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

3. Kurt Angle (2000)

Another wrestler whose meteoric push received a shot in the arm from the King of Ring was Kurt Angle, who won the 2000 edition of the tournament.

Unlike Brock Lesnar, Angle’s trajectory was that of an upper-mid-card heel, winning the Intercontinental and European Championships and antagonizing fans with his “3 I’s” speeches throughout late 1999 and early 2000. But when he won KOTR that June, it served as the start of Angle’s main event push.

Your Olympic Hero would secure World title matches, finally winning the WWF Championship in October 2000 by beating The Rock. Angle would remain at or near the top of the card throughout the remainder of the Attitude Era, into the Invasion and beyond.

Today, Angle is regarded as an all-time great with an incredible peak. Nestled right in the middle of that peak is his King of the Ring victory.