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The 2025 WWE King and Queen of the Ring Tournament is in full swing. Roxanne Perez and Sami Zayn advanced on RAW, while Randy Orton, Jade Cargill, Alexa Bliss, and Cody Rhodes did the same in their qualifiers on SmackDown.
While the tournament will offer two stars title shots at SummerSlam, the overall booking of the event has been polarizing.
Some stars have been left out, while others have been given another opportunity at a major championship after having chances this year.
The first round of Fatal Four-Ways will conclude on RAW. Will WWE book those matches the same way as SmackDown's, with mostly predictable winners? WWE has already made the next five mistakes with King and Queen of the Ring.
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#5. Revealing the mystery opponent for RAW
When the initial King and Queen of the Ring brackets were revealed, one of the men's matches on RAW included a mystery opponent.
Sheamus, Rusev, and Bronson Reed had to wait, just like the fans, to find out who the fourth person would be. This created intrigue and potentially set up a huge return or surprise.
Ilja Dragunov could have returned from injury. Ricky Saints could have been promoted from NXT. Drew McIntyre could have been revealed as moving to RAW through the tournament.
Instead, WWE advertised that Jey Uso was the mystery opponent. It took away any excitement from the match, especially since he'll probably win to set up a semi-final matchup with his friend, Cody Rhodes.
#4. Mostly predictable pairings for King and Queen of the Ring
WWE had the opportunity to make it seem like any star could win any of the Fatal Four-Way matches. Only the RAW women's brackets had pairings where two or three women could plausibly win.
However, when it came to SmackDown, nearly every one of its matches was predictable. Unless something huge happened, both Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were likely to advance.
Carmelo Hayes could have used the win more than The Viper. LA Knight would have been a better choice since he hasn't had a title shot despite his overwhelming popularity. Bron Breakker costing him a shot was easy to see, as he did the same on RAW. Rhodes' match was full of stars who had little chance of winning.
The same went for Jade Cargill against Michin, Piper Niven, and Nia Jax. Only Alexa Bliss' win was a pleasant surprise. Had Cargill and Flair been in the same pairing, it would have been much more intriguing.
#3. Spoiling the returns of Asuka and Randy Orton
In addition to revealing nearly every participant for each qualifier, officials decided to include both Orton and Asuka in the King and Queen of the Ring announcements.
The Viper took time off after losing to John Cena at Backlash. Asuka was nearing a return from injury and would have received a massive pop had her involvement been a surprise.
Those moments would have improved the quality of the King and Queen of the Ring tournament, as many outcomes were predictable. Triple H's regime has had its share of surprises, and this event would have been an ideal opportunity for one.
#2. Including Jey Uso a week after he lost the World Heavyweight Title
As mentioned previously, WWE revealed Jey Uso as the mystery opponent in RAW's other men's King and Queen of the Ring qualifier. The announcement squashed the anticipation for the moment.
Had WWE held off, it would have kept fans on their toes until the match. Announcing the spot wasn't the only mistake. Including a guy who literally lost the title days ago shows a huge lack of respect for the rest of the roster.
Jey has fought Gunther enough already, and their feuds have been average at best. Fans don't need another round of repeated material between the two.
Someone who hasn't sniffed a title spot, like Otis, Karrion Kross, AJ Styles, Ludwig Kaiser, or Austin Theory, should have been given the spot.
#1. Not using more stars who have had minimal title chances
One thing that the King and Queen of the Ring tournament qualifiers should have done is primarily involve stars who haven't received major title shots. Even those who haven't had them in a few years would have been better choices.
AJ Styles had a shot at Cody Rhodes' title last year but hasn't held a major singles title in over six years. Rey Fenix and Kross missed out on Money in the Bank. How can Theory be a future champion if he never gets an opportunity?
His Money in the Bank win was a huge booking disaster. It's harder to do for the women's matches. However, stars like Nia Jax, Rhea Ripley, Orton, Charlotte Flair, and Rhodes had title shots within the last two months.
