WWF / WWE King Of The Ring Results
For nearly a decade, the King of the Ring was used to propel the best of the WWF into superstardom, thus elevating them to the upper echelon of the roster. While Bret Hart’s win in 93 further established his spot in the company, future wins by Owen Hart, Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Edge, and Brock Lesnar were a sign of future successes by each.
King of the Ring 93 – Dayton, OH – Nutter Center – June 13, 1993 (8,000; sell out; 7,000 paid)
Papa Shango pinned Owen Hart
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross, Randy Savage, & Bobby Heenan on commentary:
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Bret Hart pinned Razor Ramon at 10:27 by reversing a back suplex off the top and landing on top for the win
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Mr. Perfect defeated Mr. Hughes (w/ Harvey Wippleman) via disqualification at 5:59 when Hughes hit Perfect with the Undertaker’s urn
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Jim Duggan at 5:00 with the flying headbutt after Duggan hit the turnbuckle chest-first
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Tatanka fought Lex Luger to a 15-minute time-limit draw; prior to the bout, officials forced Luger to wear a protective pad over his steel-plated forearm; moments thereafter, after Tatanka had made his entrance, he pushed Luger’s full-length mirror onto his opponent, cracking it; after the match, Luger removed the padding and knocked Tatanka out with the running forearm
KOTR Semi-Finals: Bret Hart pinned Mr. Perfect at 18:55 by reversing a small package; after the bout, Perfect reentered the ring to shake Hart’s hand (The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, Was, and Ever Will Be)
Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji) pinned WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan (w/ Jimmy Hart) at 13:10 to win the title following a belly to belly suplex and leg drop after a photographer at ringside shot a fireball into the champion’s face; although never revealed on TV, it was Harvey Wippleman in costume who was acting as the photographer (Hogan’s last TV appearance in the WWF for nearly 9 years) (Greatest Wrestling Stars of the 90s, The Best of King of the Ring)
The Smoking Gunns, Rick & Scott Steiner defeated the Headshrinkers (w/ Afa), WWF Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase & IRS at 7:02 when Billy Gunn pinned Dibiase with an inside cradle
WWF IC Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Diesel) pinned Crush at 11:13 with a superkick to the back of the head, sending Crush head-first into the corner, as the challenger was distracted by two Doinks at ringside (Shawn Michaels: Hits from the Heartbreak Kid 95)
KOTR Finals: Bret Hart pinned Bam Bam Bigelow at 18:18 with a victory roll after kicking Bigelow in the face as he ran into the corner; Bigelow originally won the match via pinfall at 9:24 with the flying headbutt after Luna Vachon came ringside and hit Hart over the head with a steel chair but another referee disputed the decision and ordered the match to continue; after the bout, Jerry Lawler interrupted Hart’s coronation and attacked him with the scepter and throne after Hart referred to him as the Burger King (The Best of King of the Ring)
King of the Ring 94 – Baltimore, MD – Arena – June 19, 1994 (12,000; sell out)
Sparky Plugg pinned Kwang
Pay-per-view bouts – Ricky Medlock performed the National Anthem to begin the show; included NFL Hall of Famer Art Donovan as guest commentator alongside Gorilla Monsoon & Randy Savage; Vince McMahon was to have been among the announce team but underwent surgery for a herniated disc:
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Razor Ramon pinned Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Luna Vachon) at 8:24 with a scoop slam off the top from behind as Bigelow attempted the moonsault
KOTR Quarter-Finals: IRS pinned Mabel (w/ Oscar) at 5:34 with his feet on the ropes
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Owen Hart pinned Tatanka at 8:18 by blocking a sunset flip
KOTR Quarter-Finals: The 1-2-3 Kid pinned Jeff Jarrett at 4:39 by blocking the figure-4 with an inside cradle; after the match, Jarrett attacked the Kid until several officials pulled him away
WWF IC Champion Diesel (w/ Shawn Michaels) defeated WWF World Champion Bret Hart (w/ Jim Neidhart) via disqualification at 22:51 when Neidhart broke the cover following the powerbomb; Michaels had interfered moments earlier, hitting Hart from behind with the world title belt which prompted Neidhart to make the save; after the bout, Diesel and Michaels continued to pound on Hart while Neidhart left ringside immediately after the bell had rung; Bret had announced weeks earlier that he would have a family member at ringside but did not let on that it was Neidhart (Neidhart’s return after a 2-year absence) (Bret Hitman Hart: The Dungeon Collection)
KOTR Semi-Finals: Razor Ramon pinned IRS at 5:13 with the Razor’s Edge
KOTR Semi-Finals: Owen Hart defeated the 1-2-3 Kid via submission with the Sharpshooter at 3:37
WWF Tag Team Champions the Headshrinkers (w/ Afa & Cpt. Lou Albano) defeated Yokozuna & Crush (w/ Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) at 9:16 when Fatu pinned Crush with a kick to the face after Lex Luger distracted Crush from ringside
KOTR Finals: Owen Hart pinned Razor Ramon at 6:35 with a elbow drop off the top after Jim Neidhart attacked Razor at ringside, hitting a clothesline and sending him into the steel ring post; during the post-match coronation, Owen proclaimed himself the King of Harts (1994 Year in Review, The Best of King of the Ring)
Roddy Piper pinned Jerry Lawler at 12:30 with a back suplex (1994 Year in Review, Legends of Wrestling Collection, Legends of Wrestling: Jerry Lawler and the Junkyard Dog)
King of the Ring 95 – Philadelphia, PA – CoreStates Spectrum – June 25, 1995 (16,590; 14,181 paid)
Sunday Night Slam:
KOTR Qualifying Match: Savio Vega (w/ Razor Ramon) pinned IRS (w/ Ted Dibiase) at 4:01 with a spin wheel kick; this bout was made at the last minute to fill the vacancy left due to Razor Ramon’s rib injury, sustained against Jeff Jarrett two weeks earlier
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon & Dok Hendrix on commentary; a young Matt & Jeff Hardy opened the entrance door for the wrestlers during the show:
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Savio Vega (w/ Razor Ramon) defeated WWF Tag Team Champion Yokozuna (w/ Jim Cornette & Mr. Fuji) via count-out at 8:24 after Yoko ran into the ring post as Razor Ramon held off WWF Tag Team Champion Owen Hart from ringside
KOTR Quarter-Finals: The Roadie (w/ WWF IC Champion Jeff Jarrett) pinned Bob Holly at 7:30 after lifting a boot into Holly’s face as he came off the top
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Shawn Michaels fought Kama (w/ Ted Dibiase) to a 15-minute time-limit draw; after the bout, Michaels hit the superkick on Kama
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Mabel (w/ Mo) pinned the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) at 10:44 with a leg drop after Kama interfered and kicked the Undertaker in the back after he hit the chokeslam on Mabel
KOTR Semi Finals: Savio Vega (w/ Razor Ramon) pinned the Roadie (w/ WWF IC Champion Jeff Jarrett) at 6:36 with a roll up after sending him into Jarrett on the ring apron
Bret Hart defeated Jerry Lawler with the Sharpshooter at 9:20 in a Kiss My Foot match after outside interference from Hakushi backfired; after the bout, Hart forced Lawler to kiss his feet before having him kiss Lawler’s own feet (Legends of Wrestling Collection, Legends of Wrestling: Jerry Lawler and the Junkyard Dog, The Best of King of the Ring)
KOTR Finals: Mabel (w/ Mo) pinned Savio Vega (w/ Razor Ramon) with a powerslam and splash at 8:32; after the match, Men on a Mission beat up both Razor Ramon and the returning 1-2-3 Kid; Razor, Savio, & the Kid were held back by officials during the coronation that followed (the Kid’s surprise return after a 2-month absence)
WWF World Champion Diesel & Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Psycho Sid & Tatanka (w/ Ted Dibiase) at 17:35 when Diesel pinned Tatanka with the powerbomb after Sid walked out of the match
King of the Ring 96 – Milwaukee, WI – Mecca – June 23, 1996 (8,762; sell out)
Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Aldo Montoya at 3:00
Free For All: Skip & Zip (w/ Kloudy) defeated Marty Jannetty & Leif Cassidy at 8:06 when Skip pinned Cassidy with a roll up after Kloudy entered the ring behind the referee’s back and kissed Cassidy on the lips (Kloudy’s debut) (Free For All)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, & Owen Hart on commentary:
King of the Ring Semi-Finals: Steve Austin pinned Marc Mero (w/ Sable) at 16:49 with the Stunner after using an over-the-head throw, dropping Mero throat-first on the top rope; after the match, Austin went to the emergency room and had 16 stitches put in his upper lip (Mero’s first TV loss)
King of the Ring Semi-Finals: Jake Roberts defeated Vader (w/ Jim Cornette) via disqualification at 3:34 when Vader grabbed the referee and pulled him into Roberts as Roberts hit the DDT; after the match, Vader brutally attacked Roberts, hitting several Vader Bombs, as Cornette held back the referee
WWF Tag Team Champions the Smoking Gunns (w/ Sunny) defeated Henry & Phinneas Godwinn (w/ Hillbilly Jim) at 10:10 when Billy Gunn pinned Phinneas after Bart used his boot as a weapon
The Ultimate Warrior pinned Jerry Lawler at 3:50 with a series of clotheslines and a shoulder block after no-selling Lawler’s piledriver (Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology)
Mankind defeated the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) at 18:21 with the Mandible Claw after Paul Bearer accidentally hit Taker with the urn (The Undertaker’s Most Dangerous Matches, The Top 25 WWE Rivalries)
Ahmed Johnson pinned WWF IC Champion Goldust (w/ Marlena) with a spinebuster and the Pearl River Plunge to win the title at 15:34 after the champion tried reviving Ahmed with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (The Best of King of the Ring)
King of the Ring Finals: Steve Austin pinned Jake Roberts with the Stunner at 4:28; early in the bout, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon came out to check on Roberts, after he had been injured in the semi-finals, and to see if he wanted to go through with the match or give up; Roberts opted to continue; during the coronation speech held immediately after the bout, Austin coined the phrase “Austin 3:16” as an injured Roberts was helped backstage (Jake “The Snake” Roberts: Pick Your Poison, Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time, The Best of King of the Ring, History of WWE)
WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels (w/ Jose Lothario) pinned Davey Boy Smith (w/ Jim Cornette & Diana Hart Smith) at 26:25 with the superkick after an elbow off the top; after the match, Ahmed Johnson and the Ultimate Warrior saved the champion from Owen Hart, Smith, and Vader; Mr. Perfect was the original referee for the title bout but was made the outside referee before the bout by WWF President Gorilla Monsoon, while Earl Hebner was the official inside the ring (Shawn Michaels: Heartbreak & Triumph, The Best of King of the Ring)
King of the Ring 97 – Providience, RI – Civic Center – June 8, 1997 (9,312)
Free For All: The Headbangers defeated Bart Gunn & Jesse Jammes at 6:06 when Bart was pinned after a legdrop off the top
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included an in-ring promo by Bret Hart, accompanied by WWF IC Champion Owen Hart, WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith, Jim Neidhart, & Brian Pillman, in which he said he would soon be cleared to wrestle and would lead the Hart Foundation against any team of five men at the next pay-per-view, Canadian Stampede, on July 6 in Calgary; Hart then went to join the commentary team for the WWF Tag Team Champion Steve Austin vs. WWF Tag Team Champion Shawn Michaels match but there was no room because of the broken announce table caused in the King of the Ring finals; moments later, Gerald Brisco, Tony Garea, Dave Hebner, and Pat Patterson ordered the Hart Foundation backstage; featured Dok Hendrix conducting a backstage interview with Austin regarding his upcoming match with Michaels; after Austin left to go out to the ring, he passed the Hart Foundation, who had to be held back by referees and officials; included Hendrix conducting an interview with Michaels regarding his upcoming match with Austin:
KOTR Semi Finals: Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/ Chyna) pinned Ahmed Johnson at 7:18 with the Pedigree after knocking his opponent into the corner as Ahmed had a staredown with Chyna
KOTR Semi Finals: Mankind defeated Jerry Lawler with the Mandible Claw at 10:22 as Lawler attempted to turn a backdrop into a roll up
Goldust (w/ Marlena) pinned Crush (w/ the Nation) with a DDT at 9:54
WWF IC Champion Owen Hart, WWF European Champion Davey Boy Smith, & Jim Neidhart defeated Psycho Sid & the Legion of Doom at 13:00 when Owen pinned Sid with a sunset flip off the top as Sid attempted to powerbomb Smith
KOTR Finals: Hunter Hearst Helmsley (w/ Chyna) pinned Mankind with the Pedigree at 19:24 after hitting the Pedigree through the commentary table with Chyna then smashing the sceptor over Mankind’s head (Triple H: The King of Kings, The Best of King of the Ring)
WWF Tag Team Champion Steve Austin fought WWF Tag Team Champion Shawn Michaels to a double disqualification at 22:28 after Austin hit the Stunner on referee Tim White and Michaels superkicked referee Mike Chioda before Earl Hebner stopped the match; early in the match, a Special Olympian made it past the barricade, with security stopping him and Michaels briefly going to the floor to make sure he was OK; moments later, Michaels returned to the floor to escort the man and security to the aisle, with the man’s mother running out to watch him as well; after the match, Austin attempted to come off the middle turnbuckle with one of the title belts but Michaels saw him coming and avoided it; two more referees, Pat Patterson, and Tony Garea then came out to break up the fight; Michaels and Austin then left the ring together, neither man trusting the other (The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Best of King of the Ring)
WWF World Champion the Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) pinned Farooq (w/ the Nation) with the tombstone at 13:45 as Farooq was distracted by the members of the Nation arguing on the floor; after the bout, the champion rid the ring of the Nation and was ordered by Paul Bearer to hit three chokeslams on Farooq; Ahmed Johnson eventually came to the ring and hit the Pearl River Plunge on the champion as a sign for him to stop listening to Bearer
King of the Ring 98 – Pittsburgh, PA – Civic Arena – June 28, 1998
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary:
The Headbangers & WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Taka Michinoku defeated Mens Teioh, Sho Funaki, & Dick Togo (w/ Yamaguchi-san) at 6:41 when Taka pinned Funaki with the Michinoku Driver after the Headbangers tossed their parnter onto Funaki
KOTR Semi-Finals: Ken Shamrock defeated Jeff Jarrett (w/ Tennessee Lee) at 5:29 via submission to the ankle lock after a running Frankensteiner
KOTR Semi-Finals: WWF IC Champion the Rock pinned Dan Severn at 4:25 after D-Lo Brown interfered and hit a frog splash on Severn as the Godfather and Mark Henry distracted the referee; the Rock was accompanied to the ring by the Godfather and Henry but they were forced backstage before the match began
Brian Christopher & Scott Taylor defeated Al Snow & Head at 8:27 when Brian Christopher pinned Head after attaching a bottle of Head & Shoulders shampoo to the prop, as Snow had Taylor pinned with the Snow Plow; Jerry Lawler was the special referee for the match; had Snow won the match he would have earned a WWF contract
X-Pac (w/ Chyna) pinned Owen Hart at 8:30 after Chyna interfered and hit the DDT on Hart as he had the Sharpshooter applied, while Vader and Mark Henry brawled on the floor
WWF Tag Team Champions Billy Gunn & the Road Dogg (w/ Chyna) defeated NWA Tag Team Champions Bob Holly & Bart Gunn (w/ Jim Cornette) at 9:54 when the champions dropped Holly throat-first over the top rope after Chyna hit a low blow on Cornette; only the WWF titles were on the line in the match
KOTR Finals: Ken Shamrock defeated WWF IC Champion the Rock via submission to the ankle lock at 14:09 following a single leg takedown (The Best of King of the Ring)
The Undertaker pinned Mankind in a Hell in a Cell match at 17:38 with the tombstone after dropping Mankind with an electric chair and chokeslam onto a pile of thumb tacs inside the ring; the match began on the roof of the cage where, 90 seconds into the contest, Taker threw his opponent off the top through the Spanish announce table on the floor; moments later, EMTs, Terry Funk and WWF officials Vince McMahon, Sgt. Slaughter, Tony Garea, and Dave Hebner came out to check on Mankind and to load him onto a stretcher; nearly 8 minutes later, Mankind pulled himself off the stretcher and scaled the cage to continue the match; less than 20 seconds later, the Undertaker hit a chokeslam on the roof of the cage, resulting in Mankind falling through the roof, hitting the mat, and being legitly knocked out by a steel chair which fell inside the ring on top of him; EMTs and officials again swarmed the ringside area where Taker hit a chokeslam on Terry Funk in order to buy Mankind time to recover his senses; voted Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Match of the Year and named Pro Wrestling Torch’s Match of the Year (Mick Foley: Greatest Hits & Misses, Tombstone: The History of the Undertaker, Hell in a Cell, The Best of King of the Ring, For All Mankind: The Life and Career of Mick Foley)
Kane (w/ Paul Bearer) defeated WWF World Champion Steve Austin in a First Blood match to win the title at 14:52 after the Undertaker accidentally hit Austin with a chair; the Undertaker came to the ring to stop the interference of Mankind; had Kane not won the title, he would have set himself on fire (The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane)
King of the Ring 99 – Greensboro, NC – Coliseum – June 27, 1999 (19,761; announced at 20,108; sell out)
Meat defeated Kurt Angle
Sunday Night Heat – featured an in-ring confrontation between the Road Dogg, Triple H & Chyna in which Chyna hit a low blow on Road Dogg and helped Triple H in double teaming him; included a closing segment in which the Rock cut an in-ring promo on facing the Undertaker in the main event, with Taker then appearing on the big screen, a Brahma Bull symbol lowering from the ceiling, and then catching on fire as a sign of things to come for the challenger for the WWF World Title:
Matt & Jeff Hardy fought Edge & Christian to a no contest at 1:28 when the Acolytes interfered and attacked both teams before Bradshaw challenged Billy Gunn to a match for the following night on Raw; Shawn Michaels immediately booked a rematch between the two teams for later in the night with the winners becoming the #1 contenders to the tag titles
Mideon & Viscera defeated the Big Bossman in a handicap match at 1:47 when Mideon pinned Bossman
Albert pinned Val Venis in a streetfight at 1:57
Ken Shamrock fought Shane McMahon (sub. for Vince McMahon) to a no contest at around the 43-second mark when Steve Blackman attacked Shamrock with his kendo stick and repeatedly hit him with it to the point where Shamrock began bleeding from the mouth
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included an in-ring promo by Vince McMahon, noting that Shane McMahon, due to injuries sustained in his match with Ken Shamrock during Sunday Night Heat, would not be competing and as a result the ladder match main event would not happen; after Commissioner Shawn Michaels came out to say the match would indeed happen, Vince said that by Michaels’ own ruling he was allowed to pick a suitable replacement for Shane; later in the show, Michaels kicked Triple H out of the arena, knowing Vince was going to use him as Shane’s replacement:
KOTR Quarter-Finals: X-Pac defeated Hardcore Holly via disqualification at 3:01 after Holly brought a steel chair into the ring and hit X-Pac over the head with it; after the contest, Holly continued to assault his opponent with a neckbreaker and several stomps until the Road Dogg made the save and cleared Holly from the ring
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Kane pinned the Big Show at 6:36 after hitting Show over the head with a steel chair; earlier in the bout, Hardcore Holly interfered with the chair and attempted to hit Show with the weapon until Kane cleared him from the ring
KOTR Quarter-Finals: Billy Gunn defeated Ken Shamrock at 3:34 when referee Teddy Long stopped the match after Gunn blocked a hurricanrana into a powerbomb, causing Shamrock to cough blood after injuries he sustained earlier in the evening from Steve Blackman; after the bout, Shamrock threw Long to the floor
KOTR Quarter-Finals: The Road Dogg pinned Chyna at 13:20 with the pumphandle slam after Chyna injured herself while attempting to hit a low blow, with Road Dogg then revealing he was wearing a protective cup; Triple H was in Chyna’s corner for much of the bout but was sent backstage by Commissioner Shawn Michaels during the closing moments when Triple H attempted to interfere
Matt & Jeff Hardy (w/ Michael Hayes) defeated Edge & Christian (w/ Gangrel) at 4:49 when Jeff pinned Edge with the Twist of Fate after Gangrel accidentally sprayed Edge in the face with red fluid; stipulations stated the winners would become the #1 contenders to the tag team titles (Allied Powers)
KOTR Semi-Finals: Billy Gunn pinned Kane at 5:26 after the Big Show came ringside and hit Kane over the head with a steel chair as Kane attempted to drag Gunn back inside the ring
KOTR Semi-Finals: X-Pac pinned the Road Dogg at 3:08 with a kick to the midsection and the X-Factor after avoiding the pumphandle slam; after the bout, Road Dogg hugged X-Pac and the two men left together
WWF World Champion the Undertaker pinned the Rock at 19:47 with the tombstone after Triple H interfered and hit the Pedigree on the challenger as Rock used the champion’s own ether-soaked rag on Taker (Tombstone: The History of the Undertaker, The Best of King of the Ring)
KOTR Finals: Billy Gunn pinned X-Pac at 5:33 after hitting a Fameasser off the middle turnbuckle; Gunn wore one of the tag team title belts to the ring for each of his three matches, claiming he was the rightful owner after helping defend the belts on Raw the previous Monday
Vince & Shane McMahon defeated Steve Austin in a ladder match at 17:11 when Shane grabbed the briefcase after pushing both Austin and his father off; prior to the bout, Vince introduced Steve Blackman as Shane’s replacement but moments later GTV showed Shane and the Mean Street Posse backstage, gloating over convincing Shawn Michaels that Shane was unable to compete; moments later, Michaels forced Shane to wrestle and ordered Blackman backstage and if either man refused the order he would disqualify Vince and award the match to Austin then and there; Austin had the match won moments earlier bur the chord that attached to the briefcase was raised, taking it out of arm’s reach until it was later lowered for the McMahons; due to pre-match stipulations, Vince & Shane won 100% control of the WWF (Mr. McMahon, Ladder Match 2: Crash & Burn, The Top 25 WWE Rivalries)
King of the Ring 00 – Boston, MA – FleetCenter – June 25, 2000 (17,651; sell out)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included Mick Foley at WWF NY (Foley’s surprise return after being gone since WrestleMania); featured footage from the previous night’s event at Madison Square Garden in which Jerry Lawler interviewed Donald Trump at ringside
KOTR Quarter Finals: WWF IC Champion Rikishi defeated Chris Benoit via disqualification in a non-title match at 3:24 when Benoit, while in full control of the match, went out to the floor and returned with a steel chair, hitting Rikishi twice with it; after the bout, Benoit locked Rikishi in the Crippler Crossface while the ring became filled with officials, including Sgt. Slaughter and Tony Garea; moments later, Benoit released the hold only to go up top and drop a diving headbutt before briefly reapplying the hold
KOTR Quarter Finals: Val Venis (w/ Trish Stratus) pinned WWF European Champion Eddie Guerrero (w/ Chyna) in a non-title match at 8:04 with a side elbow to the face, while in a waist lock, followed by a kick to the midsection and a fisherman suplex
KOTR Quarter Finals: Crash Holly pinned Bull Buchanon at 3:52 with a la magistral cradle after Buchanon failed the scissors kick
KOTR Quarter Finals: Kurt Angle pinned Chris Jericho with the Olympic Slam at 9:52; late in the bout, WWF Women’s Champion Stephanie McMahon came ringside as Angle was trapped in the Walls of Jericho, distracting referee Teddy Long as Angle tapped out; moments later, Long was knocked down, allowing Stephanie to enter the ring and accidentally hit Angle with the women’s title belt; Jericho then kissed Stephanie on the lips and, while he was celebrating, then sustained the Olympic Slam from Angle
Edge & Christian defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty & Grandmaster Sexay, Matt & Jeff Hardy (w/ Lita), and Test & Albert (w/ Trish Stratus) in an elimination match to win the titles at 13:48; Matt pinned Test at 3:42 following the Swanton by Jeff after Test hit Matt with a pumphandle slam and Jeff knocked Albert to the floor as he attempted to break the cover; Christian pinned Matt with the Unprettier at 7:57 after Matt attempted the Twist of Fate on Edge; Edge pinned Grandmaster following a belt shot to the back of the head from Christian after Grandmaster hit the Tennessee Jam; prior to the bout, Edge & Christian did a 5-second pose in tribute to the Bill Buchner error from the 86 World Series (You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge)
KOTR Semi Finals: WWF IC Champion Rikishi pinned Val Venis (w/ Trish Stratus) in a non-title match at 3:17 by catching Val coming off the top and hitting a belly to belly suplex; after the bout, Trish jumped on Rikishi’s back but he easily threw her to the ground and then set her up for the Bonzai Drop, only to have Val make the save by landing a low blow; moments later, Val threw the ring steps into the ring and rammed them into Rikishi’s already injured shoulder, then smashed his arm with a steel chair as it was laid across the steps
KOTR Semi Finals: Kurt Angle pinned Crash Holly at 3:57 with the Olympic Slam after dropping Crash throat-first across the top rope
Crash Holly pinned WWF Hardcore Champion Pat Patterson to win the title at 2:48 following a garbage can shot to the head after interfering in Patterson’s title defense against Jerry Brisco in a hardcore evening gown match
X-Pac & the Road Dogg (w/ Tori) defeated the Dudley Boyz in a handicap tables / dumpster match at 9:46; DX originally won the match at 4:44 but the referee was distracted by Tori who was knocked down on the opposite side of the ring; when X-Pac & Road Dogg brought the referee in the ring to show them they had put the Dudleyz in the dumpster, the dumpster was empty as the Dudleyz had escaped from the side, snuck around the ring, and attacked DX from behind; Bubba Ray put Road Dogg through a table at 7:34 with a powerbomb from the steel ring steps inside the ring, over the top, and through two tables on the floor; D-Von put X-Pac through a table with a superplex through a table set up in the ring at 8:41; DX won when Tori ran and hid inside the dumpster, with the Dudleyz distracted long enough for X-Pac and the Road Dogg to come up behind them and hit duel chair shots to the head, knocking Bubba Ray and D-Von into the dumpster for the win; after the bout, the Dudleyz hit the 3D on both X-Pac and Road Dogg before Bubba Ray hit a sit-down powerbomb off the top on Tori through a table set up in the ring
KOTR Finals: Kurt Angle pinned WWF IC Champion Rikishi in a non-title match with a belly to belly suplex off the top at 5:58 (The Best of King of the Ring)
The Rock, the Undertaker, & Kane defeated WWF World Champion Triple H (w/ WWF Women’s Champion Stephanie McMahon), Vince & Shane McMahon at 17:55 when Rock pinned Vince with the Rock Bottom as Vince ran the ropes in hopes of hitting his own People’s Elbow; late in the bout, Kane prevented the Rock from hitting the People’s Elbow on Vince and hit a chokeslam on him, then hitting the tombstone on Triple H before Taker pulled him out of the ring and hit him over the head with a steel chair; moments thereafter, Taker hit a chokeslam on Shane from the top rope through the ringside commentary table; due to pre-match stipulations that stated if a member of Triple H’s team was pinned, the winner of the fall would win the title, the Rock became the new champion; had Triple H’s team won, the winner of the KOTR would have received a world title shot at Fully Loaded (The Best of King of the Ring)
King of the Ring 01 – East Rutherford, NJ – Continental Airlines Arena – June 24, 2001 (announced at 19,000+; 16,024; sell out)
Sunday Night Heat – featured Lillian Garcia interviewing Spike Dudley & Molly Holly backstage in which Spike challenged WWF Tag Team Champions the Dudley Boyz to face he and a partner of his choice during the show:
WWF European Champion Matt Hardy pinned Justin Credible at 7:03
Pay-per-view bouts – included Jim Ross & Paul Heyman on commentary; featured an opening segment in which Diamond Dallas Page came through the crowd to cut an in-ring promo saying he would beat the Undertaker in his own yard and the following night on Raw he would be the first WCW wrestler to step foot in Madison Square Garden; DDP then showed a sign he brought with him, which read “Make Me Famous” and with an arrow pointed towards him, and then took a ringside seat to await the Undertaker; included Heyman interviewing DDP at ringside, during which footage was shown on the big screen of DDP earlier in the day with the implication that the Undertaker was responsible for filming it; featured additional footage of DDP shot earlier in the day; included Billy Gunn at WWF New York in which he complained about being a former King of the Ring but not even getting a spot in this year’s tournament; featured DDP cutting a second in-ring promo, after having to watch footage of himself throughout the show, in which he called out the Undertaker; moments later, footage of DDP arriving to the arena was shown with the camera person turning the lens around to show it was Sara, with she then saying it was time for DDP to become famous; moments later, the Undertaker came out and dominated a brawl over DDP for several minutes – with Sara coming out with a camcorder to record the confrontation – until Page eventually escaped through the crowd:
King of the Ring Semi-Final Match: Kurt Angle pinned Christian at 8:17 with an Olympic Slam into the ring after Shane McMahon, who came ringside late in the bout, pulled Christian out of the ring after he hit the Unprettier; it was later revealed Shane caused Angle to win the match so he would have to wrestle twice before their scheduled streetfight later in the night
King of the Ring Semi-Final Match: Edge pinned Rhyno at 8:54 with a DDT after Rhyno hit an exposed middle turnbuckle while attempting the Gore
WWF Tag Team Champions the Dudley Boyz defeated Spike Dudley & WWF IC Champion Kane at 8:33 when Bubba Ray pinned Spike with the 3D after D-Von avoided the Dudley Dog; after the bout, Kane hit a powerbomb on D-Von and a chokeslam through a table on Bubba Ray
King of the Ring Finals: Edge pinned Kurt Angle with a DDT at 10:20 after Shane McMahon came through the crowd and speared Angle after the referee was knocked down; prior to the bout, Angle cut an in-ring promo telling Edge the right thing for him to do would be to forfeit the match so that Angle could be fresh when he fought Shane later in the show, with Edge then attacking Angle in response; late in the bout, Christian briefly came ringside and accidentally distracted the referee as Edge had Angle covered (The Best of King of the Ring)
WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy pinned X-Pac at 7:12 with the Swanton after shoving the challenger off the top; X-Pac originally won the match at 6:06 with the X-Factor but the referee noticed the champion’s foot on the rope and had the match continue (The Best of King of the Ring)
Kurt Angle pinned Shane McMahon in a streetfight at 25:58 following an Olympic Slam off the top, as Angle stood on a piece of wood laid across the top rope; late in the bout, Angle shattered part of the entrance stage by suplexing Shane through one area and then throwing him head-first through another; after the match, McMahon was helped backstage by referees (The Best of King of the Ring)
WWF World Champion Steve Austin defeated Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit at 27:50 by pinning Benoit when Benoit seemingly knocked himself out after dropping Jericho with a back suplex off the top; late in the bout, WCW World Champion Booker T came out of the crowd to attack Austin on the floor before putting him through the Spanish announce table and leaving back through the crowd when security came down to grab him; pre-match stipulations stated that if Austin lost the match his partnership with Vince McMahon would be over; rumors going into the match said that if Benoit or Jericho were to win they would jump to WCW with the championship (Benoit’s last match for 13 months; Booker T’s surprise debut)
King of the Ring 02 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena – June 23, 2002
Matt & Jeff Hardy defeated Raven & Steven Richards at 6:02 when Jeff pinned Richards
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary:
King of the Ring Semi-Finals: WWE IC Champion Rob Van Dam pinned Chris Jericho in a non-title match at 14:32 with the Five Star Frog Splash after knocking Jericho off the top and crotching him on the ropes; after the bout, Jericho attacked RVD during an in-ring interview (Rob Van Dam: One Of A Kind)
KOTR Semi-Finals: Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned Test with the F5 at 8:18
Jamie Noble (w/ Nidia) pinned WWE Cruiserweight Champion the Hurricane to win the title at 11:38 with a powerbomb
Ric Flair pinned Eddie Guerrero at 17:00 after Bubba Ray Dudley came through the crowd and hit the Bubba Bomb on Guerrero as the referee was sending an interfering Chris Benoit backstage
Molly Holly pinned WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus to win the title at 5:41 with a roll up and using the tights for leverage
Kurt Angle defeated Hulk Hogan via submission with the ankle lock at 12:08 after avoiding the legdrop (The Best of King of the Ring)
KOTR Finals: Brock Lesnar (w/ Paul Heyman) pinned WWE IC Champion Rob Van Dam in a non-title match by catching RVD coming off the top and hitting the F5 at 5:42 after interference from Heyman; due to pre-match stipulations which stated the winner of the KOTR tournament would earn a world title shot at Summer Slam, Lesnar was made the #1 contender (The Best of King of the Ring)
WWE World Champion the Undertaker pinned Triple H at 23:44 with a low blow and roll up after interference from the Rock, who did guest commentary for the bout; after the match, the Undertaker laid out both the Rock and Triple H; late in the contest, Triple H sustained a legit injury which led to a rushed impromptu finish of the match