King and Queen of the Ring 2024: Jax and Gunther headed to SummerSlam

Thomas Starr

King and Queen of the Ring 2024: Jax and Gunther headed to SummerSlam

The King and Queen of the Ring Tournament concluded in Saudi Arabia. Gunther and Nia Jax are headed to SummerSlam for world title matches. They also crowned a new Women’s World Champion in Liv Morgan. Sami Zayn, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill, and Cody Rhodes all retained their titles. It was a good show overall. The highlights were Gunther versus Orton and Logan Paul versus Cody Rhodes.

Note: Biance Belair and Jade Cargill were added to the show. During the countdown, Dominik Mysterio told Liv Morgan he was going to make sure she doesn’t win the Women’s Title.

Countdown:

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill (c) vs. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell

LeRae and Hartwell injured Belair’s leg, which lead to Belair losing her next tournament match. That is the setup going into this match. Cargill showed off her power early. Belair dominated until LeRae took out the injured leg. Belair sold setting up the hot tag to Cargill. LeRae botched a moonsault and look like she landed on her head across Cargill’s chest (or head) who was being held by Hartwell. Cargill tagged Belair who gets the win with an assisted DDT into a belly-to-back suplex (they did not say what they call it). Good match for its placement.

Winners: Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill

Main Show:

Women’s World Championship Match
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan

Lynch came out dressed like an extra from Peaky Blinders. Morgan had eyes on her gloves. Tribute to Pan’s Labyrinth? I see you, Liv. They had a shoving match to start. Back and forth action with Lynch using some great looking shoulder blocks. They caught Lynch calling a spot on-camera. Morgan takes over. Some sloppy bumps into the corner. Michael Cole had to cover by saying they “didn’t get all of that.”

The dreaded I hit you, you hit me spot and Lynch takes over. I have lost count of how many kickouts they have had, but it is too many for my taste. Morgan looks like she is going to cry after Lynch kicks out. Then she stomps her feet like a three-year-old. Lynch needs to retire the disarmer. Lynch had the disarmer on, for way too long, when Dominik Mysterio shows up. Mysterio slips a chair into the ring indicating it is for Lynch. Morgan uses the chair to beat Lynch. A happy little accident, Dom?

Winner: Liv Morgan

Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat Match

Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed

Chad Gable told Maxxine Dupri to go to the back while Otis seconds him to the ring. The crowd chanted “You suck!” to Gable’s music. Reminiscent of Kurt Angle’s entrance. As Reed entered, the Uncle Howdy QR code appeared. There was a big pop for Sami Zayn’s entrance.

Zayn was over huge with the crowd. Zayn is a practicing Muslim. Gable did some nice heel work early, even using the ring apron. Reed does a superplex on both Gable and Zayn. Reed does an incredible moonsault, but missed. Gable does a moonsault onto Reed who a near pinfall. Good spot.

Reed did a dive. It looked like a freight train going off the side of a mountain. Gable with the double-stacked, belly-to-back suplex. Incredible. Gable tells Otis to hurt Reed, which he did. Gable asked Otis to do the same to Zayn, but Otis stopped short. After being browbeaten, Otis hit Gable by mistake. But was it a mistake? Fun match.

Winner: Sami Zayn

Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
Lyra Valkyria vs. Nia Jax

Valkyria was a recent draft pick for Raw. She has been in NXT for a couple of years, and this was her first opportunity at a main roster Premium Live Event. I know she’s a Valkyrie, but what is Lyra’s gimmick? How does it relate to wrestling? This is a David and Goliath match. Jax has at least eighty pounds on Valkyria.

Jax dominated early with her size and power. Jax missed a Bonsai Drop on the apron, Valkyria takes over. Valkyria hit a double stomp on Jax when Jax was hung up in the ropes. Valkyria tried to do a somersault powerbomb, but Jax reversed it into a Bonsai Drop. Jax wins an okay match. That finish was incredible, but it looked like Jax landed right on Valkyria’s stomach.

Winner: Nia Jax

King of the Ring Tournament Final
Randy Orton vs. Gunther

Michael Cole mentioned Don Muraco was the first King of the Ring. The crowd was really into Orton. They were methodical early on and soaked up the crowd reaction. Gunther takes control and works on Orton’s surgically repaired back. Orton did his snap powerslam and sold his bad knee in executing it. Legend.

Gunther tried to hit a splash off the top rope, missed, rolled, and Orton hit an RKO. Great spot. Orton was slow to take advantage and Gunther rolled out of the ring. Orton then dropped Gunther on the announce table twice. Gunther took over and punished the back again. Orton took over by a backdrop and another drop onto the announce table. Orton hit another RKO and Gunther kicked out. He then rolled Orton up and got the pin despite Orton’s shoulder clearly being off the mat.

Winner: Gunther

Undisputed WWE Championship Match
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. United States Champion Logan Paul

Several reversals early on. Rhodes lost Paul on a vertical suplex but managed to save it by bouncing him off the ropes. Paul takes over with some high-level athleticism. Rhodes runs and jumps to the top rope to arm drag Paul. Great spot. Paul with the octopus hold the announcers mentioned Antonio Inoki made the hold famous.
Two of Paul’s cronies were at ringside. One distracts Rhodes while the other passes the brass knuckles. Paul then argues with Michael Cole about the knucks. This gives Rhodes time to recover as he hit a dive. Paul did an incredible job selling the figure four leglock. Then Paul kicked out of the CodyCutter.
Paul reversed a Cross Rhodes attempt. They went back to the floor. Paul clears the announce table. Rhodes reversed a Pedigree attempt then hit a CodyCutter on the table, which did not break. Ouch. Rhodes then cleared the Arabic announce table. Paul took control and hit Rhodes with his titanium fist. Then he hit a splash through the table. Back in the ring, Paul hit a frog splash, but Rhodes kicked out.
Paul splashed the referee in the corner. It has been a while since they have had a ref bump. Paul then hits Rhodes with a low blow and teases using the brass knuckles. The Saudi ring announcer stops Paul. Yes, they did a ref bump so the ring announcer could make the save. Rhodes then hit three Cross Rhodes for the win.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

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