WWE’s Royals: The Line of Kings!
Our resident philosopher and historian, Jay Shannon, looks at the various Kings that have claimed the title over the past 35 years.
On Monday, April 21, 2008, William Regal defeated C.M. Punk, cleanly, to win this year’s King of the Ring tournament. The tournament has been a semi-regular event within the WWE. Each winner has had the right to claim the title of King. In addition to the 17 men who have won the tournament, there have been 3 others who have used the royal title. In this edition of Legends, I want to evaluate each King.
1. Don Muraco (1985)
He won the first King of the Ring tournament. The former Intercontinental champion never really promoted his royal title. He was the most low-key of the regals.
Suited to be a royal: C
2. Harley Race (1986,1988)
Harley won the second King of the Ring tourney. He also enjoyed a second reign, two years later. The second reign had nothing to do with the tournament. Race had the feel of a king. Harley was one of the best wrestlers of all time. To have him draped in purple velvet and sporting a crown just seemed so right. He is the most regal of all the royals.
Suited to be a royal: A+
3. Randy Savage (1987, 1989)
Randy was near the pinnacle of his WWE career when he won the King of the Ring tournament. He would use that win to elevate himself to the World title, the following year. With his Queen, Elizabeth, by his side, Randy rode the wave of super-stardom for all it was worth.
Two years later, Randy transformed into the Macho King after taking the honorary title from “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. That created royal position had started with Harley Race. When Race left the WWF, the title went to Haku, who lost it to Duggan. The Macho King was a fun character but he had the wrong Queen at his side. Sherri Martel was just a total mis-match with Savage.
Suited to be a royal: A-
4. Ted DiBiase (1988)
The WWE massively dropped the ball with DiBiase’s King of the Ring victory. DiBiase was so wrapped up in his Million Dollar Man gimmick that he barely acknowledged the title.
Suited to be a royal: C
5. King Haku (1988)
Haku was granted the honorary King title after Harley Race left the WWE. Haku had actually worked in the WWF as King Tonga, originally. Haku wore the purple robe and crown that Race had worn. Haku kept his royal moniker until being upset by “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan.
Suited to be a royal: B+
6. Tito Santana (1989)
Like DiBiase, Santana royal win was barely noticed. The WWE could really have pushed the Spainish heritage angle. He could have been promoted as the decendant of Queen Isabella or someone like her.
Suited to be a royal: C-
7. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (1989)
Duggan never won the King of the Ring tournament. He became royalty by dethroning Haku. Duggan, always the mid-carder, was only a royal for a short time. His reign was simply a joke to bridge from Haku to Savage. He was an awful royal.
Suited to be a royal: D
8. Bret “The Hitman” Hart (1991, 1993)
Hart was the first person to win the King of the Ring tournament twice. Hart celebrated the win as being the best wrestler, not a royal persona. This was another situation of WWF missing the mark. Hart could have strolled to the ring in a pink and black robe. His crown could have been adorned with gold hearts.
Suited to be a royal: B
9. Owen “The King of Harts” Hart (1994)
Owen got it right when he won the tournament. Unlike his brother, Owen embraced his royal appointment. He strutted around like a member of the aristocracy. He placed himself in a superior position to others. He was an excellent monarch.
Suited to be a royal: A
10. Mabel (1995)
The man who would one day transform into Viscera, and later Big Daddy V, was an odd sight in royal purple. Winning the King of the Ring was actually the pinnacle of Mabel/Viscera/Big Daddy V’s career. That says a great deal about a man who has spent the better part of the last 15 years in a WWE ring.
Suited to be a royal: B
11. Steve Austin (1996)
The Redneck Royal began his Austin 3:16 era at that year’s King of the Ring. He faced off against Jake “The Snake” Roberts in the finals. After destroying the injured Roberts, Austin cut a seriously twisted promo on Roberts. He berated Roberts for his religious conversion. It was the creation point for one of the biggest stars of all time, but the royalty angle was ignored.
Suited to be a royal: C-
12. Hunter Hearst Helmsley/HHH (1997)
Hunter was set up as a snobby, upper-class aristocrat by the WWE, early in his career. He was the perfect choice to become a royal. According to HHH in the King of Kings DVD, he absolutely refused to wear the crown and robe. HHH actually destroyed two different crowns over the head of Mick Foley.
A few years later, HHH would adopt a Conan-esque look when he began calling himself the King of Kings. As the top man in the industry, the new name suited him, perfectly. As the heir apparent to the McMahon legacy, through his marriage to Stephanie, HHH will likely take over as the King of the WWE, someday.
Suited to be a royal: A
13. Ken Shamrock (1998)
The Most Dangerous Man Alive was a great competitor. He was lousy as a King. He basically ignored the entire royal win. He just moved forward and dominated the competition. Shamrock never rose much above the mid-card level, but he did dominate that area of the roster.
Suited to be a royal: D
14. Billy Gunn (1999)
The Man of 1000 Names added King to his list of noms de guerre in 1999. He did not, however, embrace the royal attitude. He just remained the same D-X-oriented character that he still employs.
Suited to be a royal: C-
15. Kurt Angle (2000)
Kurt was at the height of his career when he took the title in 2000. Kurt had the royal attitude, even though he didn’t strut around in robe and crown. He moved on from the kingly win to face off against the top men in the company.
Suited to be a royal: B+
16. Edge (2001)
Edge had begun working the singles division after a fantastic run with his “brother” Christian in the tag team division. Winning the King of the Ring helped to really launch Edge to super-stardom. Edge really played up the regal mentality for some time. Actually, he still does.
Suited to be a royal: A-
17. Brock Lesnar (2002)
Brock was the Ultimate Warrior of the 21st century. He was in the middle of a massive push when he took the crown. He barely acknowledged his royalty. He was absolutely dreadful as a King.
Suited to be a royal: F
18. Booker T (2006)
After a lengthy retirement, the King of the Ring tournament was resurrected in 2006. Booker T became the most enjoyable of all the royals. He not only embraced his regal position, he turned into a whole new persona. His voice changed to employ a fake British accent. Sharmell became his queen. Booker took the “Macho King” gimmick of Randy Savage and pushed it to level of absolute perfection. He was the best of all the Kings.
Suited to be a royal: A+
19. William Regal (2008)
He’s been a Lord and a Sir. It is only logical that he would eventually become a King. His win over Hornswoggle diminished his rise to royal supremacy, but his domination of Finlay and C.M. Punk redeemed him.
It is still too early to tell how well Regal will embrace the King title. With his on-going aristocrat character, it is likely that he will push the monarch angle to levels close to that of King Booker. He will likely feud with Jerry “The King” Lawler and “The King of Kings” Triple H over the royal title.
Suited to be a royal: A
20. Jerry “The King” Lawler (1974-present)
On July 24, 1974, Lawler won a match that not only garnered him the AWA Southern Championship but also the title of King of Wrestling. It was that title that provided the concept behind the King of the Ring tournament that the WWE now uses.
While Don Muraco is officially credited as the first King of the Ring, Lawler actually would have a legitimate claim to the honor as first King of the Ring. Lawler has carried a crown with him for almost 35 years now. He is the longest reigning royal in the world of wrestling.
Suited to be a royal: A+
In Conclusion:
There have been tons of wrestlers who have utilized aristocratic titles. There have been Princes, Lords, Sirs, Princesses and Queens. The title of King should be granted to only the top men in the business. Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund never won the title of King. There just seems to be something flawed about a system that can elevate unworthy men to royal positions. Of course, art often imitates history.
– Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(4/29/08)
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