On the June 6 edition of SmackDown, WWE officially announced the return of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, with the finals set for Night of Champions on Saturday, June 28.
Like last year, this year’s winners won’t just earn the title of King or Queen – they’ll also receive a championship match at SummerSlam.
The bracket for the men’s tournament will include eight male competitors from Raw and eight from SmackDown.
Here are five potential winners who could go all the way and become the King of the Ring.
5. Cody Rhodes
It seems that the direction of travel is for Cody Rhodes to be the one to eventually dethrone John Cena, reclaiming the Undisputed WWE Championship he controversially lost at WrestleMania 41
However, that bout feels far too big for a B-level PLE like Night of Champions – it’s more suited to one of the two nights of SummerSlam.
In the meantime, Rhodes will need something meaningful to do.
Entering – and winning – the King of the Ring tournament could both fill that gap and grant him a legitimate rematch.
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4. LA Knight
LA Knight’s popularity with the WWE audience shows no sign of fading.
On the June 6 edition of SmackDown, Seth Rollins interfered in Knight’s match with Aleister Black, with Rollins and Knight clashing again ferociously in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, where Rollins ultimately secured the briefcase.
If Rollins cashes in soon and becomes World Heavyweight Champion, Knight would make sense as the first challenger.
A win in the King of the Ring tournament would grant him that title shot at SummerSlam.
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3. CM Punk
On the subject of winners that make the most sense, it’s hard to look past CM Punk.
His long-term feud with Seth Rollins is clearly building toward a world title clash, and having Punk win King of the Ring to secure that SummerSlam showdown feels like the logical next step.
The one major stumbling block is that the final takes place in Saudi Arabia.
Given Punk’s past criticism of wrestlers performing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he may not be part of the show, and he was even removed from promotional videos in recent weeks.
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2. Penta
Traditionally, King of the Ring has served as a launching pad for talent on the cusp of superstardom – think Owen Hart or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
That tradition could continue this year.
A prime candidate for such a push is Penta, who has proven himself to be hugely over with the WWE audience since arriving at the beginning of the year.
Could Night of Champions see Penta crowned as the first luchador to win King of the Ring in WWE history?
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1. Bron Breakker
Another performer primed for superstardom is Bron Breakker.
Paul Heyman’s latest charge is certainly a strong candidate to be crowned King of the Ring – though much depends on the World Heavyweight Championship picture.
With faction leader Seth Rollins holding the Money in the Bank briefcase and seemingly set to cash in against Jey Uso, possibly as soon as the June 9 edition of Raw, the direction of the group could shift dramatically.
If Rollins becomes champion, a Breakker King of the Ring win might be too soon to pivot him into singles contention – but WWE may choose to pull the trigger regardless.
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