King and Queen of the Ring 2024: Five Matches, Two Crowns, and a Summer Suddenly Taking Shape

Morgan and Lynch open with a match that is technically sound and emotionally waiting for Dominik Mysterio to arrive. The early exchanges are even, Morgan works the arm, Lynch answers with familiar counters and neither woman creates the sense that the match will change direction without an outside variable. That is not a fatal flaw because the story has already taught the audience to look for one.

The wrestling improves in the middle. Morgan's Codebreaker, Lynch's reverse DDT and the submission exchanges create believable near falls without suggesting either wrestler has discovered a new level. The match is more professional than urgent, which is enough to make the finish matter when the story finally enters.

Dominik appears with a chair while trying to prevent Morgan from winning. The distraction instead allows Morgan to drive Lynch into the chair and hit Oblivion for the championship. The title change is the right result because it converts months of Morgan's revenge narrative into something tangible and gives Dominik's involvement a question that Raw can keep answering.

The triple threat is the event's most efficient match because each wrestler solves a different problem. Reed provides mass, Zayn provides momentum and crowd connection, and Gable provides both technical creativity and the story hanging over Otis. The match never has to invent a reason for the three styles to collide.

Gable's double German suplex on Zayn and Reed is the physical highlight, while Reed's dive and Zayn's Blue Thunder Bomb keep the match moving at a pace unusual for a three-way with this much size. The best sequences are not isolated stunts; they create opportunities for another wrestler to interrupt without making anyone look foolish for waiting. That is why the match feels busy rather than crowded.

The finish is even better. Gable orders Otis to attack Zayn, humiliates him when he hesitates and then gets clotheslined by Otis when Zayn moves. Reed also takes an Otis clothesline, allowing Zayn to hit the Helluva Kick and retain. Gable loses because he has spent weeks treating a loyal teammate as equipment, which gives the wrestling an actual character consequence.

Jax and Valkyria work a simple power-versus-underdog final that is better than its short runtime suggests and smaller than the tournament deserves. Valkyria attacks from angles, uses dropkicks and aerial offense to keep Jax moving, while Jax repeatedly turns one catch into a momentum reset. The structure is clean and easy to understand.

The match's best moment is also the finish. Valkyria tries to turn the Annihilator setup into a sunset bomb, but Jax simply sits down through the counter and crushes her for the pin. It is a decisive visual that protects Valkyria's effort while emphasizing why Jax is so difficult to move.

Nine minutes prevents the match from becoming a major final. The result matters because it gives Jax the SummerSlam championship match she eventually converts, but the bout feels more like the last round of a television tournament than the climax of a revived premium-event concept. Good execution cannot manufacture scale the match is not given.

Gunther and Orton understand that the attraction is not speed. Orton enters with a damaged knee and Gunther spends the match gradually turning that weakness from background information into the central path to victory. The pace is patient enough that every RKO attempt feels like a possible escape from the pressure rather than just another signature spot.

Orton's table attacks and sudden RKO give the crowd the explosive moments, while Gunther's knee drops, half crab and repeated pressure make the match feel increasingly difficult for Orton to survive. The strongest detail is that Gunther does not abandon the leg once the audience begins anticipating a finish. He keeps returning to it because that is what disciplined wrestlers are supposed to do.

The final counter should be excellent: Orton lands another RKO, Gunther attacks the damaged knee during the kickout and turns the position into a crucifix pin. The problem is visible immediately on replay because one of Orton's shoulders is off the mat. The referee counts three anyway, turning a smart finish into an argument about officiating.

The mistake costs the match a higher grade but not its quality before the bell. Gunther becomes King of the Ring and receives the SummerSlam title opportunity that eventually makes him World Heavyweight Champion. The match is excellent wrestling attached to a finish that cannot be defended as clean execution.

Rhodes and Paul face the challenge of making an obvious retention feel uncertain for twenty-four minutes. Paul solves much of that problem through spectacle, while Rhodes gives the match a physical through-line by selling the ribs after early damage. The result is never truly doubtful, but the route remains entertaining.

Paul's athleticism supplies the largest images. His Frog Splash through the announce table is captured beautifully, his in-ring Frog Splash earns a convincing near fall, and his ability to move between elaborate offense and simpler heel behavior remains unusual for someone with so little traditional wrestling mileage. Rhodes responds with the Figure Four, Cody Cutter and a rare Vertebreaker, giving the challenger plenty to survive.

The final act is busier than necessary. The referee is knocked down, Paul uses a low blow, brass knuckles reappear, and ring announcer Ibrahim Al Hajjaj grabs Paul's leg before the weapon can decide the match. Rhodes then hits three Cross Rhodes for the retention.

The interference keeps the match from feeling completely clean, but both wrestlers leave with something useful. Rhodes gets another substantial defense early in his reign, while Paul again proves he can occupy a major match without the celebrity label carrying him. It is a very good main event with one layer of chaos too many.