WWE King of the Ring bracket in full as Gunther takes the crown
YouTube — Official WWEThe WWE King of the Ring tournament has served as a launch point for some of the most iconic superstars in the company’s history. Who will receive that push in 2024?
The King of the Ring is a single-elimination tournament consisting of several top stars in the company vying for the crown. As for impact, ascending to the throne almost guarantees a push up the card.
‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin benefitted the most of any previous winner, as his 1996 King of the Ring victory saw the birth of one of the most memorable catchphrases in WWE history.
Upon seizing the crown against Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, Austin charged to the throne, took the microphone, and uttered his “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass,” saying for the first time.
Others, such as Austin’s former rival, Booker T, built up a fresh persona off the back of his King of the Ring victory. He’d go by ‘King Booker’ for the remainder of his in-ring career.
The most recent winner is Xavier Woods of The New Day faction, although the reigning King didn’t get a chance to defend his crown due to a nagging knee injury.
Now, with only three men remaining in the heated 2024 King of the Ring tournament, what can we expect from this year’s premium live event in Saudi Arabia? Who will take the crown?
2024 WWE King of the Ring Bracket
First Round (Raw)
| Matchup | Result |
| Jey Uso vs Finn Bálor | Uso via pinfall |
| Ilja Dragunov vs Ricochet | Dragunov via pinfall |
| Gunther vs Sheamus | Gunther via submission |
| Kofi Kingston vs Rey Mysterio | Kingston via pinfall |
The opening round on the Monday Night Raw side of the bracket went as expected, with Gunther and Jey Uso reigning supreme and cruising to easy victories.
Recent NXT call-up Ilja Dragunov made his presence felt with an impressive victory over Ricochet, while former world champion Kofi Kingston notched the win over WWE legend Rey Mysterio.
Quarterfinals (Raw)
| Matchup | Result |
| Gunther vs Kofi Kingston | Gunther via submission |
| Jey Uso vs Ilja Dragunov | Uso via pinfall |
For a second straight round, Gunther dominated his opponent to the point of submission. It brought an end to Kingston’s King of the Ring journey while pushing ‘The Ring General’ to the semi-finals.
Likewise, Uso pulled off another win in the quarterfinals, but Dragunov gave Jey all he could handle. Although the youngster put up a valiant effort, Gunther vs Uso was set for the semi-finals.
Semi-Finals (Raw)
| Matchup | Result |
| Gunther vs Jey Uso | Gunther via submission |
Gunther, the heavy favorite coming into the King of the Ring tournament, made good on this label by forcing Uso to pass out as Raw came to a close.
On the back of three consecutive submission victories, Gunther is now poised to take on the Friday Night SmackDown bracket winner for the glorious honor of being WWE’s King.
Gunther will face Randy Orton in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. But make no mistake, ‘The Ring General’ will be ready for The Viper, as the living legend enters the match with a severely injured left knee.
First Round (SmackDown)
| Matchup | Result |
| AJ Styles vs Randy Orton | Orton via pinfall |
| Baron Corbin vs Carmelo Hayes | Hayes via pinfall |
| Angelo Dawkins vs Tama Tonga | Tonga via pinfall |
| LA Knight vs Santos Escobar | Knight via pinfall |
Much like the Raw bracket, there weren’t any shocking outcomes in the first round of SmackDown’s King of the Ring bracket.
Orton pulled out a close victory over AJ Styles after top WWE draft pick Carmelo Hayes defeated Baron Corbin. It set up a quarterfinal matchup between himself and the Grand Slam champion.
Tonga, a still-new member of the legendary Bloodline faction, serves as the group’s muscle. He flexed that power by beating Angelo Dawkins to a pulp.
The ever-popular LA Knight got the best of Santos Escobar, which put Knight and Tonga on a collision course at the May 17 episode of SmackDown with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
Quarterfinals (SmackDown)
| Matchup | Result |
| Randy Orton vs Carmelo Hayes | Orton via pinfall |
| Tama Tonga vs LA Knight | Tonga via pinfall |
Hayes put up an admirable fight against the future WWE Hall of Famer, but Orton, hobbled by injury, ultimately prevailed, stamping his place in the semi-finals.
Thanks to Bloodline interference, Knight was distracted long enough for Tonga to take advantage by hitting his finisher out of nowhere and securing the three-count.
Now, it all comes down to Orton and Tonga to decide who will represent the blue brand against Gunther at the May 25 King and Queen of the Ring premium live event.
Semi-Finals (SmackDown)
| Matchup | Result |
| Randy Orton vs Tama Tonga | Orton via pinfall |
Orton and Tonga came to blows on the May 24 episode of Friday Night SmackDown with a spot in the King of the Ring final round up for grabs.
With Gunther, the Raw representative in the King of the Ring final, in attendance, Orton and Tonga started their semifinal matchup at a blistering pace.
Orton brutalized Tonga for much of the opening minutes, but the Bloodline enforcer found an opening to attack The Viper’s injured left knee, taking him down with a chop block.
After sustaining considerable damage to his leg, Orton found a way to rally by reversing Tonga’s sleeper hold twice, much to the joy of the rowdy Saudi Arabian crowd.
Later, Orton and Tonga made it back to the ring, and The Viper landed a DDT before hitting the deadly RKO, even amid a distraction from Solo Sikoa.
As Orton’s music hit, the crowd vibrated with excitement, paving the way for a match against Gunther in the King of the Ring tournament final.
King of the Ring Finals
| Matchup | Result |
| Gunther (Raw) vs Winner of Randy Orton vs Tama Tonga (SmackDown) | Gunther via pinfall |
Orton, winner of the SmackDown side of the bracket, didn’t have long to bask in the glory of his victory. That’s because Gunther was already waiting in the King of the Ring finals.
The former Intercontinental champion approached the ring in his typical stoic fashion, sporting a confident demeanor and looking to secure a place amongst WWE royalty.
With Gunther standing in the center of the ring, Orton’s music hit and the fans went nuts. The packed Saudi Arabian crowd sang ‘Voices’ for over three minutes as ‘The Viper’ slowly strolled down the entrance.
Only 24 hours before the King of the Ring finale, Orton got assaulted by the Bloodline after defeating Tama Tonga in the semi-finals on SmackDown.
It was apparent early in the match that the previous night’s attack did lasting damage on Orton’s left knee, and you better believe that Gunther noticed.
He zeroed in on the injured limb throughout the battle, punishing Orton and pushing his knee to the limit. Still, the former world champion mustered up a comeback down the stretch.
’The Viper’ hit a patented ‘RKO’ finishing moves, but Gunther wisely rolled out of the ring to avoid the pin. He then did something that very few superstars can claim — ‘The Ring General’ kicked out of a second ‘RKO.’
Much to the surprise of the capacity crowd, Gunther immediately reversed the pinfall attempt and sealed a victory by rolling up Orton for a three-count.
Corey Graves pointed out that Orton’s shoulders were not actually on the mat, which replay would confirm. However, Triple H came to the ring and declared Gunther the 2024 WWE King of the Ring.
The Austrian bulldozer put up a valiant effort and deserved to be rewarded with the crown. But knowing Orton’s tendencies, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him address the controversial ending.