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{{Short description|Recurring professional wrestling tournament by WWE}}
{{Short description|Recurring professional wrestling tournament by WWE}}
⚫
The '''Queen of the Ring tournament''', originally known as the '''Queen's Crown''', is a women's [[professional wrestling]] [[single-elimination tournament]] held periodically by [[WWE]], a [[Connecticut]]-based [[professional wrestling promotion]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Established in 2021, the winner of the inaugural tournament was [[Zelina Vega]].<ref name="CrownJewel2021" /> The prize for winning the tournament is being crowned the "Queen of the Ring" (originally simply "Queen"), and beginning in 2024, a match for a [[Professional wrestling championship#World championships|women's world championship]]. It is the female version of WWE's long-standing [[King of the Ring tournament]] for male wrestlers. The most recent [[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|2024 tournament]] was won by [[Nia Jax]].<ref name="KAQOTR" />
{{about|the women's professional wrestling tournament held by [[WWE]]|the royal crown that was a part of the [[Polish Crown Jewels]]|Queen's Crown}}
⚫
The '''Queen of the Ring tournament''' (previously known as '''Queen's Crown''') is a women's [[professional wrestling]] [[single-elimination tournament]] held by [[WWE]], a [[Connecticut]]-based [[professional wrestling promotion]]. Established in 2021, the prize for winning the tournament is earning the moniker of "Queen of the Ring" (previously "Queen") and the inaugural winner was [[Zelina Vega]]. It is the female version of WWE's long-standing [[King of the Ring tournament]] for male wrestlers.


Like the King of the Ring tournament, female wrestlers from the [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] and [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]] [[WWE brand extension|brand divisions]] participate. The inaugural tournament, consisting of eight female wrestlers evenly divided between the brands, began in October 2021 and culminated at the [[Crown Jewel (2021)|Crown Jewel]] [[pay-per-view]] and [[livestreaming]] event. A dedicated event was to be held in 2023 in conjunction with the men's tournament, but it was cancelled. However, it was rescheduled for 2024 titled [[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|King and Queen of the Ring]].
Like the King of the Ring tournament, female wrestlers from the [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] and [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]] [[WWE brand extension|brand divisions]] participate. There are two tournament brackets, one for each brand, and the bracket winners face off in the final. The inaugural tournament was held in October 2021 and culminated at the [[Crown Jewel (2021)|Crown Jewel]] [[pay-per-view]] and [[livestreaming]] event. A dedicated event was to be held in 2023 in conjunction with the men's tournament, but it was cancelled; however, it was rescheduled for 2024 titled [[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|King and Queen of the Ring]]. Along with the tournament's return in 2024, it was renamed as "Queen of the Ring" with the winner earning that moniker to bring it in line with the men's tournament.<ref name="2023NoC-announced" /><ref name="K&Q2024announced" />


== History ==
== History ==
In 1985, the American [[professional wrestling promotion]] [[WWE]], at that time known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), established the [[King of the Ring tournament]] as a men's [[single-elimination tournament]], the winner of which is crowned the "King of the Ring". In 2016, the "[[Women in WWE#Women's Evolution (2016–present)|Women's Evolution]]" began in WWE, where the promotion began to treat their female wrestlers on an equal level as the men. In the years following this, WWE introduced female versions of matches that were originally only contested by male wrestlers—such as the [[Royal Rumble match]] and [[Money in the Bank ladder match]]. In October 2021, WWE established a female counterpart to the King of the Ring tournament, called the Queen's Crown tournament, held between wrestlers from the [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] and [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]] [[WWE brand extension|brand divisions]]. The inaugural tournament was announced to be held simultaneously with the [[King of the Ring (2021)|2021 King of the Ring tournament]].<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1444099692867031042|author=[[WWE]]|user=WWE|title=HERE WE GO!! #SmackDown}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Heydorn |first1=Zack |title=WWE announces Queen's Crown and King of the Ring tournaments |url=https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2021/10/01/wwe-announces-queens-crown-and-king-of-the-ring-tournaments/ |access-date=October 18, 2021 |work=Pro Wrestling Torch |date=October 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002030604/https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2021/10/01/wwe-announces-queens-crown-and-king-of-the-ring-tournaments/ |archive-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rose |first1=Bryan |title=WWE announces King of the Ring, Queen's Crown tournaments |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/wwe-announces-king-ring-queens-crown-tournaments-355141 |access-date=October 18, 2021 |work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]] |date=October 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002012453/https://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/wwe-announces-king-ring-queens-crown-tournaments-355141 |archive-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref>
In 1985, the American [[professional wrestling promotion]] [[WWE]], at that time known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), established the [[King of the Ring tournament]] as a men's [[single-elimination tournament]], the winner of which is crowned the "King of the Ring". In 2016, the "[[Women in WWE#Women's Evolution (2016–present)|Women's Evolution]]" began in WWE, where the promotion began to treat their female wrestlers on an equal level as the men. In the years following this, WWE introduced female versions of matches that were originally only contested by male wrestlers—such as the [[Royal Rumble match]] and [[Money in the Bank ladder match]]. In October 2021, WWE established a female counterpart to the King of the Ring tournament, called the Queen's Crown tournament, held between wrestlers from the [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] and [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown]] [[WWE brand extension|brand divisions]]. The inaugural tournament was announced to be held simultaneously with the [[King of the Ring (2021)|2021 King of the Ring tournament]].<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1444099692867031042|author=[[WWE]]|user=WWE|title=HERE WE GO!! #SmackDown}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Heydorn |first1=Zack |title=WWE announces Queen's Crown and King of the Ring tournaments |url=https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2021/10/01/wwe-announces-queens-crown-and-king-of-the-ring-tournaments/ |access-date=October 18, 2021 |work=Pro Wrestling Torch |date=October 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002030604/https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2021/10/01/wwe-announces-queens-crown-and-king-of-the-ring-tournaments/ |archive-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last1=Rose |first1=Bryan |title=WWE announces King of the Ring, Queen's Crown tournaments |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/wwe-announces-king-ring-queens-crown-tournaments-355141 |access-date=October 18, 2021 |work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]] |date=October 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002012453/https://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/wwe-announces-king-ring-queens-crown-tournaments-355141 |archive-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref> The tournament began in October 2021, held across episodes of ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'' and ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown]]'', and culminated at the [[Crown Jewel (2021)|Crown Jewel]] [[pay-per-view]] and [[livestreaming]] event in [[Saudi Arabia]]. It was won by SmackDown's [[Zelina Vega]], who defeated Raw's [[Doudrop]].<ref name="CrownJewel2021"/>


In March 2023, WWE scheduled an event titled King and Queen of the Ring, which would have been a dedicated event for both the men's and women's tournaments, but on April 13, it was revealed that these plans were scrapped.<ref name="2023NoC-announced">{{cite news |last1=Lambert |first1=Jeremy |title=WWE Changes 'WWE King & Queen Of The Ring' PLE To 'WWE Night Of Champions' |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/wwe-changes-wwe-king-queen-ring-ple-wwe-night-champions |access-date=April 13, 2023 |work=Fightful |date=April 13, 2023}}</ref> ''Fightful'' later reported that WWE did not have plans to reschedule King and Queen of the Ring for later that year, but the event could possibly be used for a future [[WWE in Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabian show]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bodyslam.net/2023/06/10/wwe-keeping-king-and-queen-of-the-ring-for-a-future-saudi-arabia-show/|title=WWE Keeping King And Queen Of The Ring For A Future Saudi Arabia Show|date=June 10, 2023|last=Brennan|first=Corey|work=BodySlam.net|access-date=June 10, 2023}}</ref> On April 7, 2024, during night two of [[WrestleMania XL]], WWE announced plans to go ahead with the [[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|King and Queen of the Ring]] event in [[Saudi Arabia]] at the [[Jeddah Super Dome]] in [[Jeddah]], officially changing the name of the tournament to Queen of the Ring. It was scheduled to be held on May 25, 2024.<ref name="K&Q2024announced">{{cite web|last=Tessier|first=Colin|title=WWE To Hold 5/24 SmackDown And WWE King And Queen Of The Ring PLE In Saudi Arabia|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/wwe-hold-524-smackdown-and-wwe-king-and-queen-ring-ple-saudi-arabia|work=Fightful|date=April 7, 2024|access-date=April 7, 2024}}</ref>
In March 2023, WWE scheduled an event titled King and Queen of the Ring, which would have been a dedicated event for both the men's and women's tournaments, but on April 13, it was revealed that these plans were scrapped.<ref name="2023NoC-announced">{{cite news |last1=Lambert |first1=Jeremy |title=WWE Changes 'WWE King & Queen Of The Ring' PLE To 'WWE Night Of Champions' |url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/wwe-changes-wwe-king-queen-ring-ple-wwe-night-champions |access-date=April 13, 2023 |work=Fightful |date=April 13, 2023}}</ref> ''Fightful'' later reported that WWE did not have plans to reschedule King and Queen of the Ring for later that year, but the event could possibly be used for a future [[WWE in Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabian show]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bodyslam.net/2023/06/10/wwe-keeping-king-and-queen-of-the-ring-for-a-future-saudi-arabia-show/|title=WWE Keeping King And Queen Of The Ring For A Future Saudi Arabia Show|date=June 10, 2023|last=Brennan|first=Corey|work=BodySlam.net|access-date=June 10, 2023}}</ref> In April 2024, WWE announced that they would hold the [[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|King and Queen of the Ring]] event in Saudi Arabia in May 2024. Tournament matches began on the May 6 episode of ''Raw'', and were held across episodes of ''Raw'', ''SmackDown'', and at [[WWE Live]] events.<ref name="K&Q2024announced">{{cite web|last=Tessier|first=Colin|title=WWE To Hold 5/24 SmackDown And WWE King And Queen Of The Ring PLE In Saudi Arabia|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/wwe-hold-524-smackdown-and-wwe-king-and-queen-ring-ple-saudi-arabia|work=Fightful|date=April 7, 2024|access-date=April 7, 2024}}</ref> Along with its return in 2024, the women's tournament and prize were both renamed as "Queen of the Ring".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2024-05-06|title=Raw preview, May 6, 2024: Sheamus battles Gunther as the King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments begin|work=[[WWE]]|access-date=May 6, 2024}}</ref> On May 23, WWE Chief Content Officer [[Paul "Triple H" Levesque]] announced that the winner of the 2024 Queen of the Ring tournament would receive a [[Professional wrestling championship#World championships|women's world championship]] match of their respective brand at [[SummerSlam (2024)|SummerSlam]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Defelice|first=Robert|title=Winners Of WWE King And Queen Of The Ring Tournaments Will Get World Title Bouts At WWE SummerSlam|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/winners-wwe-king-and-queen-ring-tournaments-will-get-world-title-bouts-wwe-summerslam|date=May 23, 2024|work=Fightful|access-date=May 23, 2024}}</ref> The 2024 tournament was won by SmackDown's [[Nia Jax]], who defeated Raw's [[Lyra Valkyria]], with Jax receiving a match for the [[WWE Women's Championship]].<ref name="KAQOTR">{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2024/05/25/wwe-king-and-queen-of-the-ring-results-powells-live-review-of-cody-rhodes-vs-logan-paul-for-the-wwe-title-gunther-vs-randy-orton-in-the-kotr-finals-nia-jax-vs-lyra-valkyria-in-the-qotr-finals/|title=WWE King and Queen of the Ring results: Powell’s live review of Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul for the WWE Title, Gunther vs. Randy Orton in the KOTR finals, Nia Jax vs. Lyra Valkyria in the QOTR finals|date=May 25, 2024|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=May 25, 2024}}</ref>


== Queen gimmick ==
== Queen gimmick ==
Similar to the King of the Ring tournament, the prize for winning the Queen's Crown tournament is earning the title of "Queen", though unlike the King of the Ring tournament, the winner is simply called "Queen" instead of "Queen of the Ring". As several King of the Ring winners have taken on a king's gimmick with varying degrees of indulgence, inaugural Queen's Crown winner [[Zelina Vega]] adopted a queen's gimmick and began to refer to herself as Queen Zelina. She began wearing a crown, a cape, and carrying a scepter, while speaking and acting in a regal manner, though acting more like a tyrannical queen due to Vega portraying a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2021/10/25/10-25-wwe-raw-results-powells-live-review-of-the-season-premiere-with-the-new-post-draft-roster-fallout-from-wwe-crown-jewel/|title=10/25 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of the "season premiere" with the new post draft roster, fallout from WWE Crown Jewel|date=October 25, 2021|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref> After taking a brief hiatus in mid-2022, Vega returned in October and dropped the queen gimmick.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2022/10/07/10-07-wwe-friday-night-smackdown-results-powells-review-of-the-season-premiere-gunther-vs-sheamus-for-the-intercontinental-championship-undisputed-wwe-universal-champion-roman-reigns-and-logan-p/|title=10/07 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of the season premiere, Gunther vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Logan Paul meet face to face, Solo Sikoa vs. Ricochet|date=October 7, 2022|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=October 8, 2022}}</ref>
Similar to the King of the Ring tournament, the prize for winning the Queen of the Ring tournament is earning the title of "Queen of the Ring"; it was originally simply "Queen" in 2021 when the tournament that year was called Queen's Crown. As several King of the Ring winners took on a king's gimmick with varying degrees of indulgence, inaugural women's winner Zelina Vega adopted a queen's gimmick and began to refer to herself as Queen Zelina. She began wearing a crown, a cape, and carrying a scepter, while speaking and acting in a regal manner, though acting more like a tyrannical queen due to Vega portraying a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2021/10/25/10-25-wwe-raw-results-powells-live-review-of-the-season-premiere-with-the-new-post-draft-roster-fallout-from-wwe-crown-jewel/|title=10/25 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of the "season premiere" with the new post draft roster, fallout from WWE Crown Jewel|date=October 25, 2021|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=October 25, 2021}}</ref> After taking a brief hiatus in mid-2022, Vega returned in October and dropped the queen gimmick.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2022/10/07/10-07-wwe-friday-night-smackdown-results-powells-review-of-the-season-premiere-gunther-vs-sheamus-for-the-intercontinental-championship-undisputed-wwe-universal-champion-roman-reigns-and-logan-p/|title=10/07 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of the season premiere, Gunther vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Logan Paul meet face to face, Solo Sikoa vs. Ricochet|date=October 7, 2022|last=Powell|first=Jason|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|access-date=October 8, 2022}}</ref>


== 2021 tournament ==
== 2021 tournament ==
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}}
}}
|image=Zelina Vega 2018-04-07 20-50-02 ILCE-6500 DSC06809 (cropped).jpg
|image=Zelina Vega 2018-04-07 20-50-02 ILCE-6500 DSC06809 (cropped).jpg
|caption=The inaugural Queen's Crown tournament winner [[Zelina Vega]], who became known as Queen Zelina
|caption=The inaugural winner [[Zelina Vega]], who became Queen Zelina
|start_date=October 8, 2021
|start_date=October 8, 2021
|end_date=[[Crown Jewel (2021)|October 21, 2021]]
|end_date=[[Crown Jewel (2021)|October 21, 2021]]
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|matches=7
|matches=7
|previous=''First''
|previous=''First''
|next=[[#2024 tournament|2024]]
|next=[[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|2024]]
}}
}}
The 2021 Queen's Crown was the inaugural edition of the Queen's Crown tournament. Consisting of eight female wrestlers, four each from the Raw and SmackDown brands, the tournament was divided into two brackets, one for each brand, and the winners of each bracket faced each other in the final. The inaugural tournament began on the October 8 episode of ''SmackDown'' and continued to be held across episodes of ''[[WWE Raw|Raw]]'' and ''SmackDown''. It concluded at the [[Crown Jewel (2021)|Crown Jewel]] [[pay-per-view]] and [[livestreaming]] event on October 21, 2021. In the final, SmackDown's [[Zelina Vega]] defeated Raw's [[Doudrop]] to become the inaugural winner.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Currier |first1=Joseph |title=KOTR, QUEEN'S CROWN TOURNAMENT MATCHES SET FOR WWE SMACKDOWN |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/kotr-queens-crown-tournament-matches-set-wwe-smackdown-355651 |website=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]] |access-date=October 9, 2021 |date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>
The 2021 Queen's Crown was the inaugural edition of the Queen of the Ring tournament, and the only version to be called Queen's Crown. Consisting of eight female wrestlers, four each from the Raw and SmackDown brands, the tournament was divided into two brackets, one for each brand, and the winners of each bracket faced each other in the final. The inaugural tournament began on the October 8 episode of ''SmackDown'' and continued to be held across episodes of ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown''. It concluded at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view and livestreaming event on October 21, 2021. In the final, SmackDown's Zelina Vega defeated Raw's Doudrop to become the inaugural winner.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Currier |first1=Joseph |title=KOTR, QUEEN'S CROWN TOURNAMENT MATCHES SET FOR WWE SMACKDOWN |url=https://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/kotr-queens-crown-tournament-matches-set-wwe-smackdown-355651 |website=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]] |access-date=October 9, 2021 |date=October 7, 2021}}</ref><ref name="CrownJewel2021" />


=== Bracket ===
=== Bracket ===
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}}
}}


{{clear}}
⚫
== List of Winners ==

⚫
== List of winners ==
{|class="sortable wikitable succession-box" style="font-size:85%; text-align:center;" width="100%"
{|class="sortable wikitable succession-box" style="font-size:85%; text-align:center;" width="100%"
|-
|-
Line 97: Line 98:
|2
|2
|[[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|2024]]
|[[King and Queen of the Ring (2024)|2024]]
|[[To be determined|TBD]]
| [[Nia Jax]]
|—
|1
|May 25, 2024
|May 25, 2024
|[[To be determined|TBD]]
|[[Lyra Valkyria]]
|[[Jeddah, Saudi Arabia]]
|[[Jeddah, Saudi Arabia]]
|<ref name="K&Q2024announced" />
|<ref name="KAQOTR"/>
|-
|-
|}
|}


== Reception ==
== Reception ==
The Queen's Crown tournament was heavily criticized by fans for not being on equal ground with the men's King of the Ring tournament. The length of the tournament's first six matches were a combined 13 minutes and 40 seconds, equaling an average of roughly two minutes and 15 seconds per match. This was in stark contrast to the first six matches of the King of the Ring tournament, where none were shorter than eight minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Casey|first=Connor|date=October 19, 2021|title=WWE's Queen's Crown Tournament Has Been Alarmingly Short|url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/wwe-queens-crown-tournament-matches-too-short-fans-upset-crown-jewel-doudrop-zelina-vega/|access-date=2021-10-21|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|language=en}}</ref>
The original 2021 Queen's Crown tournament was heavily criticized by fans for not being on equal ground with the men's tournament that year. The length of the tournament's first six matches were a combined 13 minutes and 40 seconds, equaling an average of roughly two minutes and 15 seconds per match. This was in stark contrast to the first six matches of the 2021 King of the Ring tournament, where none were shorter than eight minutes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Casey|first=Connor|date=October 19, 2021|title=WWE's Queen's Crown Tournament Has Been Alarmingly Short|url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/wwe-queens-crown-tournament-matches-too-short-fans-upset-crown-jewel-doudrop-zelina-vega/|access-date=October 21, 2021|website=[[ComicBook.com]]|language=en}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
Line 116: Line 117:
{{WWE Championships}}
{{WWE Championships}}
{{WWE Tournaments}}
{{WWE Tournaments}}
{{Queen of the Ring winners}}


[[Category:2021 in professional wrestling]]
[[Category:2021 in professional wrestling]]

Latest revision as of 15:30, 6 November 2024

The Queen of the Ring tournament, originally known as the Queen's Crown, is a women's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion.[1][2] Established in 2021, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Zelina Vega.[3] The prize for winning the tournament is being crowned the "Queen of the Ring" (originally simply "Queen"), and beginning in 2024, a match for a women's world championship. It is the female version of WWE's long-standing King of the Ring tournament for male wrestlers. The most recent 2024 tournament was won by Nia Jax.[4]

Like the King of the Ring tournament, female wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions participate. There are two tournament brackets, one for each brand, and the bracket winners face off in the final. The inaugural tournament was held in October 2021 and culminated at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view and livestreaming event. A dedicated event was to be held in 2023 in conjunction with the men's tournament, but it was cancelled; however, it was rescheduled for 2024 titled King and Queen of the Ring. Along with the tournament's return in 2024, it was renamed as "Queen of the Ring" with the winner earning that moniker to bring it in line with the men's tournament.[5][6]

History

[edit]

In 1985, the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, at that time known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), established the King of the Ring tournament as a men's single-elimination tournament, the winner of which is crowned the "King of the Ring". In 2016, the "Women's Evolution" began in WWE, where the promotion began to treat their female wrestlers on an equal level as the men. In the years following this, WWE introduced female versions of matches that were originally only contested by male wrestlers—such as the Royal Rumble match and Money in the Bank ladder match. In October 2021, WWE established a female counterpart to the King of the Ring tournament, called the Queen's Crown tournament, held between wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The inaugural tournament was announced to be held simultaneously with the 2021 King of the Ring tournament.[7][1][2] The tournament began in October 2021, held across episodes of Raw and SmackDown, and culminated at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view and livestreaming event in Saudi Arabia. It was won by SmackDown's Zelina Vega, who defeated Raw's Doudrop.[3]

In March 2023, WWE scheduled an event titled King and Queen of the Ring, which would have been a dedicated event for both the men's and women's tournaments, but on April 13, it was revealed that these plans were scrapped.[5] Fightful later reported that WWE did not have plans to reschedule King and Queen of the Ring for later that year, but the event could possibly be used for a future Saudi Arabian show.[8] In April 2024, WWE announced that they would hold the King and Queen of the Ring event in Saudi Arabia in May 2024. Tournament matches began on the May 6 episode of Raw, and were held across episodes of Raw, SmackDown, and at WWE Live events.[6] Along with its return in 2024, the women's tournament and prize were both renamed as "Queen of the Ring".[9] On May 23, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque announced that the winner of the 2024 Queen of the Ring tournament would receive a women's world championship match of their respective brand at SummerSlam.[10] The 2024 tournament was won by SmackDown's Nia Jax, who defeated Raw's Lyra Valkyria, with Jax receiving a match for the WWE Women's Championship.[4]

Queen gimmick

[edit]

Similar to the King of the Ring tournament, the prize for winning the Queen of the Ring tournament is earning the title of "Queen of the Ring"; it was originally simply "Queen" in 2021 when the tournament that year was called Queen's Crown. As several King of the Ring winners took on a king's gimmick with varying degrees of indulgence, inaugural women's winner Zelina Vega adopted a queen's gimmick and began to refer to herself as Queen Zelina. She began wearing a crown, a cape, and carrying a scepter, while speaking and acting in a regal manner, though acting more like a tyrannical queen due to Vega portraying a heel.[11] After taking a brief hiatus in mid-2022, Vega returned in October and dropped the queen gimmick.[12]

2021 tournament

[edit]
Queen's Crown (2021)
The inaugural winner Zelina Vega, who became Queen Zelina
Tournament information
SportProfessional wrestling
Location
DatesOctober 8, 2021–October 21, 2021
Tournament
format(s)
Single elimination tournament
Participants8
Final positions
ChampionZelina Vega
Runner-upDoudrop
Tournament statistics
Matches played7
← First
2024 →

The 2021 Queen's Crown was the inaugural edition of the Queen of the Ring tournament, and the only version to be called Queen's Crown. Consisting of eight female wrestlers, four each from the Raw and SmackDown brands, the tournament was divided into two brackets, one for each brand, and the winners of each bracket faced each other in the final. The inaugural tournament began on the October 8 episode of SmackDown and continued to be held across episodes of Raw and SmackDown. It concluded at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view and livestreaming event on October 21, 2021. In the final, SmackDown's Zelina Vega defeated Raw's Doudrop to become the inaugural winner.[13][3]

Bracket

[edit]
Quarterfinals
SmackDown (October 8)[14]
Raw (October 11)[15] 		Semifinals
SmackDown (October 15)[16]
Raw (October 18)[17] 		Final
Crown Jewel
(October 21)[3]
         
Zelina Vega Pin[14]
Toni Storm 2:10
Zelina Vega Pin[16]
SmackDown
Carmella 2:40
Liv Morgan 1:40
Carmella Pin[14]
Zelina Vega Pin[3]
Doudrop 5:55
Dana Brooke 1:25
Shayna Baszler Pin[15]
Shayna Baszler 2:45
Raw
Doudrop Pin[17]
Doudrop Pin[15]
Natalya 3:00

List of winners

[edit]
# Year Winner Times won Finals date Runner-up Finals location Ref.
1 2021 Zelina Vega 1 October 21, 2021 Doudrop Riyadh, Saudi Arabia [3]
2 2024 Nia Jax 1 May 25, 2024 Lyra Valkyria Jeddah, Saudi Arabia [4]

Reception

[edit]

The original 2021 Queen's Crown tournament was heavily criticized by fans for not being on equal ground with the men's tournament that year. The length of the tournament's first six matches were a combined 13 minutes and 40 seconds, equaling an average of roughly two minutes and 15 seconds per match. This was in stark contrast to the first six matches of the 2021 King of the Ring tournament, where none were shorter than eight minutes.[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Heydorn, Zack (October 1, 2021). "WWE announces Queen's Crown and King of the Ring tournaments". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Rose, Bryan (October 1, 2021). "WWE announces King of the Ring, Queen's Crown tournaments". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Powell, Jason (October 21, 2021). "WWE Crown Jewel results: Powell's live review of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship, Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair for the Smackdown Women's Championship, Big E vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, Edge vs. Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match, Goldberg vs. Bobby Lashley in a No Holds Barred match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (May 25, 2024). "WWE King and Queen of the Ring results: Powell's live review of Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul for the WWE Title, Gunther vs. Randy Orton in the KOTR finals, Nia Jax vs. Lyra Valkyria in the QOTR finals". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (April 13, 2023). "WWE Changes 'WWE King & Queen Of The Ring' PLE To 'WWE Night Of Champions'". Fightful. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Tessier, Colin (April 7, 2024). "WWE To Hold 5/24 SmackDown And WWE King And Queen Of The Ring PLE In Saudi Arabia". Fightful. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  7. ^ WWE [@WWE] (October 2, 2021). "HERE WE GO!! #SmackDown" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ Brennan, Corey (June 10, 2023). "WWE Keeping King And Queen Of The Ring For A Future Saudi Arabia Show". BodySlam.net. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Raw preview, May 6, 2024: Sheamus battles Gunther as the King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments begin". WWE. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Defelice, Robert (May 23, 2024). "Winners Of WWE King And Queen Of The Ring Tournaments Will Get World Title Bouts At WWE SummerSlam". Fightful. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Powell, Jason (October 25, 2021). "10/25 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of the "season premiere" with the new post draft roster, fallout from WWE Crown Jewel". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  12. ^ Powell, Jason (October 7, 2022). "10/07 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of the season premiere, Gunther vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Logan Paul meet face to face, Solo Sikoa vs. Ricochet". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  13. ^ Currier, Joseph (October 7, 2021). "KOTR, QUEEN'S CROWN TOURNAMENT MATCHES SET FOR WWE SMACKDOWN". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (October 8, 2021). "10/08 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Rey Mysterio vs. Sami Zayn in a King of the Ring tournament match, Liv Morgan vs. Carmella in a Queens Crown tournament match, contract signing for Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks at WWE Crown Jewel". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (October 11, 2021). "10/11 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks, WWE Champion Big E and Drew McIntyre meet face to face, King of the Ring and Queen's Crown opening round matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Powell, Jason (October 15, 2021). "10/15 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of the supersized edition with Brock Lesnar, Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks in a non-title match, Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn in a KOTR semifinal match, Carmella vs. Zelina Vega in a Queen's Crown semifinal match, Sonya Deville vs. Naomi". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Powell, Jason (October 18, 2021). "10/18 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship, Shayna Baszler vs. Doudrop in a Queen's Crown semifinal match, Xavier Woods vs. Jinder Mahal in a KOTR semifinal match, final hype for Crown Jewel". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  18. ^ Casey, Connor (October 19, 2021). "WWE's Queen's Crown Tournament Has Been Alarmingly Short". ComicBook.com. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
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