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The first-round matches of the 2024 King and Queen of the Ring tournament continued during the latest episode of WWE SmackDown.
All the men and women involved competed with the aim of progressing to the finals, which are set to take place at the upcoming King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Below is a list of WWE Superstars who emerged as winners in the first-round matches and have progressed to the second round (Quarterfinals) of the SmackDown side of the 2024 King and Queen of the Ring tournament.
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#6. Tama Tonga
Tama Tonga was initially scheduled to face Bobby Lashley in the first-round match of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament. However, earlier in the week, news broke out that Lashley had suffered an injury during training and it would instead be his Pride stablemate, Angelo Dawkins, who would be replacing him in his match against Tonga.
Despite a valiant effort from the Street Profits member, the overwhelming numbers advantage of The Bloodline proved too much to overcome. With Solo Sikoa and Tanga Loa neutralizing Dawkins' partner, Montez Ford, outside the ring, Tama capitalized by executing his finisher to secure the win and advance to the next round (Quarterfinals) of the tournament.
#5. Nia Jax
Fresh off her defeat at Backlash France, Naomi aimed to redirect her focus to the 2024 Queen of the Ring tournament as she squared off against the dominant Nia Jax in the first round.
The match showcased good back-and-forth action, but ultimately, it was Jax who secured her first victory since moving to SmackDown following the 2024 WWE Draft, progressing to the next round (Quarterfinals) of the Queen of the Ring tournament.
#4. Carmelo Hayes
Carmelo Hayes and Baron Corbin, two superstars who were recently called up to SmackDown during the 2024 WWE Draft, were set to clash in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament.
Corbin, aiming to become a two-time King of the Ring, faced an unexpected setback when Hayes rolled him up for the pinfall victory and advanced to the next round (Quarterfinals) of the tournament.
#3. Bianca Belair
Fresh off her victory at Backlash France, where she and Jade Cargill won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, Bianca Belair shifted her focus to the 2024 Queen of the Ring tournament.
In the first round, she squared off against Candice LeRae. Despite LeRae's attempts to gain an advantage with assistance from her tag team partner, Indi Hartwell, who was at ringside, Belair demonstrated why she was The EST of WWE. Bianca ultimately sealed the victory over Candice with her signature K.O.D. finisher and advanced to the next round (Quarterfinals) of the tournament.
#2. Jade Cargill
Jade Cargill, considered by many as one of the top contenders to win the 2024 Queen of the Ring tournament, faced a tough challenge in the first round against Piper Niven.
While Niven showed moments of dominance and seemed to have the upper hand, Cargill ultimately rallied back. In a decisive turn of events, Cargill executed her finishing move, "The Jaded," on Niven, securing the victory and advancing to the next round (Quarterfinals) of the tournament.
#1. Randy Orton
In what could be considered an unfortunate twist of fate, two of the favorites, Randy Orton and AJ Styles found themselves pitted against each other in the first round of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament.
Despite the challenging matchup, the bout proved to be a spectacular main event. Styles strategically targeted Orton's knee throughout the match, aiming for a vulnerable spot.
However, just when Styles appeared to be closing in on a victory, he was caught off-guard by an RKO out of nowhere from The Viper, who secured an important win and advanced to the next round (Quarterfinals) of the tournament.
