8 Gimmicks From The Past That Wouldn't Work In Today's WWE
3. The King Of Wrestling
From King Curtis Iaukea in the 1960s and Jerry 'The King' Lawler in the 1970s, to the 'Macho King' Randy Savage of the '80s and the countless King of the Ring winners of the '90s, the regal position of king in wrestling has been around almost as long as the sport itself.
While Jerry Lawler has held the crown for generations, WWE's introduction of the King of the Ring tournament in the '80s gave the World Wrestling Federation its first self-appointed monarch. As a result Harley Race, Haku, and even Jim Duggan all sat on the throne as king, while Randy Savage's run as Macho King is the stuff of legend.
The introduction of the annual King of the Ring PPV made it a staple of the '90s, with a legendary list of winners that included Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Steve Austin, and Triple H. However, the event took a dip in the Attitude Era and the title of king had seemingly lost its appeal.
With the exception of Kurt Angle, the King of the Ring lost its regality from '98 and the winners would no longer incorporate the title of king into their gimmick. Since the PPV was dropped in 2002, the attempted reboots have seen varying success and the "king of wrestling" title is seemingly a thing of the past.