4 potential reasons why WWE reportedly canceled King of the Ring this year

Modified Apr 04, 2025 15:49 GMT

King of the Ring became an annual WWE event [Image Credits: WWE.com]

King of the Ring is one of the WWE Premium Live Events that returned last year but added a new touch by adding Queen of the Ring last year as well. However, it seems like there would be no PLE of this kind this year.

The King of the Ring Premium Live Event returned last year and took place at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia. The last event was in 2015, but for last year's show, the show received a new look by turning it into the King and Queen of the Ring. Cody Rhodes defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against Logan Paul for the main event, Gunther won the men's division while Nia Jax in the women's. This year, it seems like the show will be replaced by Night of Champions.

In this list, we will look at four reasons why WWE reportedly canceled King of the Ring this year.

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#4. Finishes of King of the Ring might have implications for an already planned SummerSlam event

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An added stipulation for the winner of last year's King and Queen of the Ring event was that the crowned victors would go on to challenge for the World Championship at SummerSlam. The Ring General defeated Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship while Nia Jax to Bayley's Women's Championship.

This year, the Stamford-based promotion might already have plans or storylines set for the World Champions, and having the stipulation of the winners competing for it at SummerSlam might complicate the trajectory of the feuds.

#3. King of the Ring winner might be unavailable

Gunther was a favorite and strong contender to become last year's King of the Ring winner. However, the favorite to win the entire thing was Ilja Dragunov, and it looks like he wouldn't be able to try again this year if the event were to take place.

Dragunov is currently out with an injury and is not expected to return in September, months after the tournament which usually takes place in May or June. Possibly due to this, the event was just scrapped altogether and replaced with the reported Night of Champions.

#2. The crown gimmick may be something WWE wants to drop

Another thing that happens when a superstar wins the contest is that they parade themselves as royalties and truly take on the role of a king or queen, much like Nia Jax did last place. However, this might be something that they may no longer want to continue.

Being the winner doesn't give much push or prestige to the superstar, and only very few stars can capitalize on winning the title. Due to this, the Stamford-based promotion may focus on building up the championship picture.

#1. WWE may want to make King and Queen of the Ring more exclusive

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Being crowned Queen or King of the Ring should hold more prestige and should not be a simple title to gain, but holding the event every year won't make the list more honorable and prestigious.

To make the title more meaningful and more exclusive, WWE may have decided that instead of making it an annual event, it will take place every other year to make it more special and must-see.

About the author

Hazel is a WWE features writer for Sportskeeda Wrestling. Currently a BS Psychology student in her third year, she ensures that multiple accurate and reliable sources back every piece of information in her articles. She phrases even mundane information in her own words, especially when using single sources like books or social media posts, to add a hint of personal touch.

Hazel has had a penchant for writing since high school. Apart from pursuing Humanities and Social Sciences for her senior year, she attended classes about creative and nonfiction writing. In 2019, Hazel started working as a ghostwriter, and three years later, she began working for Sportskeeda. In 2023, she became a published author under 8letters Books Publishing House. Even today, when she is not studying as a pre-med student or writing for Sportskeeda, she enjoys reading and writing novels.

Her favorite wrestlers are Edge and Randy Orton. She recalls watching John Cena vs Big Show vs Edge in WrestleMania 25 in her first wrestling match. Hazel enjoyed the entrances, and what got her hooked was how cool and ruthless Edge was and how John Cena never backed down from his challenges.

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Edited by Ken Cameron