WWE crowned a new King and Queen of the ring Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after the conclusion of two tournaments that haven taken place in recent weeks.
Randy Orton and Gunther fought over the men's crown, while Nia Jax battled main roster newcomer Lyra Valkyria for the women's title.
In addition to those bouts, we also saw four title matches as Becky Lynch, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill put their respective championships on the line.
Match results are one thing, but there are always other factors at play that determine someone's momentum after a big event.
Let's look at some of the real winners and losers from the King and Queen of the Ring premium live event.
Match Results
Here is a quick rundown of what happened on Saturday:
- Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeated Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell to retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
- Liv Morgan defeated Becky Lynch to win the Women's World Championship.
- Sami Zayn defeated Bronson Reed and Chad Gable to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
- Nia Jax defeated Lyra Valkyria to become Queen of the Ring.
- Gunther defeated Randy Orton to become King of the Ring.
- Cody Rhodes defeated Logan Paul to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Winners: Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair
The tag team of Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill has not only helped make the women's tag titles feel a bit more important, but the partnership has also aided both competitors in different ways.
Belair is reinvigorated and showing signs of having more fun than she has in a long time, while Cargill is benefitting from teaming with one of the best WWE has to offer.
Their star power is undeniable and was on full display in Jeddah as they successfully defended their titles without even needing to use one of their finishers.
They were two of eight women who performed on Saturday, which is an interesting statistic because only seven men were featured in matches. Seeing more women featured on any PPV is noteworthy, but seeing it happen in Saudi Arabia makes it stand out even more.
If WWE decides to break up Belair and Cargill for a singles feud, it's going to be an epic encounter.
Winner: Liv Morgan; Losers: Becky Lynch, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley
Liv Morgan has been on her "revenge tour" for the past couple of months, but she may have gotten the ultimate revenge on Saturday by walking out of Jeddah as the new women's world champion.
She and Lynch had a fantastic match that put Morgan's growth as a performer on full display. Not only did she beat The Man, but she also did it by thwarting Dominik Mysterio's plans.
Dirty Dom tried to slide a chair to Lynch, but Morgan used it to hit a DDT instead, paving the way for her to hit Oblivion and win the title. The look of disappointment on Becky and Dom's faces was probably the icing on the cake for the new champion.
While Morgan benefitted, Lynch lost the belt thanks to short-sighted interference from someone she can't even call an ally. She and Dom aren't friends in any way. The only reason he wanted to preserve her reign was so Rhea Ripley could beat her when she returns from injury.
Now, The Eradicator has to watch the woman who put her on the shelf walk around with the belt she held for so long.
It was a great night for Morgan, but for Lynch, Mysterio and Ripley, not so much.
Winner: Sami Zayn; Loser: Chad Gable
Sami Zayn is a popular Superstar all over the world, but after the last couple of times he has been to Saudi Arabia and Canada, you really start to understand what he means to people.
His popularity as a babyface skyrocketed after leaving The Bloodline, but seeing how he has managed to maintain it and continue to get raucous ovations everywhere he goes is proof that it wasn't just that storyline that made him popular.
It was also his years of hard work entertaining us that earned him the undying love and respect of the WWE Universe.
Saturday, The Underdog From the Underground faced a huge test in a Triple Threat match with Bronson Reed and Chad Gable. One challenger is a monster powerhouse, and the other is an Olympian with the ability to suplex men of all sizes.
Gable's ego was his own undoing in the end. He berated Otis until the big man accidentally hit him with a clothesline. This allowed the champion to hit Reed with a Helluva Kick to score the win and retain his title.
Reed can rebound from this loss, but Gable has more problems on his hands than a defeat. Alpha Academy may be falling apart, but the addition of The Creed Brothers could help turn things around.
For now, Gable needs to worry about his prized pupil turning on him if he continues to be this hostile toward him.
Winner: Nia Jax
Nia Jax being crowned the Queen of the Ring was the right call for multiple reasons, but the biggest reason is that it felt earned.
She has been on the best run of her career recently, and winning this tournament was a great way to keep her momentum going until WWE books her to claim a title.
During her time away from WWE, Jax worked on getting in better shape, and the results are on full display every time she steps into the ring. She's quicker, more agile and has greater endurance.
Valkyria is still new to the main roster and has plenty of time to have a great career, so just making it to the finals of the tournament and putting on a good performance is enough for now.
Winner: Gunther
The final of the King of the Ring tournament may have been the most anticipated match on the card because WWE did such a good job making it feel important to The Viper to accomplish something he's never done before.
But the man he had to face was just as motivated. Gunther just lost the IC title at WrestleMania after a record-breaking reign, so his story was about needing this accolade to get back on track.
They did a fantastic job telling their story in the ring. The Viper played the wily veteran who has been in the ring with some of the biggest names in WWE history. He is one of the few people who should be unafraid when standing across the ring from the Austrian.
A lot of people would be intimidated facing a 14-time champion, but The Ring General is not most people. He has been booked as one of the most dominant forces we have seen in years. You can count how many times he has lost on the main roster on one hand.
This could have gone either way because both results made sense, but only one man can wear the crown.
After they took each other to the limit, it was Gunther who emerged victorious, but there may be an asterisk next to his win due to Orton's shoulder appearing to be off the mat during the pin.
Winner: Logan Paul
Logan Paul may not have walked out of Saudi Arabia as the new WWE champion, but he may have put on his best performance to date and that can be just as valuable.
The social media star has been impressive in every outing, but this felt like the most technically proficient match he's had so far.
Cody Rhodes being such a reliable ring general was helpful, but there is no denying how far ahead of the curve Paul is. He puts in the work and has won the respect of some of his harshest critics along the way. In pro wrestling, respect is a valuable currency.
This was a solid PPV from top to bottom. Most of the results were predictable, but they were still the right decisions. What did you think of the King and Queen of the Ring PPV?
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