Triple H Dramatically Raises The Stakes For WWE King & Queen Of The Ring Tournaments

The 2024 King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will culminate at WWE’s eponymous premium live event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this weekend. Before the finalists head into their respectives battles, though, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has shared a significant update regarding the stakes of these tournaments.

In addition to taking the proverbial throne, Levesque confirmed (via the WWE Experience event in Riyadh) that the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring series will also receive world title matches at the August 2024 SummerSlam event, which emanates from Cleveland, Ohio. Levesque further clarified that the victors will definitively challenge the world champions of their respective brands, rather than having the option to choose their title match opponents.

This week’s episode of “WWE Raw” hosted the first pair of semi-final tournament matchups, with Jey Uso wrestling GUNTHER in the King of the Ring brackets, while Lyra Valkyria collided with IYO SKY in pursuit of the Queen of the Ring throne. Ultimately, these contests resulted in GUNTHER and Valkyria punching their tickets to the finals. The second pair of semi-final faceoffs will take place on tomorrow’s episode of “WWE SmackDown.”

Within the King of the Ring tournament, Randy Orton will tangle up with The Bloodline’s Tama Tonga, who will likely have Solo Sikoa and Tanga Loa lingering in the shadows as back-up. The winner of the Orton-Tonga match will then move on to face GUNTHER in the finals. Similarly, Nia Jax and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Bianca Belair will also square off tomorrow, with the victor advancing to a concluding round Queen of the Ring tournament matchup against Valkyria.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 5/6/2024

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network from the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

Fallout from Backlash

2024 Draft roster changes take effect

  • First-Round King of the Ring Tournament Matches:
  • Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Balor
  • Kofi Kingston vs. Rey Mysterio
  • Ricochet vs. Ilja Dragunov
  • Gunther vs. Sheamus
  • First-Round Queen of the Ring Tournament Matches:
  • Zoey Stark vs. Ivy Nile
  • Shayna Baszler vs. Zelina Vega
  • Lyra Valkyria vs. Asuka
  • IYO SKY vs. Natalya

WWE Officially Announces King And Queen Of The Ring Event In Saudi Arabia

Last month, it was reported that the WWE King and Queen of the Ring tournaments would be coming back on May 27. Later that week, it was all but confirmed that these tournaments would take place in Saudi Arabia. After all, that’s where the money is. This past week on “WWE Raw,” it was made official — the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments are set for May 27 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“This May, live from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, it’s all happening in Jeddah. All hail!” the official announcement read.

The last time a King and Queen of the Ring were crowned was back in October 2021, also in Saudi Arabia, at Crown Jewel. Xavier Woods defeated Finn Balor in the men’s final to turn a lifelong dream into a reality, while Zelina Vega made WWE history by becoming the first to win the Queen’s Crown after defeating Doudrop in the women’s final.

The location of these events may come as no surprise, as this announcement also comes during a time in which WWE is exploring a potential sale. Ever since Vince McMahon returned from retirement, talks have ramped up. While previous reports of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund purchasing the promotion were ultimately proven false, it was reported as recently as last month that Saudi Arabia is still interested in buying WWE.

That said, however, they don’t appear on the latest betting odds, with Comcast currently tipped as favorites, while the likes of Disney, Amazon, Endeavor, and even Netflix trail behind them. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.