WWE is set to continue its King and Queen of the Ring tournaments on tonight’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The event will feature three high-stakes qualifying matches, with the winners moving on to the semi-final round of the tournaments.
This year’s format sees sixteen participants in each tournament, with the opening round contested under fatal four-way rules. These matches raise the intensity as only one competitor advances, and previous tournament winners have historically used the victory to springboard into the main event spotlight. Sami Zayn and Roxanne Perez became the first to advance following their wins on Monday Night Raw.
Tonight’s King of the Ring qualifying matches are set to feature Randy Orton, Carmelo Hayes, LA Knight, and Santos Escobar in one bout, while Cody Rhodes, Andrade, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Damian Priest clash in another. On the women’s side, Charlotte Flair, Chelsea Green, Alexa Bliss, and Candice LeRae will battle for a spot in the Queen of the Ring semi-finals.
The finals for both tournaments are scheduled for the Night of Champions premium live event, which takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, June 28.
Also confirmed for tonight’s broadcast are appearances by John Cena, Naomi, and the highly anticipated arrival of Jacob Fatu.