Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes look to forge another chapter of their individual legacies as the 2025 WWE King of the Ring tournament rages on.
The June 13 episode of WWE SmackDown showcased two of the most decorated WWE Superstars as they moved closer to becoming the next WWE King of the Ring, with the chance to challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship at WWE SummerSlam.
Randy Orton qualified for the semifinals of the WWE King of the Ring tournament first, securing a victory over Carmelo Hayes, LA Knight, and Aleister Black. He received some unwanted assistance from Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, who attacked LA Knight, continuing to be a thorn in his side. With Knight incapacitated, Carmelo Hayes looked to capitalize on the situation. However, when he attempted to leap off the top rope onto Knight, he was caught in an RKO by Orton.
Randy Orton will face Sami Zayn in the semifinals of the men's tournament on June 20.
Cody Rhodes made his return to WWE Friday Night SmackDown action during the main event on June 13. He defeated Andrade, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Damian Priest to secure his spot in the semifinals. His next opponent will be determined on June 16 when Rusev, Sheamus, Jey Uso, and Bronson Reed clash on WWE Raw on Netflix.
The King of the Ring will be determined at WWE Night of Champions on June 28.
Here is the current lineup for next Friday's WWE SmackDown:
WWE SmackDown (6/20)
- John Cena vs. Ron Killings
- King of the Ring Tournament: Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn
- Queen of the Ring Tournament: Alexa Bliss vs. TBD
Check out the full card of WWE Night of Champions here.
Keep up with our live coverage of WWE Friday Night SmackDown here. Also, be sure to check out our review podcast on YouTube.
