WWE is gearing up to host their next major show, WWE King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event which will emanate from Saudi Arabia on May 25th, 2024 where WWE will crown the new King and the Queen of the Ring respectively. The event will also see the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes putting his prestigious title on the line against, the current WWE United States Champion, Logan Paul as revealed on this week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
WWE has hosted the King of the Ring event for years, which has seen the rise of top main event stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H. Moreover, the Wrestling Juggernaut was also crowned the first Queen of the Ring in 2021 when Zelina Vega defeated Doudrop in the tournament finale. Therefore, the chance to win the prestigious crowns opens the doors to thriving opportunities for WWE Superstars to ascend to the next level.
So before we see the coronation of a new King and Queen, let us take a look at the 5 best King of The Ring Tournament winners in the history of WWE.
1. Bret Hart takes the crown twice
Bret “The Hitman” Hart is regarded as one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time on this planet, known to fans as the Father of Wrestling in Canada. The Excellence of Execution has won nearly every major accolade possible in the world of sports entertainment. His unmatched technical wrestling skills combined with his impeccable charisma have laid the foundation for generations to come and have carried the sports entertainment world for many years.
Speaking of all of his accomplishments, other than winning the 6 World titles on different occasions in WWE, Bret has the distinction of winning the King of the Ring Tournament on two different occasions in a row, 1991 and 1993. Hart’s first King of the Ring victory established him as a huge star, but it was his second King of the Ring victory proved to be a game changer for the business, seeing the influx of more technical athletes like him and ascending to main event status.
2. The Birth of the Austin 3:16 era
Stone Cold Steve Austin is arguably one of the biggest WWE Superstars of all time in the history of the company. Even to this date, Stone Cold’s merchandise sells like a hot ticket. The former multi-time WWE Champion personifies “charisma” in the pro-wrestling industry. But his popularity did not skyrocket until he won the King of the Ring Tournament and delivered the infamous Austin 3:16 promo right up the place of his throne.
After having a lackluster run as The Ringmaster, Steve Austin finally garnered major attention by winning the King of the Ring tournament in 1996, defeating Jake Roberts, and delivering his iconic promo that marked the rise of Stone Cold Steve as the poster boy of one of WWE’s most important time periods, the Attitude Era.
3. Owen Hart was destined to become The King
Owen Hart is regarded as one of the greatest performers of his era who left the world soon due to a tragic incident. He won the King of the Ring Tournament in 1994 and it became a turning point in his WWE career. The spectacular victory allowed him to step out of his legendary brother, Bret Hart.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion defeated Razor Ramon in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament in a classic wrestling match between the two legends. Unfortunately, Owen might not have won the World Title, but his King of the Ring victory was crucial for his career and proved to be a turning point for one of the remarkable competitors to step into the ring.
4. Kurt Angle’s Popularity rising to the top as King
WWE Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle is known as one of the most established submission technicians of all time in the wrestling world. A former multi-time World Champion, a world-renowned athlete, and an Olympic gold medalist, Angle went on to become one of the most successful athletes to ever step in a WWE ring.
Furthermore, Angle won the King of the Ring Tournament in 2000 which was also the most unique tournament in history since it had 32 competitors battling for the crown instead of 16. This victory initiated the main event push for the talented WWE Superstar who further went on to defeat The Rock to win the WWE Championship.
5. Brock Lesnar’s mega push started when he became The King
The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar is one of the most dominant and strongest superstars that the WWE Universe has ever witnessed inside the squared circle. The Beast Incarnate has major accomplishments to his name and one of the those crucial accolades is winning the King of the Ring Tournament just three months after his debut in 2002.
Following his victory in the tournament, Lesnar was referred to as “The Next Big Thing” in WWE and Lesnar utilized this opportunity two months later. He battled the then-reigning poster boy of WWE, The Rock at WWE SummerSlam 2002 and defeated The Great One to become the youngest WWE Champion in history.
Who do you think is the best King of the Ring winner so far? Share your thoughts in the comments!