4 mistakes WWE should not make with the 2024 King & Queen of the Ring tournament
It is an exciting time in WWE. WrestleMania and Backlash France are both now in the rearview mirror and the build towards the next major premium live event is in motion. That is the King and Queen of the Ring.
The show, set to be held in Saudi Arabia, will feature the crowning of a new King of the Ring and the second-ever Queen of the Ring. The tournament's first-round matches have already kicked off on the most recent edition of RAW and will continue on Friday and throughout the weekend.
The last time the company had a King of the Ring and Queen's Crown tournament, both were met with some criticism, especially the women's event. This was during the Vince McMahon era, however, when many fans were souring on the product.
Now during the Triple H-led regime, World Wrestling Entertainment has a chance to make both of these tournaments special and they have started things off in a big way on RAW. This article will take a look at a handful of mistakes the company must not make for the remainder of the tournament.
Below are four mistakes WWE should not make with the 2024 King & Queen of the Ring tournament.
#4. There can't be too many short matches for the women's division
As noted previously in this article, WWE held a Queen's Crown tournament a few years ago. This was the Queen of the Ring under a different name. A total of eight female stars competed in the tournament and the winner was Zelina Vega.
Queen Zelina won the crown by defeating Doudrop in the finals in Saudi Arabia. Notable, however, was the shortness of virtually every match in the tournament. Aside from the final, every match went around three minutes or less. The final only went for five minutes.
Thankfully, WWE is already doing better by the women. The three bouts that have taken place thus far have lasted for a combined total of around 24 minutes. This is already significantly longer than the total time of the seven Queen's Crown tournament matches in 2021. Still, the company must avoid falling back into old habits.
#3. Ilja Dragunov must not lose to Jey Uso
Ilja Dragunov is the newest sensation on WWE's main roster. He was called up to the red brand as part of the 2024 Draft and looks to remain on Monday Night RAW moving forward. He made his official in-ring debut as a member of the roster this past Monday.
The Mad Dragon battled Ricochet as part of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament. After a hard-fought bout, Ilja defeated the WWE Speed Champion. This means he'll now move on to battle Jey Uso next week. Ilja must not lose to Main Event Jey Uso.
Dragunov is a world-beater and it wouldn't make sense for him to lose so soon, especially to a star who is absurdly popular but doesn't have the best win-loss record. It would be a mistake to have Ilja put over the former Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner. Plus, it could lead to resentment among Ilja's fans, which may hurt Jey's incredible popularity over time.
#2. Nia Jax should not win the WWE Queen of the Ring tournament
Nia Jax is one of the most imposing female superstars in WWE history. She stands head and shoulders above most stars in terms of stature and out-powers most. After having previously been released by the sports entertainment juggernaut, Nia returned last year.
Now Nia hopes to become Queen of the Ring. While her inclusion hasn't been officially confirmed, she is all but guaranteed to take part in the tournament. With a wealth of talent on the brand such as Tiffany Stratton, Tegan Nox, Candice LeRae, and Naomi, however, Nia should not win.
WWE clearly likes Jax and she has put on some great performances since returning. Still, the powerful woman dominating the field and winning the tournament would be a letdown for many fans. It should best be avoided and someone who either needs the win or who the fans love should triumph instead.
#1. The winners shouldn't be decided for the sake of swerving fans
Like in any tournament or multi-person match in WWE, some people seem like obvious picks to win while some seem like longshots. For example, it is highly unlikely that Zoey Stark or Baron Corbin will win their respective tournaments.
As good as both Zoey and Baron are, this is for good reason. Neither has had a push on the main roster recently that would warrant them earning such a massive accomplishment. Either one winning simply wouldn't make sense based on how they've been utilized.
As a result, WWE and Triple H must avoid the temptation to swerve fans and deliver the unexpected by having someone win completely out of left field. If a move is illogical, a surprise for the sake of a surprise isn't worth doing. Sometimes obvious choices are the best ones to make.