WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray shared his views on the changes in the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments in a recent episode of “Busted Open Radio.” He expressed how the tournaments have shifted towards more gimmicky aspects, losing their original prestige. The upcoming tournament is scheduled to start on the May 6 episode of “WWE Raw” and will conclude in Saudi Arabia on May 26.
According to Ray, the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments were previously taken more seriously, offering significant opportunities for the winners to excel in the WWE. However, the focus has shifted over time to emphasize props like crowns and scepters, moving away from the core wrestling competition. Ray commended the current WWE leadership, led by Paul Levesque, for their embracing of the term “professional wrestling.”
The King of the Ring tournament made its debut in 1993 and was a prominent WWE pay-per-view event until the introduction of the In Your House series. In 2002, the winner of the tournament earned a title shot at that year’s SummerSlam, leading to Brock Lesnar’s victory and subsequent WWE Championship win. Interestingly, Ray himself participated in two King of the Ring tournaments, getting eliminated by eventual champions Kurt Angle in 2000 and Lesnar in 2002.
Quotes from this discussion should be attributed to “Busted Open Radio,” with transcription credits to Wrestling Inc.
