SUMMARY
- Randy Orton is set to fight Tama Tonga in the semifinal of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament on next week's SmackDown.
- While most of the fans are predicting a Randy Orton victory, there are some reasons why Tama Tonga might end up defeating The Viper.
WWE showcased superb storyline progression on the latest episode of SmackDown as several high-profile encounters took place on the blue brand. While the contract signing between Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul grabbed the most attention, fans also got to witness Randy Orton and Tama Tonga’s advancement to the semi-final of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament.
In the second match of Friday’s show, Tama defeated LA Knight after a distraction from Solo Sikoa to book his spot in next week’s semifinal bout. On the other side, The Legend Killer made his way to the encounter by defeating Carmelo Hayes and thus got himself into a match against Tonga on the May 24 episode of Friday Night Smackdown.
As these two are going to go up against each other on Friday’s show, the WWE Universe is sharing different opinions about the outcome of this match. Due to the kind of legacy The Viper has in the Stamford-based promotion, the majority of fans believe that Randy is going to make it into the finals in a dominant way.
RKO OUTTA NOWHERE. 🔥
— TribaI Wrestling (@TribalMegastar) May 18, 2024
RANDY ORTON QUALIFIES FOR THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE KOTR.
WHAT A FINISH. RANDY VS. TAMA NEXT WEEK LFG.#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/oxzvBQKypW
But it seems like it’s not going to be as easy as it looks, as the biggest wrestling promotion in the world may have plans for a Tama Tonga victory. So, let’s take a look at three reasons why Randy might lose against The Bloodline member next week on Friday Night SmackDown, and why it makes sense in the long-term.
To establish Solo Sikoa’s dominance as The Bloodline Leader
After Roman Reigns lost his Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, his faction has been going through a transitional phase. As The Tribal Chief has been away from the Triple H-led promotion after losing to The American Nightmare, Solo Sikoa has taken over the leadership duties, and he has even started making some huge changes in the stable.
It all started when the entire faction came out to address Roman’s loss on SmackDown, and in a shocking turn of events for the entire industry, Jimmy Uso was kicked out of The Bloodline. This marked the debut of Tama Tonga and also started a new era for this legendary faction. Solo’s run in the leadership role has been going pretty well, as he and Tama secured a big win at WWE Backlash in France.
But, despite all the success, some people have been questioning Sikoa’s capabilities, and to prove such trolls wrong, having Tama Tonga win over Randy Orton would be massive. In fact, it can them be used in a way that Solo Sikoa isn’t just capable of handling things well; he can even play a major role in the rise to the top of other guys in his group.
Moreover, there have been reports that Jacob Fatu’s debut is being delayed so that he doesn’t overpower Solo. Thus, the former NXT star can establish his dominance as The Bloodline Leader if his guidance can help his factionmate defeat a legend like The Viper, which is going to be huge, and thus Orton might lose to Tama Tonga on the upcoming edition of the blue brand.
Tama Tonga’s rising popularity might force WWE to give him a win over Randy Orton
While a major reason why The Viper might be losing to the newly signed WWE star is establishing Solo Sikoa’s dominance, another reason could be to actually pull the trigger on Tama Tonga. Even though the 41-year-old has joined the Stamford-based promotion after this year’s WrestleMania, he has already become a well-known name among fans.
Despite being a part of the heel faction, fans have been showing their love for the 6-foot-tall in-ring performer across social media platforms for a variety of reasons. While one reason behind the surge of support has been his character work on the screen, the other is how he has been presented by the biggest wrestling organization in the world.
IMO, Def Rebel nailed Tama Tonga’s theme song.
— PW Chronicle (@_PWChronicle) May 18, 2024
I have loved WWE presentation of Tonga since his debut, his entrance is badass, with the fire and tribal drums playing. 🔥 #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/2CFnnCES1E
When he made his in-ring debut in the Triple H-led promotion, everyone was left amazed by the kind of entrance he had, and it helped him gain instant popularity. In addition to that, the professional wrestling audience was also left in awe of his theme song, and that’s why they’ve been expressing their love for Tama.
This rising popularity of Tonga might force WWE to give this pro wrestler a win over Randy Orton in the semi-final of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament. If he pulls out this victory on next week’s Friday Night SmackDown episode, it’s going to be the biggest win of his young career in the Stamford-based promotion.
For a potential match between Tama Tonga and Jey Uso
While the above-mentioned two reasons for Randy potentially losing on next week’s Friday Night SmackDown could be the case. But another reason why The Viper might lose is a potential match between Tama Tonga and Jey Uso at the Kind and Queen of the Ring tournament final at the May 25 PLE in Saudi Arabia.
Main Event Jey has already qualified for the semi-final of the tournament from the side of Monday Night RAW, and he’s set to fight Gunther on next week’s RAW. As these two are equally likely to advance to the finals, there’s a high chance that WWE might have Jey win the match on the red brand next show so that The Bloodline storyline can be revisited.
Semi-final match-ups next week for the 2024 King of the Ring tournament:#WWERAW: Gunther v Jey Uso#SmackDown: Randy Orton v Tama Tonga pic.twitter.com/gDMyDL9oFB
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) May 18, 2024
If the Stamford-based promotion is thinking about such a path for the finals of the 2024 King of the Ring tournament, Tama Tonga’s victory against The Legend Killer seems like a no-brainer. With this, the company can have Jey and Tama go up against each other at the upcoming premium live event in Saudi Arabia.
If the organization wants to have Main Event Jey Uso get a major accolade to his name, having him get the win over a member of The Bloodline is arguably the best possible manner. On the other hand, the company can even have Tama Tonga get away with a victory through outside interference to take the faction’s new era to greater heights in the company.
But to have any of these things become a reality, it’s important for Tama to defeat The Viper, and that’s why Randy Orton might be losing on next week’s SmackDown. If that happens, it remains to be seen what The Legend Killer will be up to at the King and Queen of the Ring tournament in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.