WWE kicked off the 2021 King of the Ring tournament Friday night on SmackDown. In a first-round bout, Sami Zayn continued his rivalry with Rey Mysterio, with the opportunity to advance in the bracket added even more intensity to the feud.
The two competitors, who are widely considered some of the best in-ring workers on the roster, put on a clinic. In the end, an inadvertent distraction from Dominik Mysterio sealed the deal. When he came to ringside to cheer his father on, against Rey’s wishes, the older Mysterio scolded his son.
Zayn subsequently capitalized by knocking Rey into his son and rolling the former world champion up for the win.
King @SamiZayn incoming? Sami Zayn defeats @reymysterio to win the first round match! #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/ZpzxuxfXV9
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) October 9, 2021
Later in the show, Finn Balor defeated Cesaro in a hard-fought first-round bout, so he’ll face Zayn next week on WWE SmackDown.
RELATED: WWE SmackDown Results (10/8/21)
Tournament Bracket Revealed
WWE also revealed the bracket for the tournament shortly before Mysterio’s match with Zayn. The first-round bouts are as follows:
- Sami Zayn defeatd Rey Mysterio
- Finn Balor defeated Cesaro
- Kofi Kingston vs. Jinder Mahal
- Xavier Woods vs. Ricochet
The finals of the tournament were confirmed for WWE Crown Jewel on October 21.
Here is your 2021 #KingOfTheRing tournament bracket: #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/6AxX54qejb
— WWE (@WWE) October 9, 2021
WrestleZone will provide more details as they become available.
