A Hall of Famer; a beast - 5 currently active WWE stars who have won WWE King of the Ring
A rumor emerged late last week that WWE King of the Ring could be added to the schedule for 2023. The last two iterations of the tournament took place in 2019 and 2021. In 2021, the round-robin tourney was not a stand-alone premium live event but instead featured matches on both RAW and SmackDown.
Last year's finals took place at Crown Jewel, where Xavier Woods became the last man to win WWE King of the Ring. Fans also saw the Queen's Crown tournament in 2021, which was won by Zelina Vega.
With a replenishing of the roster after Triple H took over creative duties from Mr. McMahon, the potential tournament could have a new look. It could also feature a lot of newer faces.
The tournament could also feature former winners. Here are five former WWE King of the Ring winners that are still active in WWE. Both Booker T and Wade Barrett are also former winners but are not active competitors.
#5. Edge won the event back in 2001
It was over 20 years ago, but the Rated R Superstar is a former WWE King of the Ring winner. Before he branched out and became a multi-time world champion, Edge defeated Kurt Angle in the finals of the 2001 tournament.
The 2001 tournament marked the last event before SmackDown was introduced as a brand.
Edge was a perfect example of how winning the King of the Ring tournament could set a young star up for future success. It's safe to say that The Rated R Superstar certainly took advantage of his momentum.
#4. The Beast won WWE King of the Ring in 2002
When some stars are seen as a huge deal for the future, they are often pushed hard out of the gate. Roman Reigns had that with the Shield and was pushed even harder as a singles star after the faction disbanded.
Before Reigns even graduated from college, his main rival, Brock Lesnar, won WWE King of the Ring in 2002 by defeating Rob Van Dam. With the win, Lesnar earned a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship at that year's SummerSlam.
It also happened to be The Beast's first year on the main roster of WWE. The King of the Ring crown would be just the first of many accolades that Lesnar would add to his resume over his illustrious WWE career.
#3. Sheamus captured the crown in 2010
Like Brock Lesnar in 2002, Sheamus was pushed hard upon his WWE debut in 2009. His first major title win occurred when he defeated John Cena to become WWE Champion in his debut year.
After losing the WWE title, Sheamus would go on to win the 2010 WWE King of the Ring by defeating John Morrison in the finals.
A sidenote from that year's tournament regards other competitors. Current top WWE stars Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes were also a part of the tournament.
#2. Baron Corbin won the tournament in 2019
The best choice to win King of the Ring is usually an obnoxious heel. They like to rub their wins in everyone's faces, and few did that better than Baron Corbin.
After a run as the Lone Wolf and the Constable of RAW, Corbin won the 2019 WWE King of the Ring tournament by defeating Chad Gable in the finals.
The former NFL player notably brought back an entrance where he was carried to the ring on a throne. It paid homage to previous kings like King Haku and Macho Man Randy Savage.
Corbin would later lose the "King" title and his crown to Shinsuke Nakamura after a brief feud.
#1. Xavier Woods was the last person to win WWE King of the Ring
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We're not crying... you're crying. 🙏😭🦄
ALL HAIL KING WOODS! He did it! Xavier Woods is YOUR #WWE King of the Ring winner, defeating Finn Balor in the finals.
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King of the Ring usually includes mid-card and upper mid-card stars. While New Day stablemates Kofi Kingston and Big E had captured major titles in WWE, Xavier Woods was yet to win his own big accolade.
That changed last year when Woods defeated Finn Balor in the finals at the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. Woods played the part brilliantly and even took a page from the Game of Thrones craze that has been a part of pop culture for a decade.
Kofi Kingston accompanied Woods as the Hand of the King. Woods also had royal proclamations before having his crown destroyed by The Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Will Woods defend his crown if King of the Ring comes back next year?