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.
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.
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.
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.
The winners of the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments will receive much more than a crown, Triple H has confirmed.
The ongoing tournaments will conclude at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring which will take place on Saturday, May 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Taking to Twitter, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque shared that the victors of both tournaments will also receive a title opportunity at WWE SummerSlam on August 3.
One name who could be going to SummerSlam is GUNTHER who will compete in the King of the Ring finals in Jeddah. The longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in history will face either Randy Orton or Tama Tonga at the PLE. The Viper and the Bloodline’s MFT will face off in a tournament semi-final match on the May 24, edition of WWE SmackDown.
For the Queen of the Ring tournament, Lyra Valkyria advanced to the finals on this week’s Monday Night Raw with a victory over IYO SKY. The former WWE NXT Women’s Champion will face either Bianca Belair or Nia Jax in Jeddah. Those two will face off in a tournament semi-final match on the May 24, edition of WWE SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown took place this week at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, focusing heavily on building anticipation for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.
Tiffany Stratton and Bianca Belair threw down in the opening match of SmackDown. This match went around twenty minutes, and saw Belair win after a ton of near-falls. Fans were also especially invested after Stratton stirred the pot online with a controversial post, one that she got no internal heat with.
Tama Tonga and LA Knight were the second quarterfinal of the night. This match went down with Solo Sikoa, Tanga Loa, and Paul Heyman standing at ringside as a constant presence. In the end, Tama won the match after a little distraction from Solo Sikoa.
Bianca Belair already clinched her spot in the semifinals, which meant we were one step closer to seeing the EST of WWE face Jade Cargill. The former TBS Champion took on Nia Jax during the second hour of the show, and Cargill lost to the Irresistible Force via DQ. This resulted in a brawl after the match and the Jacksonville fans chanting “bullsh*t.” It looks like we won’t see Cargill vs Belair in the tournament.
Randy Orton and Carmelo Hayes had burner of a main event. In the end, Orton won the match, and he promised to introduce Tama Tonga to an RKO in Saudi Arabia.
The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will culminate on May 25 at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the finals for both tournaments will take place.
King of the Ring Quarterfinals:
Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston
Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
Tama Tonga defeated LA Knight
Carmelo Hayes vs Randy Orton
Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals:
Iyo Sky vs. Shayna Baszler
Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark
Jade Cargill lost to Nia Jax via DQ
Bianca Belair defeated Tiffany Stratton
Queen of the Ring Semifinals:
Bianca Belair vs Nia Jax
Winner of IYO Sky vs Shayna Baszler against winner of Lyra Valkyria vs Zoey Stark
King of the Ring Semifinals:
Tama Tonga vs Randy Orton
Winner of Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
WWE King & Queen of the Ring Card:
King of the Ring Tournament Final
Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
Women’s World Championship Match
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (Singles match)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed (Triple threat match)
The King & Queen of the Ring quarterfinals are ongoing, and now we have some names in the semifinals.
WWE’s King & Queen of the Ring tournaments are ongoing, with the brackets featured on the May 13 episode of WWE RAW. The finals will take place on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Shayna Baszler and IYO Sky threw down in the opening contest of WWE RAW this week. After a back-and-forth match, IYO Sky clinched the win with an Over The Moonsault to move onto the semifinals.
Kofi Kingston and GUNTHER faced off in a match filled with tension. Before the match officially began, Kofi targeted GUNTHER’s legs, aiming to weaken his opponent. Kofi continued to press the attack, but GUNTHER turned the tide by catching Kingston mid-dive. From that point on, GUNTHER dominated, delivering significant damage to Kingston. Although Kingston mounted a brief comeback, GUNTHER ultimately forced him to submit, advancing in the tournament.
Lyra Valkyria and Zoey Stark faced off in their quarterfinals match. It was a close contest, but Lyra secured the victory by countering Stark’s Z-360 into her own Nightwing finisher. The former NXT Women’s Champion will now take on IYO Sky in the next round.
Jey Uso and Ilja Dragunov threw down in the main event of RAW this week. This was a stiff match with several hard-hitting spots. In the end, Uso surprised the former NXT Champion with a spear and an Uso Spash to secure the win, and a match against GUNTHER in the semifinals on RAW next week.
WWE’s search for its next King and Queen of the Ring continued last night with LA Knight and Tiffany Stratton advancing at a live event in Chattanooga.
In the King of the Ring tournament first-round match, Knight qualified for the next round with a victory over Santos Escobar. This is the first KOTR tournament for either man. The crowd in Chattanooga’s McKenzie Arena was unsurprisingly unhappy to see the Megastar get the victory over Escobar.
The May 11, WWE live event happened to take place at ‘Tiffy Time’ as Stratton got the win in her first-round match. The former NXT Women’s Champion earned a victory over ‘Michin’ Mia Yim, who recently set her sights on the new NXT North American Women’s Championship.
With Knight’s victory, the SmackDown portion of the quarter-finals in the King of the Ring tournament has been filled out. The Megastar will face the Bloodline’s Tama Tonga on the May 17, episode of WWE SmackDown. The show will also see Randy Orton take on Carmelo Hayes in the other quarter-final match.
As for Stratton, she will face Bianca Belair on the May 17, SmackDown with a spot in the semi-finals on the line. The show will also see Belair’s fellow Women’s Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill take on Nia Jax. Belair, Cargill, and Jax advanced to the quarter-finals on the May 10, episode of SmackDown with respective wins over Candice LeRae, Piper Niven, and Naomi.
The finals of both tournaments will take place at WWE King And Queen of the Ring on May 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The event will be the first tournament-based PLE since 2002 and will also see a huge Champion Vs. Champion match.
WWE took its first steps towards crowning a new King and Queen of the Ring this week with a total of six first-round matches on the May 6, episode of Raw.
Both tournaments will culminate at the WWE King and Queen of the Ring PLE later this month which will take place in Saudi Arabia. WWE had initially planned on hosting the event last year but nixed the idea in favor of WWE Night of Champions. That event saw Roman Reigns reach 1,000 days as Universal Champion and Seth Rollins crowned World Heavyweight Champion.
King of the Ring Results
On Raw, the recently called-up Ilja Dragunov defeated new WWE Speed Champion Ricochet to advance to the next round. Meanwhile, Jey Uso got payback on The Judgment Day with a tournament victory over 2021 runner-up Finn Balor. Originally, Drew McIntyre was supposed to be in Jey’s spot but his injury forced changes to be made. Dragunov and Jey will face each other in the quarter-finals next week.
Queen Of The Ring Results
Raw also saw Zoey Stark advance with a win over Ivy Nile, while Lyra Valkyria defeated Dakota Kai. Like Jey Uso, Kai was a last-minute replacement for Asuka, who Damage CTRL confirmed is out with an injury. Stark and Valkyria will face each other in the next round on the May 13, episode of Raw.
What’s To Come?
While WWE promoted four matches from each tournament for Raw, only three took place. At a WWE live event this week, Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio will face off in a first-round match. This was supposed to be Rey Vs. Xavier Woods but the latter has been replaced due to not being medically cleared. The winner will face GUNTHER next week.
Shayna Baszler and Zelina Vega will also do battle at a WWE live event, despite being previously promoted for the Raw taping. The winner will face IYO SKY on next week’s Raw with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
First-round matches will continue on the May 10, episode of WWE SmackDown. Carmelo Hayes, LA Knight, and Santos Escobar have all announced their participation.
We’ll take the first steps towards crowning a new King and Queen of the Ring tonight on the May 5 edition of WWE RAW.
WWE King and Queen of the Ring will take place this May and see the Superstars return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The show had originally been set for 2023 before being changed to WWE Night of Champions. The change was linked to Roman Reigns reaching 1,000 days as WWE Universal Champion and saw the introduction of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Tonight, we will see EIGHT first-round matches for the men’s and women’s tournaments.
WWE RAW fans are in for a PPV-caliber lineup
Men’s Matches on Raw
Four men’s division matches will take place on Raw with royal stakes on the line:
New WWE Speed Champion Ricochet will face the recently-called up Ilja Dragunov.
In a rematch from WWE Clash At The Castle 2022, Sheamus (2010’s King of the Ring) will face his long-time rival Ricochet in what will no-doubt be a ‘banger.’
The overseas action will continue as Drew McIntyre hopes to take a step closer to the crown when he faces 2021 King of the Ring runner-up Finn Balor.
Kofi Kingston will hope to follow Xavier Woods as the next King of the Ring, but to do so, he’ll need to defeat fellow former WWE World Champion Rey Mysterio.
Women’s Matches on Raw
After last week’s call-up, Lyra Valkyria hopes to advance in the Queen of the Ring tournament, but that’ll be easier said than done when she faces the ‘Empress’ Asuka.
Shayna Baszler calls herself the Queen of Spades but to become WWE’s official Queen, she’ll need to advance with a win over 2021 Queen Zelina Vega.
Zoey Stark will face Ivy Nile in a Queen of the Ring battle in what will be arguably the most physical match of the Women’s tournament’s first round.
IYO SKY looks to bounce back from her loss at WrestleMania when she faces the self-professed Queen of Harts Natalya in her first round match.
Reaching the throne has proven to be a launching point for careers in WWE with Bret Hart, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, and Edge all being crowned over the years. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for full coverage of the King & Queen of the Ring tournaments.
Who will seize their destiny and becoming the 2024 KING and QUEEN of the RING in WWE?