WWE crowned a new king and queen of the ring on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following the conclusion of two tournaments held in recent weeks.
Randy Orton and Gunther battled for the men’s crown, while Nia Jax faced newcomer Lyra Valkyria for the women’s title.
In addition to these fights, we also saw four title matches as Becky Lynch, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill put their respective championships on the line.
Match results are one thing, but there are always other factors at play that determine a player’s momentum after a big event.
Let’s take a look at some of the real winners and losers from the King and Queen of the Ring premium live event.
Here’s a quick overview of what happened on Saturday:
- Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeated Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
- Liv Morgan defeated Becky Lynch to win the Women’s World Championship.
- Sami Zayn defeated Bronson Reed and Chad Gable to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
- Nia Jax defeated Lyra Valkyria to become Queen of the Ring.
- Gunther defeated Randy Orton to become King of the Ring.
- Cody Rhodes defeated Logan Paul to retain the undisputed WWE Championship.
The team of Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill not only helped make the women’s titles a little more important, but the partnership also helped both competitors in different ways.
Belair is reinvigorated and showing signs of having more fun than she has in a long time, while Cargill benefits from teaming up with one of the best WWE has to offer.
Their star power is undeniable and was on full display in Jeddah as they successfully defended their titles without even needing to use one of their finishers.
They were two of eight women who played on Saturday, which is an interesting statistic because only seven men participated in the matches. Seeing more women appear at any PPV is remarkable, but seeing this happen in Saudi Arabia makes it even more remarkable.
If WWE decides to separate Belair and Cargill for a singles feud, it will be an epic matchup.
Liv Morgan has been on a revenge tour for the past few months, but she may have gotten her ultimate revenge on Saturday when she left Jeddah as the new women’s world champion.
She and Lynch had a fantastic match that showcased Morgan’s growth as a performer. Not only did she beat The Man, but she also did so by thwarting Dominik Mysterio’s plans.
Dirty Dom tried to slide a chair towards Lynch, but Morgan used it to hit a DDT instead, clearing the way for him to hit Oblivion and win the title. The disappointed look on Becky and Dom’s faces was probably the icing on the cake for the new champion.
While Morgan benefited, Lynch lost the belt thanks to the short-sighted intervention of someone she can’t even call an ally. She and Dom are not friends in any way. The only reason he wanted to preserve his reign was so Rhea Ripley could beat her when she returned from injury.
Now The Eradicator must watch the woman who put her on the shelf walk around with the belt she held for so long.
It was a great night for Morgan, but not so much for Lynch, Mysterio and Ripley.
Sami Zayn is a popular superstar around the world, but after his last two trips to Saudi Arabia and Canada, we’re really starting to understand what he means to people.
His popularity as a babyface skyrocketed after leaving The Bloodline, but seeing how he’s managed to maintain it and continue to receive loud ovations wherever he goes is proof that it’s not just this storyline that made him popular.
It was also his years of hard work to entertain us that earned him the undying love and respect of the WWE Universe.
On Saturday, The Underdog From the Underground faced a huge test in a Triple Threat match with Bronson Reed and Chad Gable. One of the challengers is a powerful monster, and the other is an Olympian capable of suplexing men of all sizes.
In the end, Gable’s ego was his own undoing. He berated Otis until the big man accidentally hit him with a clothesline. This allowed the champion to hit Reed with a Helluva Kick to get the victory and retain his title.
Reed can bounce back from this loss, but Gable has bigger problems than a loss. Alpha Academy may be falling apart, but the addition of The Creed Brothers could help turn things around.
For now, Gable has to worry that his prized student will turn on him if he continues to be this hostile toward him.
Nia Jax being crowned Queen of the Ring was the right decision for several reasons, but the biggest reason is that it felt deserved.
She’s recently had the best run of her career and winning this tournament was a great way to keep her momentum going until WWE gets a title shot for her.
During her time away from WWE, Jax has worked to get in better shape and the results are on full display every time she steps into the ring. She is faster, more agile and has greater endurance.
Valkyria is still new to the main roster and has plenty of time to have a great career. So for now it is enough to reach the final of the tournament and put in a good performance.
The King of the Ring tournament finale may have been the most anticipated match on the card, as WWE did such a good job of making The Viper feel important to accomplish something he didn’t. never done before.
But the man he had to face was just as motivated. Gunther just lost the IC title at WrestleMania after a record-breaking reign, so his story spoke to needing that distinction to get back on track.
They did a fantastic job telling their story in the ring. The Viper plays the wily veteran who has been in the ring with some of the biggest names in WWE history. He is one of the few people who is not afraid when faced with the Austrian.
A lot of people would be intimidated facing a 14-time champion, but The Ring General isn’t most people. He has been considered one of the most dominant forces we have seen in years. You can count how many times he lost on the main roster on one hand.
It could have gone either way, as both outcomes made sense, but only one man can wear the crown.
After they pushed each other to the limit, it was Gunther who emerged victorious, but there may be an asterisk next to his victory due to the fact that Orton’s shoulder appeared to be off the mat during the pinfall .
Logan Paul may not have left Saudi Arabia as the new WWE Champion, but he may have had his best performance yet and that can be just as valuable.
The social media star has been impressive in every outing, but this appears to be the most technical match he’s had so far.
Cody Rhodes being such a reliable ring general has been helpful, but there’s no denying how far ahead of the curve Paul is. He worked hard and earned the respect of some of his harshest critics along the way. In professional wrestling, respect is a valuable currency.
This was a solid PPV from top to bottom. Most of the outcomes were predictable, but they were good decisions nonetheless. What did you think of the King and Queen of the Ring PPV?