10 Best Candidates To Be WWE King Of The Ring 2023

8. Matt Riddle

Sami Zayn WWE King Of The Ring
WWE.com

There's always a slight concern that WWE will go the "comedy" route when someone wins King Of The Ring. That might have something to do with Jerry Lawler's longstanding presentation in the company, or it may have more to do with the fact that the crown/cape/sceptre look is f*cking silly.

Matt Riddle would pull off that blend.

If there's one thing Riddle has shown since debuting on the main roster, it's that he's able to flit between serious pro wrestler and goofy stoner with ease. This even happens in the same segments sometimes, and that's a rare skill. It's very Kurt Angle-ish, actually.

Trips should look no further than Matt if he wants someone who can ham up the 'King' persona, make the stupid outfit work and still credibly convince fans that he should be taken seriously in-ring. Besides, Riddle needs something better to do than pal around with Elias on Raw next year.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.