SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE continues its massive hot streak in 2024 with “King and Queen of The Ring” live from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In the Levesque Era, there’s been a concerted effort to make the Saudi shows matter in storyline rather than being treated as glorified house shows (looking at you, Greatest Royal Rumble), and this past weekend’s show was no exception, kicking off a brand new set of developments on the march toward Summerslam.
With a fresh set of faces gunning for the titles, KQOTR kicked off an unpredictable summer season for WWE. But first, some housekeeping:
Another QR code was released during the PLE, teasing the return of Uncle Howdy. The code links to a clip of a backstage WWE crew member playing WWE 2K24 before being brutally assaulted by Howdy and dragged offscreen. Over the last few months, Howdy’s return has been hinted at on WWE programming alongside the formation of a new Wyatt 6 stable. This is the first clip clearly depicting Howdy as a physical threat, which could hint at a debut in the coming months.
Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
Belair and Cargill have been steamrolling through the women’s division since winning the Women’s Tag Team Championships at Backlash, but their solo endeavors to win QOTR have put their title reign on the back burner. Meanwhile, Candice has been slowly teasing a heel turn in the past couple of months (at the expense of Bianca’s knee), pulling a conflicted Indi down with her.
The match itself was solid, with Candice and Indi turn committing to the heel turn and targeting Bianca’s knee and scarpering away from the tag champs at every opportunity. Despite losing to Nia Jax clean, Jade Cargill still feels like a hoss in the ring, and tossing around Candice like a ragdoll cements her as a main event powerhouse in the WWE Women’s division.
Belair and Cargill winning clean was the right choice, and the debut of a new tag finisher would signify that higher-ups see their tag run as more than transitional. Pairing Jade with Bianca has allowed WWE to mask the flaws in her ring work. Meanwhile, fans of NXT Black & Gold know that Candice & Indi make phenomenal villains, but hopefully WWE continues spotlighting them enough to capitalize on this wave of momentum.
GRADE: A-
Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
The revenge tour of Liv Morgan is in full swing, and the next step is dethroning Becky Lynch. Liv has been on a phenomenal run, playing into a mean-girl persona that’s been delightfully entertaining. Becky, as usual, makes for a great dance partner but the booking made it abundantly clear that Liv was winning the title tonight. Becky’s transitional reign has largely felt like filler in the wake of her loss to Rhea Ripley at Wrestlemania, and putting the belt on Liv was definitely the right move.
A failed Dominik Mysterio assist throws an interesting development into the works, despite the confusing optics. We’ve seen the background easter eggs of a Dominik-Liv affair, why bother framing the interference like Dominik tried and failed to help Becky? Could we be in store for a Dominik Mysterio face turn?
At this point, this entire program feels made to set up for a Rhea Ripley babyface return. Dominik and Liv seem closer to an official partnership, which should raise a few eyebrows among the other members of Judgement Day. Becky’s gunning for a rematch on Raw, but hopefully following that she can move on. Becky was doing more interesting work in NXT as the gatekeeper to the main event scene, and while her work in this feud has been adequate, I’m ready to see her against other opponents while Liv lords over the division as a heel champion.
GRADE: B+
Sami Zayn vs Chad Gable vs Bronson Reed
This match was the inflection point of two long-running stories: Bronson Reed’s pursuit of the IC title, and Chad Gable’s descent into an abusive tyrant. Gable’s heel turn has led to the best character work of his career, and his continued abuse of perpetual babyface teammate Otis is no doubt leading to a monster feud. While Bronson’s booking post- Wrestlemania has been pretty stop-and-start (he joins a long line of superstars to receive zero momentum after winning the Andre The Giant Battle Royal), his menacing glare and incredible acrobatics still make him a formidable opponent.
Arabic IC champ Sami Zayn received a hero’s welcome in Saudi, playing the underdog caught between two monsters to perfection. The match, in true triple threat fashion, was beautifully chaotic with all three men trading finishers and some fantastic near-falls. Once the shenanigans began, the focus was squarely on Gable and Otis’ emotional relationship. And while Otis reluctantly did his coach’s bidding, Gable walked away without a belt which should lead to some interesting ramifications.
While the in-ring quality remains supreme, the match itself almost felt unimportant in the context of the feud. And on a five-match card, that means a large portion of the PLE rings hollow. Bronson existed in this match simply to eat the pin and deserves better than generic hoss booking, while Sami was left to retread the same tortured babyface shtick he plays to perfection.
However, the story boiling down to Gable and Otis was the right call. Chad’s story has largely felt unfocused ever since the shift in focus to the Alpha Academy’s breakup. Slotting Otis back into the abused student role brings some much-needed babyface fire back to the narrative, and sets up a monster feud between the two down the line. As for Sami, his inability to quit left him victorious and able to fight another day.
As far as his story, I’m unsure what happens next. Over the past few years, Sami has been one of the most loyal superstars on the roster. Could he return and aid Otis in his fight against Gable, like Jey Uso before him? That would make sense character-wise, but risks retreading his fantastic work with the Bloodline last year.
GRADE: B+
CHECK OUT OUR NEW LIVE YOUTUBE WADE KELLER POST-SHOW AFTER RAW
Nia Jax v Lyra Valkyria – KOTR Finals
Nia Jax might be the polarizing superstar on the roster these days. When she made her grand return, the ensuing response was somewhere between an eye-roll and groan. Subpar ring work and nepotism allegations followed her wherever she went, but her questionable thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine hasn’t helped matters. But over the last few months, even the haters have to admit: Nia has improved drastically. Playing into the negative feedback, Nia has cultivated an egotistically annoying heel persona that never fails to entertain. Pair her against Lyra, one of the most promising babyface recruits from NXT, and you’ve got a clash for the ages.
The match felt like a classic WWE spectacle in the best ways. An alliance with Becky Lynch has driven Lyra to the forefront of the WWE roster, and she proved she can hang on the main roster stage with a babyface performance for the ages. As Nia repeatedly targeted Lyra’s injuries, the two wore each other down slowly like a pair of matched blades. Lyra looked strong in defeat, and if Triple H doesn’t squander her momentum, Lyra looks set to be a fixture of the main event scene for years to come.
The image of Nia’s cheekily hateable grin as the QOTR crown was placed on her head, bodes well for the future. Nia garners heel heat more effectively than anyone in the women’s division, and like King Booker and King Corbin before her, Queen Nia looks poised to hit a new level of annoyance in the coming months. I’m slightly concerned as to Nia’s title defense at Summerslam. I don’t see newly minted champ Liv Morgan losing the title before then, but a heel vs heel title match risks neutering either of the 2 most effective heels at WWE’s disposal. However, there’s plenty of time to wait until then, and WWE has earned my goodwill to let the story play out.
GRADE: A
Gunther vs Randy Orton – KOTR Finals
Randy Orton has been firing on all cylinders since his return from injury in late 2023. Last week, Orton cut the promo of his life against Tama Tonga before their KOTR qualifying match, running down his long list of accomplishments in the WWE. Meanwhile, Gunther has continued his dominance in the KOTR qualifiers, cementing his position as the next final boss in WWE. After a legendary IC title run, fans have been salivating over Gunther properly entering the main event scene, and the moment is finally here.
This match felt like the clash of two titans. No pretense, no showboating, just two heavyweights slugging it out. The inner fanboy in me was squealing like a child, watching Gunther chop the Legend Killer’s chest bright red, testing him in a way he hadn’t been tested since the Evolution days. The winner never felt telegraphed, a rarity in modern WWE. For better or worse, the new emphasis on long-term storytelling has led to a level of predictability on certain matches.
While Gunther winning still felt like the right choice, a loss to Orton wouldn’t have hurt him in the slightest, a testament to the strength of both men’s booking in the past few months. And Gunther is the perfect superstar to elevate the KOTR title back to the Stone Cold days. In recent years, the KOTR crown has largely been a prop for goofy heel heat, but Gunther’s dedication to the mat has already aforded the prize an air of dignity not seen in years.
And with Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre announced for the WHC next month at Clash At The Castle, Gunther’s presence over the title scene looms like a specter. For my money, it’s only a matter of time until the Ring General holds a world championship around his waist. With Imperium on its last legs, it truly feels like Gunther is shaking off the last vestiges of his IC trademarks and clearing the way for a new, main event level presentation.
GRADE: A
Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul
On paper, this matchup made no sense. On arguably the most stacked Smackdown roster in history, the choice to have the only two male singles champs face each other (and not even put the U.S. Title on the line) felt utterly baffling. Breaking kayfabe, it’s easy to understand why. With Lesnar and Reigns on hiatus, Logan Paul has quietly become WWE’s newest premier attraction in Saudi Arabia. And, to his credit, the Youtuber has proven he can carry a main event match flawlessly.
Cody Rhodes proves once again that no plays an old-school babyface better. In the last few weeks, Cody’s rah-rah go-home promos have risen to new level, simultaneously giving his opponent their flowers and meticulously reminding the audience they will NEVER rise to his level. The match was fast-paced and hard-hitting, mixing high-flying acrobatics with old-school storytelling. Setting up Paul’s brass knuckles as a Chekhov’s gun was a stroke of genius, as we all knew the Maverick would double down and cheating when the time came. Mix in a classic WWE celebrity interference spot, and you’ve got an incredibly entertaining main event.
With this feud, Rhodes proved he can adapt to dynamics where he isn’t always the underdog. Seeing him effortlessly clown Logan was hilarious during their verbal spars, and sets him up for a long and dominant reign on top. The crowd shows no signs of slowing down, belting out Cody’s theme at full volume around the globe. But hopefully Cody can continue elevating other singles stars on Smackdown, as his match with Logan severely exposed how few people can match Rhodes on the mic.
Moving forward, it seems like Paul’s US title reign is near the end of its shelf life. Discarding the title for this match further displays how much it’s been relegated to a prop in the last year. But nonetheless, seeds have been planted for an eventual LA Knight confrontation in the last few episodes of Smackdown. And with Summerslam taking place in Paul’s hometown, we may be near the end of a surprisingly long reign. But more importantly, Paul continues to prove he fits WWE like a shark to water, employing old- school heel tactics (I burst out laughing when he brought his own lawyer to a contract signing) with a distinctly modern millennial twist.
GRADE: A
RECOMMENDED NEXT: WWE RAW HITS & MISSES (5/27): Chad Gable as Bobby Knight, Breakker Breaking, Carlito Cooler Than Usual, Gunther-Priest-Drew
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: WWE Speed – Ludwig Kaiser vs. Tommaso Ciampa for the WWE Speed Title
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.