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Coming off of SummerSlam, the WWE has hit the ground hard with an announcement that will rock the foundation of both Raw and SmackDown. The WWE Universe was essentially promised changes over the summer once it was announced that Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff would be heavily involved with both Raw and SmackDown. It seems we may have seen the first big move from them, as the company revealed tonight that the King of the Ring Tournament would be making a return.
What is the King of the Ring Tournament?
The King of the Ring Tournament has been sporadically used in the WWE since 1985, where the first King, Don Muraco, was crowned. However, the first man to officially name himself "King" was the legendary Hall of Famer, the late Harley Race, dubbing himself King Harley Race. Several Superstars would come to follow in Race's footsteps, most notably Booker T who, as King Booker, quickly found himself on top of the SmackDown brand as the World Heavyweight Champion.
KOTR is a fantastic way for competitors who haven't had many chances in the main event to get a shot at elevating themselves and, hopefully, breaking the glass ceiling that they find themselves under. Many Superstars have claimed that they're always trying to grab the brass ring, and winning the sixteen-man tournament is definitely a way to do so, and capture the attention of both the WWE Universe and those backstage.
Aside from Muraco and Race, many legendary wrestlers have been crowned as the King of the Ring. Men such as Kurt Angle, Edge, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and more have catapulted themselves into stardom using the tournament.
What to expect from the King of the Ring?
Tonight, the WWE announced that the King of the Ring Tournament would finally be making its return. It's been four years since we saw a Superstar sporting the crown and robe, but next week we'll begin our journey to determine the next King.
The King of the Ring tournament gave Stone Cold Steve Austin the launching pad he needed to become the legend that he is today, cutting the "Austin 3:16" promo after besting Jake Roberts in the finals back in 1996. For many performers hoping to grab that brass ring, they'll get that opportunity on August 19th.
