WWE recently revealed that Zelina Vega has been withdrawn from the ongoing Queen of the Ring competition, which will conclude next Saturday at the themed PLE in Saudi Arabia.
Adam Pearce announced the news before the May 12th house show, citing an injury. The event in Macon, Georgia, was going to see her facing Shayna Baszler in a rescheduled Raw bout, but she was replaced by Maxxine Dupri, who defeated Baszler during the show.
Baszler defeated IYO SKY in the quarterfinals on Monday’s Raw. Next week, SKY faces Lyra Valikire in the semifinals, with the winner advancing to the finals. Zelina joins Drew McIntyre, Asuka, and Bobby Lashley in withdrawing from the tournament due to injuries.
In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that, similar to Lashley’s injuries, the company was well aware that Vega needed to be pulled from the tournament.
Meltzer stated, “Lashley’s injury that kept him out of King of the Ring was known well in advance. Vega’s was known well in advance because those involved with the Baszler match knew she was getting a new opponent early last week, if not earlier.”
It’s unknown when she’ll return to ring activity. This is similar to Lashley’s injury predicament, as they were also aware of it a few days beforehand.