The excellent WWE Raw King and Queen of the Ring brackets will draw to a close on this week’s edition of the longest-running episodic US TV show.
The King and Queen of the Ring semi-finals will both take place. WWE Raw airs on the USA Network at 8 PM ET. The show is live from The Greensboro Coliseum Complex in – you guessed it – Greensboro, NC.
“Mr Ass” Billy Gunn won the 1999 King of the Ring in The Greensboro Coliseum Complex. He defeated Ken Shamrock, Kane, and X-Pac on the night to win the crown. But who will hold the same honor 25 years later?
Enjoy our WWE Raw preview for the go-home show before the King and Queen of the Ring finals in Saudi Arabia on Saturday (May 25).
Match Card: WWE Raw (5/20/24)
- Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable
- Queen of the Ring Semi-final: IYO SKY vs. Lyra Valkyria
- King of the Ring Semi-final: Gunther vs. Jey Uso
King of the Ring WWE Raw Final (Semi-final)
Gunther
What an excellent tournament the King of the Ring has been on WWE Raw. It’s provided interesting and worthwhile matches in the notoriously tough post-WrestleMania season.
It has given us a clear picture of who the major players are on WWE Raw and established a new star in Ilja Dragunov.
Gunther has benefitted most from the tournament. Facing a potential identity crisis without the WWE Intercontinental Championship, Gunther has dominated former champions to reach the semi-finals.
A trademark ‘banger’ with Sheamus was followed by a grudge match with Kofi Kingston. Gunther’s bracket has been anything but easy. Now, he faces a wildcard who is desperate to finally win something on his own.
Jey Uso
Jey Uso wasn’t supposed to be in the King of the Ring. But when Drew McIntyre was injured, Uso was the perfect replacement. It intensified the McIntyre and CM Punk feud while adding more bad blood to an overflowing pot of bad blood between Uso and McIntyre.
Uso’s journey to his showdown with Gunther has also been tough. An opening round match with Finn Balor was followed by a heavy-hitter against breakout star Dragunov.
There’s a case for both Gunther and Uso winning on WWE Raw and heading to the finals in Saudi Arabia.
Queen of the Ring
The Queen of the Ring tournament has also helped keep steam behind stars who could have fallen flat after WrestleMania. IYO SKY was in a tough position. She lost her WWE Women’s Championship to Bayley in Philadelphia and could easily have slipped down to the midcard.
Instead, she has been the standout performer on the WWE Raw side of the Queen of the Ring. Natalya and Shayna Baszler were both knocked out of the tournament by the “Genius of the Sky“.Aside from Becky Lynch, SKY has been positioned as the top star on WWE Raw.
SKY will face the breakout star of the tournament Lyra Valkyria. Valkyria claimed after her quarter-final victory that she ‘only travels how the crow flies – straight to the top!’
It’s hard to argue with the Irish superstar. She’s flown through the competition in impressive fashion since debuting on WWE Raw. Dakota Kai and Zoey Stark provided little threat for Valkyria.
She’s had plenty of TV time and integrated herself into a feud between Lynch and Damage CTRL.
SKY will be a much tougher challenge.
What Else?
Sami Zayn and Chad Gable have a match. This will present them as sitting ducks for Bronson Reed to quack together. The three men meet for Zayn’s WWE Intercontinental Championship on Saturday.
McIntyre will take Damien Priest up on an offer of a match for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. McIntyre will want this match on home soil at Clash At The Castle in Glasgow, Scotland.
Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan will look to gain the upper hand on the other ahead of their WWE World Women’s Championship bout in Saudi Arabia.
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