WWE's Biggest Booking DISASTER Every Year (1986-2026)
32. Crowning Mabel King Of The Ring (1995)
It'd be some understatement to say that 1995 was far from the WWF's heyday. By then, Hulkamania was a distant memory, the 'New Generation' was trundling along with Diesel as champ, and Vince McMahon was fresh out of ideas in a steroid-free era whilst simultaneously still being obsessed by pure size.
That obsession led him to decree that bumbling tag wrestler Mabel was the right man to win the '95 King Of The Ring tournament and headline SummerSlam opposite 'Big Daddy Cool'. Realistically, that was never true. Mabel was fine in small doses as part of Men On A Mission, but he wasn't going to pull up any trees as a singles star.
Ever. It just wasn't going to happen. Regardless, McMahon tried to push him to the moon anyway.
KOTR '95 instantly entered the running for worst WWF pay-per-view ever as soon as it finished. The tournament was a disgraceful show of anti-audience booking - Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker were ousted quickly, Savio Vega wrestled more matches in one night than anyone cared to stomach, and then Mabel ended the evening with the crown on his head.
It was all shockingly bad, but SummerSlam's main event was somehow even worse. Mabel injured Diesel, almost got fired backstage, then Vince persisted with his calamitous push anyway even though he was dropping fools like PG era Nia Jax.
Mabel's ascent was duly halted by the end of the year, mercifully. Desperation was rife due to the sheer state of fed business in 1995, but even someone who'd watched 5 minutes of the future Viscera could tell you he didn't have it as a top guy.