Cody Rhodes won the 2025 WWE King of the Ring Tournament. Gunther had the honors by defeating Randy Orton in the 2024 finals. The Ring General has a shot at Rhodes at Clash in Italy, while Orton has been absent since WrestleMania 42.
LA Knight was the first star to declare his intentions for the 2026 King of the Ring Tournament. Whether or not he wins is up for debate, but he should be one of the favorites to win this year.
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CM Punk shouldn’t win – if he remains on RAW. While The Megastar should have already won a major title, hesitance from WWE officials has prevented his ascent.
Other names will probably be involved once the festivities begin next week. The next six WWE stars, however, should not win the 2026 King of the Ring Tournament.
#6. Gunther won in 2024
The Ring General made his 2024 King of the Ring win count as he won the World Heavyweight Title from Damian Priest at The Biggest Party of the Summer.
He held the title until WrestleMania 41, but exchanged it with Jey Uso and CM Punk. Gunther pivoted to retiring beloved stars, including Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles.
He should continue that trend instead of carrying another major title. He may leave Italy as WWE Champion. If he does not, he should win a second King of the Ring Tournament.
#5. Randy Orton made the finals in each of the last two years
Randy Orton made the finals of both the 2024 and 2025 King of the Ring tournaments. The Viper won the Elimination Chamber this year to challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Title.
WWE often likes to run WrestleMania rematches at SummerSlam. It happened with Rhodes and John Cena last year. While fans want The Legend Killer to win his 15th world title, he should get to it in another manner.
Winning the tournament in his third attempt would fit in with the storyline, but WWE should be choosing different pairings for his next shot to win a major title.
#4. Solo Sikoa’s track record in WWE
Solo Sikoa was once heralded as the Tribal Heir, but nothing has come from that. He puffed his chest up while Roman Reigns took a break after losing the Undisputed Title in 2024.
Once he returned, and it came for big-time matches, he lost in Tribal Combat. SIkoa has faced Rhodes for the WWE Championship numerous times, and it’s always the same result – he loses.
Entering the running is fine, but winning it is just another case of officials going with a Bloodline member over the rest of the roster. Even going after Roman Reigns yet again would be repetitive and boring.
#3. Trick Williams already has a title
Trick Williams’ loud, brash, and confrontational manner has already led to a United States Championship victory. He acts like a heel but is treated like a face because of fan reaction.
Even commentary treats him like a heroic good guy who always does the right thing. He doesn’t. Williams will probably be included due to his status on SmackDown.
He doesn’t need another huge accolade so soon after joining the main roster in late 2025. The former NXT Champion gets a lot of time on SmackDown. He’s currently feuding with Carmelo Hayes, and by extension, Ricky Saints.
Either of those two stars would be better options to win since they aren’t holding a title. Costing him a spot in the tournament could even lead to potential title matches.
#2. Oba Femi would run through the competition
Putting Oba Femi in the King of the Ring Tournament essentially makes the proceedings pointless on paper. He’s run through several members of the RAW roster and beat Brock Lesnar in close to five minutes at WrestleMania 42.
He’s clearly going to be a World Champion soon, but winning the 2026 King of the Ring may be too soon. He faced Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December, but the match was ended by Drew McIntyre.
What happens in his second fight with Brock Lesnar will ultimately determine his path for the rest of the year. If he beats The Beast once again, he’ll try to focus on gold.
That could lead to Lesnar leaving, only to return to cost him victory. That’s the only way he should be booked if included. If he takes part, he’s the heavy favorite on paper. WWE must not go the predictable route.
#1. Jey Uso just went back to the tag team division
The one member of the Bloodline who’s enjoyed a good amount of success outside of Roman Reigns is Jey Uso. He’s won a Royal Rumble, World Heavyweight Championship, and Intercontinental Title.
The Yeet Master is the only star other than Sikoa who knows what it means to compete in Tribal Combat. He’s fallen to Reigns before, so winning the tournament only to face him again would be more Bloodline favoritism.
If Jacob Fatu can’t beat The Head of the Table, no one in the family should. Even winning and moving to SmackDown wouldn’t be anything new, as Jey has battled Cody and Gunther numerous times. Many other WWE stars should be considered to win the 2026 King of the Ring. Jey Uso isn’t one of them.
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Edited by Matthew Serocki