As we reported before, WWE has revealed SmackDown’s King of the Ring bracket:
– Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles
– Baron Corbin vs. Carmelo Hayes
– LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar
– Bobby Lashley vs. Tama Tonga
In an update, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis has announced that Lashley suffered an injury during training and has been pulled from the tournament.
Lashley’s replacement and Tama Tonga’s new opponent is going to be Angelo Dawkins of The Street Profits, who is a part of Lashley’s The Pride faction.
Important Update ahead of tomorrow's #SmackDown KOTR matches: @WWE pic.twitter.com/c5Pkq7I1jq
— Nick ''Lâchez-Vous'' Aldis (@RealNickAldis) May 9, 2024
Reason Behind WWE Booking Some King & Queen Of The Ring Matches At Live Events
WWE’s King & Queen of the Ring tournaments kicked off with great anticipation on RAW, promising a spectacle of wrestling prowess and royal aspirations.
However, the event took an unexpected turn as injuries forced two competitors to withdraw, reshuffling the tournament brackets and leaving fans intrigued by WWE’s unusual decision regarding two scrapped matches.
As the King & Queen of the Ring tournaments commenced in Hartford, the wrestling world was abuzz with excitement. However, Drew McIntyre’s untimely injury forced him out of the competition, leading to his replacement by the formidable Jey Uso.
Similarly, the Queen of the Ring tournament saw Asuka sidelined due to injury, with her teammate Dakota Kai stepping in to take her place.
Despite these setbacks, the show went on, with six matches across the two tournaments captivating audiences. Yet, two planned matches were notably absent from the event, leaving fans curious about WWE’s next move.
In an unprecedented move, WWE announced that these matches would be rescheduled for this weekend’s Live Events, deviating from the usual televised format.
Insights from Fightful Select shed light on WWE’s decision-making process, revealing that logistical constraints dictated the fate of the Kofi Kingston vs. Rey Mysterio and Shayna Baszler vs. Zelina Vega matches.
With the King & Queen of the Ring premium live event looming on the horizon, WWE deemed there wasn’t sufficient time to slot these matches into another televised show before the grand event.
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