WWE has officially started the build toward the 2026 King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, with 5/29 SmackDown opening the road to the competition. The tournaments will continue on RAW next week, and the winners will earn world title opportunities at SummerSlam in August.
Following LA Knight last week, another confirmed entrant in the King of the Ring tournament is Trick Williams. He announced his entry during a promo segment in Barcelona aimed at Carmelo Hayes, who has been pushing for another shot at the United States Championship.
The situation escalated when Ricky Saints got involved. Saints interrupted the segment and made it clear he intends to confront Williams after dealing with Hayes. The tension between all three competitors led to chaos, and the match between Williams and Hayes ended in a double countout after continued fighting outside the ring. Despite the chaos, Hayes picked up momentum during the segment after landing the First 48.
On the women’s side, Jacy Jayne officially declared for the Queen of the Ring tournament during a backstage segment that also featured Paige and Nikki Bella. Jayne was shown alongside the rest of Fatal Influence as she confirmed her intent to win the tournament and move into a championship position.
The rest of Fatal Influence also laid out their goals during the same segment. Fallon Henley and Laney Reid stated their focus is on the Women’s Tag Team Titles, while Jayne remains centered on the Queen of the Ring competition.
WWE has structured both tournaments as key pathways to SummerSlam, with the winners earning major title opportunities. The King of the Ring finals are set for June 27 at WWE Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, making the tournament one of the central stories heading into the summer.
With RAW and SmackDown now building the brackets, WWE is adding multiple top names early to strengthen the field. More entrants are expected in the coming weeks as the competition develops and the road to SummerSlam becomes clearer.
King and Queen of the Ring 2026 Confirmed Names
- LA Knight
- Trick Williams
- Jacy Jayne
King and Queen of the Ring Winners Earn Title Shots at WWE SummerSlam