WWE King and Queen of the Ring RAW bracket: How did Gunther and Lyra Valkyria get to finals?

For the first time in over two years, WWE will crown a King of the Ring and a Queen of the Ring. The last time they did so was back in 2021, when Xavier Woods and Zelina Vega won King and Queen of the Ring, respectively. Now, after WrestleMania 40 and Backlash 2024, WWE has brought back both fan-favorite tournaments.

Following Backlash, WWE held both tournaments split across the RAW and SmackDown brands. With that, the winner of both sides of the bracket would meet in their respective final matchups at King and Queen of the Ring on Saturday, May 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

For the RAW brand, their representatives for the King and Queen of the Ring Tournament Finals have been determined. Former Intercontinental champion Gunther will compete for the King of the Ring crown, while former NXT Women's champion and recent call-up Lyra Valkyria will fight for the Queen of the Ring crown.

So, how did both competitors get here?

WWE King of the Ring RAW bracket: How did Gunther advance to the finals?

Gunther made his intentions known that his next goal was to win King of the Ring, coming weeks after his historic 666-day Intercontinental Championship reign ended at WrestleMania 40 at the hands of Sami Zayn. With his announcement, Gunther was a heavy favorite to win the whole thing, and thus far, he hasn't disappointed.

In the first round, Gunther defeated longtime rival Sheamus in a hard-fought, brutal battle in what was the third bout of their rivalry. Once again, Gunther was victorious, after he got Sheamus to tap out to a Single Leg Boston Crab submission hold.

In the second round, Gunther faced off against Kofi Kingston, who defeated Rey Mysterio in the first round at a WWE untelevised live event. Gunther picked up the win after hitting Kingston with a powerbomb, followed by a Boston Crab to get the submission victory.

In the Final Round of the Raw bracket, Gunther faced "Main Event" Jey Uso, who beat Finn Balor and recent call-up Ilja Dragunov to advance. Uso nearly beat Gunther with a top rope splash but struggled to get to the pin. Gunther kicked out, then locked in a sleeper hold to get the win and advance to the King of the Ring Finals.

Gunther will face Randy Orton in the finals on Saturday.

WWE Queen of the Ring Raw bracket: How did Lyra Valkyria advance to the finals?

Lyra Valkyria, who was selected by RAW in the WWE Draft, made an impact upon her debut. Her star power grew even further based on the fact she advanced to the finals of the Queen of the Ring Tournament.

In the first round, Valkyria was initially scheduled to face Asuka, who was ultimately pulled due to an injury. Replacing Asuka was fellow Damage CTRL faction member Dakota Kai. Valkyria picked up the win after hitting the Nightwing.

Facing Valkyria in the second round was Zoey Stark, who defeated Ivy Nile to advance. Valkyria once again picked up the win after reversing Stark's Z-360 finishing move into the Nightwing.

Valkyria faced former WWE Women's champion Iyo Sky in the RAW Finals. Sky was unable to capitalize with a pin attempt after a powerbomb from the corner. Valkyria moved out of the way of a moonsault attempt by Sky and tried to hit the Nightwing. Sky would reverse into a roll-up attempt, but Valkryia was able to drop down and get the three count to advance to the Queen of the Ring Finals.

Valkyria will now face Nia Jax in the finals on Saturday.