WWE King And Queen Of The Ring PLE Coming In May, Backlash Returning

The song says "wrestling has more than one royal family," and WWE is looking to add a lot more royalty to its lineup.

Wrestlenomics is reporting that WWE is bringing back the WWE King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, set for May 27. Earlier that month, WWE will also be bringing back the Backlash premium live event on May 6. The May 27 date is notable as Brandon Thurston says he was told that it is the night before AEW Double or Nothing, with both events happening Memorial Day weekend.

The WWE King of the Ring tournament has been an on-again-off-again tradition, initially its own event from 1993 until 2002, the tournament has been mainly a staple of television since then. The most recent King of the Ring and the debut of its sister tournament Queen's Crown took place in 2021, with both finals taking place at WWE Crown Jewel 2021, won by Xavier Woods and Zelina Vega respectively. It appears that Queen of the Ring will replace the Queen's Crown tournament but that is not confirmed.

Backlash, retitled WrestleMania Backlash in 2021 and 2022, has often taken place after WrestleMania, initially filling that role from 1999 to 2009, and then returning in 2016 after SummerSlam, before returning to it post-WrestleMania position in 2017. The last WrestleMania Backlash was notably where 2023 Women's Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley joined the Judgment Day faction, helping then-leader Edge defeat AJ Styles.

According to Wrestlenomics, there are no locations set for either premium live event, though Thurston did note that there is a possibility one of them could emanate from Saudi Arabia.