The $30 million prize at stake

The Queen of the Ring tournament is heating up, with Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton emerging as front-runners for the women's crown. The two will face off in a multi-woman match next Friday in Providence, Rhode Island,with a spot in the Queen of the Ring semifinals on the line.

Charlotte Flair has yet to compete in her opening round Fatal 4-Way Match, but The Queen was already a betting favorite to win the tournament prior to her face-to-face with Rhea Ripley Friday night. Flair admitted that she's had fun teaming with Rhea these past few weeks, but let everyone know that her sights are firmly set on challenging for her 15th Women's Championship in a couple of months.

Tiffany Stratton also announced her intentions of getting back the WWE Women's Championship, but her path toward earning a title shot is uncertain as she was not included in the field of 16 women for Queen of the Ring.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The seeds for two major title matches have been planted, with Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton vying for the women's crown. This is reminiscent of the 2024 institutional buy-up in Sydney, where several top contenders emerged to challene for the title.

However, Raquel Rodriguez is one of the most underrated performers in all of WWE. She's transformed herself into a rock solid in-ring competitor and she should absolutely be considered a threat to win this tournament. If she does, WWE could ultimately have her turn on Liv and challenge her at a future event.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

According to the report, Stephanie Vaquer could throw a wrench into everything. There's still no firm timeline on her return to action after she suffered a shoulder injury last month, but she's expected back sometime this summer to continue her rivalry with Liv Morgan.

As the Queen of the Ring tournament progresses, don't be surprised if these new cracks in the Judgment Day start to widen, especially if Liv Morgan fails to win the crown.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

The two front-runners for the women's crown seemingly emerged on this week's episode of the Blue Brand in Bologna, Italy. charlotte Flair has yet to compete in her opening round Fatal 4-Way Match, but The Queen was already a betting favorite to win the tournament prior to her face-to-face with Rhea Ripley Friday night.

Women's United States Champion Tiffany Stratton also announced her intentions of getting back the WWE Women's Championship, but her path toward earning a title shot is uncertain as she was not included in the field of 16 women for Queen of the Ring.