There once was a time when late June meant one thing on the hypothetical wrestling calendar. No, not Sid Eudy walking out on a company to go and play softball (is June softball season? Who cares)…the King of the Ring, of course!
It started off as a most stately affair in 1993 where the winner would get decked out with a cheap robe, crown and sceptre, before the late 90s came along and people were far too cool for that.
Baron Corbin gets a lot of flack but to his credit he has kept the gimmick it going since winning the honour in 2019, showing off his princely Game of Thrones-style gown at every opportunity. Now rumours have started that WWE may be resurrecting the classic tournament once again. But who are some of the best ever?
6. Jerry Lawler
An honourable mention for Lawler, who has never won a King of the Ring tournament or defeated anyone for the title, as has happened in some cases. But Lawler deserves his place on the list for his dedication to the “King” gimmick for all these years. Lawler became the “King of Wrestling” during a feud in his native Memphis during the 1970s and gained fame throughout the territories over the following two decades as Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Lawler was protective over the King gimmick and rightly so since it brought him a lot of success. He even sued the WWF in the mid-80s when “King” Harley Race debuted. When Lawler arrived in the WWF in 1992, he brought the “King” moniker with him. Within a few short months it had been worked into a major storyline, as he memorably attacked Bret Hart moments after the conclusion of the 1993 tournament. Jerry Lawler is quite simply most people’s first answer to the question ‘Who is the real king of wrestling’, and with good reason.
5. Baron Corbin
He has his critics but you have to admit that Corbin gave the ‘King’ shtick a good go. Whereas many in his position may have disheartened or disinterested at being lumbered with what could be an outdated prop, Corbin made the most of it. As previously mentioned, adjusting your ring name to incorporate ‘King’ always goes down well in my book.
Corbin won the most recent King of the Ring tournament, which in recent years have taken place every few years without much warning (2008, 2010, 2015, 2019). While some have questioned his in-ring ability, Corbin received high marks for his performances throughout the tournament, which culminated in an impressive victory on Raw in September 2019 over Chad Gable. Following Booker T’s example, Corbin soon recruited a couple of minions to sit at his royal table in the form of the Knights of the Lone Wolf… who were sadly taken off TV and released shortly after.
4. Bret Hart
Frustratingly for Owen Hart – or at least the jealous younger brother he portrayed on screen – whatever he achieved in the WWF, brother Bret had usually already done. That was the case with the King of the Ring. In fact, Bret is the only man to have won a KOTR tournament twice, as he won the final non-televised one in 1991, as well as the first pay-per-view version two years later.
The one that mattered though was the 1993 edition, as the WWF took the bold step of tinkering with its ‘famous four’ line-up of big annual shows, placing King of the Ring in the lengthy gap between WrestleMania and SummerSlam. For the show to succeed it needed to deliver quality action in the ring and produce a credible winner. Enter Bret Hart.
Hart wrestled three excellent and very different matches on the night, working seamlessly with Scott Hall, Curt Hennig and Bam Bam Bigelow. It kept his own momentum going while out of the title picture and kickstarted one of the feuds of the era with Jerry Lawler. Minus points for not adding ‘King’ to his ring name, though.
3. Owen Hart
The 1994 King of the Ring was tailor-made for Owen Hart. After turning against big brother Bret at that year’s Royal Rumble and defeating him in their classic WrestleMania X match, it would have been easy for the WWF to take their foot off the gas in how Owen was booked. To do so would have been a massive mistake and would have damaged the build for their epic SummerSlam cage match showdown.
Instead Vince McMahon and co made the decision to crown Owen the second televised King of the Ring, which was a significant sign of intent on the company’s behalf. Owen, renowned for his sense of humour and for not taking himself too seriously, leaned into it and enjoyed hamming it up for the cameras. From the moment he ordered Todd Pettengill to bow down at the pay-per-vuew upon his victory, and refusing to let Jack Tunney coronate him, we knew we were in for some classic sports entertainment-based malarky. Owen Hart, the King of Harts, delivered. He always did.
2. Booker T
Or should that be King Book-ah? Podcaster and pal of Bad Bunny, the former Harlem Heat man makes the list for his hilarious year-long reincarnation as King Booker in 2006-07. Fans enjoyed his tag-team run with Goldust a few years prior and lapped up every minute of Booker’s career resurgence after he won the 2006 King of the Ring tournament.
Jumping into the gimmick with both feet, Booker quickly established his own Royal Court, including wife Sharmell, now a Queen obviously, and the only British members of the main roster – Finlay and William Regal. Both Regal and Finlay received knighthoods for their trouble, which is nice.
By far the most amusing part of Booker’s performance was the way he adopted mannerisms and gestures youd associate with a stereotypical British monarch, right down to the hilariously cringeworthy British accent. Against all the odds, Booker took what should have been a cumbersome mid-card gimmick and prospered with it. All hail King Book-ah!
1. Randy Savage
So much for the Madness of King George – how about the Macho Madness of King Randy? Now there’s a film we can all agree would be an Oscar winner. Savage became King of the WWF after dethroning Jim Duggan in 1989 (not, confusingly, when he won the house show tournament himself in 1987).
It was the perfect vehicle for the heel Savage, displaying his arrogance and viciousness, with the legendary Queen Sherri by his side in place of Miss Elizabeth. Extra points for updating his nickname to “Macho King” and often getting carried to the ring on a throne by random underlings. As with all the best Kings, why bother having all the trappings of royalty if you’re not going to enjoy it a little?
Last seen at WrestleMania VII after losing a ‘retirement’ match to the Ultimate Warrior and reuniting with Liz, the Macho King’s most regal act was using his trusty sceptre to relieve the Warrior of the WWF title and bringing that particular failed experiment to a welcome end.
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