The final entrant into the men's King of the Ring tournament was revealed by "WWE Raw" General Manager Adam Pearce on social media on Friday ahead of "WWE SmackDown," and the final star in the tournament isn't a surprise return or debut, though he is a fan-favorite. Pearce revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that former World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso will take the final spot after losing his gold to GUNTHER in the main event of "Raw" this week.
"For transparency's sake, I was simply waiting until after the World Heavyweight Championship match in Phoenix," Pearce explained of his decision in the short video. He said that Uso had "more than earned" another opportunity, despite being choked out by "The Ring General" just weeks after winning the title at WrestleMania 41. The winner of the tournament will go on to get a championship shot at SummerSlam in August.
Fans speculated on social media that the spot possibly could have been taken by former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov, who has history with GUNTHER, but was injured at a house show last year. Dragunov tore his ACL back in September and there has been no timetable on his return made public.
There was some fan uproar on social media on Monday when Asuka's return was spoiled in the Queen of the Ring tournament bracket reveal, rather than a mystery opponent graphic in her place, like in the men's bracket. Her return to action from injury was also brought up in a video package later in the night.
