The King and Queen of The Ring tournament has been thrown into chaos as a slew of injuries has forced WWE to make last-minute changes to the lineup. A staggering five WWE stars have been forced to pull out of the tournament due to injuries, with their replacements announced by the company.
The original lineup has been significantly altered, with several stars stepping in to replace their injured counterparts. Asuka was initially set to face Lyra Valkyria, while Zelina Vega was scheduled to face Shayna Baszler. Meanwhile, Bobby Lashley was supposed to take on Tama Tonga, and Drew McIntyre was penned in to face Finn Balor. Xavier Woods was slated to face Rey Mysterio.
However, fate had other plans. Gunther’s match against Woods saw him injured, prompting Kofi Kingston to step in as his replacement. Similarly, Drew McIntyre’s elbow injury led to Jey Uso taking his place in the tournament. Angelo Dawkins replaced Bobby Lashley, while Maxxine Dupri and Dakota Kai stepped in for Zelina Vega and Asuka, respectively.
Of the replacement stars, only Jey Uso and Kofi Kingston have managed to advance to the next round so far. They will face Ilja Dragunov and Gunther, respectively, in their upcoming matches. If they emerge victorious and make it to the semi-finals, it will be a testament to WWE’s decision to shake up their plans.
The King and Queen of The Ring tournaments will continue this week on SmackDown, with the stakes higher than ever. Four recent call-ups or debuting stars, including Tama Tonga, Ilja Dragunov, and Carmelo Hayes, will be vying for a spot in the semi-finals. Lyra Valkyria, meanwhile, will be looking to outmaneuver Zoey Stark on the women’s side.
WWE will be holding its breath, hoping to avoid any further injuries as the tournament reaches its climax. With the semifinals and finals on the horizon, the company will be crossing its fingers that the remaining matches unfold without any more last-minute changes.
