Every WWE King Of The Ring Winner Ranked From Worst To Best

6. Gunther (2024)

When Gunther lost the Intercontinental Championship to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40, there really was only one place for him to go: up.

The question was, how should the Ring General ascend to a World championship on the back of losing a mid-card title?

The answer: enter and win the King of the Ring tournament, of course.

Gunther made his way through a traditional 16-man tournament (none of this four-way match BS), reaching the finals at King and Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia, where he faced Randy Orton. The Ring General would topple the Viper and earn not just the crown, but a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam.

Two months later, Gunther defeated Damian Priest to win his first WWE World championship, a title he would hold until WrestleMania 41, when Yeet-a-Mania ran wild on him.

For Gunther, King of the Ring provided a very natural narrative stepping stone, elevating him from IC title to World title, with a nice crown to boot. He carried the crown about for a bit, but once he became World champion, there was no real need to lean on the royalty gimmick.