a viral moment. In response, Cody hit the US Champion with a Vertebreaker.
Paul didn’t hold back on the shenanigans either and Logan introduced the brass knuckles in the bout to try and win the match. He had Cody Rhodes almost beat after the referee was knocked down and Paul delivered a low blow.
Actor Ibrahim Al Hajjaj who was in attendance for the show, however, prevented the challenger from using the brass knuckles to get the victory. This distraction allowed Cody to get back his footing and he finally won the match using a series of Cross-Rhodes.
The show went off air with the Undisputed Champion celebrating his victory. After the cameras stopped rolling, Cody cut a short promo where he gave props to Logan Paul and thanked the fans:
“Incredible showing by United States Champion Logan Paul. Well, this is it for now, I cannot wait until I see you all again. God bless you guys, thank you all very much. Take care of each other, have a goodnight, I love you all,”
What Happened At WWE King And Queen Of The Ring
The King and Queen of The Ring PPV saw some surprising winners coming out of the show aside from the expected results in the main event.
This included Gunther who defeated Randy Orton to win the King of The Ring tournament. Though the ending of the bout was not free of controversy.
Liv Morgan also surprised fans by defeating Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship after Dominik Mysterio made an appearance to ‘stop’ Morgan from taking Mami’s title.
Becky Lynch was obviously not happy with how things turned out and The Man has demanded a rematch for the title on this Monday’s episode of Raw.
Johnny Knoxville keeps Kayfabe alive between he and Sami Zayn and Matt Camp can attest to that.
Speaking on his new series “The Wrestling Matt Show” the former WWE personality was previewing WWE King & Queen of The Ring and some fans were talking about Johnny Knoxville being incoporated into the WWE product during the first part of 2022. Knoxville appeared at the Royal Rumble and ultimately defeated Sami Zayn in a dark horse match at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, TX.
Camp notes how invested and passionate Knoxville was during his brief run in WWE.
“Johnny Knoxville was awesome to work with, with everything he did with WWE. He was all in, he cared, he offered ideas up, the stuff with the phone number in the sky and the red carpet), Johnny Knoxville got it.”
Knoxville even committed to his beef with Zayn even after Sami turned babyface as Camp had Knoxville on The Bump nearly a year after the fact.
“Sami’s a babyface at this point and he was still railing on Sami and he played into it. They could have a blast with that. I think there is almost a ‘fight forever’ almost tongue-in-cheek thing between Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn, which I love.”
“I think there is almost a ‘fight forever’ almost tongue-in-cheek thing between Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn, which I love.”
Even as of recent, Knoxville has kept his feud cooking with Sami as Johnny interrupted Zayn’s stand-up schtick while at the Netflix Is A Joke event. He roasted Sami while there, even having Wee Man punch him below the belt. Then on social media, Knoxville continued to berate Zayn, claiming that Razor Ramon was actually his favorite Intercontinental Champion.
Please credit “The Wrestling Matt” and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.
Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship reign continues to go strong after retaining the title against Logan Paul in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The American Nightmare and the Maverick met in the main event of WWE King And Queen Of The Ring. The two were easily matched before Paul took the lead with a pair of brass knuckles supplied by a member of the PRIME Hydration Station.
Paul’s action would outrage Michael Cole as Paul had previously vowed to not use any brass knuckles. A confrontation between the commentator and the Maverick allowed Rhodes to take control.
The two would continue to trade control with Paul targeting the injured ribs of the American Nightmare. The fight would go to the outside again and Rhodes would hit the ‘Cody Cutter’ on the table.
Rhodes had the match won at this point but stopped the referee’s ten-count as he wanted Paul to ‘learn.’ Capitalizing on this, Paul would recover and hit a splash on Rhodes through the Arabic announce table, but a second splash in the ring garnered only a two count.
During one spot, the referee was taken out and Paul wasted no time in going for the brass knuckles again. As he went to use them however, guest ring announcer Ibrahim Al Hajjaj stopped him and Rhodes would deliver three Cross Rhodes to put the Maverick down for the three count.
The American Nightmare triumphed in Jeddah.
What’s to Come?
With another successful title defense to his name, Rhodes’ attention will turn towards WWE’s next Premium Live Event WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland. The event will be WWE’s first PLE in the UK since Money in the Bank 2023 where Rhodes defeated ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio. WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland will take place on June 15 in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro arena.
Becky Lynch marched into Saudi Arabia as Women’s World Champions; unfortunately for The Man of WWE, that’s not how she will arrive home. Lynch lost her championship in the opening match of WWE King & Queen of The Ring, however it wasn’t without controversy.
During the match’s closing moments, Becky Lynch looked to have the match well in hand, only to find herself distracted by a lurking Dominik Mysterio. Mysterio, seeking to ensure that Liv Morgan would not win the match, would inadvertently help Morgan secure her second World Championship.
WWE’s Byron Saxton would catch up with Becky Lynch later in the evening, just in time to see an infuriated Lynch going off on Dirty Dom. As Saxton looked to question Lynch about her loss, The Man made it clear that the story between her and new champion Liv Morgan was far from over.
Becky Lynch revealed that she has a rematch clause in her contract and was on her way to speak with RAW General Manager Adam Pearce to make the match official for Monday night. RAW will take place in Savannah, Georgia, on Memorial Day.
While Becky Lynch is looking to utilize her contract to trigger a championship match, the WWE Universe does have questions about her legitimate contract status with the company. According to multiple reports, Lynch’s contract expires in June, and as of this writing, she has not signed a new deal.
Could Becky Lynch’s rematch against Liv Morgan be her final match on Monday Night RAW? It’s unlikely, but we must see how things play out.
Drew McIntyre will challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at an event where the Scottish Warrior will certainly have the crowd on his side.
At WrestleMania 40, McIntyre’s brief World Heavyweight Championship reign was ended by Damian Priest who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Priest’s successful cash-in came after CM Punk attacked McIntyre who had won the title from Seth Rollins moments earlier.
Since then, McIntyre has been focused on getting another shot at the title. Priest, in an effort to prove himself as a fighting champion, told McIntyre on a recent episode of Monday Night Raw that he would receive a title match in the future.
During the WWE King And Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event, WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque shared that McIntyre has been cleared to wrestle after suffering an elbow injury at WrestleMania. The Game also shared that McIntyre will receive his promised title match at WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland.
McIntyre will have the home-field advantage in Glasgow.
The Scottish Warrior will certainly have the home-field advantage when he faces Priest in Glasgow. McIntyre had previously said he hoped the title match would be at the OVO Hydro. This will be McIntyre’s second time competing for a WWE World Championship at a Clash At The Castle show. At the inaugural event in 2022, McIntyre unsuccessfully challenged then-WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
A CM Punk Problem
While McIntyre would love nothing more than to dethrone Priest in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, the Judgment Day member isn’t the only star on Drew’s radar. Since CM Punk’s return to WWE, McIntyre has made clear his issues with the former AEW World Champion who essentially cost McIntyre the title at WrestleMania. Punk has teased showing up in Glasgow (perhaps disguised as a haggis) to confront McIntyre while the Scottish Warrior has made clear what awaits Punk if he tries to interfere at Clash At The Castle: Scotland.
The winners of the King & Queen of the Ring tournaments were promised a title match at SummerSlam for their respective brands. Nia Jax has already secured the crown for the women, and Randy Orton and GUNTHER followed with a highly anticipated and intense match.
Orton and GUNTHER delivered a physical battle as expected. Orton took many hard hits but used his veteran ring psychology to compete against The Ring General.
The Apex Predator took a beating, but he was still able to execute his signature moves, but GUNTHER countered an RKO with a slam followed by a massive top-rope splash. Orton nailed an RKO outta nowhere after that, but GUNTHER rolled to the apron as he avoided the pinfall attempt.
Gunther se CORONA King of the Ring tras recibir el RKO de Randy Orton, pero que este no pudiese hacer el pin por la rodilla. Lo aprovecha Gunther con ese pin para llevarse la victoria.
GUNTHER tried to wear Randy Orton down with some submission holds, but then he ate another RKO. After kicking out at two, GUNTHER scored a roll-up pinfall for the win.
With this victory, GUNTHER secured a main event match at the Biggest Party of the Summer. He will now face the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, currently Damian Priest, at SummerSlam. It was later announced that Priest will defend the title against Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle.
GUNTHER recently concluded a historic WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, which lasted 666 days and ended at WrestleMania XL when he lost to Sami Zayn. He quickly set his sights on winning the 2024 King of the Ring tournament to become the Undisputed WWE World Champion. Long title reigns are common for GUNTHER at this point, as he held the NXT UK Title for 870 days during that brand’s era.
Randy Orton returned to WWE at Survivor Series for WarGames last year after a 10-month hiatus due to back fusion surgery. Since then, he has remained active, including teaming with Kevin Owens. Orton received a massive babyface reaction upon entering the Jeddah SuperDome.
The 2024 Queen & King of the Ring in Saudi Arabia was a newsworthy event throughout the show. We saw many unexpected moments, but we already knew a new queen would be crowned. Now, Nia Jax is the new Queen of WWE.
The winner of the 2024 Queen of the Ring tournament is guaranteed a match at SummerSlam against the champion on their respective brand. That gave Lyra Valkyria and Nia Jax even more to fight for.
The finals of the Queen of the Ring was certainly a David vs Goliath match for the women’s division. Lyra fought on, as she took a ton of punishment from the Irresistible Force.
In the end, Nia Jax’s force was just too much for Lyra, and she secured a clean pinfall. To her credit, Valkyria put up an incredible fight, as Corey Graves and Michael Cole sang her praises after the match. Now, Jax will take on Bayley in Cleveland at SummerSlam, provided the former Hugger maintains her championship status.
After the match, Triple H got in the ring with the Queen of the Ring crown, and he placed it on Jax’s head. This was followed by a heel promo from new queen.
Triple H le otorga la corona de Reina a Nia Jax de manera muy emotiva. Y Michael Cole recordando lo mal que lo ha pasado Nia estos años. #WWEKingAndQueenpic.twitter.com/1QdT0IVXJb
Lyra Valkyria, a former NXT Women’s Champion who took the title from Becky Lynch, was recently drafted to RAW as part of the 2024 WWE Draft. She is new to the main roster and quickly rising with this opportunity.
Nia Jax, was released from WWE in 2021, but she returned when Triple H took over creative control. She has steadily worked her way back up the roster with strong booking. Her imposing presence was evident when she told Bayley to prepare her WWE Women’s Title for SummerSlam.
King & Queen of the Ring took place in Saudi Arabia, and WWE included another cryptic QR Code during the event.
The latest QR Code appeared during WWE King and Queen of the Ring. A QR Code surfaced ahead of the WWE Intercontinental Championship match at WWE King and Queen of the Ring, leading to a new video.
The new video shows a connection being established and someone playing WWE 2K24 with Bianca Belair and Bayley. The person approaches a door and says “hello” as an image reflects on the window. The feed then cuts off, and the connection is lost.
WWE has been hinting at plans involving Uncle Howdy. Vignettes have interrupted Twitch streams and other broadcasts for weeks with QR codes, all leading to cryptic images and videos. These clues suggest a new stable is on the way.
Currently, four names are expected to join Uncle Howdy’s new faction: Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, and Erick Rowan. The former Wyatt Family member was recently spotted at the WWE Performance Center, and Dexter Lumis is now sporting a much different look, with a beard and longer hair, in preparation for this new role.
WWE started a cryptic campaign leading up to WrestleMania 40. The first teaser for Bo Dallas’s return appeared at the end of the Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal documentary. Since then, QR codes have been appearing for fans to scan, and an ominous tune titled “Nightbird” has been playing before and during WWE live events.
Liv Morgan is now the new WWE Women’s World Champion, but her victory over Becky Lynch came in a controversial manner.
WWE’s King & Queen of the Ring event took place in Jeddah, where it was 92 degrees outside the Jeddah SuperDome and in the mid-70s inside the arena. Despite the cooler temperatures inside, Morgan’s revenge tour was on fire.
Rhea Ripley was WWE Women’s World Champion, but she was put out of action by a backstage attack from Liv Morgan after WrestleMania XL. After that, Morgan’s Revenge Tour intensified, as she went after the now-vacant title. The whole time, Dominik and Morgan have found a reason to cross paths, and these interactions have proven pivotal.
The event began with the Women’s World Title match between Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan. The match had an unexpected ending when Dominik Mysterio got involved, assisting Morgan in securing the win and the title.
During the match, Becky and Liv went back and forth, with a couple of near-falls along the way. Then Dominik appeared at ringside, initially causing a distraction that did not immediately help Morgan win. However, a few moments later, Dominik slid a chair into the ring, which Morgan used to her advantage by hitting a DDT on it while the referee was distracted.
With the referee’s attention back on the match, Morgan executed her Oblivion finisher and secured the pinfall victory. Following the match, Morgan and Dominik celebrated with fireworks in Jeddah, marking her controversial win.
For weeks, some eagle-eyed fans have noticed hints about a connection between Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan. This development has sparked interest among the WWE Universe, especially since Rhea Ripley’s injury, leading to speculation about Morgan and Dominik’s alliance.
Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio seen together AGAIN ?
During an appearance on The Masked Man show, Dominik addressed the fan theory about him and Morgan. He used the “innocent until proven guilty” way to get out of the question.
“I think at the end of the day, everyone is innocent till proven guilty. And I’m just (…) I’m here protecting Mami. And I’m trying to make sure she’s good when she comes back and that everything is all set in order. She comes back straight to the top. Take her title back, no harm no foul.”
Although Dominik initially said that he was in Saudi to make sure Liv didn’t win the title, the opposite happened instead. Now the discussion among fans who were shipping Dominik and Morgan for a while has only intensified.
Liv Morgan: What are you doing here?
Dominik: You know what I'm doing here, I flew all the way from America so you don't get your hands on Mami's championship.
Liv Morgan is your new WWE Women’s World Champion after there was some chicanery by Dominik Mysterio.
Lynch and Morgan kicked off the PLE fesitivities for King & Queen Of The Ring as the WWE Women’s World Title match started off the show.
As customary for the WWE women in Saudi Arabia, both Liv and Becky wore full-body attire as Becky donned basically a black tuxedo while Morgan wore a full-body red catsuit.
The fight was even-matched with both the champion and challenger getting the competitive edge. In the match, Liv and Lynch both had their finishers reversed and the live crowd in Saudi were very vocal during the fight.
Lynch and Morgan traded punches before the two traded a series of submissions and pin attempts. Lynch locked Morgan in a Disarmer, but matters changed after Dominik Mysterio entered at ringside through the crowd. That caused Lynch to be distracted and Morgan hit a Codebreaker for a near fall. The fight surprisingly continued.
Lynch hit a superplex and Dom slid in a chair to “assist” Becky, but Morgan ended up hitting an Oblivion on the chair to become the new Women’s World Champion.
Mysterio has been angling that he wanted to look out for Lynch, but Becky has made clear she didn’t want his help. Lynch sure didn’t get it as Morgan has further cemented her “revenge tour.”
Post-fight, Dominik looks despondent as Morgan celebration begins with fireworks. However, this could all be a ploy as there’s been a good deal of teases that Dom and Liv have been hiding a relationship with one another while Rhea Ripley has been out with injury.
Will Ospreay wants to move on from his comments made towards Triple H and makes it clear that he likes the WWE Creative Content Officer.
Ospreay has a busy weekend ahead of him as the top AEW star will be challenging Roderick Strong for the International Championship at Double or Nothing this Sunday. In light of his big bout in Las Vegas, Ospreay spoke with some of the media, including Adrian Hernandez and was asked about his comments towards Triple H during an AEW Dynamite promo.
“People within the company were saying, ‘That was a bag at you.’ I’m over it now. I said my bit. My thing was funny. Everyone took it way too personally. All these old f***s that are like, ‘I have a podcast’ and they think they know everything. I couldn’t give a f*** about these guys.”
‘The Game’ previously stated that some wrestling talent weren’t willing to be apart of the ‘grind’ of WWE. Ospreay took umbrage with that decided to state that Triple H got his high profile spot due to “grinding on the boss’s daughter.”
Ospreay continued his comments with Hernandez, deciding to dampen down any further tension between he and Triple H, stating that he likes Paul Levesque.
“At the end of it, no harm done. I f***ing like Triple H. It was a little bit hard hearing that s***. I was nothing but respectful in all the talks. I have my own mission, my own objectives, my own goals. Just because it doesn’t fit with your things, it doesn’t mean people should be firing shots my way. I come from a generation where if you fire one at me, I fire one back.”
Introduced in 1985, The King of the Ring was a staple of WWE programming for over 15 years. The tournament and the event didn’t just deliver many iconic matches. It provided the opportunity for WWE to turn participants into generational Superstars.
The birth of “Austin 3:16”, Brett Hart’s back-to-back wins, Triple H’s vindication (albeit a year late), and many more incredible tournament matches were made possible by this event. After the 2002 edition of the tournament, the fan-favorite event was sunlit. However, after over 20 years, WWE will host its King & Queen of the Ring PLE in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Get the latest breaking news, rivalry analysis from a panel of experts, and so much more on the Countdown to #WWEKingAndQueen of the Ring!
While the King of the Ring tournament did continue in various forms after 2002, it never quite recaptured the same magic. While the WWE Universe was treated to fun reigns from the likes of Booker T and William Regal, these were the exceptions rather than the rule. The reward for winning King of the Ring became nothing more than bragging rights, and over time, along with weaker barracks and underhyped tournaments, the King of the Ring theme lost its luster.
Things changed in 2021, with WWE bringing back the tournament and introducing the women’s version of the contest called “The Queens Crown.” The 2021 King of the Ring and Queens Crown finals would take place at that year’s Crown Jewel event; this marked the first time since 2006 that the tournament finals were held on a major PLE. While imperfect, this 2021 iteration was certainly a step in the right direction.
During Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, WWE announced the long-awaited King & Queen of The Ring PLE date. WWE had originally planned for the event the previous year. However, the company ultimately decided to revive Night of Champions instead.
Who will seize their destiny and become the next King and Queen of the Ring?
While the initial rounds would take place on Monday Night RAW and SmackDown, the Finals would culminate at the event’s namesake PLE. The first time WWE has done so since 2002. This is not just in any venue but inside the Jeddah Superdome, which instantly propels the importance of each tournament.
2024 King & Queen Tournaments:
The brackets also saw a massive upgrade in overall quality, consisting of a strong mix of young up-and-coming talent and established stars. This combination created a fun tournament, notably because of the tournament’s unpredictability.
Fans saw multiple potential outcomes to the King & Queen of the Ring tournaments for the first time in years. Off the bat, Superstars Gunther, Tiffany Straton, LA Knight, Jade Cargill, Iyo Sky, and Carmelo Hayes were flagged by fans as tournament favorites.
Unfortunately, during the initial round of the tournament, several Superstars in both the Men’s and Women’s tournaments were replaced due to various medical reasons:
On May 23rd, WWE’s CCO Triple H announced that the winners of each tournament would receive a championship match. This again helps set this year’s tournament apart from others that came before it.
Despite these changes and substitutions, each tournament’s 16 participants, all had their opportunities to shine, even if their time in the tournament was short-lived. While every match had its highlights, there were certainly several that stood out above the rest.
1) Gunther vs Sheamus (Round 1) – This match was the first time these two had shared the same ring since WrestleMania 39, but as expected, their chemistry was incredible. The match was an intense and hard-hitting affair and even included an additional layer of story with The Celtic Warrior battling self-doubt. As expected, the bout was a certified BANGER.
In the end, Gunther defeats Sheamus and, eventually, finds his way into the finals of the tournament.
2) Ilja Dragunov vs Ricochet (Round 1) – Here, we found one of the many matches where the WWE Universe was sincerely unsure of what direction WWE would go in. Illja Dragunov had just been called up to the main roster and was coming fresh off a historic NXT Championship reign. However, Ricochet was the newly-crowded WWE Speed Champion and had just begun to gain momentum on his own.
The high-flying style of Ricochet beautifully clashed with Dragunov’s stiff ground-and-pound approach. The Mad Dragon would emerge the victor, but the duo’s match certainly had everyone on Monday Night RAW talking.
3) Bianca Belair vs Tiffany Stratton (Quarterfinals) – Following some social media controversy from earlier in the week, Tiffany Stratton looked to put the past behind her as she squared off against Bianca Belair on the May 17th edition of SmackDown. The two women are widely considered some of WWE’s most talented female stars, setting up for an interesting bout, to say the least.
In the end, Belair’s raw power was too much for Stratton. However, the exciting match had the WWE Universe buzzing. “Tiffy Time” is truly getting closer and closer!
4) Iyo Sky vs Lyra Valkeryia (Semifinals) – Iyo Sky had just been WWE Women’s Champion going into WrestleMania 40, with the Genius of the Sky proving that she belonged in the main event seen as the face of Damage CTRL. It seemed only fitting that WWE would want to push her to the finals of the Queen of the Ring tournament, however she would find a major roadblock in recent NXT call-up, Lyra Valkeryia.
Many WWE fans considered their match to be the best women’s match in the tournament, with the two giving it all they had. In the end, Valkeryia would secure the surprise win. Leaving Iyo Sky shocked that she allowed the NXT stand out to best her.
Fun fact: Lyra Valkeryia and Iyo Sky’s match time was a little under 20 minutes, more time than EVERY match in the 2021 Queen’s Crown tournament combined.
5) Jey Uso vs Ilja Dragunov (Quarterfinals) – This bout between Jey Uso and Ilja Dragunov certainly came with lively debate amongst the WWE Universe. It was one of several scenarios where fans were sincerely split on who should win. Truly a Yeet or No Yeet conundrum.
Based on the tournament’s bracket layout, fans noted that there was an opportunity for WWE to have Dragunov clash with Gunther. The Mad Dragon’s sworn enemy since the days of NXT UK and a match that the WWE Universe has been begging to see on the main roster since the moment Dragunov arrived.
However, no one could deny the unmatched wave of momentum that Jey Uso had been riding. Even in defeat by World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest at WWE Backlash, fans only remained high on Main Event Jey Uso.
Would WWE give Jey Uso a much-needed win following his setback in France? Or would they seize the opportunity to push Ilja Dragonuv?
Ultimately, WWE decided to save a clash between The Mad Dragon and The Ring General for a bigger moment. Instead, giving Jey Uso one of the most impressive single wins in his entire career. The match was phenomenal, with the fans on the edge of their seats for every move and pinfall attempt.
Our New King and Queen of the WWE Realm:
After two excellent matches at Saturday’s King & Queen of The
Ring, we now have our 2024 King and Queen of the Ring: Nia Jax and Gunther!
In a true David vs Goliath match-up, finalists Lyra Valkyria and Nia Jax went one-on-one to decide who the 2nd Queen of the Ring in WWE history would be. The story of the match was what you would expect: Jax used her strength to brutalize Valkeryia, while Valkeyria’s resilience and speed were showcased. In the match’s final moments, Valkeriya made a fatal mistake, allowing herself to get stuck in a corner. Thus allowing Jax the opportunity to hit her Annihilator, with the ring vet picking up the 1,2,3 moments later.
While Nia Jax is far from being “beloved” by the WWE Universe, her dominance since returning full-time in September 2023 cannot be denied. Picking up victories against some of the biggest names in WWE, including Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Raquel Rodrigez, and Jade Cargill. It was a cool moment to see Triple H crown Jax as Queen, with Michael Cole reminding everyone how much Jax had gone through over the past several years.
In the co-main event, a significant match in the history of the King of the Ring unfolded, featuring the future Hall of Famer Randy Orton against WWE’s rising star Gunther.
The match itself was everything fans of both men could ask for, with Chops and RKO’s coming in from every direction possible. Ultimately, Gunther’s vicious assault on Randy Orton’s back and knee was too much for The Viper to overcome, with The Ring General becoming the KING General in a nearly 30-minute classic.
The match did have some slight controversy, as fans online noted that Randy Orton’s shoulder was definitely up during the roll-up pinfall. Whether this leads to any additional storyline developments down the road is not clear at this time.
Overall, Gunther and Nia Jax were the correct choices for the PLE. Now, both will get to reign as King and Queen, eagerly awaiting their guaranteed upcoming championship matches at Summer Slam in Cleveland, Ohio.
Way Too Early 2025 Predictions
Following two epic and memorable tournaments, the WWE Universe is already thinking about the future Kings and Queens that may rise.
In WWE, a year into the future might as well be millions of lightyears away, as change is as common in WWE as dropkicks. However, given everything we know about the current state of WWE, we can make some educated guesses on potential favorites.
As WWE did this year, one should think of a good mix of rising stars, established names, and fresh new arrivals. The picks above check all those boxes, with Flair, Belair, and Rollins serving as the well-established names who are more than deserving of royal recognition,
The Montez Ford pick may seem surprising to some, but it’s made with sound reason. WWE has shown a clear interest in making Ford a bigger star, well beyond his role as one-half of The Street Profits. The multi-time tag team champion oozes with both in-ring talent and charisma, even getting his own show on HULU with real-life wife Bianca Belair. The King of the Ring tournament could be perfect for Ford to have his breakout moment.
Carmelo Hayes and Tiffany Stratton represent the future. The two are young blue chip stocks with tons of upside potential. Fresh out of NXT, they are ready-made for the WWE main roster. Seeing either of them with a crown on their head one day would surprise no one.
If you’re curious as to why we haven’t seen Ricochet defend his WWE Speed Championship on WWE RAW or SmackDown, there’s a good reason why.
In a now deleted post, a user on X appeared to inquire about why we haven’t seen any Speed matches go down on television and the champ laid out the reason. He didn’t say X was the reason outright, but that was clearly what the WWE Superstar was indicating.
“Because a specific company paid a specific amount of money to have a specific show and title, EXCLUSIVELY be shown on their specific platform.”
Because a specific company paid a specific amount of money to have a specific show and title, EXCLUSIVELY be shown on their specific platform. https://t.co/958Lz1auzR
The Speed series resides exclusively on X and requires that the wrestler gets a victory within three minutes. Triple H also confirmed that there will be Speed matches in the women’s division.
Competing in the inaugural tournament was Ricochet, Axiom, Cedric Alexander, Angel Garza, Bronson Reed, Dragon Lee, Johnny Gargano and JD McDonagh. The finals came down to Gargano and Ricochet and there it was discovered that Speed title matches can last up to five minutes instead of three.
Ricochet got the pinfall victory in four minutes and 21 seconds. The match took place in Cincinatti, OH and is recognized at starting on May 3, although the bout was taped on April 26.
The Speed Champion may have his own new rivalry starting off against Bron Breakker. Breakker went on a rampage in his RAW debut and actually targeted Ricochet in his attack, spearing him backstage while the champ was having a conversation with Ilja Dragunov.
Physics was not Rey Mysterio’s friend in 2003 and nor was Big Show’s brute strength.
The 2023 WWE Hall of Famer has taken his fair share of nasty bumps in his day, but nothing prepared him for being swung like a baseball bat at a ring post.
20 years before getting that well-earned Hall of Fame nod, Mysterio squared off against The Big Show at WWE Backlash 2023. Mysterio took the loss when Paul Wight caught him with a chokeslam, but the brutality was far from done as Rey was strapped to a stretcher. That’s when Wight grabbed hold of Rey and whipped the board and his opponent hard into the ring post.
Speaking with CBS Sports, Mysterio detailed that moment, something that he thought he and Wight totally accounted the safety for. They were both wrong. Between Rey and the stretcher, the weight of both became an issue, even for Wight.
“I remember we had gone over it and that was the plan. When I was strapped onto the stretcher, everything seemed cool. I said ‘How much can it hurt? The stretcher is hitting first and I’m attached to it, so I won’t feel it.’ Well, we never thought about what happens when you hit.
“There was no way Big Show could hit the pole and hold onto me. So that whole weight and the momentum, as soon as we hit, I went straight down. As I was strapped onto the stretcher, my head went ‘boop’ and I hit first. That hurt. That in itself hurt very much.”
Mysterio is no stranger from big men throwing him around. Arguably the most notorious spot occured back in his WCW days when Kevin Nash lawn darted Rey right into the side of a semi-truck as the NWO began their infamous invasion.
WWE SmackDown’s Randy Orton hopes to be the next King of the Ring, but regardless of what happens in Jeddah, he will break a three-year streak.
The Viper will compete in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament against Monday Night Raw’s GUNTHER. Orton secured his place in the finals with tournament victories over AJ Styles, Carmelo Hayes, and Tama Tonga. GUNTHER earned his place in the match with wins over old rival Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, and ‘Main Event’ Jey Uso.
Breaking the Streak
While Orton is predominantly known as a singles competitor, you wouldn’t know it based of his Premium Live Event appearances in recent years. The upcoming match will be the Viper’s first singles PLE match in over three years. Before his showdown with GUNTHER, Orton’s previous one-on-one match at a PLE saw him defeat ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 37 in April 2021.
Over those three years, Orton was teaming with Matt Riddle and the popular RK-Bro tag-team would hold the Raw Tag Team Championships (now the World Tag Team Championships) on two occasions. Orton’s time with the Original Bro ended in May 2022 as a severe back injury forced the Legend Killer off of TV.
Since returning to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, Orton has been part of multi-man matches. The November PLE saw him enter WarGames as part of Team Rhodes. At the Royal Rumble event, Orton competed in a four-way before being one of six men in February’s Elimination Chamber Match. WrestleMania 40 saw The Viper in a triple-threat match and Backlash France saw Orton and Kevin Owens lose to The Bloodline.
Orton will face GUNTHER in the King of the Ring finals.
What’s to Come?
Should Orton win the King of the Ring crown then he will soon find himself in another one-on-one match at a Premium Live Event. The victors of both the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will receive championship matches at WWE SummerSlam on August 3.
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley has expressed her interest in facing AEW wrestler, Kris Statlander.
‘The Role Model’ has faced plenty of talented wrestlers over the last decade and she now has named the former TBS Champion for a potential match. Bayley recently spoke to Bernard Colas of Le10Sport and was asked about a wrestler outside of WWE whom she wanted to face. ‘The Role Model’ named AEW star Kris Statlander as her potential opponent in the future. She went on to state that Statlander reminds her a lot of the former WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley as she she is “so athletic.” Bayley said:
“I really like Kris Statlander. I think she’s just freaking so athletic. She kind of reminds me of like Rhea Ripley. You know or like it seems like she can do everything so I’d be interested to get in the ring someday.”
Kris Statlander competed only once in WWE in April 2019. She was introduced as Kristen alongside her tag team partner Karissa (now known as Elekra Lopez) and faced then-Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) in a losing effort. Following a brief run on the independent circuit, Kris Statlander made a move to AEW in November 2019 and went on to capture the TBS Championship last year.
WWE have started to acknowledge the happenings and bring in wrestlers from other promotions. In 2020, WWE brought in then-IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James for that year’s Women’s Royal Rumble. This year TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace was also able to compete in the match. Recently, Shayna Baszler also competed at ‘GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X’ last April to face Masha Slamovich. Bayley and Kris Statlander could face each other if either of them is allowed to walk through the Forbidden Door.
We will have to wait and see if a match between Bayley and Kris Statlander ever takes place. Last year, AEW President Tony Khan seemingly liked the idea of working with WWE. Read more below:
