|
Game of Thrones - The top 10 Kings of the Ring: photos% k& A, C- k' C' c5 D
) u `- ~" k% k: f. d9 ]# B
9 |# @- O Y( \# m& L5 x; b7 {9 S0 Q3 b- P% g/ ^* D
Booker T transformed himself into King Booker when he won the 2006 edition of the King of the Ring tournament.
) t2 d6 g/ M' c& e: R
6 `' L) R9 h5 g# G+ \" m p) I- F& ^% \/ c/ P" z
. y+ \( J& G: G4 r% T/ p2 B! `
: h6 |* L7 d# y7 X b& A/ p
King Booker reigned over SmackDown, and eventually won the World Heavyweight Championship while King.
0 ?# K$ u! Y8 y$ H ^( ^" d7 z& ?! M8 A$ ^( p% p; o* I: u
d. k/ F; d" y1 h& e" Y
/ |3 E$ ]% ^8 \0 \+ L/ o* I
Bret "Hit Man" Hart is the only Superstar to win the King of the Ring tournament on two occasions.
& e6 L, K0 E) m$ E# P( I4 I1 R0 C6 @8 r! w
, Q v$ D+ \' m4 U) _7 Q# F0 O" n/ s9 ]/ L. b6 X4 q# ^: I
3 `* X# |/ l5 q: x/ F0 p3 G) _( Q
; S7 ?" i- S( v5 L- V" l" ^
The "Hit Man" first became King in 1991, and later defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in 1993's tournament final matchup., @6 m6 X2 h4 ~( K' S2 U
4 B& s7 a& w% ^( X
. a* h; \" P9 W5 u
8 v- Y7 I+ ^. U$ I* r
$ ?8 {4 U+ F4 Z; M8 V8 }
) Y0 h1 N! P' d% O
* ~ B ?4 h$ G
2 z: u% x5 u0 n9 v, @' wJerry "The King" Lawler took exception to Bret's victory, attacking The Excellence of Execution, sparking a rivalry that would last for more than two years.
{ k2 \ D1 ~8 n( A) P. n( ]( S s9 g9 Z" m! e; Y7 c6 |
- T" m" o! ?4 m7 O2 i. z3 Z
6 D. t3 h# Y* V1 R9 j4 I; u
; \5 {) n2 }% @3 u. w6 x% J6 @7 }9 |( I
5 S# X& R$ v* I7 O: m5 w
" N* r, X+ d$ e0 p! M6 P% {
" x Q/ w& b6 H. r9 J6 G* d1 O3 Y: M. }( j8 Q
) D7 _# |( F7 k: }9 \6 L
! x8 u8 Z/ @9 X
: ^" e% P! _) U" ~4 a/ _6 [" C& N7 @- }# u& ?* L% s/ ~% o
# P+ @/ j( J# F0 }
/ `9 ]; K% P" ]Brock Lesnar won the 2002 King of the Ring while running roughshod over the WWE roster en route to becoming the youngest WWE Champion in history.
4 L7 W, I( l0 s b0 {2 ~2 k( {- ~2 H9 N S$ ~- u* Z
% W; ^5 O* M0 E+ M; g$ h8 M
7 V. n J1 u: x
8 o1 [4 ^6 A! u- q4 X6 N- | n; n
/ \5 K, ] n" }. i/ r# a: [, ~7 C5 l% j8 Z& A2 S
& d& Y% N6 Y$ M. b6 ZEdge was the 2001 King of the Ring, a tournament that featured a trophy cup for the winner instead of royal garb.
4 r! a, f4 i2 x. A* F. Y4 d% ^
( C) ]7 x8 U6 p% M7 l; A2 u% i' `- F0 J% a4 h* e
# j! X2 f; o0 B. ]$ A8 q0 h
3 S+ n2 f L0 I
" L- `2 k- B y/ e# Q0 uAfter becoming King of the Ring, Edge became the most decorated WWE Superstar in history, retired as World Heavyweight Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
t3 f5 M4 g5 q- j8 g0 s( h
6 S0 s( j+ W1 D4 z$ l' z; N! V! R8 @0 Q. [
1 z" ]- ~; I) w& B8 J; [5 i3 q
Harley Race was not the first winner of the King of the Ring tournament, but was the first WWE Superstar to adopt the "King" moniker as a part of his name.! C& U0 G! [3 W4 `5 Q, [; z
( v! I4 H6 x' u4 c: V; z, r4 N, Y9 t* X6 p1 X- n) i
4 `, E3 w' x! V0 S
N$ W9 d' S/ N( Z; }
2 w6 O3 O7 Z. f: z8 k4 hKing Harley Race defended the crown like a championship, and only relinquished it due to injury. Upon which, Bobby Heenan awarded the crown to Haku.
+ t: L, @( m$ u- b4 B. d# V4 D$ V7 W2 w5 ]3 Q8 M+ X
; A ~* w7 C# _, @8 [7 `( m7 K: l' w; a8 I: r
1 A# l7 u/ e" D3 [6 q
6 _4 {) S1 I; u. l% H% D! k' @Kurt Angle won the King of the Ring tournament in 2000, just one accolade in perhaps the most successful single year in WWE history.
. G" H* o- r) m. n
4 E7 c* |* z9 {. f/ p6 q
8 X& M7 u4 G0 [4 m. |! `: B7 v9 C( w- K$ H, s) M& f% G
* U8 @8 l7 d( b0 \) v) s9 C' ~1 \$ Z, S$ Q J
& J) Z4 G5 l4 z
3 T A/ j6 `/ A- R/ u9 d: P
+ K9 T- }% K5 v( a# E- U5 T/ y3 M- u4 J! b
/ n2 U) J# H9 I7 h: U
% A6 ^% Y9 C% A1 x1 k
" O7 a, a' G% f% K
8 `6 `9 c1 k1 M; T& j
" _ g; U/ L% I) @' e7 Y1 e, M
9 Q% ^. m$ M- E( S: @
( K7 Z* G6 U ?1 k! f
0 l- S7 x) y1 k7 i4 R; E8 \7 z( c9 B2 L9 A9 R
, s: \' k+ @0 t; l5 w. p
8 |1 ^9 t3 T: l: }" G* h$ {2 a m8 m0 E$ b
Mabel was the 1995 King of the Ring, defeating Superstars like The Undertaker along the way.
! X; U9 j# g% B2 q) o9 p9 a; F& C* \5 F2 E# K( e# y
; l5 t+ G; S5 x; T* v% K& {" A# P# |) |4 f' W; T
As King Mabel, he appointed his associate Sir Mo.
( ?/ _6 W4 f8 |4 s1 ^: q; U _+ n
6 J, C$ _; m- Z) a% [9 ?, `" u, N: L7 Q5 x
. C+ w/ J3 k" R- Z( J( X9 c
* I1 @/ b& a. G/ |
; @2 q/ J" x3 {/ S! m; m2 O* H! m
: ^/ b3 j9 ~/ ^- P: ?9 W6 i9 R' [
5 Z0 ]+ C3 n2 ~# U9 R& w0 K; Y+ ^% q
4 S# {4 p% y5 j6 H7 kFew Kings were as memorable as Randy Savage, who transformed from "Macho Man" to "Macho King."
, G5 n: x0 v- `7 X* U" f
" H& j/ A2 H5 \ x! ?7 I
`3 O5 e; j4 h# U4 L
: I; k" J9 l5 |6 k; ]( Q% x+ H2 @0 A" \9 C" O
; R! \, d9 I1 I; EThough Savage won the King of the Ring tournament in 1987, he did not adopt the King moniker until 1991, after defeating "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan for the crown.
0 H. |& P/ f7 l
+ e; B) ~3 O( O# P! H9 M: k9 T: n6 g4 u& u' L; P
0 E! p$ i9 z$ l"Stone Cold" Steve Austin's King of the Ring victory was a watershed moment for WWE.
_# `; k5 B0 Q2 T% y+ q: L% M4 M: K* }; o) e
- u/ @* T, g+ B) c5 d4 G8 e$ l
: h. q4 y! A j/ T0 x
Austin's win over Jake "The Snake" Roberts was monumental, but his post-match victory speech has become iconic for coining the "Austin 3:16" catchphrase.7 K% r' C0 T% u& ?* [6 a; m( a
7 V( X2 V' T+ l9 Z* |. F3 F
/ g7 ~* ~$ l) W# f/ N
! Q3 C% `, j7 k5 m& X0 B% R+ E" b' S6 a; @
3 |/ T$ ]+ g B; c; h( g
' I [2 e0 ]' e4 }1 Y0 W. f- U1 m8 m* u2 B, F+ S0 X) z& c
: C* N; j g+ |: v1 w* s1 R/ P, x
' j: e& E) B" fTriple H defeated Mankind to win the 1997 King of the Ring tournament. Their rivalry would continue for the next three years, culminating in the main event of WrestleMania 2000.4 N" v7 P* @, i0 p2 [; c
* s u2 I8 F5 |" U5 G
q; e, O# N* J6 W: v% n, u' f
: U% z4 d- H3 S+ P& Y
8 Z& A A: c0 L9 i% J z- f9 a
" G+ I- R; B' M) |# M
( F% {; {5 d; \9 A' ]: q
2 p+ H# r# o2 c2 v& TSome say Triple H's victory was overdue, and it propelled him to the spotlight, forming D-Generation X with Shawn Michaels shortly after the tournament.
3 d; ?* Z! F$ T+ V5 a+ v9 V6 ~; M1 F% X8 }/ d
|
|