WWE SmackDown: Three Women Advance in the Queen of the Ring Tournament

SmackDown held three first round matchups in the Queen of the Ring tournament!

By Haley Miller

On WWE SmackDown, three women looked to advance to the SmackDown quarterfinals of this year's Queen of the Ring tournament. The tournament has been shelved since 2021 where the first and only Queen was crowned, Zelina Vega. 

On WWE Raw, which kicked off the tournament, Zoey Stark defeated Ivy Nile. Meanwhile, Lyra Valkyria made her main roster debut, beating Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai who replaced Asuka. IYO SKY got a win for the stable when she took down Queen hopeful Natalya. The final woman in the Raw bracket will be determined at a live event set to take place this weekend when Shayna Baszler goes up against Vega.

Tonight on the blue brand, three women are looking to make it to the finals at WWE King and Queen of the Ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 25. Bianca Belair went head-to-head with Candice LeRae who has shown a real mean streak as of late, Jade Cargill went up against the powerhouse in Piper Niven while Nia Jax and Naomi rekindled their feud.

Bianca Belair Defeats Candice LeRae

Belair followed up Cargill's performance with a dominating one of her own. Things started off rocky for the tag team champion who was taken down quickly by LeRae who tried to take her out early. Belair eventually regained her footing though and easily lifted her for the KOD. However, she was grabbing her leg after the match as she left the ring.

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Jade Cargill Defeats Piper Niven

Cargill and Niven faced off in what was a tale of two powerhouses. Things start off with a stalemate in the center of the ring, they trash talk each other and Cargill gets the upper hand at least momentarily. Niven regains her composure and takes control of the match with the help of Chelsea Green. She gives Cargill a heavy forearm to the throat but Cargill doesn't give up the fight, delivering heavy blows to Niven. Cargill then goes for the Blue Thunder Bomb to Niven. She tries to lift her up for Jaded but Niven reverses. Cargill takes advantage of Niven's showboating and hits her with a pump kick followed by the Jaded to advance in the tournament.

Nia Jax Defeats Naomi

Naomi and Jax kicked off the night with the first QOTR match. After some pretty even back and forth Naomi takes control of the match and goes for a split-legged moonsault but Jax just barely survives. Naomi catches Jax in the corner and tries to set her on the top turnbuckle, which she does. As she ascends, Jax headbutts her but it doesn't stop Naomi who flips her off the ropes. Jax regains control and sets her up for the annihilator for the win, advancing to the next round.

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