Guest GameCop Report post Posted March 3, 2003 According to PWTorch.com, WWE has decided to do away with the King of the Ring PPV in June, which is also the first RAW PPV. After 10 years of history, the tournament and PPV title will be gone. WWE apparently feels that the PPV's allure is gone and the tournament itself wasn't a draw to begin with. The KOTR PPV joins the list of casualties that include the Intercontinental title and WWF brand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HartFan86 Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Wow....that sucks, but the point of the tournament lost it's feeling right around 98, so I'm kinda glad it's gone. It ran its course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest razazteca Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Wow and to think this could of been the perfect PPV to bring back a secondary title like the US Champ or TV Champ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Good...It really had no honor and prestige and served no purpose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Eagan469 Report post Posted March 3, 2003 somewhere, Mabel weeps... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Quik Report post Posted March 3, 2003 But... now how does Vince "elevate" the guys he's allready hellbent on getting over? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Youth N Asia Report post Posted March 3, 2003 unless it gets the person a Summerslam title shot it's about worthless anyway....they don't always go through with a push on the guy who wins anyway. Ah well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted March 3, 2003 I'd love to see them have a KOTR tourny at one of the England shows just to make those shows meaningful... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mole Report post Posted March 3, 2003 That makes me sad. I like the KOtR PPV idea, but not so much the PPV. I think KOtR is ALWAYS bad, and hasn't had one decent show. Even in the best year for the WWE, 2000, had a terrible KOtR. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JHawk Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Did they ever think the tournament could have drawn if A) they stuck with the three round format (1993 and 1994 are still the best two ever) and B) if they didn't bastardize the damn thing with Mabel winning it and Rikishi making the finals with Benoit and Guerrero both being gone early. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest D'Lo White Report post Posted March 3, 2003 This is good because I had a feeling we were going to see a Test vs Batista final this year. I can hardly remember who even won the last few years. The winners didn't make a big deal about it and they didn't even wear a crown. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JMA Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Yay! The tournament lost all its diginity after Bret and Owen won. Everyone after that was a letdown. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Wait...I wouldn't call Austin's win a Let down... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ISportsFan Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Did they ever think the tournament could have drawn if A) they stuck with the three round format (1993 and 1994 are still the best two ever) and B) if they didn't bastardize the damn thing with Mabel winning it and Rikishi making the finals with Benoit and Guerrero both being gone early. Yeah, definitely. Look at what 2000 could have been if they didn't screw it up. Crappy bracketing followed by crappy booking followed by a crappy main event that could have been the best wrestling-wise PPV ever, with 3 Benoit/Angle/Jericho/Eddy matches (at least 2 for each). Whatever. Jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Youth N Asia Report post Posted March 3, 2003 I'm bored...quick history lesson, past KOTR winners: 1993: Bret Hart 1994: Owen Hart 1995: Mable 1996: Steve Austin 1997: Triple H 1998: Ken Shamrock 1999: Billy Gunn 2000: Kurt Angle 2001: Edge 2002: Brock Lesnar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Eagan469 Report post Posted March 3, 2003 shit - I forgot Shamrock won Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Youth N Asia Report post Posted March 3, 2003 2000 pissed me off cause they had Rikishi get hurt at the end of his first two matches. So while Rikishi looked great to last with Kurt, it's like Kurt didn't do anything special cause he beat a wounded man. Although Kurt's antics on Raws and whatnot were great. Kurt talking to Taka and Funaki (not word for word) KURT: "I'm the King. Which is similar to that of your emperor...or head ninja." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JMA Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Wait...I wouldn't call Austin's win a Let down... Well, everyone besides Bret, Owen, Steve Austin, Triple H and Kurt Angle was a letdown. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Youth N Asia Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Wait...I wouldn't call Austin's win a Let down... Well, everyone besides Bret, Owen, Steve Austin, Triple H and Kurt Angle was a letdown. so besides...half of them. That's not really such a bad thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RedJed Report post Posted March 3, 2003 I dont see how this is a good idea. The last 3 years had winners that they have elevated pretty strongly in Edge, Lesnar, and Angle. This is an excuse for them to elevate someone and not give up on them unless the actual worker gives up on them (like a Billy Gunn for example) Whatever though, at least the brand split will be more even now. "2000 pissed me off cause they had Rikishi get hurt at the end of his first two matches. So while Rikishi looked great to last with Kurt, it's like Kurt didn't do anything special cause he beat a wounded man." I think they were just trying to add a story to that match. He obviously proved he was worthy of the title when he beat Rock for the WWF belt just months later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Will Scarlet Report post Posted March 3, 2003 It kind of sucks that it will be gone. I always loved concept PPV's. Of course, it was often called a horrible PPV most years, so maybe it's a good thing. Then again, it will be a Raw PPV, so it will probably end up being a horrible PPV anyway, so I doubt much will change. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted March 3, 2003 I dont see how this is a good idea. The last 3 years had winners that they have elevated pretty strongly in Edge, Lesnar, and Angle. This is an excuse for them to elevate someone and not give up on them unless the actual worker gives up on them (like a Billy Gunn for example) Angle wasn't really Elevated here since he was already an Main eventer, dispite any Claims from AS...It was all just to add his list of accomplishments... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest papacita Report post Posted March 3, 2003 2000 pissed me off cause they had Rikishi get hurt at the end of his first two matches. So while Rikishi looked great to last with Kurt, it's like Kurt didn't do anything special cause he beat a wounded man. Well Jake was like half-dead when Austin beat him in the 96 finals, and look how fondly he's looked upon in KOTR history. I don't think Rikishi's "injury" hurt Kurt's image any. As for KOTR being scrapped...I dunno. The past couple of year's, they've pretty much half-assed the tournament, and it no longer has meaning it once had. But they if they're doing this to ensure that Raw and Smackdown have an equal amount of PPV's between them, wouldn't it have been easier to just scrap one of the IYH shows? I mean, it's not like we really need Armageddon or Vengeance or whatever the hell they're calling the December show this year. I can't remember them ever having a good one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JHawk Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Don't forget that the tournament itself has been in existence since 1985 and has only been on PPV since 1993. So, much like the Intercontinental Title, they're more or less shitcanning 18 years of history. Although it could be cool to say I was at the last King of the Ring ever... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Retro Rob Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Considering that show hasn't been booked properly in over 8 years, I'm glad it's gone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Bruiser Chong Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Don't forget that the tournament itself has been in existence since 1985 and has only been on PPV since 1993. So, much like the Intercontinental Title, they're more or less shitcanning 18 years of history. Although it could be cool to say I was at the last King of the Ring ever... Don't forget that they didn't run the KOTR tournament a couple of years (1990 and 1992), so they'd only be shitcanning about 15 years of history (16 if they actually have it this year). But regardless, I'm a little saddened to see it go. I just liked the concept of the whole show for the first few years it ran, even if it was never really that great (aside from the first two). It's like the Survivor Series to me in that I always liked the idea even if they weren't ever to great (besides the first one). I guess now the Royal Rumble stands as the only remaining tradition that WWE has. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest teke184 Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Angle WASN'T a main eventer when he won the King of the Ring in 2000. He didn't have his first "A-level" match until the month after against Undertaker and, due to crappy booking, he was squashed. He WAS a main eventer, though, when Edge beat him in the finals of the 2001 tournament. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JHawk Report post Posted March 3, 2003 I still don't like the idea of getting rid of it, but then again, I marked for Battlebowl until it became too obvious that the teams weren't random, so... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bravesfan Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Well, there goes the yearly "KOTR winner gets a God-push". What a bad year it's been in the life of a mid-carder, eh? First the secondary titles are eliminated, then it's the only gimmick match they lay claim to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JHawk Report post Posted March 3, 2003 Well, look at the bright side. Unless they give up booking an undercard, they can't screw the midcard any more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
