WWE has provided clarification regarding the format for the opening round matches in the 2026 King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.
During the Clash in Italy Post Show on Sunday, Joe Tessitore announced that Penta would face Oba Femi on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, leading many fans to believe the tournament would begin with traditional singles matches.
However, WWE has since updated its promotional material and confirmed that the first-round contests will be contested as Fatal 4-Way matches.
On the men’s side, the opening King of the Ring tournament bout scheduled for the June 1 edition of Raw will feature Penta, Oba Femi, Solo Sikoa, and Carmelo Hayes competing in a four-way showdown for advancement in the tournament.
The women’s Queen of the Ring tournament will also get underway on Monday night. The first opening-round match will see Iyo Sky battle Roxanne Perez, Giulia, and Lash Legend in another Fatal 4-Way contest.
Whether Tessitore misspoke during the post-show broadcast or WWE adjusted plans after the announcement remains unclear. What is now confirmed is that both tournaments will begin with four-person matches rather than singles bouts.
It was also announced that Drew McIntyre will replace Ricky Saints and that Sami Zayn is also replacing Talla Tonga in the tournament. Keys is still included, however McIntyre took his spot against Jey Uso vs. LA Knight vs. Finn Balor. Keys will instead be placed against Zayn vs. Seth Rollins vs. Je’Von Evans.
The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will continue throughout June, with the finals scheduled to take place at Night of Champions later this month.
Featured below is the updated bracket for the King of the Ring tournament:
- * Oba Femi vs. Penta vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Carmelo Hayes
* Dominik Mysterio vs. Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest
* Seth Rollins vs. Je’von Evans vs. Royce Keys vs. Sami Zayn
* Jey Uso vs. LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Balor
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 6/1 for the start of the 2026 WWE King and Queen of the Ring tournaments via our live WWE Raw Results coverage from Turin, Italy.
Who will wear the crowns?
The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments begin on #WWERaw LIVE on @netflix! pic.twitter.com/qPTdpTdj2y
— Triple H (@TripleH) June 1, 2026
