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Best to worse; Bret Hart, Brock Lesnar, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Owen Hart, Randy Savage, Edge, Triple H, Ted DiBiase, Harley Race, Booker T, Billy Gunn, William Regal, Ken Shamrock, Don Muraco and, worst of all, Mabel.
KOTR Winners from Worst to Best
I was thinking today how there have been some KOTR tournament winners that were a complete fucking waste. The object of this thread is to rank the winners from WORST to BEST, based on their post-KOTR pushes and accomplishments. I have Regal as the shittiest KOTR of all time. Not taking away from his abilities. That's not what this is about. The fact is that he fucked up his long-awaited push by getting suspended right after winning the tournament, then went backwards by winning the IC title, and then even further backwards by being lucky if he gets a spot on Superstars.
However, the most frustrating winner for me is Ken Shamrock. 1998 was the year of the Rock. The WWF was high on him and they knew they were gonna put the world title on him within the year. Looking back at it, it just would've made 10x more sense to have the Rock win. If they really believed in Shamrock, he could have waited until 1999's KOTR. What made it worse was that he cut a promo against Triple H the next night and couldn't string a fucking sentence together. Triple H almost broke character and was trying to hold back his laughter in order to keep the segment going in the right direction. Vince was probably facepalming in the back with two hands after that.
Anyway, here's my list, from worst to best. I don't have Sheamus in here because it's still too early to tell where he will go from here. In my opinion though, the first 5 winners on my list were a complete waste.
William Regal - got suspended for 60 days immediately after winning, lost WHC title match to CM Punk, failed to win the silver ECW title several times, eventually became a jobber, waste!
Billy Gunn - lost a "Kiss My Ass" match to the Rock, got put back in his spot as one half of the New Age Outlaws, moved onto form a tag-team with Chuck where he was portrayed as a homosexual, went back to singles action where he mainly wrestled on Velocity before being fired, waste!
Mabel - Immediately lost title match to Diesel, lost to Undertaker, left the WWF, came back and lost to Shamrock in 1998, joined the ministry, won the hardcore championship, became Big Daddy V, nothing noteworthy after that, waste!
Ken Shamrock - Cut a terrible promo the following night on RAW against Triple H, went on to hold IC and tag titles at the same time, briefly feuded with Jericho, then left for the UFC only a year and a half after winning KOTR, waste!
Don Muraco - Feuded with Ricky Steamboat and "Cowboy" Bob Orton, then lost to Dino Bravo before being fired one year later, waste!
Owen Hart - feuded with Bret Hart, formed the Hart Foundation, multi-time IC champion, may have become a world champion eventually, RIP
Harley Race - Feuded with Junkyard Dog, Hulk Hogan, Jim Duggan before leaving the WWF three years later
Ted Dibiase - Introduced Million Dollar title, feuded with Jake Roberts and Bret Hart, debuted Undertaker and Ringmaster Steve Austin
Edge - Went on to hold IC and tag titles but did not win the big one until 3 years after the fact, but has since held 10 world titles
Triple H - After winning, floated around in the IC title division for over 2 years before winning the WWF title
Randy Savage - WWF Championship two times, headlined Wrestlemania
Booker T - Changed entire gimmick to become King Booker and won the WHC the same year, became a Triple Crown champion and eighth Grand Slam champion
Bret Hart - Canadian Icon, legendary feuds with Michaels and Austin, multi-time WWF champion
Brock Lesnar - Had a quick feud with Hogan then won the Undisputed title 2 months after winning KOTR, became one of WWE's biggest stars at that time
Kurt Angle - became a Triple Crown champion and fifth Grand Slam champion, feuded with every main eventer at the time, and put on some of WWE's best matches in history
Steve Austin - Delivered a "defining moment" speech on the night of winning, won the next two Royal Rumbles, won multiple world titles and became arguably the most popular superstar in history
However, the most frustrating winner for me is Ken Shamrock. 1998 was the year of the Rock. The WWF was high on him and they knew they were gonna put the world title on him within the year. Looking back at it, it just would've made 10x more sense to have the Rock win. If they really believed in Shamrock, he could have waited until 1999's KOTR. What made it worse was that he cut a promo against Triple H the next night and couldn't string a fucking sentence together. Triple H almost broke character and was trying to hold back his laughter in order to keep the segment going in the right direction. Vince was probably facepalming in the back with two hands after that.
Anyway, here's my list, from worst to best. I don't have Sheamus in here because it's still too early to tell where he will go from here. In my opinion though, the first 5 winners on my list were a complete waste.
William Regal - got suspended for 60 days immediately after winning, lost WHC title match to CM Punk, failed to win the silver ECW title several times, eventually became a jobber, waste!
Billy Gunn - lost a "Kiss My Ass" match to the Rock, got put back in his spot as one half of the New Age Outlaws, moved onto form a tag-team with Chuck where he was portrayed as a homosexual, went back to singles action where he mainly wrestled on Velocity before being fired, waste!
Mabel - Immediately lost title match to Diesel, lost to Undertaker, left the WWF, came back and lost to Shamrock in 1998, joined the ministry, won the hardcore championship, became Big Daddy V, nothing noteworthy after that, waste!
Ken Shamrock - Cut a terrible promo the following night on RAW against Triple H, went on to hold IC and tag titles at the same time, briefly feuded with Jericho, then left for the UFC only a year and a half after winning KOTR, waste!
Don Muraco - Feuded with Ricky Steamboat and "Cowboy" Bob Orton, then lost to Dino Bravo before being fired one year later, waste!
Owen Hart - feuded with Bret Hart, formed the Hart Foundation, multi-time IC champion, may have become a world champion eventually, RIP
Harley Race - Feuded with Junkyard Dog, Hulk Hogan, Jim Duggan before leaving the WWF three years later
Ted Dibiase - Introduced Million Dollar title, feuded with Jake Roberts and Bret Hart, debuted Undertaker and Ringmaster Steve Austin
Edge - Went on to hold IC and tag titles but did not win the big one until 3 years after the fact, but has since held 10 world titles
Triple H - After winning, floated around in the IC title division for over 2 years before winning the WWF title
Randy Savage - WWF Championship two times, headlined Wrestlemania
Booker T - Changed entire gimmick to become King Booker and won the WHC the same year, became a Triple Crown champion and eighth Grand Slam champion
Bret Hart - Canadian Icon, legendary feuds with Michaels and Austin, multi-time WWF champion
Brock Lesnar - Had a quick feud with Hogan then won the Undisputed title 2 months after winning KOTR, became one of WWE's biggest stars at that time
Kurt Angle - became a Triple Crown champion and fifth Grand Slam champion, feuded with every main eventer at the time, and put on some of WWE's best matches in history
Steve Austin - Delivered a "defining moment" speech on the night of winning, won the next two Royal Rumbles, won multiple world titles and became arguably the most popular superstar in history
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Your title is misleading, because you're going on the fallouts of these victories, and not the talent of the superstars themselves.
Listing William Regal as the worst KOTR winner of all time is absolutely unfathomable.
Listing William Regal as the worst KOTR winner of all time is absolutely unfathomable.
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All you have to do is click into the thread and read the first two lines where I describe exactly what I'm talking about. I'm sure you would do that before replying to a thread anyway.
But in all seriousness, let me stop right there and offer you my sincerest, deepest apologies for the terrible inconvenience I've caused you today. I will endeavor to pack as much detail into my thread titles in future as possible, as an attempt to massage your fears of "entering into the unknown." I will tentatively schedule a time where I can sit down and send a formal request to our forum administrators, requesting that they extend the allowed character length of thread titles so that we can make your day just a little more tolerable. I will be firm but if they do not meet our demands, I will stalk them, buy off a group of protesters, and rally outside their house, and demand that they hear us out. You're not alone anymore, Evo. We're in this together, bro. Tomorrow is a new day.
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Nice try, but your thread can still GTFO.
I'll be sure to make a thread called "World Champions from Worst to Best" to lure people into my thread, trying to convince them that Edge near the lower end of the list because he made an early return at last year's 'Rumble and has been largely poor ever since, while Khali is at the higher end of the list because it was a major money decision for WWE which gave them a major international boost.
I'll see you there.
I'll be sure to make a thread called "World Champions from Worst to Best" to lure people into my thread, trying to convince them that Edge near the lower end of the list because he made an early return at last year's 'Rumble and has been largely poor ever since, while Khali is at the higher end of the list because it was a major money decision for WWE which gave them a major international boost.
I'll see you there.
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You're missing the point.
KOTR is supposed to elevate superstars into the main event, or at least make you more successful than you were before the win. I made my list based on who went backwards, who stayed at the same level, and who actually fulfilled the purpose of tournament by elevating their career. If Khali won KOTR and did something noteworthy afterwards, I wouldn't put him at the bottom in this case.
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I AM SO OUTRAGED BY THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!
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I was referring to you spouting off about world champions but whatever, I'll buy in. Observe the first 2 lines of this thread, and the few that follow, and then explain to all us why you're a fucking idiot with nothing better to do than nitpick because someone's thread title wasn't 110% spot on.
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This.
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I just listed my favourites in order. The most successful post KOTR winner is obviously Austin. Obviously an icon of the sport, revolutionised the industry etc. Worst is either Regal or Mabel. Neither really did much.
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I'm not counting any of the ones that came prior to the PPV. Those events didn't even air on TV, did they?
OK, Best KOTR for me is Bret Hart. It was a fantastic three in one night performance and it was just perfectly done. He was a great first time winner to really establish the tournament for future years.
- Owen was a very good one as well and a great follow up to Bret, especially given the storyline.
- People remember Austin as being a great one, mainly for the promo after he won it. Honestly though, does anybody remember what they did with Austin after he won the KOTR? He spent Summerslam working with Yokozuna on the Free for All. LAME!!! So yeah, WWE took a little longer to capitalize on this one. He was obviously a Plan B as HHH was supposed to win it but was being punished for the Kliq Curtain Call at MSG.
- HHH gets it a year later. Fine winner, but again, they didn't really do much with it outside of just using it as a way to continue the feud with Foley. HHH got more from being Shawn's sidekick in DX.
- Shamrock was AWESOME in the late 90s and I loved watching him. But again, they didn't really elevate him after winning the KOTR. Oh well.
- Angle was a great winner, obviously.
- Edge, another great one.
- Brock earned his title shot at Summerslam through his win and maybe that rule should have stuck, making KOTR kind of the Royal Rumble of the Summer, and as a set up for Summerslam.
Now for the ones I didn't like:
Mabel was the worst BY FAR!!! I mean what the hell?!?!? You have a tournament that includes The Undertaker & Shawn Michaels (who should have won it IMO), and they give the win to Mabel? REALLY?!?! And even worse, the finals is Mabel taking on Savio Vega, who was making his debut with the company that night (OK, his debut as Vega...he was actually Kwang before this). So we basically had a finals with two unknowns and a very underwhelming winner. I can't facepalm hard enough at this, and I can't believe Vince thought it was a good idea to try and make a main eventer out of this guy.
- Billy Gunn was another bust. Honestly, I felt like they dropped the ball with him earlier that year by fucking up his run for the IC Title, but he seems to be the KOTR winner that everyone forgets. Its pretty funny actually.
- Booker T...ok I really had to question this one. Booker was a vet whose best days were behind him, so why give him the win? Also, I hate how the tournament has just become an excuse to dress somebody up like a king instead of actually elevating somebody, or get them a title shot, which is what it should do.
- Regal, same thing. Love the guy, but in 2008, should he be winning big things like this? I mean despite being able to go in the ring, his best days were clearly behind him at this point. He had gone as far as he ever was going to as a star (if he wasn't a World Champ after being on mainstream TV for almost 20 years, then he was never going to make it), so I really didn't get this.
- Sheamus, here we go again. Instead of using the tournament to move him up as a more credible main eventer, they just use it as an excuse to wear a stupid costume... I don't get it.
OK, Best KOTR for me is Bret Hart. It was a fantastic three in one night performance and it was just perfectly done. He was a great first time winner to really establish the tournament for future years.
- Owen was a very good one as well and a great follow up to Bret, especially given the storyline.
- People remember Austin as being a great one, mainly for the promo after he won it. Honestly though, does anybody remember what they did with Austin after he won the KOTR? He spent Summerslam working with Yokozuna on the Free for All. LAME!!! So yeah, WWE took a little longer to capitalize on this one. He was obviously a Plan B as HHH was supposed to win it but was being punished for the Kliq Curtain Call at MSG.
- HHH gets it a year later. Fine winner, but again, they didn't really do much with it outside of just using it as a way to continue the feud with Foley. HHH got more from being Shawn's sidekick in DX.
- Shamrock was AWESOME in the late 90s and I loved watching him. But again, they didn't really elevate him after winning the KOTR. Oh well.
- Angle was a great winner, obviously.
- Edge, another great one.
- Brock earned his title shot at Summerslam through his win and maybe that rule should have stuck, making KOTR kind of the Royal Rumble of the Summer, and as a set up for Summerslam.
Now for the ones I didn't like:
Mabel was the worst BY FAR!!! I mean what the hell?!?!? You have a tournament that includes The Undertaker & Shawn Michaels (who should have won it IMO), and they give the win to Mabel? REALLY?!?! And even worse, the finals is Mabel taking on Savio Vega, who was making his debut with the company that night (OK, his debut as Vega...he was actually Kwang before this). So we basically had a finals with two unknowns and a very underwhelming winner. I can't facepalm hard enough at this, and I can't believe Vince thought it was a good idea to try and make a main eventer out of this guy.
- Billy Gunn was another bust. Honestly, I felt like they dropped the ball with him earlier that year by fucking up his run for the IC Title, but he seems to be the KOTR winner that everyone forgets. Its pretty funny actually.
- Booker T...ok I really had to question this one. Booker was a vet whose best days were behind him, so why give him the win? Also, I hate how the tournament has just become an excuse to dress somebody up like a king instead of actually elevating somebody, or get them a title shot, which is what it should do.
- Regal, same thing. Love the guy, but in 2008, should he be winning big things like this? I mean despite being able to go in the ring, his best days were clearly behind him at this point. He had gone as far as he ever was going to as a star (if he wasn't a World Champ after being on mainstream TV for almost 20 years, then he was never going to make it), so I really didn't get this.
- Sheamus, here we go again. Instead of using the tournament to move him up as a more credible main eventer, they just use it as an excuse to wear a stupid costume... I don't get it.
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Wrong, Shamrock is the worst. Argument accepted.
Shamrock sucked on the mic, decent in the ring and is half responsible for one of the lowest buyrates in WWE history (IYH DX)
I put Shamrock at the bottom of the list on all almost everything cause he sucked.
Shamrock was not "awesome", he was the worst.
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Shamrock is Norris.
If he really wrestled the way he could, every main eventer would be eating through a straw.
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Mable was total :cuss:. That should have been the Shawn Michaels show.
Ken Shamrock was. like Mable, it was obvious he wasn't going to progress above mid card, so why they didn't give that to Rocky is a mystery.
Mr Ass was. The others would have been pointless KOTR's.
William Regal was another. Jericho, MVP or Punk would have better choices.
The other winners between 93 and 2010 ranged from understandable to great choices.
Ken Shamrock was
. like Mable, it was obvious he wasn't going to progress above mid card, so why they didn't give that to Rocky is a mystery.Mr Ass was
. The others would have been pointless KOTR's.William Regal was another
. Jericho, MVP or Punk would have better choices.The other winners between 93 and 2010 ranged from understandable to great choices.
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