The WWE King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments are in full swing, and the big finale is set for Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In that ‘progressive city’, the promotion will harken back to its illustrious past, and crown new royalty for 2024.
There are certainly some impressive names remaining in this field, with stars like Gunther, Jey Uso, and Randy Orton still alive. Likewise, the ladies have some incredible wrestlers left in their field as well. Iyo Sky, Nia Jax, and Bianca Belair are in play to wear the crown this year.
The Queen of the Ring looks solid and has no real issues because it – quite frankly – hasn’t been around long enough to have tarnished its crown. However, the men’s side of the tournaments has often forsaken its history in the past for storylines and side jokes. That’s caused being crowned the WWE King of the Ring to lose some of its luster today.
The Up and Down History of the King of the Ring
It hasn’t always been this way. The early days of the KOTR tournament were usually an opportunity to showcase the finest technical wrestlers in the company (like Bret Hart and Kurt Angle), or someone who was on their way to the next big push (Mabel, Billy Gunn).
But there have been some down years and even times when the King of the Ring didn’t occur at all. Since 2000, there have only nine of these special events have taken place. And while that’s likely to change under Triple H and it looks to be an annual event – with a male and female bracket every year – it still feels like it’s been treated as an afterthought rather than an accomplishment.
At one time, the image of someone being coronated at the end of this intriguing elimination tournament seemed incredibly grand, but it’s turned out to be more about glitter and less about gold. In essence, it’s a great ‘name’ to have, but in the grand scheme of things? It hasn’t done much to move recent winners to the next level on the card.
Mostly, the crown has become something lampooned by the wrestlers who capture it. Whether it was the bad comedy of ‘King Book-ah’ or the hijinx of Xavier Woods, being King of the Ring has been considered more of a punchline than a prize.
Just a Trinket From a Tournament?
So, what does winning the King of the Ring Tournament mean in 2024?
Not much, at least from the way things have been advertised. While the luster of the event is undeniable, shouldn’t the winner be granted a title shot against the champion of their choosing? Or, a chance to wrestle on whichever show they want to?
Or maybe just a surprise in a box? (Because as we all know… anything that comes out of a box is over.)
What does the “King of the Ring” winners win?
3 things.
Check out this clip from @WrestlingInc while I inform you.
Agree? Disagree? Hit the replies. pic.twitter.com/2O4CKkGki4
— Matt Koon, (@mattkoonmusic) May 11, 2024
While the upcoming King of the Ring event promises to be exciting and will surely provide lots of great action, winning the tournament itself doesn’t seem to carry as much weight as it used to. Perhaps this year, with the new regime leading the way, they can put a little more shine on that crown – and make winning this event as regal as it used to be.
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Ryan K Boman is the author of the 2023 book, Pop Music & Peanut Butter: A Collection of Essays about Embracing Life with Laughter & Love. His previous work has appeared at The Miami Herald, SB Nation, Bounding into Sports, and Yardbarker.
Follow him on social media @RyanKBoman.
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