The former WWE Intercontinental Champion and current AAA Mega Champion, Dominik Mysterio, has been underutilized for quite some time.
Fans and experts have been critical of the same and have demanded that something be done with Dirty Dom, given that he possesses massive potential as a heel star. WWE gave the Judgment Day member his shot as he won the King of the Ring fatal four-way first round.
Thanks for the submission!
Tonight, in the June 15 episode of Monday Night RAW, Dirty Dom faced Oba Femi in the semi-final of the King of the Ring tournament. The AAA Mega Champion used all his heel antics, including hitting a low blow, connecting two 619s on Femi with a hammer inside his boots, and more.
Even JD McDonagh tried to outnumber Oba, but the Ruler showed that he is a level above as he chokeslammed both of them together and then went on to pin Mysterio to cash in his spot in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament.
The former NXT Champion would now face the winner of Je’Von Evans vs. Jey Uso in the KOTR finals at Night of Champions 2026.
In this article, we will explore three possible reasons why Dominik Mysterio is out of the 2026 WWE King of the Ring Tournament:
#3. Wasn’t a believable contender to win the King of the Ring Tournament
The stakes for the King of the Ring tournament have risen to the top since a new stipulation has been added to it in recent years, that the winner of the KOTR will not only earn the title of King but will also earn a direct shot at the WWE Champion of their choice at SummerSlam, which is considered as the second biggest WWE PLE after WrestleMania which the company hosts every year.
The finals of the KOTR will take place in Saudi Arabia, and the company indeed wants a credible name to compete at one of its most profitable venues to increase excitement and ticket sales.
As of now, in 2026, Dominik Mysterio is not a bigger draw than Oba Femi and wasn’t a believable contender to win King of the Ring or a hypothetical match at SummerSlam against Cody Rhodes or Roman Reigns.
Meanwhile, Femi’s resume speaks for itself as he overpowered one of the most dominant stars of all time, Brock Lesnar, and forced him to retire for a while. Hence, this is one of the potential reasons why Dominik is out of the KOTR tournament.
#2. Oba Femi couldn’t afford to take a loss
WWE, under Triple H‘s creative regime, has been working tirelessly to create new rising stars. Oba Femi’s current booking clearly showcases that he is seen as a future main-eventer by the higher-ups, and they are pushing all of their horses on him to become the next big thing in the promotion.
Femi is coming off an historic win over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42, and his being defeated by Dominik Mysterio would have been a burying moment for him. The Ruler clearly couldn’t afford to take a loss against Dominik Mysterio.
#1. WWE has no long-term plans for him
For quite some time, it’s clearly been sensed that the sports entertainment juggernaut is clueless when it comes to booking The Judgment Day, especially Dominik Mysterio, as he hasn’t been part of anything major other than King of the Ring since losing his Intercontinental Championship.
The case may be the same with Dirty Dom, and WWE may not have any long-term plans for the Judgment Day member; he may be used as the side piece amid tensions brewing within the crew among the female members.
That said, all the pointers above are speculative, and nothing has been confirmed yet. With Night of Champions 2026 inching closer with each passing day, it will be interesting to see what plans Triple H and his WWE creative team have in store for Dominik down the line.
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Edited by Angana Roy