The WWE King of the Ring is a men’s professional wrestling tournament organized periodically by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was first held on July 8, 1985, with Don Muraco winning the inaugural edition, and the most recent tournament took place on June 28, 2025, and was won by Cody Rhodes.
The winner is crowned “King of the Ring,” and some wrestlers adopt royal personas afterward. On rare occasions, the winner also received a world title opportunity, notably in 2002 and 2024. The 1996 victory of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin marked a major turning point in his career.
Originally created under the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), the tournament ran annually from 1985 to 2002 (except in 1990 and 1992). Early editions were untelevised, but from 1993 to 2002, it became a pay-per-view event each June. After 2002, it was held intermittently, returning in 2006, 2010, 2015, 2019, and 2021, with matches airing on Raw, SmackDown, or the WWE Network.
In 2024, the PPV returned under the name King and Queen of the Ring, featuring both the men’s and women’s tournaments, with the women’s version (Queen of the Ring) having first debuted in 2021.
Wrestlers with the Most King of the Ring Tournament Wins
Bret “The Hitman” Hart is the only wrestler to win the King of the Ring tournament twice. His first win was in 1991 in Providence, Rhode Island, and his second win was in 1993 in Dayton, Ohio. The first-ever King of the Ring winner was The Magnificent Muraco in 1985 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Other winners include Owen Hart in 1994, Mabel in 1995, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1996. Hunter Hearst Helmsley won in 1997, and Ken Shamrock took the title in 1998. Billy Gunn won in 1999, followed by Kurt Angle in 2000, and Edge in 2001. Brock Lesnar won the tournament in 2002 in Columbus, Ohio, and Booker T won in 2006 in Phoenix, Arizona.
William Regal won in 2008 in Greenville, South Carolina, Sheamus in 2010 in Philadelphia, and Bad News Barrett in 2015 in Moline, Illinois. Baron Corbin became the winner in 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Xavier Woods in 2021 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gunther won the tournament in 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Cody Rhodes was the most recent winner in 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| Winner | Year | Wins | Runner-up | Finals date |
| Bret Hart | 1991, 1993 | 2 | Irwin R. Schyster, Bam Bam Bigelow | September 7, 1991, June 13, 1993 |
| Cody Rhodes | 2025 | 1 | Randy Orton | June 28, 2025 |
| Gunther | 2024 | 1 | Randy Orton | May 25, 2024 |
| Xavier Woods | 2021 | 1 | Finn Bálor | October 21, 2021 |
| Baron Corbin | 2019 | 1 | Chad Gable | September 16, 2019 |
| Bad News Barrett | 2015 | 1 | Neville | April 28, 2015 |
| Sheamus | 2010 | 1 | John Morrison | November 29, 2010 |
| William Regal | 2008 | 1 | CM Punk | April 21, 2008 |
| Booker T | 2006 | 1 | Bobby Lashley | May 21, 2006 |
| Brock Lesnar | 2002 | 1 | Rob Van Dam | June 23, 2002 |
| Edge | 2001 | 1 | Kurt Angle | June 24, 2001 |
| Kurt Angle | 2000 | 1 | Rikishi | June 25, 2000 |
| Billy Gunn | 1999 | 1 | X-Pac | June 27, 1999 |
| Ken Shamrock | 1998 | 1 | The Rock | June 28, 1998 |
| Hunter Hearst Helmsley | 1997 | 1 | Mankind | June 8, 1997 |
| “Stone Cold” Steve Austin | 1996 | 1 | Jake Roberts | June 23, 1996 |
| Mabel | 1995 | 1 | Savio Vega | June 25, 1995 |
| Owen Hart | 1994 | 1 | Razor Ramon | June 19, 1994 |
| Tito Santana | 1989 | 1 | Rick Martel | October 14, 1989 |
| Ted DiBiase | 1988 | 1 | Randy Savage | October 16, 1988 |
| Randy Savage | 1987 | 1 | King Kong Bundy | September 4, 1987 |
| Harley Race | 1986 | 1 | Pedro Morales | July 14, 1986 |
| Don Muraco | 1985 | 1 | The Iron Sheik | July 8, 1985 |
FAQs
Q. Has Triple H won King of the Ring?
A. Yes. Triple H won the King of the Ring tournament in 1997. He beat Mankind in the final match.
Q. Did Ted DiBiase win King of the Ring?
A. Yes. Ted DiBiase won the King of the Ring tournament in 1988.
Q. Has anyone broken Bruno Sammartino’s record?
A. No. Bruno Sammartino held the WWWF Championship for 7 years, a record that has never been broken.
Q. Who was “The Perfect 10” in WWE?
A. Tye Dillinger, also known as Shawn Spears, was called “The Perfect 10” in WWE.
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