WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

has held a variety of different

professional wrestling tournament On various occasions in professional wrestling, a single-elimination tournament of varying match types are held, often to determine a championship or number-one contendership therein. It has been known for promotions to use title tournament that a ...

s competed for by

professional wrestlers Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

that are part of their roster.

Sporadic tournaments

The Wrestling Classic

The Wrestling Classic, also known as Wrestlevision, was a pay-per-view event that took place on November 7, 1985, from the Rosemont Horizon in

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...

. It revolved around a 16-man single-elimination tournament, and also featured a

WWF World Heavyweight Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown's ...

match.

Junkyard Dog Sylvester Ritter (December 13, 1952 – June 1, 1998) was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as the Junkyard Dog (or JYD), a nickname h ...

won the tournament after defeating

Randy "Macho Man" Savage Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestl ...

Sam Muchnick Memorial Tournament

Frank Tunney Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament

The Frank Tunney Sr. Memorial Tag Team Tournament was a tournament held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on March 15, 1987.

WWF World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1988)

The main event at

WrestleMania IV WrestleMania IV was the fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 27, 1988, at the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atl ...

was a 14-man tournament for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship where "Macho Man" Randy Savage defeated "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase to win the vacant

title.

WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1990)

The WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide a new WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion after previous champion Ultimate Warrior was required to vacate the title after he defeated

Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...

for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship at

WrestleMania VI WrestleMania VI was the sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 1, 1990, at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, marking the fi ...

WWF Women's Championship Tournament (1993)

The WWF Women's Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide the new

WWF Women's Champion WWF may refer to: Non-profit organizations *World Wide Fund for Nature or World Wildlife Fund, a nature conservation group *World Water Forum, an international forum for water issues *Working Women's Forum, a training, trade and credit union in In ...

after the title was reinstated after three years of inactivity.

WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament (1995)

The WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide new

WWF Tag Team Champions The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...

after former champions

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

and

Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one of ...

vacated the titles due to the two not being able to function as a tag team, which was won by

The 1-2-3 Kid Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names 1–2– ...

and

Bob Holly Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former auto racer and wrestling trainer/host, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career wit ...

WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament (1996)

The WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide new

after former champions

The Smokin' Gunns The Smoking Gunns were a professional wrestling tag team of kayfabe brothers Billy Gunn (Monty Sopp) and Bart Gunn (Mike Polchlopek). They portrayed cowboys in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996. As a team, the Smoking Gunns ...

had to vacate the titles due to

Billy Gunn Monty Kip Sopp (born November 1, 1963), better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, although he is currently finding renewed popularity under the ring name Daddy Ass, is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently ...

suffering a neck injury, the tournament was won by

The Bodydonnas The Bodydonnas were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1990s, consisting of Chris Candido as Skip, Candido's real-life girlfriend Tammy Lynn Sytch as Sunny, and Tom Prichard as Skip's kayfabe cousi ...

(

Skip Skip or Skips may refer to: Acronyms * SKIP (Skeletal muscle and kidney enriched inositol phosphatase), a human gene * Simple Key-Management for Internet Protocol * SKIP of New York (Sick Kids need Involved People), a non-profit agency aidin ...

and Zip).

Kuwait International Tournament (1996)

The Kuwait International Tournament was a tournament held throughout a 1996

house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...

tour in Kuwait.

WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament (1996)

The WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide a new

WWF Intercontinental Champion The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roste ...

after previous champion

Ahmed Johnson Anthony Norris (born June 6, 1963) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is best known for his appearances with the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 to 1998, under the ...

forfeited the title. He suffered (

kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...

) injuries to both kidneys when he was attacked by the debuting

Faarooq Ronald Nasir Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wres ...

after winning an 11-man battle royal.

Middle East Cup Tournament

The Middle East Cup was a tournament that took place in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

on December 2, 1996.

WWF European Championship Tournament

The WWF European Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown the first-ever

WWF European Champion The WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, multiple wrestlers held the European and WWF Intercontinental Championships within short ...

Kuwait International Tournament (1997)

The Kuwait International Tournament was a tournament held throughout a 1997

tour in

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

. During the tour, Vader and

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...

appeared on ''Good Morning Kuwait'' where Vader attacked the host of the show when he asked about the legitimacy of professional wrestling; Vader was fined $164 by Kuwaiti authorities for the incident as well as being held in custody for several days.

WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament (1997)

The WWF Tag Team Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide new

, which was won by Owen Hart and The British Bulldog, with the winner facing

Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...

and a partner of his choosing, which was revealed to be

Dude Love Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador. Foley worked for ma ...

WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament (1997)

The tournament to determine the new

was held between September 8 and October 5, 1997, with the finals occurring at Badd Blood: In Your House. The title was vacated due to a neck injury that champion

suffered when he won the championship.

WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament

The

WWF Light Heavyweight Championship The WWF Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) promotion. The title was challenged by light heavyweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs (before deactivation, ...

was first introduced in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

for the

Universal Wrestling Association The Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) was a Mexican ''Lucha Libre'' or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995. The name of the actual promotion was Lucha Libre Internacional (LLI) ...

. It eventually migrated to Japan as well, though it was not considered to be an official WWF title until after 1997, when a tournament was held in the United States to crown a champion. Before the tournament, the title was a part of the

J-Crown The J-Crown (also known as J-Crown Octuple Unified Championship) was formed originally by New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a way of unifying eight junior heavyweight and cruiserweight titles from several different organizations. The J-Crown tournament ...

. The tournament ended on December 7, 1997, at D-Generation X: In Your House where

Taka Michinoku (born October 26, 1973), better known by his ring name (with his first name usually stylized in all capital letters), is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. Michinoku is known in North America for his work for the ...

defeated

Brian Christopher Brian Christopher Lawler (January 10, 1972 – July 29, 2018) was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered for his career in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he performed as "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher and Grand M ...

to become the first Light Heavyweight Champion recognized by the WWF.

Brawl for All

The WWF Brawl for All was a

shoot fighting Shootfighting is a martial art and combat sport, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association (ISFA). It incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principal of these being wrestlin ...

tournament held in the World Wrestling Federation that lasted from June 29, 1998, to August 24, 1998.

WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament (1998)

The WWF Intercontinental Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide a new

after previous champion

Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...

vacated the title due to injury.

Deadly Games WWF Championship Tournament

The Deadly Games WWF Championship Tournament was a tournament to decide a new WWF Champion after the title was vacated at the previous pay-per-view after Kane and The Undertaker pinned then-champion Stone Cold Steve Austin during a Triple Threat title match.

Undisputed WWF Championship Tournament (2001)

The Undisputed WWF Championship Tournament was a four-man tournament held at Vengeance on December 9, 2001. The tournament was created to unify the WWF and

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

Undisputed WWF Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2002)

The Undisputed WWF Championship #1 Contendership Tournament was a tournament to face

Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...

for the

Undisputed WWF Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...

at No Way Out.

WWE Tag Team Championship Tournament

The WWE Tag Team Championship Tournament was a tournament held to crown the inaugural WWE Tag Team Champions, for the

SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...

brand. The finals concluded at

No Mercy (2002) The 2002 No Mercy was the fifth No Mercy professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place on ...

and were won by

Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the WWE, World Wrestlin ...

and

Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...

WWE Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2003)

This was a tournament to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship. The winner faced champion

Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...

Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character * ''Backla ...

WWE United States Championship Tournament (2003)

The WWE United States Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown a new United States Champion after then-Smackdown General Manager

Stephanie McMahon Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest profe ...

revived the title after two years of inactivity. The tournament was held between June 19 and July 27, 2003, at Vengeance.

WWE Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (February 2005)

The tournament to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 21 was held between February 1 and February 20, 2005. At

WrestleMania 21 WrestleMania 21 was the 21st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event too ...

, John Cena defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield to become the new champion.

WWE Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (April 2005)

The WWE Championship #1 Contender's Tournament was a tournament where the winner faced champion

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...

Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

Gold Rush Tournament (2005)

The Gold Rush Tournament was a tournament to determine the new #1 contender for

World Heavyweight Champion At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...

Batista Batista is a Spanish language, Spanish or Portuguese language, Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include: * Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player * Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also ...

Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...

won the tournament but lost to Batista on the May 23 episode of ''Raw''.

Road to WrestleMania Tournament

The Road to WrestleMania Tournament was a tournament to crown a #1 contender for John Cena's WWE Championship at

WrestleMania 22 WrestleMania 22 was the 22nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took p ...

WWE Women's Championship Tournament (2006)

The WWE Women's Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown a new

WWE Women's Champion WWE (formerly the WWF, WWWF, and its predecessor, Capitol Wrestling) has maintained several women's professional wrestling championships since acquiring The Fabulous Moolah's NWA World Women's Championship in 1984. Whenever brand division has ...

after champion

Trish Stratus Patricia Anne Stratigeas (; born December 18, 1975) better known by the ring name Trish Stratus is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and yoga instructor. She is currently signed to WWE. Often regarded as one of the greatest Women's Per ...

retired from her wrestling career. The first round started on September 25, 2006, and ended at

Cyber Sunday WWE Cyber Sunday (originally known as WWE Taboo Tuesday) was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Established in 2004, ...

when Lita, who Stratus defeated in her retirement match, defeated

Mickie James Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American professional wrestler and country singer. She is currently signed to Impact Wrestling. She has also had tenures in WWE and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA ...

ECW World Championship Tournament

The ECW World Championship Tournament was a tournament created to determine a new

ECW World Champion The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...

after

Bobby Lashley Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...

vacated his championship due to being drafted to ''

Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

'' on June 11, 2007. The finals took place at Vengeance: Night of Champions. This tournament is notable because one of the semi final rounds was Chris Benoits final match. The tournament final was supposed to be Benoit vs CM Punk but Benoit no showed the event and was replaced by Johnny Nitro, who would go on to win the title. It was reported the day after the event that Benoit, his wife Nancy and their son Daniel were found dead in their home in suburban Atlanta. The day after police ruled that Benoit himself had killed his wife and son before committing suicide. This event has gone on to be known as the

Chris Benoit double murder and suicide Over a three-day period from June 22 to 24, 2007, Chris Benoit, a 40-year-old Canadian professional wrestler employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and living in Fayetteville, Georgia, murdered his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son, D ...

Championship Competition Tournament

The Championship Competition Tournament was a tournament held on '' SmackDown!'' in 2007 to determine the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at

Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...

Championship Chase Tournament

The Championship Chase Tournament was a tournament held on the May 9, 2008 episode of ''

'' to determine

's opponent for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at

WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2008)

A tournament was announced to crown a new #1 contender for

William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...

WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roster ...

CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...

won the tournament by defeating

Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest profes ...

in the tournament final at Armageddon.

Race To The Rumble Tournament

The Race To The Rumble Tournament was a tournament held in 2008 to determine a #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2009 Royal Rumble.

ECW Homecoming Tournament

The ECW Homecoming Tournament was a tournament held in 2009 to crown a #1 contender for the

ECW Championship The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...

at the 2010 Royal Rumble.

WWE Divas Championship Tournament

A tournament was announced to crown a new

WWE Divas Champion The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gu ...

after former champion Melina was stripped of the title due to injury. The first round started on January 4, 2010. The final tournament was originally scheduled at

Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...

, but when official consultant to the SmackDown General Manager,

Vickie Guerrero Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her t ...

interrupted, she was changing the match to an interbrand Divas tag team match, facing

LayCool LayCool (sometimes stylized Lay-Cool) was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Layla and Michelle McCool. The team worked for WWE and were featured primarily on the SmackDown brand but appeared on the Raw brand on some occasions, while ...

(

Michelle McCool Michelle Leigh Calaway (née McCool; born January 25, 1980) is an American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she is a former two-time WWE Divas Champion and a two-time WWE Women's Champion. McCool or ...

and

Layla "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movements were compose ...

) from SmackDown. The final was held at the following night of Raw.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament (2010)

The WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament was a tournament to crown a new Intercontinental Champion. On May 7, 2010, after failed attempts of getting Intercontinental Champion

Drew McIntyre Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE Int ...

to stop attacking

Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team d ...

, Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long fired McIntyre and vacated the title. The following week,

Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-hal ...

won a tournament to become the new champion, but Mr. McMahon reverted Long's decision. Due to the decision by Mr. McMahon, the vacancy of the title and Kingston's championship win are not recognized as WWE continued to recognize McIntyre as champion during that period. At Over the Limit, Kingston defeated McIntyre to win his second official Intercontinental Championship.

WWE Championship Tournament (2011)

On the July 18, 2011, edition of

WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television show, television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET on the USA Networ ...

, the

WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...

was vacated, after champion

left WWE. The title was put up in a tournament featuring the top eight wrestlers. The finals of the tournament would take place on the July 25 episode of ''Raw'', which was won by

Gold Rush Tournament (2012)

On the August 1, 2012 edition of NXT, NXT Commissioner

Dusty Rhodes Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crocket ...

announced a "Gold Rush" tournament, featuring 4 developmental roster NXT Superstars and 4 main roster WWE Superstars to determine the inaugural

NXT Champion The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is defended as the top championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. I ...

in a knockout system format. The first NXT Champion was crowned on July 26, 2012, with

Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...

defeating

Jinder Mahal Yuvraj Singh Dhesi (born July 19, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand, under the ring name Jinder Mahal. Having started his career on the independent circuit, Mahal joine ...

in the tournament finals.

WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2012)

The WWE Tag Team Championship Tournament was a #1 contender's tag team tournament, where the winning team faced

Team Hell No Team Hell No was an American professional wrestling tag team in the WWE. They performed on the SmackDown brand consisting of Kane and Daniel Bryan. The team's name is a reference to the two wrestlers' personas: Kane is portrayed as a violent py ...

( Kane and Daniel Bryan) for the WWE Tag Team Championship.

NXT Tag Team Championship Tournament

The

NXT Tag Team Championship The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on January 23 ...

was introduced on the January 23, 2013 edition of NXT where it was announced by special guest

that there would be a tournament to crown the first new champions.

Royal Rumble Entry Tournament

The Royal Rumble Entry Tournament was a tournament on

NXT NXT may refer to: Professional wrestling * ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010 ** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory * ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...

where the winner entered the 2013 Royal Rumble Match.

NXT Women's Championship Tournament (2013)

The championship was first introduced on April 5, 2013, at

WrestleMania Axxess WrestleMania Axxess is a professional wrestling fan convention held by WWE during the week of WrestleMania. The event typically runs for four days—from Thursday to WrestleMania Sunday—and features WWE talent and alumni autograph signings, inte ...

. It was announced at the May 30, 2013 tapings (broadcast on the June 5 episode) of

WWE NXT (TV series) ''WWE NXT'', also known as ''NXT'', is an American professional wrestling television program. It is produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, featuring performers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The show currently ...

, by

that there would be a tournament, featuring four developmental female talents and four female talents from the main roster competing to be crowned as the inaugural

NXT Women's Champion The NXT Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on April 5, 2013, t ...

in a knockout system format. The first NXT Women's Champion was crowned on June 20, 2013, with Paige defeating Emma in the tournament finals.

WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2014)

In April 2014, the WWE held the Intercontinental Championship Tournament to determine the #1 contenders to face Big E for the

at Extreme Rules 2014.

Bad News Barrett Stuart Alexander Bennett (born 10 August 1980) is an English-American professional wrestling commentator, actor, and former professional wrestler who holds both British and American citizenship. He is currently signed to WWE, where he is a colo ...

defeated

Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

in the final and defeated Big E to win the title.

NXT Women's Championship Tournament (2014)

On April 24, 2014, Paige was stripped of the

NXT Women's Championship The NXT Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on April 5, 2013, t ...

, by NXT's commissioner

John Bradshaw Layfield John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on t ...

, because she could not defend both the NXT Women's and

WWE Divas Championship The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gue ...

, ending her reign at 308 days. Right after, during the tapings for the May shows, a tournament was announced to take place to determine the next champion.

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

defeated

Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia. The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...

NXT TakeOver NXT TakeOver was a series of periodic professional wrestling events produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The events were produced exclusively for the promotion's NXT brand division and aired live on pay-per- ...

on May 29, 2014, to become the new champion.

NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Tournament

The championship tournament started on August 7, 2014, and there would be new #1 contenders for the titles. The tournament final was held on September 4, 2014.

The Lucha Dragons The Lucha Dragons were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Kalisto and Sin Cara. They previously wrestled in WWE's developmental territory NXT, where they were one-time NXT Tag Team Champions. Their name is a reference to their ''lucha ...

( Kalisto and

Sin Cara In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, ...

) won the tournament and defeated The Ascension ( Konnor and

Viktor The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

) at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way on September 11, 2014, to win the titles.

NXT Championship #1 Contender's Tournament

The NXT Championship Tournament started on January 21, 2015, and there would be a new #1 Contender's for the title. The tournament final was held on February 11, 2015, at NXT TakeOver: Rival.

Finn Bálor Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (), and is a member of The Judgment Day. Devitt is widely known for his ten ...

went on to win the tournament defeated

Adrian Neville Benjamin Satterley (born 22 August 1986), better known by his ring name Pac, is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he was the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Champion. He is one-third of the ...

in the final.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Qualifying Tournament

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Qualifying Tournament was a tournament at

for a spot in the

André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a namesake battle royal held as part of WrestleMania Weekend by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match receives the André the Giant Memorial Trophy. The inaugura ...

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2015)

On November 5, 2015, the

WWE World Heavyweight Championship The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown's ...

was vacated, after champion

suffered a knee injury. Immediately after the final match, Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and pinned Reigns. Therefore, Reigns' championship reign lasted only five minutes and fifteen seconds (later used to antagonize Reigns).

WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2016)

This tournament was to determine the new #1 Contenders to The New Day's

WWE Tag Team Championships World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

. The final match ended in a no contest after

Enzo Amore Eric Arndt (born December 8, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. In WWE, he came to prominence for his partnership with Big Cass, whom he teamed with from 2013 to 2017. Together, they won the NXT Year-End Award for Tag Team of the Year ...

suffered a legitimate

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...

. Not far into the match, Amore was thrown into the ropes by

Simon Gotch Seth Lesser (born October 18, 1982) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Simon Gotch. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he held the NXT Tag Team Championship as one-half of The Vaudevillains along with A ...

. Amore attempted to slide under the ropes, but instead hit his head on the middle rope and the mat, before falling on the floor, appearing to be unconscious. With the ending of the match, the Vaudevillains were given a WWE Tag Team Championship match, but they were defeated by The New Day.

Cruiserweight Classic

The

Cruiserweight Classic The Cruiserweight Classic, formerly the Global Cruiserweight Series, was a professional wrestling tournament and WWE Network event produced by WWE. All participants were billed at a weight of 205 lbs or less to determine the inaugural WWE Cruis ...

saw thirty-two of the world's best cruiserweights battle it out to be crowned

's first WWE Cruiserweight Classic winner. The tournament was filmed at

Full Sail University Full Sail University is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

from June 20–24, and was broadcast on the

WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and ...

from July 13. It ran for ten episodes, with the finale being broadcast on September 14.

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament (2016)

Following the reintroduction of the

WWE brand extension The brand extension, also referred to as the brand split, is the separation of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE's roster of wrestlers (and, at various times, creative staff) into distinct divisions, or "brands". The promotion's ...

and subsequent

draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...

on July 19, 2016, WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day were drafted to

, leaving

without a tag team championship. Over the course of the following month, ''SmackDown'' General Manager Daniel Bryan stated that he wanted to build up the tag team division before introducing a championship. Immediately following

SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...

on the August 23, 2016 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Bryan and ''SmackDown'' Commissioner

Shane McMahon Shane Brandon McMahon (; born January 15, 1970) is an American businessman and professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he was a wrestler, producer and minority owner. He is the founder and executive chairman of Idean ...

unveiled the

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's ...

and announced a tournament, which culminated in a tag team match at

to determine the inaugural champions. The tournament and the titles were won by

Heath Slater and Rhyno Heath and Rhino are an American professional wrestling tag team currently signed to Impact Wrestling where they are former one-time Impact World Tag Team Champions. As a team, they are best known for their time in WWE, where they originally ...

after they defeated

The Usos The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They are ...

at Backlash.

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament (2017)

The United Kingdom Championship Tournament was a

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

tournament produced by

, that aired exclusively on the

. The first round took place on January 14, 2017, while the finals occurred on January 15, 2017. The tournament was held at the

Empress Ballroom The Empress Ballroom is an entertainment venue in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is located within the Winter Gardens, a large entertainment complex in the town centre. As part of the Winter Gardens, the ballroom is a Grade II* Listed Bu ...

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and crowned the inaugural

WWE United Kingdom Champion The NXT United Kingdom Championship was a men's professional wrestling championship that was created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It was primarily defended as the top championship of the NXT UK brand division, a sister brand of WW ...

WWE United States Championship Tournament (2017–18)

At Clash of Champions 2017,

Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...

won the United States Championship by defeating defending champion

Baron Corbin Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin. Pestock is a former offen ...

and

Bobby Roode Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian professional wrestler signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is currently inactive due to undergoing neck surgery. Roode is known for his 12-year tenure for Total Nonstop ...

in a

triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. On the following episode of ''

SmackDown Live ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...

'', after recapping all of his previous accolades, Ziggler said that the WWE Universe did not deserve him and he dropped the title in the ring and left. After unsuccessful attempts at contacting Ziggler,

General Manager Daniel Bryan declared the title vacant and announced a tournament to crown a new champion. The final was originally scheduled to occur at the 2018 Royal Rumble, but was moved up to the January 23 episode of ''SmackDown Live''. However, on the January 16 episode, after

and

won their respective semifinals matches, Roode challenged Mahal to have the final that night and Bryan scheduled it for that episode's main event.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament

At the 2018 Royal Rumble,

was scheduled to defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against

Cedric Alexander Cedric Alexander Johnson (born August 16, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Alexander worked for Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2010 until 2016. He started as part of C&C Factory, a ...

. However, after Amore was suspended from WWE on January 22 due to allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, the match was cancelled. The following day, Amore was released and the title was vacated. It was then announced that a general manager would be appointed for '' 205 Live'' and would address the championship; ''205 Live'' was previously controlled by the

General Manager, as ''205 Live'' is part of the Raw brand. On the January 30 episode of ''205 Live'',

Drake Maverick James Michael Curtin (born 30 January 1983) is an English former professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE as a writer on Raw. During his time as an on screen performer in the company, he worked under the ring name Drake Maverick. He ...

(formerly known as Rockstar Spud in

Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...

) was appointed as the 205 Live General Manager. Maverick announced that there would be a 16-man single elimination tournament to crown a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion, with the finals to occur during the pre-show for

WrestleMania 34 WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...

WWE United Kingdom Championship Invitational

As part of

, the winner of the WWE United Kingdom Championship Invitational received a championship match against

Pete Dunne Peter Thomas England (born 9 November 1993) is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Butch. He is a former WWE United Kingdom Champion and also a former NXT ...

on the morning of April 8, 2018.

NXT North American Championship Invitational

As part of

, the winner of the NXT North American Championship Invitational received an

NXT North American Championship The NXT North American Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is primarily defended as the secondary men's championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental ...

match on the morning of April 8, 2018. The defending champion,

Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH). Col ...

, was determined the night before at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

NXT Tag Team Championship Invitational

As part of

, the winner of the NXT Tag Team Championship Invitational received an

match on the morning of April 8, 2018. The defending champions,

The Undisputed Era The Undisputed Era was a professional wrestling stable from WWE's NXT brand. It formed on August 19, 2017 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III shortly after Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O'Reilly signed with WWE, although Fish and O'Reilly had ...

, were determined the night before at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

NXT Women's Championship Invitational

As part of

, the winner of the NXT Women's Championship Invitational received an

match on the morning of April 8, 2018. The defending champion,

Shayna Baszler Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, kickboxer and former mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand. Baszler is a former two-time and longest ...

, was determined the night before at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

Tag Team Eliminator

Cesaro and Sheamus The Bar, originally simply known as Cesaro and Sheamus, was a professional wrestling tag team in WWE. They were record-setting four-time Raw Tag Team Champions and one-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions, making their team overall five-time cham ...

defended the

Raw Tag Team Championship The WWE Raw Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's main roste ...

against

Braun Strowman Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDo ...

and a partner of his choosing. At the event, Strowman picked 10-year old Nicholas from the live audience, and the two won the titles. The following night on ''Raw'', Strowman and Nicholas relinquished the titles due to Nicholas' schedule as a fourth grader. Cesaro and Sheamus wanted their titles back and Raw General Manager

decided that they could regain them in a match at

Greatest Royal Rumble WWE Greatest Royal Rumble was a professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on April 27, 2018, a ...

and their opponents would be determined by a four-team tournament, which he called the Tag Team Eliminator.

WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament (2018)

WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament (2018)

NXT UK Women's Championship Tournament

WWE World Cup

The

WWE World Cup The 2018 Crown Jewel was the inaugural Crown Jewel professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on Novembe ...

was a tournament that took place on November 2, 2018, at Crown Jewel in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

. Four participants came from

and four participants came from

. In the tournament finals,

defeated

to be crowned "Best In The World".

NXT UK Tag Team Championship Tournament

WWE Worlds Collide Tournament

WWE Cruiserweight Championship #1 Contender Tournament

This tournament is to determine the #1 Contender for

Buddy Murphy Matthew Adams (born 26 September 1988) is an Australian professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Buddy Matthews as a member of the stable House of Black. He is best known for his time with WWE w ...

's WWE Cruiserweight Championship. On the February 19 episode of '' 205 Live'', General Manager

scheduled an eight-man single elimination tournament with the winner facing Buddy Murphy for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at

WrestleMania 35 WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place on A ...

NXT Breakout Tournament (2019)

The NXT Breakout Tournament is a tournament composed of eight members of the WWE Performance Center who are making their NXT TV debuts. The winner of the tournament will receive a title match of their choice. The tournament returned in 2021 and the first round started on the July 13, 2021 episode.

Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament

A round-robin tournament began on April 15, 2020, to determine the interim

NXT Cruiserweight Champion The NXT Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship that was created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. Before its retirement, it was defended across the NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live brand divisions, which were d ...

after

Jordan Devlin Jordan Devlin (born 15 March 1990) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name JD McDonagh. He previously performed in NXT UK, where was a one-time and the longest re ...

was deemed unable to defend the title due to

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

-related travel restrictions. Eight wrestlers were split into two groups of four, where each wrestler competed against the other three members of their group. The wrestler with the best record in each group would compete to determine the interim champion. Any ties will be broken by head-to-head results. Group A consists of

Kushida is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as Impact Wrestling. He is best known for his tenure in NJP ...

Tony Nese Anthony Nese (born August 6, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he is a former one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Professional wrestling career Ind ...

Jake Atlas Kenny Sanchez Marquez (born October 5, 1994), known by his ring name Jake Atlas, is an American professional wrestler known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and WWE. Professional wrestling career As a native resident of Los Angeles, San ...

, and

, while Group B consists of

Isaiah "Swerve" Scott Stephon Strickland (born September 30, 1990) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Swerve Strickland and is a former AEW World Tag Team Champion (with Keith Lee). ...

El Hijo del Fantasma Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly (born April 30, 1984), is a Mexican second-generation ''luchador'' (professional wrestler). He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Santos Escobar. Before his WWE c ...

Akira Tozawa Akira Tozawa (戸澤陽, ''Tozawa Akira'', born July 22, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion and WWE 24/7 Champion, winning the ...

, and

Gentleman Jack Gallagher Oliver Westfield Claffey, better known by the ring name Jack Gallagher, is an English professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed on the NXT and 205 Live brands, mostly under the ring ...

. Although Maverick was released from WWE on April 15, he confirmed via

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that he would still be competing in the tournament, which could be his last matches in the company.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament (2020)

On May 12, 2020, the Intercontinental Championship was declared vacant after champion

Sami Zayn Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline. Prior to join ...

elected to refrain from competing during the

. A tournament to crown a new champion was then set to begin on the May 15 episode of ''SmackDown''. † Neither Jeff Hardy nor Elias were able to compete in the semifinals, as Elias was (

) injured in a car crash and Hardy was accused of causing it and arrested. AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan were given the option of having a bye in the tournament. Styles opted for the bye to automatically advance to the final on June 12 while Bryan opted to have a new opponent; Sheamus subsequently won a

battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...

to qualify for the vacant spot in the semifinals against Bryan that night.

NXT UK Heritage Cup Championship Tournament

NXT Breakout Tournament (2021)

The NXT Breakout Tournament is a tournament composed of eight members of the WWE Performance Center who are making their NXT TV debuts. The second annual tournament began on the July 13, 2021 episode of ''NXT''.

NXT UK Heritage Cup #1 Contender Tournament

RK-Bro-nament

NXT Women's Breakout Tournament (2022)

The NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament is a tournament composed of eight female wrestlers from the NXT 2.0 brand. The inaugural tournament began on the May 10, 2022 episode of NXT 2.0. The winner earns a contract and can cash-in for the

at any time. The inaugural winner is

Roxanne Perez Carla Gonzalez (born November 5, 2001) is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE where she performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Roxanne Perez, where she is the current NXT Women's Champion in her first reign. She is a former ...

. She defeated Tiffany Stratton on the June 7 episode of NXT 2.0. †

Nikkita Lyons Faith Jefferies (born August 5, 1999) is an American professional wrestler, taekwondo practitioner, and musician. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on its NXT brand under the ring name Nikkita Lyons. Jefferies has also wrestled ...

was injured during training and her semi-final opponent,

Fallon Henley Theresa Schuessler (born September 25, 1994) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE performing under the ring name Fallon Henley on the NXT brand and currently is one-half of the NXT Women's Tag Team Champions with ...

, originally got a bye to the finals but, Tiffany Stratton challenged Henley to earn her spot in the finals in which Stratton then replaced Lyons in the tournament

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament (2022)

NXT United Kingdom Championship Vacant Title Tournament (2022)

SmackDown World Cup

The SmackDown World Cup was an eight-man

single-elimination tournament A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

composed of eight wrestlers from the

brand. The inaugural tournament began on the November 11, 2022 episode of

. The winner earned a Intercontinental Championship match against

Gunther Gundaharius or Gundahar (died 437), better known by his legendary names Gunther ( gmh, Gunther) or Gunnar ( non, Gunnarr), was a historical king of Burgundy in the early 5th century. Gundahar is attested as ruling his people shortly after they ...

. The inaugural winner was

Ricochet A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...

, who defeated

Santos Escobar Jorge Luis Alcantar Bolly (born April 30, 1984), is a Mexican second-generation ''luchador'' (professional wrestler). He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Santos Escobar. Before his WWE ca ...

on the December 2, 2022 episode of ''

''.

King of the Ring

King of the Ring is a

held by

. It was held annually from 1985 to 2002 (excluding 1990 and 1992) and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...

event. Tournaments have since been held periodically - in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2019, and 2021

Dates and venues of finals

Queen's Crown

In 2021, WWE debuted the Queen's Crown tournament for female wrestlers considered to be the counterpart to King of the Ring.

Zelina Vega Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen (born December 27, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Zelina Vega, and is a member of Legado Del Fantas ...

was the inaugural winner, defeating

Doudrop Kimberly Benson (born 6 May 1991) is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Doudrop. Benson began her career on the independent circuit under the name Viper; aft ...

at Crown Jewel 2021, which took place on October 21 at Mohammed Abdu Arena on the Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic

The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is an annual

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

tournament featured on the

brand and is named after

WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously ind ...

, who died in 2015. Exclusively for male wrestlers from 2015 to 2020, a female version of the tournament debuted in 2021, running simultaneously with the men's version.

Dates and venues of finals

Mae Young Classic

The Mae Young Classic is an all-

women's A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

tournament produced by WWE. The event is named for

Mae Young Johnnie Mae Young (March 12, 1923 – January 14, 2014) was an American professional wrestler. She wrestled throughout the United States and Canada and won multiple titles in the National Wrestling Alliance. Young is considered one of the pione ...

Dates and venues

Mixed Match Challenge

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:WWE tournaments

Tournaments A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...