All WWE King & Queen Of The Ring Finals, Ranked (1993-2026)
- James Davie
- 9 minutes ago
- 21 min read
The King of the Ring finals are intense, full of anticipation as two gladiators battle it out for the chance to wear a glistening crown and cape. The two warriors who make it to the finals had already endured tough tests in quarterfinal and semi-final contests, but in order to ascend the throne one of them must overcome the most-important bout where the lights are on bright.
From Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in 1993 right the way through to Iyo Sky vs. Liv Morgan in 2026, there have been many epic encounters, but let's separate the wheat from the chaff as we rank every WWE King and Queen of the Ring final from worst to best.
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts (1996)
Event: King of the Ring 1996 (June 23, 1996)
Location: MECCA Arena/UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA)
Match length: 4:28
Stone Cold Steve Austin's victories en route to the final: Bob Holly, Savio Vega, Marc Mero
Jake "The Snake" Roberts' victories en route to the final: Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Justin Bradshaw, Vader
Aftermath: Austin cut his legendary Austin: 316 promo and steadily ascended to superstardom
Starting this list in an unfortunate way, the 1996 King of the Ring Final saw a red-hot heel Stone Cold Steve Austin against a rib-injured Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Roberts incurred his injury whilst wrestling Vader earlier in the night during their semi-final match-up. Before the match could even start proper, Stone Cold wasted no time getting to work on Roberts' ribs as he wouldn't even let him enter the ring and prepare.
Austin beat those ribs a lot, but the only thing missing was J.R's BBQ sauce - although that product was several years away from release. Anyway, Stone Cold beat Roberts up so much that Gorilla Monsoon came out to see if "The Snake" wanted to continue, but despite his eagerness and an short attempt to turn the tide, Austin managed to counter a DDT attempt by shoulder barging his ribs, then hitting the Stone Cold Stunner for the win.
This contest was of course squandered by Roberts' predicament and as such it is last on this list. Of course had things been all well and good with Roberts then we'd have seen a good match-up most-likely, but the reality leaves this one at the back of the pack.
Match Rating: 2/10
Mabel Vs. Savio Vega (1995)
Event: King of the Ring 1995 (June 25, 1995)
Location: CoreStates Spectrum/Philadelphia Spectrum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Match lenggth: 8:32
Mabel's victories en route to the final: Adam Bomb, The Undertaker
Savio Vega's victories en route to the final: Yokozuna, The Roadie
Aftermath: Mabel would face Diesel at SummerSlam for the WWE Championship
Don't be surprised this is number 21 out of 22, this is WWE in 1995 after all. Mabel vs. Savio Vega seems like a thrown together mid-card match-up for a King of the Ring Final match-up, and what with the sloppiness of the moves and a weak ending, which Mabel hit a huge slam followed immediately by a big splash, it all seemed like a throwaway finale.
Razor Ramon was in Savio's corner too, and you'd think he'd be a far better King of the Ring winner than Mabel, but Vince McMahon loves his big men, so instead King Mabel was the king we got and history will have to cope with that.
Match Rating: 3/10
Zelina Vega Vs. Doudrop (Queen's Crown 2021)
Event: Crown Jewel 2021 (October 21, 2021)
Location: Mohammed Abdu Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 5:50
Zelina Vega’s victories en route to the final: Toni Storm, Carmella
Doudrop’s victories en route to the final: Natalya, Shayna Baszler
Aftermath: Zelina would carry her Queen persona onward for a spell and teamed with Carmella to capture the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships until WrestleMania 38.
Another showcase of size versus speed, Zelina Vega and Doudrop's Queen of the Ring final encounter was alright. They had a bit of a shoving match until things properly got underway. Zelina would hit a beautiful tilt-a-whirl DDT on Doudrop.
Doudrop did manage to show her power with a big sidewalk slam, a running sitting senton and a clothesline, but otherwise Zelina hit her Code Red to win this forgettable final match to become the inaugural WWE Queen of the Ring winner.
Overall Rating: 4/10
Ken Shamrock Vs. The Rock (1998)
Event: King of the Ring 1998 (June 28, 1998)
Location: Civic Arena (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)
Match Length: 14:09
Ken Shamrock's victories en route to the final: Kama Mustafa, Mark Henry, Jeff Jarrett
The Rock's victories en route to the final: Vader, Triple H, Dan Severn
Aftermath: Ken Shamrock didn't receive a WWE Championship match, though he competed in a number 1 contenders match at Breakdown in a triple threat Steel Cage match against Mankind and The Rock. Shamrock turned heel in the fall, joined The Corporation and held the Tag Team (w/ Big Bossman) and Intercontinental Championships at the same time.
James, are you a roodypoo? How come a match featuring The World's Most Dangerous Man and The People's Champion number 20 out of 22 in this list. Here's why... IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BORING! The Rock was feuding with DX at the time, and it may've been an idea to put Triple H in the tournament to square off with The Rock, but this didn't happen for some reason.
There were a couple of nice DDT's and clotheslines by The Rock, and some action outside the ring, yet it all felt decidedly mediocre at best. The fact The Rock took the loss considering all that he was would go on to accomplish is insane to think about. Maybe the reason The Rock didn't win was because he was already Intercontinental Champion at the time of this match, but him and Shamrock needed a more satisfying contest than the one they delivered.
Let's be honest, the Attitude Era wasn't great when it came to wrestling, and this match showcased that opinion remarkably well-must've been the rest holds.
Match Rating: 4/10
Xavier Woods Vs. Finn Balor (King Of The Ring 2021)
Event: Crown Jewel 2021 (October 21, 2021)
Location: Mohammed Abdu Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 9:40
Xavier Woods' victories en route to the final: Ricochet, Jinder Mahal
Finn Balor's victories en route to the final: Cesaro, Sami Zayn
Aftermath: Xavier Woods would be crowned king on SmackDown and he knighted Kofi Kingston. Woods would retain this gimmick until he incurred a calf injury in 2022.
The 2021 King of the Ring final, while competent enough, felt meaningless because why would we want Xavier Woods in the final of the King of the Ring (with all due respect)? To make matters worse, Finn Balor has honed his craft and worked really hard, but for him to come up short to someone like Xavier Woods just shows that WWE still wanted to behave like a cartoon.
The match was at least well-paced as it started with classic chain wrestling and one-upsmanship and progressed to harder shots and back-and-forth action, which lead to Xavier hitting his tightrope elbow drop for the win. Again, this didn't feel like a main event calibre King of the Ring final, but it was fine.
Match Rating: 5/10
Bad News Barrett Vs. Neville (2015)
Event: King of the Ring - WWE Network special (April 28, 2015)
Location: iWireless Center (Moline, Illinois, USA)
Match Length: 7:10
Bad News Barrett's victories en route to the final: Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth
Neville's victories en route to the final: Luke Harper, Sheamus
Aftermath: Barrett would become known as King Barrett and would team with Stardust to face Neville and Stephen Amell at that year's SummerSlam. King Barrett would leave WWE the following year.
Can you guess why Wade Barrett was made King of the Ring? Back in 2015 the Brits had a Queen, so the queen needed a king - a King of the Ring! Also at this point in time, Neville was wearing a cape and putting on a superhero-like persona due to his superhuman athleticism, which was honestly the best thing about this King of the Ring final.
Wade Barrett received all he could handle from Neville, but there's nothing a Bullhammer elbow can't fix, so when Neville was charging up to put Barrett away, Barrett crashed his elbow into Neville's mush and it was night-night for Neville. Wade Barrett entered a match-up with a man who wore a cape, and he'd walk out wearing a cape as well. It was only fair!
Match Rating: 6/10
Billy Gunn Vs. X-Pac (1999)
Event: King of the Ring 1999 (June 27, 1999)
Location: Greensboro Coliseum Complex (Greensboro, North Carolina, USA)
Match Length: 5:33
Billy Gunn's victories en route to the final: Viscera, Ken Shamrock, Kane
X-Pac's victories en route to final: Big Boss Man, Hardcore Holly, Road Dogg
Aftermath: Billy Gunn would become the victim of one of the biggest disses ever by The Rock that arguably derailed his momentum towards the main event scene, before losing to Rock at SummerSlam.
Former DX buddies clashed in the 1999 King of the Ring final and it felt as middling as these midcard talents were. Billy Gunn and his behind had already taken licks from Ken Shamrock and Kane, while X-Pac had already scrapped with Hardcore Holly and his other DX running bud Road Dogg.
The match itself contained a lot of work on X-Pac's injured neck. Billy already let X-Pac know in a pre-match interview with Michael Cole that he'd go after X-Pac's scrawny neck... but he didn't live up to his words to let X-Pac kiss his royal ass.
X-Pac did rally with impressive offence like a plancha to the outside, the Bronco Buster and an X-Factor, but failed to put Billy away. Billy would ultimately end things after landing a Famouser from the middle turnbuckle in this average bout.
Match Rating: 6/10
Kurt Angle Vs. Rikishi (2000)
Event: King of the Ring 2000 (June 25, 2000)
Location: Fleet Center (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
Match Length: 5:56
Kurt Angle's victories en route to the final: Bradshaw, Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Jericho, Crash Holly
Rikishi's victories en route to the final: Shane McMahon, Scotty 2 Hotty, Chris Benoit, Val Venis
Aftermath: Kurt Angle would go on to find greater success later on in the year by winning the WWE Championship, but not before getting under The Undertaker's skin when he decided to gift him a goofy moped.
With the possibility of another set of buns winning the King of the Ring, Kurt Angle had his work cut out for him to defeat the master of the Stink Face. Luckily for Angle, Rikishi was injured earlier in the night by an enraged Chris Benoit, who was DQ'd from the KOTR tournament for smashing The Kish with a steel chair and locking in the Crippler Crossface - revenge for Rikishi's IC Title win over Benoit on the previous episode of SmackDown. Val Venis decided to copy Benoit's antics and smash Rikishi's arm with a steel chair after losing against him in the semi-finals too.
So yes, Angle had a significant advantage in this match heading into it. Rikishi fought valiantly and even egged Angle on to face him outside of the ring before the match got underway properly. Rikishi managed to perform a Stink Face and standing Banzai Drop on Angle, but couldn't put him away.
Angle managed to Angle Slam Rikishi which got a near fall, but he had another rather gigantic ace up his sleeve. Rikishi ascended the top rope looking to pancake Angle, but Angle met him up there and delivered a humongous super belly-to-belly suplex, the kind you can just see if you played WWF No Mercy on the N64. Angle of course won the King of the Ring and he did so in impressive fashion.
Match Rating: 6/10
Owen Hart Vs. Razor Ramon (1994)
Event: King of the Ring 1994 (June 19, 1994)
Location: Baltimore Arena (Baltimore, Maryland, USA)
Match Length: 6:35
Owen Hart's victories en route to the final: Doink The Clown, Tatanka, The 1-2-3 Kid
Razor Ramon's victories en route to the final: Kwang, Bam Bam Bigelow, Irwin R. Schyster
Aftermath: Owen Hart would continue his feud with his brother Bret Hart, would drop his Rocket nickname in favour of being known as The King of Harts, and would challenge Bret for the WWE Championship in a five-star Steel Cage Match at SummerSlam 1994.
The second King of the Ring PPV in history pitted a technical master in Owen Hart against the powerhouse known as The Bad Guy, Razor Ramon. Owen's wizardry in the ring was met with Razor's strength, and that made for an intriguing affair. The fact Razor managed to hang with Owen made this one all the sweeter, and thus it felt like a proper wrestling contest.
The main takeaway from this match-up isn't just that Owen picked up the victory and became King of the Ring for 1994, it's the fact Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart turned on Razor to reunite with his family. Owen's ascent to the KOTR throne maybe tainted by the help he received, but the Hart bros became back-to-back King of the Ring winners - the only time in history where two brothers won King of the Ring, and did so in consecutive years. Only one became The King of Harts though, of course!
Match Rating: 6/10
Oba Femi Vs. Jey Uso (King Of The Ring 2026)
Event: Night of Champions 2026 )June 27, 2026)
Location: Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 8:00
Oba Femi's victories en route to the final: Penta, Solo Sikoa and Carmelo Hayes (Fatal 4 Way Match); Dominik Mysterio
Jey Uso's victories en route to the final: LA: Knight, Royce Keys and Finn Balor (Fatal 4 Way Match); Je'Von Evans
Aftermath: Oba Femi will face Brock Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell Match at SummerSlam 2026
The latest men's King of the Ring final hot off the presses here! Oba Femi took to his throne by drilling Jey Uso through the mat with Fall From Grace. Now, let's not forget that whilst Jey had Oba down and locked in a sleeper hold, Oba slapped the mat three times and really should've lost - but nobody should deny The Ruler from ruling the ring!
This one went how it was meant to go, with Jey trying to frustrate Oba wih his quickness and dynamic offence, and Oba asserting his power and overcoming everything that is thrown his way. To be fair, Jey's swiftness and quickness was a great contrast to Oba's domination, yet Jey's YEET army failed to overwhelm the herculean leviathan.
Match Rating: 7/10
Booker T Vs. Bobby Lashley (2006)
Event: Judgment Day 2006 (May 21, 2006)
Location: US Airways Center (Phoenix, Arizona, USA)
Match Length: 9:15
Booker T's victories en route to the final: Matt Hardy, Kurt Angle (forfeit)
Bobby Lashley's victories en route to the final: Mark Henry, Finlay
Aftermath: King Booker ruled over the SmackDown kingdom and became the World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Rey Mysterio at The Great American Bash.
When an intimidating powerhouse like Bobby Lashley tussles with an underhanded and crafty menace like Booker T was as a heel in 2006, then you know you'll be in for a very convincing King of the Ring final. In this one Lashley's hard-charging and dominating offence was on display, and Booker T's cheap tactics as well.
Sharmell made the difference and ensured that Lashley's claim to the throne was thwarted. However, it was was the Irish tough guy Finlay who walloped Lashley with his shillelagh and helped Booker T pick up the victory to become King Booker and lay the groundwork for the best and most revered eras of kingship that the King of the Ring ever birthed.
Match Rating: 7/10
William Regal Vs. CM Punk (2008)
Event: Monday Night RAW (April 21, 2008)
Location: BI-LO Center (Greenville, South Carolina, USA)
Match Length: 4:07
William Regal's victories en route to the final: Hornswoggle, Finlay
CM Punk's victories en route to the final: Matt Hardy, Chris Jericho
Aftermath: William Regal used his power of the King of the Ring and General Manager of RAW to flaunt his power and prestige. Something more would likely have come from his King of the Ring victory were it not for his suspension soon thereafter.
William Regal's ruthlessness really came out in this one, and you could consider this one an upset considering how Regal was usually booked. However, Regal is British, Brits have a monarch, and Regal becoming the sinister king made all the sense.
The match was a rather short but gritty slugfest where Punk's lethal kicks and martial arts sharpness was met with the vicious cunning of Regal. The nasty running knee and the unrelenting Regal Stretch sealed Punk's fate on that night. Shame this one was short though.
Match Rating: 7/10
Jade Cargill Vs. Asuka (Queen Of The Ring 2025)
Event: Night of Champions 2025 (June 28, 2025)
Location: Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 8:35
Jade Cargill's victories en route to the final: Michin, Nia Jax and Piper Niven (Fatal 4 Way Match); Roxanne Perez
Asuka's victories en route to the final: Ivy Nile, Raquel Rodriguez and Stephanie Vaquer (Fatal 4 Way Match); Alexa Bliss
Aftermath: Jade Cargill would face WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton at SummerSlam, where she came up short. Later on, Cargill would capture the WWE Women's Championship after turning heel at Saturday Night's Main Event on November 1st 2025.
The Storm and The Empress of Tomorrow battled in a forceful showdown to become Queen of the Ring, and they both showcased their distinguishing talents. Asuka gave Cargill a really stern challenge as she kept on taking the fight to her cerebrally.
Asuka manage to clinch on submission holds like an armbar and Asuka Lock, but Jade was too strong and resilient on this night and she managed to turn back the Empress of Tomorrow in a hard-fought Queen of the Ring final.
Match Rating: 7/10
Nia Jax Vs. Lyra Valkyria (Queen Of The Ring 2024)
Event: King and Queen of the Ring 2024 (May 25, 2024)
Location: Jeddah Superdome (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 9:40
Nia Jax's victories en route to the final: Naomi, Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair
Lyra Valkyria's victories en route to the final: Dakota Kai, Zoey Stark, Iyo Sky
Aftermath: Nia Jax would go onto SummerSlam to defeat Bayley for the WWE Women's Championship.
Nia Jax is someone who has a bad reputation for her stiff style and causing other wrestlers injuries. However, Nia is definitely a huge force to be reckoned with, kinda like Mabel except Nia has family lineage on her side and she actually became a world champion. Her match with Lyra was very good at showcasing the latter's striking and athletic skillset, whilst also displaying the unbridled power of Jax.
Lyra's swift counters and blitzing barrage of strikes kept Jax frustrated, and it was pleasing to see how Lyra would contend with someone the size of Jax. Ultimately though Jax's power was too much as an errant powerbomb attempt in the corner left Lyra squashed by the Annihilator and Jax took her crown as the 2024 Queen of the Ring.
Match Rating: 8/10
Baron Corbin Vs. Chad Gable (2019)
Event: Monday Night RAW (September 16, 2019)
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tennessee, USA)
Match Length: 19:10
Baron Corbin's victories en route to the final: The Miz, Cedric Alexander, Ricochet and Samoa Joe (Triple Threat Match)
Chad Gable's victories en route to the final: Shelton Benjamin, Andrade, Shane McMahon
Aftermath: Baron Corbin would become known as King Corbin and continue his feud with Chad Gable/Shorty G over the following years.
Say what you must about Baron Corbin, but his match with Chad Gable to crown the 2019 King of the Ring was a fantastic display of what both men are capable of at their best. Corbin launched Gable into the timekeeper's area outside of the ring and onto computer chairs, which was highlight of this match.
The ending with Gable attempting a tilt-a-whirl spike DDT but getting caught and drilled with the End of Days was fantastic as well. Gable's speed was impressive throughout as he tried to topple Corbin's aggressive offence, yet Corbin managed to find ways to shut his momentum down. A really good King of the Ring match, even if the pace might be a bit slow at times.
Match Rating: 8/10
Iyo Sky Vs. Liv Morgan (Queen Of The Ring 2026)
Event: Night of Champions 2026 (June 27, 2026)
Location: Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 14:55
Iyo Sky's victories en route to the final: Giulia, Lash Legend and Roxanne Perez (Fatal 4 Way Match); Raquel Rodriguez
Liv Morgan's victories en route to final: Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss and Chelsea Green (Fatal 4 Way Match); Charlotte Flair
Aftermath: Iyo Sky will challenge Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship at SummerSlam 2026.
The most recent entry on this list, this Queen of the Ring final was essentially given away by Danhausen beforehand when he put a curse on Liv. No matter though, this contest between Liv and Iyo was very good, especially when it came to Iyo's injured knee.
Liv would apply submissions like a half crab and work to destroy Iyo's knee, but the courageousness of Iyo knew no bounds and she fluttered with her graceful and dazzling repertoire of slick, flashy and speedy offence. Iyo would hit a Spanish Fly then her Over The Moonsault to become Queen of the Ring.
Match Rating: 8/10
Sheamus Vs. John Morrison (2010)
Event: Monday Night RAW (November 29, 2010)
Location: Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA)
Match Length: 12:05
Sheamus' victories en route to the final: R-Truth, Kofi Kingston
John Morrison's victories en route to the final: Tyson Kidd, Cody Rhodes, Alberto Del Rio
Aftermath: King Sheamus would carry his king gimmick through his feud with John Morrison. He would lose to Morrison at TLC 2010 in a Ladder Match for a shot at The Miz's WWE Championship before embarking on a losing streak that finally ended when Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan for the United States Championship in March 2011.
The chemistry between Sheamus and John Morrison cannot be denied, and in this King of the Ring final, we certainly discovered the best of both men. Morrison teed off on Sheamus until they were in the corner and Sheamus would kick the injured arm of Morrison. Sheamus used a submission to weaken the arm, and also threw Morrison into the barricade, which inflicted further damaged.
One great moment included Morrison slipping under a Brogue Kick attempt by Sheamus, only to be met with a walloping axe-handle that turned Morrison inside out. More aggressive arm attacks by Sheamus didn't stop Morrison from retaliating stylishly, but a countered Starship Pain led to a Brogue Kick and a High Cross from Sheamus, and The Celtic Warrior would become the 2010 King of the Ring.
Match Rating: 8/10
Brock Lesnar Vs. Rob Van Dam (2002)
Event: King of the Ring 2002 (June 23, 2002)
Location: Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio, USA)
Match Length: 5:36
Brock Lesnar's victories en route to the final: Bubba Ray, Booker T, Test
Rob Van Dam's victories en route to the final: Eddie Guerrero, X-Pac, Chris Jericho
Aftermath: Brock Lesnar would move to SmackDown, where he'd destroy the legendary Hulk Hogan and then beat The Rock in the main event of SummerSlam 2002 to become the youngest WWE Champion in history.
What an amazing match on paper. You have two guys who were rising to the top of the WWE and were doing so impressively but in different ways. With Rob Van Dam you had his electric charisma and fantastic unorthodox martial arts moves, then you have Brock Lesnar who was wrecking everybody on a non-stop march to the top of the company. This King of the Ring match showcased the best of both men and why they're both top-level competitors.
Van Dam's striking frustrated Lesnar and put him on the back foot, but when Lesnar applied his power he was dominating. Van Dam's flurries were effective, and he even hit Lesnar with a Five Star Frog Splash, but Paul Heyman hung him up on the top rope while the referee wasn't looking, though he landed on Lesnar for a pin which got a near fall. Van Dam got some measure of payback by baseball sliding Heyman, after which he attempted a flipping crossbody on Lesnar, but was caught and Lesnar would put him away with an F5 to become the 2002 King of the Ring.
Match Rating: 8/10
Edge Vs. Kurt Angle (2001)
Event: King of the Ring 2001 (June 24, 2001)
Location: Continental Airlines Arena (East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA)
Match Length: 10:20
Edge's victories en route to the final: Test, Perry Saturn, Rhyno
Kurt Angle's victories en route to the final: Hardcore Holly, Jeff Hardy, Christian
Aftermath: Edge's King of the Ring victory was set up to move towards an eventual feud with Christian. Christian's obsession with Edge's King of the Ring trophy (and later Edge's Intercontiental Championship win over Lance Storm at SummerSlam 2001) all led to a heated rivalry. The King of the Ring trophy Edge won was destroyed by Christian after he turned on him.
Kurt Angle pulled triple duty at the 2001 King of the Ring event, and seeing as this final with Edge was secondary to his Street Fight with Shane McMahon later on, you would think that Angle would phone it in or this would be a weaker King of the Ring match. Obviously this definitely wasn't the case, and despite it playing second fiddle, it's still number 5 on this list, which is quite incredible.
Things started amusingly as Angle wanted his former pal Edge to lay down for him to get an easy victory so that he could be physically ready for his match with Shane O'Mac, but Edge was having none of it. Edge attacked Angle and then things got underway in a fast and gratifying way. Angle's belly-to-belly suplex from the inside to the outside of the ring was fantastic, and the way in which Edge took the fight to Angle was pleasing.
Christian came out and tried to help Edge but distracted the ref to prevent a potential 3 count after his partner hit the Edge-O-Matic. Angle eventually slapped on his Ankle Lock, but Shane McMahon slithered into the ring and speared Angle, leading to Edge hitting him with the Impaler to become the new King of the Ring winner.
Match Rating: 8/10
Cody Rhodes Vs. Randy Orton (King Of The Ring 2025)
Event: Night of Champions 2025 (June 28, 2025)
Location: Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 19:45
Cody Rhodes' victories en route to the final: Andrade, Damian Priest and Shinsuke Nakamura (Fatal 4 Way Match); Jey Uso
Randy Orton's victories en route to the final: Aleister Black, Carmelo Hayes and LA Knight (Fatal 4 Way Match); Sami Zayn
Aftermath: Cody Rhodes received his WrestleMania 41 rematch with John Cena at SummerSlam 2025 and regained the WWE Undisputed Championship from Cena in a Street Fight.
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton's history is very well documented, and this match was an excellent representation of their rivalry. Orton was vying to become the king after he came up short the previous year, and Cody wanted to win so he could write the wrongs he made at WrestleMania 41 against John Cena.
The two had a classic match-up worthy of both men's best matches, and fully immersed the crowd in the process. From the chain-wrestling outset to the surprise out-of-nowhere finishers and Orton's attempt to cheat by exposing the top turnbuckle that backfired against him, this match was a long and epic opener which saw Cody Rhodes took his royal place as the 2025 King of the Ring.
Match Rating: 9/10
Gunther Vs. Randy Orton (King Of The Ring 2024)
Event: King and Queen of the Ring 2024 (May 25, 2024)
Location: Jeddah Superdome (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
Match Length: 21:50
Gunther's victories en route to the final: Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Jey Uso
Randy Orton's victories en route to the final: AJ Styles, Carmelo Hayes, Tama Tonga
Aftermath: Gunther would go on to SummerSlam and defeat Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship.
The Ring General versus The Viper is a match where ruthless and cunning wrestling brilliance meets a legend with more to prove to himself. Gunther is an unstoppable force, and his match with Randy Orton allowed him to prove that he was ready to climb to the top of the mountain in WWE.
Randy's persistence with his RKO attempts and punishing Gunther inside and outside of the ring was rivalled by Gunther's nasty chops, controlling submissions and pinpoint attacks that kept giving Orton trouble. The bigger story was the bad knee of Orton, which Gunther took advantage of with a Half Crab that applying straining torque on Orton's back, leg and injured knee.
Orton would drop Gunther with an RKO afterwards, but during the cover Gunther chopped at that knee and pinned him to the mat to win, despite one of Orton's shoulders being up. What a match and what a conclusion!
Rating: 9/10
Hunter Hearst Helmsley Vs. Mankind (1997)
Event: King of the Ring 1997 (June 8, 1997)
Location: Providence Civic Center (Providence, Rhode Island, USA)
Match Length: 19:26
Hunter Hearst Helmsley's victories en route to the final: Crush, Ahmed Johnson
Mankind's victories en route to the final: Savio Vega, Jerry Lawler
Aftermath: Hunter Hearst Helmsley received a WWE Championship opportunity against The Undertaker, but it ended in a disqualification due to Mankind's interference. Helmsley would form D-Generation X with Shawn Michaels, Chyna and Rick Rude shortly after this win and become known as Triple H. Triple H and Mankind would face each other many more times in the years that followed.
Years before their more legendary encounters, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Mankind found themselves on opposite sides of the ring for the 1997 King of the Ring final, a final that showed glimpses of how brutal their future wars would be.
Helmsley and Mankind really played dirty in this encounter with hair pulls, eye pokes and face gouges, but there was also satisfying action outside of the ring as well. Chyna did play her part in involving herself in the match on behalf of Helmsley with the ref's back turned, but this in no way jeopardized how good this match was to watch.
The blue blood Helmsley managed to get the three count when Mankind wouldn't stay down after getting blasted to the outside by a huge running knee, to which Mankind kicked out at a near fall. Triple H would then immediately hit Mankind with the Pedigree and would be crowned King of the Ring.
Match Rating: 9/10
Bret Hart Vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (1993)
Event: King of the Ring 1993 (June 13, 1993)
Location: Nutter Center (Fairborn, Ohio, USA)
Match Length: 18:11
Bret Hart's victories en route to the final: Razor Ramon, Mr. Perfect
Bam Bam Bigelow's victories en route to the final: Typhoon, Jim Duggan
Aftermath: Bret Hart would be confronted by Jerry "The King" Lawler after he put on his regal garb, and then subsequently attacked. The two would then feud over the summer at Bret Hart would lose to Lawler by disqualification because Hart refused to break the Sharpshooter. Bret would then move on to an iconic feud with his brother, Owen.
The original King of the Ring PPV gave us the best King of the Ring final match ever. An injured Bret Hart had a sizable task in front of him in the form of Bam Bam Bigelow. Bigelow used his size and dominance to punish Bret Hart and Bam Bam even pinned Hart 1-2-3, but Earl Hebner argued with the match official to restart the match after Luna Vachon charged down the entrance ramp and planted a chair shot to the
back of The Hitman, then snuck away into the night like a thief.
RELATED: WWF King Of The Ring 1993 Review
This action would lead to Bigelow's downfall as Bret would come back strong with a Russian leg sweep, a turnbuckle bulldog, and he managed to gain the win with a victory roll on the big guy to clinch a King of the Ring win when it all seemed like the odds were stacked against him.
Match Rating: 10/10
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