This past Memorial Day weekend was a jam-packed weekend of wrestling as we saw WWE’s King and Queen of the Ring take place during the day on Saturday over in the US as it was aired live from Saudi and then AEW’s Double or Nothing took place Sunday evening as well. Today I’m here to go over the King & Queen of the Ring event and briefly break down the action and results as I give my thoughts on the show and current WWE product as we go along. First thought is man that is a long title for a show. Somewhat joking but seriously, you don’t think of the length of that title until you have to type it out a few times. This show, like Backlash, and every show since WrestleMania was somewhat predictable when it came to the card but that didn’t mean it didn’t deliver on in ring action and keeping my attention. Triple H has been walking a fine line with creative since WrestleMania where a lot of the things have been somewhat predictable, but also the storytelling and matches themselves have been compelling enough to keep viewers pulled in and complaints down to a minimum. When I’m able to predict every match on the card right at both of their last PLE’s that isn’t necessarily a good thing, but when I’m able to predict the outcomes of matches yet I’m still invested enough to sit through the 3 hour show and watch it all play out for myself that’s a win as well.
The pre-show match featured Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defending their Women’s Tag Titles against the team of Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell. This was a decent back and forth, a lot less awkwardly paced and mis stepped than Jade’s last title defense at Backlash. The finish was fun and fresh as well as we saw the champs pull something new out of their tag team arsenal and hit a wheelbarrow DDT followed by a wheelbarrow suplex for the victory. This was an overall fun, short little match but it never felt like a serious threat at any point in the buildup or the match itself that Candice and Indi would actually walk out as champs. The main card show itself opened with Becky Lynch defending her Women’s World Championship against a hellbent Liv Morgan on her revenge tour. I’m not sure what kind of outfit Becky had on for this Saudi appearance, but she looked like a 1920s newspaper boy, nothing can come close to her Kill Bill outfit she wore at a Saudi event in the past. Liv was donned in all red, the color of anger and revenge. Liv almost had the match won at one point, but Lynch countered Oblivion into an armbar, which Liv countered into Rings of Saturn, that Lynch was able to escape out of again and lock in her patented Dis-Arm-Her. Dom Mysterio then made his presence known ringside; he was shown earlier in the pre-show to let Liv know he flew all the way out there to make sure she didn’t get her hands on Mami’s title. Dom slid in a chair for Becky to use but she wouldn’t, this distraction from Dom to the referee was enough for Liv to utilize the chair though. She planted Becky with a DDT on the chair before hitting Oblivion for the pin to become the new Women’s World Champion. Now the question is, was that an innocent screwup on Dom’s part or was he trying to help Liv win the title all along? Hmmm, only time will tell.
Next up, Sami Zayn defended his Intercontinental Title against a hungry Bronson Reed and an angry and spiteful Chad Gable. It always brings a smile to my face to see the reaction Sami gets in Saudi, it’s basically a home game for him in Saudi Arabia and the crowd loudly supports him every time they have a show over there. Gable drug his old buddy turned new thorn in his side, Otis, to the ring in an attempt to make him do his dirty work and help Gable walk out as champion. This came back to bite him in the ass somewhat though as the match progressed. Outside the ring, Otis leveled Reed with a clothesline upon Gable’s insistence and he threw Sami out of the ring in an attempt to get Otis to do the same to him, but he couldn’t pull the trigger. Gable then verbally berated Otis, giving him a shove and a slap across the face, before going and holding Sami up and coaxing Otis to nail him with a clothesline. Otis attempted but Sami ducked out of the way, and he leveled Gable instead, before Sami made his way back into the ring and hit a dazed Reed with a Helluva Kick in the corner for the victory. I like Bronson, his Godzilla like destructive monster character is fun and I hope he continues to be utilized on Raw and doesn’t just fall off TV or be used to put other guys over now that he’s out of the title picture for the time being. Chad Gable clearly has a crumbling relationship with the Alpha Academy now and after we saw him chopping it up backstage with the Creed Brothers on Raw, I think it’s only a matter of time before they team up together in a faction and become like this generations Team Angle and I cannot wait. Especially now since Gable has fully embraced this condescending a-hole type heel character, this could be a gold mine.
Next up, the Queen of the Ring finals as newcomer Lyra Valkyria had the opportunity of a lifetime to become the Queen, but not if the destructive Nia Jax had anything to say about it. Admittedly, as impressed as I’ve been with Lyra upon her debut to the main roster and the run she’s been on in this tournament, I really wanted Iyo Sky in this finals match. Granted I’m biased and I’m a big fan of hers, she’s just one of the best and smoothest in ring competitors going right now in my opinion and she can put on a good match with anyone. I just don’t want to see her credibility or value as a threat slip at all now that she’s no longer champion so I hope she’s still booked strong in the future and her and Lyra still delivered a banger in their semifinals match on Raw. Nia had a dominant run on her path to the finals, aside from the DQ finish she had with Jade in a weird and quick back and forth on Smackdown. Lyra fought from underneath the majority of the matchup, throwing everything she had in her arsenal at her larger opponent but in the end it wouldn’t be enough. Lyra attempted a sunset flip powerbomb off the second rope but couldn’t get her legs under her and Nia dropped straight down onto her delivering an Annihilator and putting Lyra away for the three. I expect big things for Lyra in the future, she’s been booked very strong since her debut on Raw and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. This is good for Nia, she’s the only true monster on the women’s division (Jade could be in the consideration as well) and she needs to be booked strongly to keep that reputation up, just ask The Big Show. Sorry, I love you Show, truly. Plus, I’m sure Nia can use this very well accomplishment with her character, she already has that snarky dominant heel thing going and this is just another thing to add credibility to that.
The King of The Ring finals followed next as ‘The Viper’ Randy Orton took on ‘The Ring General’ Gunther for the right to be called King. Gunther was mine and many others’ odds-on favorite to win this tournament from the moment that the brackets were announced. He had the most dominant run as Intercontinental Champ of all time before dropping the belt to Sami at WrestleMania, so we all know he is on to bigger and greener pastures in his very near future. I love Sheamus and was excited about that first round matchup between him and Gunther because they always have great chemistry with one another, but never really thought him or anyone else was a serious threat of beating Gunther on the way to the Finals. Randy Orton had a great run on the way to the Finals himself and has never been King in his illustrious 20 plus year career either so there was a lot of story there as well, and it’s nice to see a seasoned veteran like Orton still being booked so strong and so regularly this late into his career. Wish they would use that method for my boy John Cena when he makes his comebacks nowadays, but I digress…for now. Per usual with a Gunther match this was a physical affair with both men beating the life out of one another on the quest to be king. Orton’s injured back and bad knee played a factor for him throughout the match and prevented him from capitalizing on a pinfall after an RKO at one point within the contest. In the end, Orton’s bum knee cost him the contest after a grueling back and forth as his knee gave out on him going for a pin and Gunther capitalized off of that with a crucifix roll-up to score the 3. Orton’s shoulders were clearly up on the pinfall, but the ref didn’t see causing immediate controversy, and it’s unclear to me at least whether that was a planned spot or an oopsies on the finish. Regardless, it was a bit of a bummer to me as it took away from a great first-time matchup between the 2 men and Gunther is and has never been the type of heel to need a cheap finish to get the victory against a credible opponent, especially in the Finals of the King of the Ring tournament and in another crowning moment in his career. A bummer, but a good matchup in itself regardless.
Next up was main event time as The Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes put his title on the line against the United States Champion, Logan Paul. Only Cody’s title was on the line and this wasn’t a title for title, as Logan clarified very clearly on Smackdown in the weeks leading up. Even going as far as getting his own legal team involved to ensure he didn’t have to put his title on the line as well, classic runaway heel move but still fun and it always works so why not. My only problem with that added fold in the story is that it made the outcome rather obvious to me and I’m sure most other fans as well. Cody isn’t reasonably going to lose his title for a while and I think we all know and realize that, but since conquering the Bloodline at Mania and becoming champion his opponents haven’t felt like they’ve posed a real threat at to him any point, of actually taking the championship. I know it’s early in his reign and I’m not sure how if at all that you avoid that really, but I feel like they haven’t built up the matches between him and AJ or him and Logan enough either time for me to really even entertain the idea that he may be dropping the belt. Logan is the perfect 2020s heel though with his swagger, connection with the audience, cockiness, social media presence, he presents himself as a perfect foil for the ultimate babyface that is Cody Rhodes actually. Cody is the tried-and-true wrestler’s wrestler who loves the business and is fighting the good fight and conquering foes like a modern-day Superman type babyface, while Logan is the cocky social media kid who doesn’t actually seem like he cares all that much about being a fan or the business itself as much as making viral moments. But he’s naturally good and gifted and poses as a real threat to someone with as much respect and admiration for the business like a Cody Rhodes, there’s a good story here and they could run with it for a while actually, I just didn’t believe it much here. The match itself was good though and Logan truly brought the fight to the champion. Logan Paul busted out the brass knuckles on 2 separate occasions (which he promised he wouldn’t do) and landed a shot to the ribs and a low blow, as well as targeted submission holds to the midsection that were rather impressive to see him pull out of the bag, and another viral high spot as he splashed Cody through an announce table from the top rope. Yet in the end the champion overcame as Saudi Arabian actor Al Hajjaj prevented Logan from using the brass knucks one last time and Cody capitalized off the distraction, landing 3 Cross Rhodes for the pin and victory.
This was a pretty fun, although predictable card, made even more fun by one of the better Saudi Arabian crowds that we’ve seen so far! I think the Intercontinental Title Triple Threat was my favorite match of the night, Gable is going to make a tremendous heel moving forward and hopefully they keep a faction around him with the Creed Brothers, Bronson Reed is quietly a show stealer and does things a big man shouldn’t be able to do and I always love wrestlers like that, and Sami Zayn has consistently delivered some of my favorite PLE matches for over the last 2 years now since he’s truly been given a chance, so that’s no surprise out of him. The King and Queen Finals matches were both good and I think the right man and woman won, I think I enjoyed the Queen’s final a bit more because that Annihilator by Nia to Lyra just looked absolutely devastating and I wasn’t a big fan of the botched finish pin in the King’s final and I’m not sure whether that was a planned finish or just something they’re going to have to run with now. Liv Morgan is now the Women’s World Champion and Dominik has some explaining to do so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in the weeks to come and this long-term storytelling they’re doing with Liv and Rhea will have an amazing payoff in the end I have a feeling. We will have to see how things shake out and I’ll be back to discuss more inside the world of the WWE in the coming weeks!
