A member of WWE’s roster could join the likes of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Booker T as King of the Ring next year.
The King of the Ring tournament began in 1985 with Don Muraco becoming the first King, with the first televised event seeing Bret Hart claim the crown in 1993.
WWE’s most recent King is Xavier Woods, who defeated Finn Balor at Crown Jewel 2021.
Good to be the King
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that WWE is considering bringing back the iconic tournament in 2023.
Rather than in recent years, when only the finals would be on a Premium Live Event, the reported plan is for there to be an official King of the Ring event.
WWE canceled the KOTR Pay-Per-View after 2002’s event reportedly due to drawing weak numbers.
Nowadays, Pay-Per-View buys are no longer the metric WWE uses to gauge a show’s success, as money is guaranteed by Peacock, allowing for more unique shows.
A Throne Fit for a Queen
In the report, it is also noted that WWE is looking to bring in a Queen of the Ring tournament as well.
In 2021, WWE held its first ‘Queen’s Crown Tournament,’ but avoided using the term ‘Queen of the Ring.’
At Crown Jewel that year, Zelina Vega, who’d returned to WWE months prior, defeated Doudrop to become the first Queen.
Vega defeated current AEW Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm in the quarter-finals and future tag-team partner Carmella in the semis to advance.
