This week in WWE history: Worst King of the Ring winner, Seth Rollins' career-making match (June 24-June 30)
WWE is doing big things on television and at its premium live events. For example, The Wyatt Sicks recently debuted on Monday Night RAW. Additionally, The Bloodline is reaching new heights on SmackDown.
The company's next premium live events will be taking place in a matter of days, with the main roster's Money in the Bank event and NXT's Heatwave emanating from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 6 and July 7, respectively.
There is a lot to look forward to with two massive shows, but there is also a wealth of pro wrestling history fans can look back on and enjoy. World Wrestling Entertainment has been around for around decades now and there is a vast amount of surviving footage for fans to check out.
Sportskeeda offers a weekly look back at some of the key events, moments, and matches from the promotion's history. This article will tackle four that happened this week in the company's past, including the crowning of arguably the worst King of the Ring.
#4 Mabel shockingly won the King of the Ring on June 25, 1995
The first entry on this week's list is WWE King of the Ring. This pay-per-view aired live on June 25, 1995, from the CoreStates Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nearly 16,000 fans attended the show.
The eight-match card for the show included six King of the Ring Tournament bouts. Mabel defeated The Undertaker and then received a bye to the finals. From there, he defeated Savio Vega to be crowned WWE King of the Ring.
While Mabel was a popular powerhouse, many believe he was the worst King of the Ring in the history of the company. The King Mabel push didn't work, and the company's business was at an all-time low. Still, the big man will forever be remembered as one of the King of the Ring winners.
#3 JBL won the WWE Title at Great American Bash on June 27, 2004
The next entry on this list comes from nearly a decade later. WWE hosted The Great American Bash on June 27, 2004. It took place at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
Under 7,000 fans were in attendance for the SmackDown-branded Premium Live Event. There were eight matches on the main card, featuring John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, The Undertaker, and others in action.
The most notable contest on the card saw JBL defeat Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship in a Texas Bullrope Match. The bout was hard-hitting, and Guerrero reigned supreme until the-then general manager Kurt Angle reversed the decision and JBL was ruled the winner.
#2 The Undertaker and Mankind had a classic at King of the Ring on June 28, 1998
Perhaps the most memorable match in WWE history took place over two decades ago. The company held King of the Ring on June 28, 1998, and it aired live from the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
It became one of the most infamous shows in wrestling history thanks to one key match: Mankind vs. The Undertaker. The two legends revisited their iconic feud from two years ago and clashed inside Hell in a Cell. The Undertaker won in around 17 minutes.
The second-ever Hell in a Cell Match was the most violent and shocking in history. Mick Foley was thrown off of the structure and later Chokeslammed through the cell's roof. It is arguably the most memorable showdown of the Hall of Famers' storied careers.
#1 Seth Rollins won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match on June 29, 2014
The final entry on this list comes from a decade ago. WWE Money in the Bank took place in front of over 15,000 vocal fans. The show was held live from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
This show featured two Money in the Bank Ladder Matches in an era where female competitors weren't in a position to compete in the stipulation bout. Instead, both matches featured male competitors. One of the two matches meant more for WWE's future than the other, however.
Seth Rollins managed to defeat Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and Rob Van Dam to win a contract. He would later go on to successfully cash in during the main event of WrestleMania 31, making far more of an impact than Cena's win, which led to a failed cash-in later in 2014. In many ways, fans could call this a career-making win for Rollins.