'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Once considered one of the highest honours for WWE Superstars, the King of the Ring has returned, for the first time since 2015.
The 16-man, one-on-one single-elimination tournament made the careers of several huge Superstars like Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, and Brock Lesnar.
Samoa Joe, Cedric Alexander, Elias and Andrade have already progressed to the next round of this year's tournament, after winning their respective matches on RAW and SmackDown Live. There are several favourites to win the tournament this time, but we should gear ourselves up for a surprise winner at Clash of Champions on September 15 as well.
Over the years, several major Superstars have donned the crown and robe of the King. We look at the last five winners, and where they are now.
#1 Bad News Barrett (2015)
In an all-English final, Bad News Barrett from Preston beat Neville from Newcastle to claim the title of King Of The Ring.
This iteration of the tournament was held over two nights, with the finals being a WWE Network special only, which reduced some of the viewership. Nevertheless, Barrett's way to the top was very impressive and was well paved by WWE. The final against Neville was a great contest, with the match ending when Neville missed the Red Arrow and Barret brought him down with the Bull Hammer.
But after that, his gleam in the WWE seemed to wane away, and the five-time Intercontinental Champion soon left the company in 2016.
He negotiated an early release from his contract to get into the acting industry. Barrett revealed he wanted to try different things after it didn't work out for him as he had wanted in WWE. Between 2017 to 2018 he appeared in What Culture Pro Wrestling and World of Sport in the UK, and then later he became a part of ITV's World of Sport show.
#2 Sheamus (2010)
The Celtic Warrior defeated John Morrison in the finals to become the 19th King of the Ring winner. Morrison entered the match with a bad shoulder, which was injured against Alberto del Rio in the semi-finals. Sheamus took full advantage of the injured arm throughout the match and then brought him down with a Brogue-kick to the face.
A four-time WWE Champion, a two-time United States Champion, a four-time Tag-Team Champion, a Money-In-The-Bank winner and a Royal Rumble winner, Sheamus is one of the most accomplished Superstars in WWE. He was a part of the tag-team 'The Bar' with Cesaro till Wrestlemania 35, but since then we haven't seen much of him.
There were talks about Sheamus retiring due to an injury, but in a recent interview, former WWE Superstar Dave Batista revealed that he's not hanging up his boots yet, and we expect him to make his return soon.
#3 William Regal (2008)
It came as a surprise for everybody when the then General Manager of Monday Night Raw, William Regal, won the King of The Ring. The WCW legend used his authority as the General Manager to induct himself into the tournament and faced Hornswoggle in the first round whom he beat in about fifteen seconds.
Regal faced CM Punk in the finals, and not many would have expected Regal to beat Punk in that match. The King afterwards went on to win the Intercontinental Championship but his time in the ring didn't last very long, as soon he had to quit after losing in a loser-gets-fired match against Mr Kennedy.
Regal became the new General Manager of NXT in 2014. Since then, he has had an important part in recruiting and scouting talent at NXT, many of whom have gone on to become WWE Superstars. He became a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, he even appeared in several matches in NXT. He's now the Director of Talent Development and the Head of Global Recruiting for WWE.
#4 Booker T (2006)
No one can forget the iconic King Booker, with the crown on his head, the royal robe down his shoulders and the World Heavyweight Championship belt around his waist. Booker T beat Bobby Lashley in the finals on Judgement Day, in which he was aided by typical distractions and interferences from Sharmell and Finlay.
An 11-time WCW Tag Team Champion and a six-time World Champion, Booker T left WWE in 2007 but returned in the biggest Royal Rumble in WWE history in 2011. He became the General Manager of SmackDown Live in 2012, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. You could hear his familiar voice in the commentary on Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live and pay-per-view events. The legend also recently gave his thoughts on the King of the Ring tournament this year.
#5 Brock Lesnar (2002)
Since breaking through to the scene in 2002, Brock Lesnar has gone on to become one of the greatest Superstars in WWE. Within three months of his in-ring debut, The Next Big Thing defeated Rob van Dam to not only win the 2002 King of The Ring but also a shot at the Undisputed title in the following SummerSlam.
Lesnar has come a long way since then. Returning to WWE in 2012 after a spell in UFC, he's had a string of incredible achievements. He ended the Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania 30, humiliated the then 15-time World Champion John Cena in one of the most one-sided title matches ever seen, and held the record of the longest reigning Champion in WWE history.
Lesnar recently lost his Universal Title to Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.There were talks of him getting a rematch, but it seems The Beast will have to wait before he can get another title shot. But whenever he does return, he will surely bring with him a world of carnage and pain for his would-be target.
Who's your pick to win this year's King of The Ring?
