Original subtitles

We welcome you live to the King of the Ring .

Hear ye, hear ye.

Long live the king.

The King of the Ring tournament has always played a massive role

in WWE's illustrious history.

The few superstars that have prevailed demand our respect as

masters of the squared circle.

Having the pride and prestige to carry the mantel of king.

Do you know who is the king?

You're looking at him.

Today, we're holding court, to look back at

some of the greatest matches from the King of the Ring

premium live event throughout the years.

And that's the bottom line,

because Stone Cold said so.

This is WWE's Greatest Moments.

If you smell-

Oh, my God.

What the hell are you doing?

Absolutely unbelievable.

Hulkamania is here.

Welcome, everyone,

to WWE's Greatest Moments.

I'm Michael Cole, and on this edition, we're looking back at

the best of the King of the Ring premium live event.

In 1985, WWE debuted a single elimination wrestling tournament

known as the King of the Ring, where the winner

was awarded the coveted crown.

The king, Harley Race.

Oh, it's King "Hacksaw" Duggan.

Thus, the notion of royalty in professional

wrestling becoming a time honored tradition.

"The Macho King" Randy Savage.

Oh, yeah.

But it wasn't until 1993

when the King of the Ring evolved

into a premium live event of its own.

Beating a gauntlet of superstars and sitting on the throne

is an honor that has launched countless careers

into higher esteem.

King Gunther.

Such was the case in 1997, where two rising stars collided.

Who will be crowned king?

Will it be Mankind or will it be Hunter Hearst Helmsley?

And this is what it's all about.

The finals here at the King of the Ring.

The King of the Ring was a cool moment for me.

There was something to prove for both of us.

Maybe more so for me.

The sky is the limit for the cerebral

Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

The King of the Ring 1997 was really significant

and it just became this great study in contrast.

If it breaks down into a slugfest,

Mankind's got to be the overwhelming favorite.

Working with him and it brought something out more

in me, from aggression or a violent standpoint.

Unbelievable.

Helmsley sets him up for the Pedigree.

Is that enough to beat him?

It is.

That is sick.

When I won it, they gave me a crown.

I just demolished it on Foley afterwards.

Winning King of the Ring put me at a different level.

The 1997 King of the Ring, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

Throughout the 1970s, one of the biggest names

in professional wrestling was the self-proclaimed

king of wrestling, Jerry Lawler.

You should all be down on your hands and knees

and kissing my royal feet.

In 1993, when Bret "The Hitman" Hart won

the King of the Ring tournament, not everyone was in his corner.

There is only one king

in the World Wrestling--.

Lawler attacked the Excellence of Execution

during his coronation ceremony, sparking a rivalry that would

last for years.

Jerry Lawler, you are going

to be the king of nothing.

Heading into the 1995 King of the Ring event,

The Hitman challenged Lawler to one of the most

unique matches in history.

The loser of this match, he's gonna have to kiss

the feet of the winner.

First time ever, kiss my foot match.

As I walked out every night,

I would tell all the fans,

"You people should bow down and kiss my royal feet,"

and so the kiss my foot match came out of that.

Oh, God.

Oh, no.

The kiss your foot match that I had with

Jerry Lawler, I've had a lot of fans tell me it's one

of their favorite matches of mine.

Jerry was one of the greatest villains in wrestling history.

Here comes the Sharpshooter.

Nothing will stop Bret Hart now.

And that's it.

Oh, no.

We had a lot of fun working and we had worked

out a great match.

Open wide, Mr. Lawler.

Kiss my royal foot.

Stuck down in his mouth.

Look at that.

It was so outlandish and so cartoony,

but I dug it so much.

Jerry "The King" Lawler gagging.

Then Bret pretzeling Jerry Lawler.

I had to kiss Bret's feet.

He actually somehow stuck my own nasty foot in my mouth.

It was quite the rivalry.

It was a lot of fun.

Get out.

The world of Sports Entertainment has

provided a wealth of once-in-a-lifetime superstars,

and in 2002, the WWE Universe would bear witness

to the birth of the next big thing, Brock Lesnar.

Look at this monster.

The Beast Incarnate quickly set his sights

on the King of the Ring tournament.

Lesnar wins it.

So, now we know the King of the Ring final later

tonight live here.

Lesnar reached the tournament final,

where he would face "The Whole Dam Show" Rob Van Dam.

And we are ready now, ladies and gentlemen,

to crown the 2002 King of the Ring .

Our final matchup is here and now.

Brock was a rookie by then,

but the guy's just an anomaly in general.

Lesnar is a 6'3", 295-pound machine,

but RVD is so unorthodox.

It was physical.

I felt like I had worked so hard for that moment.

This guy is superhuman.

Oh, look at this.

Uh-huh.

Oh, Lesnar overpowering-

Uh-huh.

Van Dam.

Van dam.

I know that I had that opportunity in front of me,

but if I didn't cease the moment, and-and-and secure

that opportunity, and take it, and fight for it,

it would never be there again.

Wow.

Lesnar just-- he just caught Van Dam in midair.

Oh.

The F5.

Lesnar caught Van Dam in midair, and it's over.

Lesnar's the King of the Ring.

It made me feel good.

I felt great.

I felt on top of the world.

Any fan watching WWE in 2002 thought Brock Lesnar

was the next big thing.

By God, Brock Lesnar looks to be the next big thing.

Has he made a believer out of you now, JR?

The King of the Ring is highlighted by its

prestigious tournament and crown, but other historic

matches have taken place at the event throughout the years.

After finishing his story and becoming WWE Champion-

Cody Rhodes welcomed all challengers

who would vie for a chance to dethrone him.

The American Nightmare's next opponent would be none other

than the Maverick himself, United States Champion,

Logan Paul.

Let's talk about this.

Me knocking you out and walking out of Saudi Arabia

as the WWE Undisputed Champion.

With the WWE Championship at stake,

Rhodes and Paul would head to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

headlining the King and Queen of the Ring premium live event.

The following contest

is for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

He's been an excellent champion, and he will

always be remembered as an excellent champion.

The thing about Cody's story, though, is it's over.

Logan Paul hoping to hold the WWE title

and the United States title at the same time.

Seeing Logan come in there and battle

Cody Rhodes, I think, honestly,

that was a night you had to have a little respect for him.

We're going viral, Jeddah.

Logan from the top rope through Cody.

Damn it.

Cody is crushed.

I'm not sure a lot of people gave Logan Paul a real

chance, but certainly once he hit the Frog Splash through

the table, you had to think there was a chance

he was actually going to get it.

Cover.

We're going to crown a new champion.

No.

Cody kicked.

To be a champion of any kind,

it's not about just winning it, it's about defending it.

Cross Rhodes.

Cody Rhodes, champion.

The match, it was a banger,

it was a doozy and beautiful experience.

Cody Rhodes remains on the top

of the mountain.

At WrestleMania IX, the monstrous Yokozuna stood

victorious, claiming the WWE Championship.

Yokozuna's done it.

Following the match,

a challenge was made to Hulk Hogan.

The pair would immediately regret

that decision as The Hulkster secured his fifth world title.

Hulk Hogan won the title.

I don't believe this.

Their rematch was set for King of the Ring 1993.

I hear the fear in Yokozuna and Mr. Fuji's walk,

brother.

Whatcha gonna do when the strongest force of Hulkamania

runs wild on you?

Championship on the line.

The place was already electric.

It was like we dropped a bomb in the ring.

Look at this.

Yokozuna.

Oh, my God.

Oh.

When Hulk Hogan got in the ring

with Yokozuna, it was already there.

Hulkamania is alive and well in Dayton, Ohio.

Leg Drop.

It's over.

One, two-- Oh, my God.

He can't believe it.

To win, Yoko would do whatever

he needed to do.

They got to get that photographer down.

Oh, my God.

What was that?

His camera exploded-

What the--

right in Hogan's face.

Yokozuna drops the leg on Hogan.

Yokozuna with the leg hooked.

One, two-

Yokozuna.

three.

We got a new champion.

When you beat the golden goose,

and you beat him in that fashion,

that means you've arrived.

Yokozuna has defeated Hulk Hogan

to win the WWE Championship.

You couldn't beat him.

He was undefeatable.

Yokozuna has squashed Hulkamania.

It gave him the momentum he needed to keep

moving forward at a fast pace.

I cannot believe what I have seen.

Being stuck in the shadow of an older

sibling can be tough to maneuver, and no one knew the

meaning of sibling rivalry quite like Owen Hart.

Embroiled in a family feud, Owen was on a mission to prove he

could do anything his older brother Bret

could do but better.

After watching The Hitman become King of the Ring a year prior,

Owen entered the 1994 tournament and looked

to also claim the crown.

I am going to win the King of the Ring.

It's a long way.

Oh, beautiful dropkick.

Hooks the legs.

Oh, he got him.

With a victory over Tatanka in the first round,

Owen was next set to face the high-flying 1-2-3 Kid in one of

the greatest displays of in-ring mastery we've ever seen.

Let the best man win right here.

If there was one thing I remember from that

tournament, it was Owen and Kid.

Those guys had incredible chemistry.

I'm speechless.

I'm at a loss for words.

It is unbelievable.

I remember that match being really high impact.

It was short, but if you watch it, you wouldn't have guessed

that you only watched a four-minute match.

I can't believe what I'm seeing.

There was a lot crammed into that match, man.

We were cooking, man.

Uh, we were at a hell of a pace on that one.

He's going to do it here

at the King of the Ring.

A Sharpshooter by The Rocket.

It's all over.

"The Rocket" Owen Hart takes on "The Bad Guy"

Razor Ramon.

The finals, folks.

What a matchup.

This place is going crazy.

History has been made here.

Owen as King of the Ring showed

what a massive star Owen could be on his own.

I am The King of Harts.

Tonight, I will recreate my Olympic-winning

victory ceremony.

Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle

is no stranger to a challenge.

Kurt, sorry for the interruption.

Oh, wait.

Oh.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God, the Angle Slam from atop the medal stand.

Angle had a score to settle with Shane McMahon.

Shane McMahon, since you happen to be from the

main streets of Greenwich, I, Kurt Angle, challenge you,

Shane McMahon at King of the Ring to a street fight.

Shane McMahon has been playing games

all night long.

Kurt Angle is going to take Shane McMahon apart.

Kurt versus Shane McMahon was probably

my favorite match for a very long time.

It's extremely violent, really chaotic.

Oh, my God.

Wrestling Shane McMahon, he'll do anything,

he is one crazy SOB.

Kurt and I just clicked.

He's always pumped up and excited.

He's extremely intense.

Went after it.

Told a very physical story.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my good God Almighty.

One of the most iconic moments for me is when

Kurt Angle does the overhead belly-to-belly suplex on

Shane McMahon, and the glass doesn't break.

And I can guarantee you that was worse than actually

going through the glass.

Oh, not again.

Oh.

Oh, my God.

Oh, no.

Good grief.

And Shane just keeps landing headfirst

on the concrete.

So, finally, when he just threw him in, I was relieved for him.

Oh, my God.

I still have tons of reminders

of Kurt every morning.

I have all these little scars from going through that window.

Oh, no, it's the Angle Slam from the top.

A real memorable match,

even though it wasn't part of

the King of the Ring tournament.

Obviously, one of the highlights of that King of the Ring

that year.

And it's over.

Mercifully.

I've seen a lot of street fights,

but this one was amazing.

The inaugural King of the Ring event

in 1993 saw Bret "The Hitman Hart"

as the favorite to emerge victorious.

Razor Ramon, I'm the number one seed,

and I got you in the first round.

After a grueling contest

with "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon.

Bret "The Hitman" Hart

will advance in the tournament.

And then another tough bout with Mr. Perfect.

There's the three count.

He beat him.

The Hitman found himself in the finals,

but one more roadblock stood between Bret and the crown.

I have the opportunity

to be the King of the Ring.

Waiting for Hart in the finals was the 6'4",

nearly 400-pound Bam Bam Bigelow.

One of these two men will be

the King of the Ring.

You can tell at the King of the Ring,

I have more confidence than I ever did.

And if anything-

I'm going to prove myself today with three different wrestlers.

I'm going to beat all three of them.

Look at this move.

Oh, my.

Bam Bam was always the most coordinated,

the most skilled, strong, big man.

Bigelow can move.

You can see in this match just what kind

of an athlete Bam Bam was.

There's the headbutt.

Bret against Bam Bam is a really exciting match.

Bret Hart took a beating, people could really feel it.

And again.

Oh, my God.

How much more can this guy take?

That match is a real classic that people don't think

about much anymore.

That's a great match.

Can he get him in a--

Where's he going?

He got him in a victory roll.

He's got the feet hooked.

Oh.

And Bret Hart wins it.

I don't believe it.

Bret Hart wins it.

Bret Hart is the King of the Ring.

He pinned him with a victory roll at the end.

Bret could really show why he was the best wrestler

in the world during that time.

King of the Ring 1993, I'm not going to say

it's Bret Hart's greatest moment, because God,

how do you count them all?

But it's definitely one of them.

Bret "The Hitman" Hart,

the King of the Ring.

During my illustrious career in WWE,

I can tell you that there is one match

that is talked about more than just about any other

in history.

In the 1990s, there was no more physical rivalry than

that of Mankind and The Undertaker.

These two would wage war against each other in some of the most

dangerous matches in WWE history, but nothing could

prepare us for the carnage these two would inflict

on one another.

It happened at the 1998 King of the Ring,

and it was called Hell in a Cell.

What's gonna happen here?

Undertaker fighting back.

He's fighting back.

They're right above us, folks.

I watched these two huge individuals up there.

I had a feeling something bad was gonna happen.

Look out.

Oh, no.

Good God Almighty.

Good God Almighty.

That killed him.

Oh, my God.

As God is my witness, he is broken in half.

I see myself standing

there watching him fall.

He ain't getting up from this.

And the EMTs now are bringing a stretcher here.

I'm thinking to myself, "I don't know if I can,

but if I can, I'm gonna roll off that gurney,

and I'm gonna climb that cell again."

Look.

Look.

And look at--

You're kidding me.

How in the hell is he standing?

Oh, my God.

I had no idea that we were gonna be able to go

back up on top and do the things that we did.

Now, there's a--

If he throws him

up on the other side, there's-- Oh.

Good God.

I hit that mesh, and it just like a hot knife

through butter.

To this day, still missing those teeth.

Oh, my.

Oh.

And he's smiling.

A Chokeslam on the tacks.

And there's the tombstone.

The truth is, no one has ever forgotten that

match and it just continued to grow.

Oh.

As long as I live, I will never forget

what we just witnessed right there.

We've now reached our number one moment.

One that would start the WWE Universe on an unforgettable

ride of a lifetime.

In 1996, the King of the Ring field was stacked.

As we saw the up-and-coming "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

throw his hat in the ring.

Austin plowed through the early rounds, earning himself a spot

on the King of the Ring premium live event.

Steve Austin will win.

Steve Austin will dominate the rest of the tournament.

And after taking down Marc Mero

in the semi-finals, all that stood between

the Texas Rattlesnake and the throne

was another cold-blooded reptile,

Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

How can I lose if I just go out there and know

the power above is reaching down and lifting me up?

But it was the aftermath that would have

the entire world buzzing.

And the Stunner applied again.

One, two and he got him.

Austin is one of the brightest shining stars

in the entire WWE.

Now the coronation begins.

One of the guys who came up to me and he goes,

"Hey, kid, I just want you to know, Jake Roberts,

he cut a religious-based promo on you.

You sit there, and you thump your bible,

and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere.

Talk about your Psalms, talk about John 3:16.

Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass.

That was an authentic honest reaction.

Like, "Oh, God, did he just say that?"

Steve Austin's time has come, and when I get

the shot, you're looking at the next WWE Champion.

I remember thinking halfway through this promo like,

"I'm watching this guy get made."

All of a sudden, there's Austin 3:16 signs

and we realized that there might be something here.

The Austin era has begun.

This crowd is jacked.

It was an opportunity that was presented

to me and I-I grabbed the opportunity

and made the most of it.

And that's the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so.

The words that came out of the mouth of Austin

that night would alter the course of WWE forever.

King of the Ring is a place where legacies have been built

and legends have been made.

A way to determine the best of the best.

Well, that'll do it for this edition

of WWE's Greatest Moments.

I hope you've enjoyed this look back at the best

of the King of the Ring premium live event.