WWE SmackDown took place this week at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, focusing heavily on building anticipation for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.
Tiffany Stratton and Bianca Belair threw down in the opening match of SmackDown. This match went around twenty minutes, and saw Belair win after a ton of near-falls. Fans were also especially invested after Stratton stirred the pot online with a controversial post, one that she got no internal heat with.
We’re kicking off #SmackDown with the Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals! Who will advance? @BiancaBelairWWE or @tiffstrattonwwe? ? #WWEKingAndQueen #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/agc1yOc2vf
— WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024
Tama Tonga and LA Knight were the second quarterfinal of the night. This match went down with Solo Sikoa, Tanga Loa, and Paul Heyman standing at ringside as a constant presence. In the end, Tama won the match after a little distraction from Solo Sikoa.
Tama Tonga is RELENTLESS! ?
Will @RealLAKnight be able to pull through and pick up the W? ? pic.twitter.com/0Ih5MzpNin
— WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024
Bianca Belair already clinched her spot in the semifinals, which meant we were one step closer to seeing the EST of WWE face Jade Cargill. The former TBS Champion took on Nia Jax during the second hour of the show, and Cargill lost to the Irresistible Force via DQ. This resulted in a brawl after the match and the Jacksonville fans chanting “bullsh*t.” It looks like we won’t see Cargill vs Belair in the tournament.
Come on, Nia Jax ?
Nia Jax knew exactly what she was doing when she pulled out that steel chair #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/4OKkf7BqSz
— WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024
Randy Orton and Carmelo Hayes had burner of a main event. In the end, Orton won the match, and he promised to introduce Tama Tonga to an RKO in Saudi Arabia.
.@RandyOrton ? Announcer's Table
Will @Carmelo_WWE be able to bounce back or will Randy Orton move one step closer to #WWEKingAndQueen?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/v7WQN18nqP
— WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024
The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will culminate on May 25 at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the finals for both tournaments will take place.
King of the Ring Quarterfinals:
- Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston
- Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
- Tama Tonga defeated LA Knight
- Carmelo Hayes vs Randy Orton
Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals:
- Iyo Sky vs. Shayna Baszler
- Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark
- Jade Cargill lost to Nia Jax via DQ
- Bianca Belair defeated Tiffany Stratton
Queen of the Ring Semifinals:
Bianca Belair vs Nia Jax
Winner of IYO Sky vs Shayna Baszler against winner of Lyra Valkyria vs Zoey Stark
King of the Ring Semifinals:
Tama Tonga vs Randy Orton
Winner of Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
WWE King & Queen of the Ring Card:
- King of the Ring Tournament Final
- Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
- Queen of the Ring Tournament Final
- Raw bracket winner vs. SmackDown bracket winner
- Women’s World Championship Match
- Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (Singles match)
- WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
- Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed (Triple threat match)
- Undisputed WWE Championship Match
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Logan Paul (Singles match)