10 Classic Wrestling Matches You Didn't Know Bombed

3. Virtually Every King Of The Ring Final

Elimination Chamber Triple H
WWE.com

The King Of The Ring has existed as a petition for as long as it has an institution.

Pleas to being it back are as prevalent on the internet on Jim Ross WWEPPorn Likes. They manifest everywhere: comments sections, Twitter, Reddit. WWE must bring back King of the Ring...

...say the fans that will buy virtually anything, and if that reads as reductive and snarky, just read last year's RAW post-show threads, when Cedric Alexander getting in a minute of shine was apparent proof that he wasn't buried after all!

The King of the Ring continues to exist only in patchy, shrugging, why-not-pal form because it was never a proper drawing card. Fans in the U.S. historically don't gravitate towards tournaments in significant number, much as a great one rules. The King of the Ring existed as the fifth of the "big" WWE pay-per-views between 1993 and 2002, and throughout those 10 shows, only four out-drew one of its competitors in the traditional big four field in the same calendar year.

King of the Ring was an outlier, the consistent weak link in the schedule, and it wasn't a long-term investment, either: those who wore the crown weren't guaranteed stardom, and in Steve Austin, it didn't even suit the man who wore it best.

Kurt Angle and Booker T were tremendous value as comedic kings, but people tended not to fork out money on the promise of an amusing character reinvention.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!