WWE SmackDown took over the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with a sold-out show this week. Those fans witnessed some incredible King and Queen of the Ring Tournament matches.
The King and Queen of the Ring 2024 tournaments have begun in WWE, with fights on Raw and SmackDown. The final will take place at a live event in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 25. Thirty-two competitors from the roster are vying for the crown, a title previously held by many notable wrestlers.
On WWE SmackDown this week, they continued their path to King and Queen of the Ring. In the first match of the night, Nia Jax defeated Naomi to advance in the tournament.
Carmelo Hayes, the former NXT Champion, won his match against Baron Corbin to advance in the tournament. Hayes secured the victory with a roll-up pin, which did not significantly affect Corbin’s position, as he had just been called up from NXT during the 2024 WWE Draft along with Hayes.
Additionally, the game was sponsored by “The Iron Claw” at Max, with MAX graphics on the barricades and entrance while Corey Graves mentioned the Von Erich family biopic post-game.
Jade Cargill also advanced to the 2024 Queen of the Ring crown by defeating Piper Niven. It’s hard not to see the former TBS champion as a favorite in the tournament. Cargill impressed throughout the match, executing a blue thunder bomb on Niven, along with perfect splashes in the corner.
Chelsea Green tried to interfere, but she couldn’t stop Storm from arriving and won with a Jaded. This win for Cargill also set up an upcoming match against Nia Jax, and that will be another incredible test for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Bianca Belair made her entrance as her teammate Cargill was leaving. This gave them the opportunity to impersonate WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions before the match began. After a back and forth competition, Belair won the match to advance in the tournament.
Tama Tonga earned the victory over Angelo Dawkins to advance this week. Dawkins replaced Bobby Lashley, who had to retire. Tonga is coming off her brother Tanga Loa’s debut at WWE Backlash in France, so she wanted to keep that momentum going. Tonga was also able to show off her new entry on SmackDown.
AJ Styles and Randy Orton brought the third and final King of the Ring match of the night. The two veterans continued as Orton developed a leg injury during the match, one that he sold to heighten the drama. Orton fought to avoid getting caught in a Calf Crusher from The Phenomenal One while the fans chanted The Viper.
They continued to fight and Orton delivered his trademark hanging DDT, but was unable to capitalize. The Apex Predator was able to kick out with a phenomenal forearm and then performed an RKO out of nowhere to secure the victory.
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 of both tournaments will take place.
You can find the results of this year’s tournament (so far) in the space below. We have also listed the announced quarterfinal matches.
King of the Ring
First Round Results:
- Gunther defeated Sheamus
- Ilja Dragunov defeated Ricochet
- Jey Uso defeated Finn Balor
- Kofi Kingston vs. Rey Mysterio
- Randy Orton defeated AJ Styles
- Tama Tonga defeated Angelo Dawkins
- Carmelo Hayes defeated Baron Corbin
- LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar
Quarterfinals Scheduled:
- Gunther vs. the winner of Kofi Kingston vs. Rey Mysterio
- Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
- Tama Tonga vs winner of Santos Escobar vs LA Knight
- Carmelo Hayes vs Randy Orton
Queen of the Ring
First Round Results:
- Iyo Sky defeated Natalya
- Lyra Valkyria defeated Dakota Kai
- Zoey Stark defeated Ivy Nile
- Shayna Baszler vs. Zelina Vega
- Bianca Belair defeated Candice LeRae
- Jade Cargill defeated Piper Niven
- Nia Jax defeated Naomi
Quarterfinals Scheduled:
- Iyo Sky vs. the winner of Shayna Baszler vs. Zelina Vega
- Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark
- Jade Cargill vs Nia Jax
- Bianca Belair vs the winner of Michin vs Tiffany Stratton
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)
- Undisputed WWE Championship Match
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Logan Paul (Singles match)
