So the King of the Ring is back, and while I wanted to spend the whole article talking about how cool King Mable was, my fellow Inside Pulse buddies informed me that Mable isn’t that cool. (?) I know I don’t get it either. It’s okay because there’s more heel king’s than you can shake a scepter at.
The biggest KOTR winners are the ones that were already blessed blue blooded evil. William Regal’s win was well deserved, but nothing much came of his win. In real life he’d just tested positive for funny pills, and was suspended. Regal’s WCW protege fared far better. Hunter Hearst Helmsley got a lot of mileage out of his 1997 KOTR win in 1997. Backstage, Triple H also got a lot of mileage out of the fact that his 1996 KOTR win was taken away from him. Although Triple H was punished in the Summer of 1996 for taking part in the MSG farewell to the Clique, by fall of 1996 he was the Intercontinental Champ with assurance that he’d be the 1997 King of the Ring.
When Triple H had his win taken away from him in 1996, the winner became Steve Austin. Austin won and gave a crass speech. Before this speech Stone Cold Steve Austin was just the Ringmaster with a different name. After that speech Austin began his turn into a tough loner that would attack his fellow heels as much as attacked the faces.
In 1994 one of my favorite wrestlers won The King of the Ring, Owen Hart. Owen is my favorite heel, and in 1994 he was WWE’s top heel. He only wanted to win the tourney so he could get the WWE Belt off his lousy brother, Bret Hart. Owen was willing to ditch his whole family to be champ, and that makes Owen one of the most ruthless heels in history. The 1994, and 1996 King of the Ring have the two funniest commentaries I’ve ever heard. I recommend watching them both. You’ll see what I mean, and both have Owen some great hijinks. Especially Owen yelling at the crowd, “I’m a king. I’m a king, and you love me!”, as the fans boo the shit out of him.
Enough 90’s nonsense, let’s see some millennial winners, the greatest being Kurt Angle. Like Owen Hart, Kurt Angle was able to be both hated and hilarious. No ones allowed to do that anymore, especially with all the smarks that get all wet for realistic fake wrestling shows. Early in Angle’s career, Kurt’s gimmick was that of an overbearing hero. The best part of Kurt’s 2000 KOTR win was the crown he chose to wear.
The last King of the Ring to win at a PPV, was Brock Lesner in 2002. I remember the IWC hated this outcome. Looking back on it, I think Brock got IWC heat because we thought he was another protected muscle head. Everyone knew his background, but many felt he wasn’t ready. Apparently Steve Austin thought Brock wasn’t ready because he walked out rather than lose to Brock in the tournament. I feel Brock was ready to beat Austin because Austin was wrestling on borrowed time anyway. I don’t believe talent needs to pay their dues, or any of that bullshit. Brock would win the KOTR in 2000, and go on to beat The Rock for the WWE Championship at SummmerSlam.
I saved my best King for last. Booker T’s 2006 win turned Booker T into King Booker, or “Booka”. Booker began speaking with the worst English accent ever, and managed to get William Regal, and Finley as his lackeys. Not a bad stable of talent. Booker also added his real life wife as, Queen Sharmel. This led to her also acting like an arrogant Brit. This group ruled The Smackdown Brand with an iron fist until Booker lost to Batista, and the stable imploded. You know like how any wrestling stable implodes when the leader loses the big match?
The Heel of the Week is Sheamus
Heel Notes
5) Naomi’s sunglasses, and music is horrible
4) Sheamus needs to join the Authority already.
3)it’s racist to suggest that Mark Henry, and R-Truth need to join New Day.
2) How awesome is New Day? I love that Big E takes it personally about the clapping.
1) Eva Marie hasn’t taken the spot of whatever Indy moron the IWC feels should be in the WWE. So they need to take the masagony pants off. She was just put in the ring too early. It’s happened before. It also worries me that there are men that find the 12 year old looking, AJ Lee hotter than Eva Marie. Weirdos.
