8-time champ replaces Bloodline member, 2 stars invade RAW & more- 4 bold predictions for King of the Ring tournament 

The highly-anticipated King of the Ring tournament is finally underway. This past week's edition of Monday Night RAW hosted the first-round matches of the tournament, which saw some action-packed bouts. Following that, WWE unveiled the SmackDown brackets, which feature some mouthwatering match-ups.

The event will continue to enthrall fans in the next two weeks before finally concluding at the WWE King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event in Saudi Arabia on May 25.

How will things unfold during the high-profile tournament? To feed into the curiosity, here are four bold predictions for the King of the Ring tournament:

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#4. Randy Orton turns heel following his loss in the King of the Ring tournament

Murmurs of Randy Orton turning heel has been doing the rounds for quite some time now. Many expected The Viper to embrace the dark side and turn on Kevin Owens at Backlash. However, the company had other plans.

Orton will collide with AJ Styles in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament. The creative team could have Styles resort to unfair tactics to prevail over his rival.

However, this potential loss may prove to be the final nail in the coffin as Orton could undergo a character change following that. The Viper has not had the best of times following his return and has faced some tough losses. Tired of falling short each time, The Apex Predator could embrace the dark side.

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#3. Gunther avenges his 2021 loss against Ilja Dragunov

Ilja Dragunov had an impressive debut on RAW, usurping Ricochet in a grueling contest to advance into the next round of the tournament. Meanwhile, Gunther also managed to defeat Sheamus to qualify for the second round.

For fans unaware, Ilja and The Ring General share quite a bit of history between them. The duo has had several wars against each other in the past, who could forget Ilja dethroning Gunther (then known as Walter) for the NXT United Kingdom Championship in 2021?

WWE could pit the duo against each other in the semifinal given their volatile history. If that does happen, a high-voltage encounter could be on the cards. However, The Ring General could avenge his loss from 2021 by defeating The Mad Dragon due to interference from Ludwig Kaiser.

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#2. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa invade RAW to cost Jey Uso a potential win in the King of the Ring tournament

Jey Uso will collide with Ilja Dragunov in the second round of the King of the Ring tournament. However, Main Event Jey could succumb to a defeat due to The Bloodline's interference.

Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa could invade RAW on Solo Sikoa's orders to cost Jey a potential win. This potential angle would then plant seeds of Jey's feud with The Bloodline and the inevitable reunion with Jimmy Uso.

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#1. Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu act on Roman Reigns' orders

Jimmy Uso has been sidelined due to an undisclosed injury. The timeline of his return is unknown. However, WWE may swerve fans by having him return this week to stop Solo Sikoa in his tracks. That said, Jimmy may not come alone.

Rumors had it that Jacob Fatu could debut at Backlash 2024. However, it wasn't meant to be, as WWE had Tanga Loa make an appearance at the event. Nonetheless, things may change this week.

Tama Tonga is set to take on Bobby Lashley in the first-round match of the King of the Ring tournament on Friday night. However, he could be taken out by two mysterious superstars right before his clash.

Later, it could be unveiled that the mysterious stars were none other than Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu. The eight-time champion and The Samoan Werewolf could further reveal that they acted on Roman Reigns' orders, declaring their allegiance to the original Tribal Chief. Jimmy could then go on to replace Tama Tonga against Lashley.

While Paul Heyman had earlier revealed that Roman Reigns had no idea about Solo Sikoa's uprising, it could be that he was lying to catch Solo by surprise. The Wiseman could then turn on The Enforcer's Bloodline and join forces with Jacob and Jimmy to form his version of The Bloodline.