Note On Why WWE Uses Four-Way Matches In Tournaments

WWE has relied on Fatal Four-Way matches for the first round of their tournaments in recent years, and a new report explains why. The company has been using four-way bouts for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments the last couple of years; four-way matches also kicked off the John Cena “Last Time Is Now” tournament last year to determine who would be Cena’s final opponent.

A fan question in the latest Fightful Select Answers Q&A asked why WWE consistently utilized four-way matches instead of the traditional singles match. Sean Ross Sapp noted that, as you might expect, WWE wants to be able to include a number of big names in the tournaments but wants to protect them from taking singles losses.

The Fatal Four-Way format allows WWE to give someone the win, advancing onward in the tournament. The bigger stars that don’t win the match can then be branched off into a story without losing the momentum that a one-on-one loss might cause.

The King and Ring of the tournaments are currently ongoing and will conclude at WWE Night of Champions on Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Oba Femi will face Jey Uso in the King of the Ring finals, while IYO SKY and Liv Morgan do battle for Queen of the Ring.