Crowning Nia Jax and More Hot Takes from WWE King and Queen of the Ring 2024 Card (2024)

WWE's first-ever installment of King and Queen of the Ring was a successful show both in terms of its above-average in-ring action and its effectiveness in setting the stage for an exciting summer season on Raw and SmackDown.

Liv Morgan stealing the Women's World champion from Becky Lynch was the most newsworthy development of the night, specifically the fashion in which she did so. Not only is Morgan finally holding singles gold again, the uncertainty of her current relationship with Dominik Mysterio creates a strong cliffhanger going forward.

A new King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring were crowned in Gunther and Nia Jax, respectively. They've officially punched their tickets to SummerSlam, where they'll contend for top titles and potentially take the next step in their ascent up the card.

Sami Zayn also managed to retain his Intercontinental Championship in an excellent outing with Bronson Reed and Chad Gable, though his bad blood with Zayn shouldn't be over just yet.

From the future of certain factions and Jax being ready to reclaim a world championship, these are the hottest takes from the King and Queen of the Ring 2024 card.

Nia Jax has undoubtedly been doing the best work of her entire WWE career since returning to the company in September 2023.

Her run on Raw consisted of quality matches with Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley. She was booked in dominant fashion and only lost when it mattered most.

Since arriving on SmackDown in the 2024 WWE Draft, she's gone undefeated and racked up four consecutive wins over Naomi, Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair and Lyra Valkyria to become the Queen of the Ring, guaranteeing her a shot at the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam.

If Bayley is still in possession of the prestigious prize by then, Jax should be the one to unseat her as champion.

Tiffany Stratton was considered the popular choice by many, but having her first win the women's Money in the Bank briefcase and cash in down the road would make more sense. Jax has been building momentum for a lot longer and is the perfect heel to lead the division heading into the fall.

That would then set her up for a feud with WWE's other Queen, Charlotte Flair, upon her return to the ring around that same time.

Chad Gable has fallen short of becoming Intercontinental champion on so many occasions in the last year that the Triple Threat at King and Queen of the Ring felt like his last chance in many ways.

Although he was once again unsuccessful, the execution of the finish with Sami Zayn pinning Bronson Reed to retain leaves the door open for his chase for the championship to continue coming out of the event.

More importantly, WWE is taking their time breaking Gable away from Alpha Academy and it's being done masterfully.

Otis inadvertently hitting Gable with a clothesline during the match received a significant reaction from the crowd, so Otis eventually snapping on his mentor should be a major moment. That should be the focus for the foreseeable future before Gable dumps Alpha Academy in favor of The Creed Brothers.

Likewise, Gable not getting pinned at King and Queen of the Ring allows him and Zayn to resume their rivalry later on in the buildup to SummerSlam.

As excellent as Randy Orton vs. Gunther was in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament, all fans will remember is Orton's shoulder clearly being nowhere near the mat as the referee made the three count.

An audible wasn't called, and the botched spot was hardly acknowledged on screen. Gunther capturing the crown was the correct outcome, but the fact his victory wasn't decisive has created controversy among fans.

Triple H's comments regarding the matter sparked interest in a rematch between them to determine the true king, and that's exactly the route WWE should go in with the two of them.

Gunther is confirmed to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, but WWE needs to find a way to ensure he maintains momentum in the meantime. Having him run it back with Orton at Clash at the Castle would right that wrong.

The Ring General scoring a second straight win over Orton would be huge for him, but it'd also be fine for Orton to avenge the loss to set up a world title encounter of his own with Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam.

Either way, Orton vs. Gunther II should be booked for Clash at the Castle.

Liv Morgan securing the Women's World Championship at King and Queen of the Ring was long overdue. She was already organically turning heel following the legitimate injury to Rhea Ripley and getting the gold in her grasp merely cemented the turn.

The way Dominik Mysterio factored into the finish brilliantly planted the seeds for the idea that he and Morgan will be aligned ahead of Ripley's return. This is in addition to Morgan being spotted with Mysterio and Finn Bálor in the background in recent Raw segments.

Morgan doesn't necessarily need to be aligned with either one of them going forward, but having her be the catalyst of Judgment Day's demise would serve as a fantastic culmination to her ongoing "revenge tour."

Judgment Day is ready for its next chapter, and with Damian Priest teasing tension with the rest of the group as of late, now would be as good of a time as any to start moving toward Ripley and Priest branching off as babyfaces while Morgan claims credit for their dissolution ahead of her eventual rematch with Ripley for the title.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.