WWE: The top five King of the Ring tournament winners so far

1. Steve Austin

When most fans think of the King of the Ring tournament, the first name that comes to mind is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. His win over Jake “The Snake” Roberts in 1996 wasn’t just a career-defining moment for him. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it changed everything.

During the most memorable coronation at the event, Austin delivered the promo that put him on the map and spawned the “Austin 3:16” catchphrase. The rest is history.

“Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your [expletive]” became one of the most famous lines in professional wrestling history. “Stone Cold” went on to become a megastar and herald the most lucrative period in the industry to date.

Of course, Austin didn’t become WWE World Champion right away and the “Attitude Era” wasn’t in full effect yet. However, this win and the promo that followed was absolutely the catalyst. It propelled “Stone Cold” into the main event picture and he never looked back.

He immediately entered a feud with Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation. In the following year, Bret infamously left WWE for WCW. Austin went on to win the Royal Rumble in 1998 and defeat Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania to XIV to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion—which led to his legendary rivalry with Vince McMahon.

That’s our list. What do you think? Feel free to drop a comment below with your favorite King of the Ring winner.