Major upset on SmackDown sets up a first-time-ever matchup for WWE Queen of the Ring crown

WWE will present the King and Queen of the Ring PLE from the Jeddah Superdome.

Major upset on SmackDown sets up a first-time-ever matchup for WWE Queen of the Ring crown

WWE King and Queen of the Ring PLE poster [via- WWE]

After a three-week-long tussle, WWE has its finalists for the King and Queen of the Ring crown on hand. And by virtue of what could be deemed a major upset, Nia Jax ousted Bianca Belair on this week’s SmackDown to get an inch closer to glory. She’ll now face Lyra Valkyria to determine WWE’s second-ever Queen of the Ring tomorrow in Jeddah.

Heading into the match, Belair’s knee was begging for life, as alluded to on commentary. Jax wasted little motion to smell blood, and she did just enough to keep The EST at bay. Bianca, however, oozed dogmatism to almost steal a march over The Irresistible Force. During the closing moments, Bianca Belair‘s knee gave up as she tried to perch her foe on her shoulders for the Kiss of Death.

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Jax planted Belair with the annihilator to advance to the final hurdle of the ongoing Queen of the Ring tournament. Later on, The Irresistible Force came face-to-face with Bayley during a backstage segment. If one could remember, a few weeks ago on SmackDown, the Anoa’i family member blindsided the Women’s Champion. For what it’s worth, they seem pegged to cross paths somewhere down the road.

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If Nia Jax can down Lyra Valkyria tomorrow at the King and Queen of the Ring PLE, she’ll receive a shot at The Role Model’s gold at SummerSlam. However, if the upstart from Raw stuns the 272-pounder, she’ll also be in the running for a crack at the women’s title. However, that would be for the Women’s World Championship, per the rules laid out by WWE CCO Triple H.

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Not only do the women find themselves in unprecedented territory, but the men’s side of things too tells a similar story. 14-time World Champion Randy Orton is set to welcome a tantalizing curveball in the form of Gunther with the King of the Ring crown up for grabs.

Randy Orton and Gunther
Randy Orton and Gunther [via- WWE]

Orton handed Bloodline’s Tama Tonga his first loss in WWE on SmackDown’s debut in Saudi Arabia. Speaking of The Ring General, he shell-shocked “Main Event” Jey Uso on Raw this past Monday in the semifinals of the KOTR tourney.

Both Randy and Gunther have never faced each other in a singles match. Having said that, the decisive bout is evenly poised. If the Imperium supremo is a one-man wrecking crew, The Viper brings over two decades of in-ring acumen on board. At last, as they say, let the better man win.

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