Gunther becomes WWE King of the Ring

WWE has crowned Gunther as the 23rd King of the Ring. The tournament finals at today's King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia saw The Ring General become pro wrestling royalty while representing the RAW brand.

The King of the Ring Tournament finals featured Gunther defeating Randy Orton in their first-ever match. The two ring veterans fought in and out of the ring, trading several counters and finishers as the Jeddah crowd went wild. Despite his 24-year career, Orton has never won the KOTR Tournament.

A storyline knee injury to The Viper played into the finish of today's match. After the finals, Triple H entered the ring to present Gunther with the new KOTR crown. The Chief Content Officer said a few personal words but did not have him kneel to be crowned as he did with the Queen of the Ring.

Byron Saxton interviewed Gunther, who received major heat after insulting the crowd. He then promised to become World Heavyweight Champion at WWE SummerSlam.

The Austrian star defeated Sheamus in the opening round, then beat Kofi Kingston in the quarterfinals, and Jey Uso in the semifinals. The Apex Predator beat AJ Styles in the first round, advanced past Carmelo Hayes in the quarterfinals, and then defeated Tama Tonga in the semis this past Friday on SmackDown.

Triple H recently announced that this year's tournament winners will receive a world title opportunity. Gunther has now earned a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship on Saturday, August 3 at WWE SummerSlam in Cleveland. Damian Priest is the current champion, who will defend his title against Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event in Scotland.

The Queen of the Ring Tournament finals were held before Gunther vs. Orton. Nia Jax defeated Lyra Valkyria to become the second Queen of the Ring. The SmackDown star is currently set to challenge Bayley for the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam.

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