All 33 June WWE PPV Main Events Ranked From Worst To Best
22. King Of The Ring 2001 (Steve Austin Vs. Chris Benoit Vs. Chris Jericho)
On paper, Steve Austin in a triple threat against Chris Benoit and Y2J seems amazing, but the problem is that such a match occurred during Austin’s failed heel run.
See, the issue with Stone Cold’s heel turn was that nobody wanted him to be a heel. They weren’t tired of him as a babyface, and thus, the turn felt forced. Moreover, with Rock off shooting a movie, there was no one on Austin’s level to oppose him as a top babyface. Benoit and Jericho were certainly two of the most talented wrestlers in the company, no doubt, but in terms of star power, they just weren’t on the level needed for the crowd to buy either one as unseating him. If Stone Cold was a face and either Benoit or Jericho was a heel, this match might actually have some heat, but as is, the crowd are a bit tepid.
The moment they pick up, however, is when Booker T makes his first appearance in the WWF, attacking Austin and putting him through a table. This was right when the Invasion was about to start, so in a way, this match is the calm before the storm.
Too calm, if you ask me, because there’s just not enough heat to make this match interesting.