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

2. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin (1996)

When you talk about career-altering moments, you have to mention 1996’s King of the Ring tournament.

That year, Hunter Hearst Helmsley was reportedly slated to win the tourney, but his spot was abandoned due to the Curtain Call incident. The slot was given to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who would win and launch himself into the next level via KOTR.

Austin defeated Bible-thumping Jake “The Snake” Roberts and then cut his infamous promo that birthed 10 million T-shirts. “Austin 3:16” would soon take WWF by storm, though it wasn’t the instant sensation today’s WWE would have you believe.

Regardless, Stone Cold’s KOTR win provided a huge boost to his career, as he had recently ditched the “Ringmaster” moniker and moved on to the persona that would redefine him. Austin would win the next two Royal Rumbles, turning the 1998 Rumble win into a WWF Championship victory at WrestleMania 14.

But it’s impossible to overstate how gigantic Austin 3:16 was at the time and how one simple promo after winning the KOTR tournament, followed by some fantastic booking (I Quit match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13, anyone?) would blast Stone Cold into the stratosphere.