King of the Ring (1996)
Encyclopedia
King of the Ring was the fourth annual King of the Ring
professional wrestling
pay-per-view
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Federation
(WWF). The event took place on June 23, 1996 from the MECCA Arena
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The main event was a standard wrestling match for the WWF Championship
. Shawn Michaels
defeated British Bulldog
to retain the title and Mr. Perfect
served as the special guest enforcer. The undercard featured the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, won by Steve Austin
.
Other matches on the undercard included a WWF Intercontinental Championship
match between champion Goldust and challenger Ahmed Johnson
, Mankind
versus The Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior
versus Jerry Lawler
and a WWF Tag Team Championship match between champions The Smoking Gunns (Billy
and Bart) and challengers The Godwinns
(Henry
and Phineas
).
The event has been cited by WWE as the starting point of the Attitude Era
.
that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines
that were played out on Raw
—World Wrestling Federation
's (WWF) television program. Wrestlers portrayed a villain
or a hero
as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The pay-per-view event featured the annual King of the Ring single elimination bracket tournament
. The qualification for the tournament started on the May 27, 1996 edition of Raw
, with Ultimate Warrior
wrestling the WWF Intercontinental Champion
Goldust to a double count-out and Vader defeating Ahmed Johnson
. The qualification continued on June 2 edition of Superstars
as Justin Bradshaw
defeated Henry Godwinn
. On June 3 edition of Raw, Steve Austin
and Jake Roberts
qualified for the tournament by defeating Bob Holly
and Hunter Hearst Helmsley
respectively. On June 9 edition of Superstars, Savio Vega
defeated Marty Jannetty
in a qualification match. On June 10 edition of Raw, the qualification for the tournament ended as Marc Mero
defeated Skip
and Owen Hart
defeated Yokozuna. The first quarterfinal match of the tournament took place on June 16 edition of Superstars, with Jake Roberts defeating Justin Bradshaw. On June 17 edition of Raw, Steve Austin defeated Savio Vega and Marc Mero defeated Owen Hart in the remaining quarterfinal matches. Vader received a bye in the quarterfinals due to Ultimate Warrior and Goldust's qualifying match resulting in a double count-out.
The main rivalry
heading into the event was between Shawn Michaels
and British Bulldog
over the WWF Championship
. At In Your House 8
, Michaels defended the title against Bulldog in a match that resulted in a no contest as both men's shoulders were down on the mat. Although the referee
Earl Hebner
awarded Michaels the victory, Bulldog's wife Diana Smith
, brother-in-law Owen Hart
and manager
Jim Cornette
handed Bulldog the belt. The on-screen
WWF President Gorilla Monsoon
declared the match a no contest. On June 3 edition of Raw, Monsoon announced that Michaels would defend the title against Bulldog in a rematch at King of the Ring and allowed Camp Cornette
to choose a special guest referee for the match. On June 17 edition of Raw, Jim Cornette announced that Mr. Perfect
would be the guest referee for the match.
Another predominant feud heading into the event was between The Undertaker and Mankind
. On April 1 edition of Raw, Mankind made his WWF debut and defeated Bob Holly. Later that night, Mankind attacked Undertaker during his match with Justin Bradshaw. On May 13 edition of Raw, Vince McMahon
conducted an in-ring interview segment with Undertaker and Paul Bearer. Mankind attacked Undertaker, who was distracted by Goldust and his valet Marlena
. At In Your House 8, Mankind helped Goldust in retaining the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Undertaker in a Casket match. This led to a match between Undertaker and Mankind at King of the Ring.
On May 27 edition of Raw, Ultimate Warrior wrestled the WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust to a double count-out in a King of the Ring qualifying match when Goldust tried to leave ringside and was attacked in the aisle by Warrior. After the match ended, Jerry Lawler
tried to retrieve a director's chair for Goldust's valet Marlena but Warrior grabbed the chair and destroyed it. Lawler had been critical of a comic book released by Ultimate Warrior and made statements about how he was a better artist than Warrior. On June 10 edition of Raw, Lawler interviewed Warrior and apologized to him for costing him his qualifying match against Goldust and offered a portrait of Warrior as a present. Warrior rejected the apology and the present. Lawler smashed the portrait on Warrior's face and attacked him, leading to a match between the two at King of the Ring.
On May 27 edition of Raw, Ahmed Johnson got into an altercation with the WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust in a backstage segment after losing a King of the Ring qualifying match to Vader. On June 3 edition of Raw, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon announced that Goldust would defend the title against Johnson at King of the Ring.
At In Your House 8, The Smoking Gunns (Billy
and Bart) defeated The Godwinns
(Henry
and Phineas
) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. As a result of Godwinns losing the titles, their valet Sunny
became the manager of Gunns. Due to the betrayal of Sunny, Godwinns continued their rivalry with Gunns, leading to a tag title match between the two teams at King of the Ring.
(Skip
and Zip
) wrestled The New Rockers (Marty Jannetty
and Leif Cassidy
) in a match that aired live on Free for All
. Bodydonnas won when Skip pinned Cassidy after Bodydonnas' manager
Cloudy kissed Cassidy. The match was followed by a non-televised match in which Hunter Hearst Helmsley
defeated Aldo Montoya
.
As the event concluded, the semi-final round of the King of the Ring tournament started. The first semi-final match pitted Marc Mero
against Steve Austin
. During the match, Austin's mouth was badly injured after Mero applied a Sleeper Hold on Austin. Austin managed to escape the maneuver but received a Body Press. Mero whipped Austin through the ropes and backdropped Austin. Austin attacked Mero with a Boot in the corner and tried to throw Mero out of the ring but Mero tossed Austin outside the ring. Mero delivered a Plancha to Austin causing Austin to bleed from his mouth. Mero returned to the ring and hit a Suicide Dive on Austin. Mero tried to pin Austin after a Missile Dropkick but got a near-fall. Austin regained his momentum and tried to pin Mero after a Hotshot but Mero kicked out of it. Austin followed by hitting Mero a Three-Quarter Facelock Jawbreaker
which Austin called Stunner to win the match. The next semi-final match was between Jake Roberts
and Vader. Vader dominated Roberts with a Body Press and a Running Splash. Roberts booted Vader and hit a Swinging Knee Lift. Roberts tried to finish the match by attempting a DDT
on Vader but Vader backed him into the corner and tried to hit a Short-arm Clothesline. Roberts countered and hit a Short-arm Clothesline of his own. Roberts ran through the ropes but Vader hit him with a Running Splash and tried to charge Roberts into the corner. Roberts avoided the charge and tried to hit a DDT on Vader but Vader used the referee
as a human shield to prevent himself from getting a DDT. As a result of using the referee, Vader was disqualified. Vader assaulted Roberts after the match and injured him by hitting a Corner Slingshot Splash which he calls Vader Bomb.
In the next match, The Smoking Gunns (Billy
and Bart) defended the WWF Tag Team Championship against The Godwinns
(Henry
and Phineas
). Gunns got the earlier advantage in the match when Billy distracted Phineas and Bart attacked Phineas from behind. However, Godwinns got advantage and dominated most part of the match. In the closing moments of the match, Bart hit a Boot to Phineas, allowing Billy to pin Phineas with a roll-up.
The fourth match was between Ultimate Warrior
and Jerry Lawler
. Lawler brought a scepter to the ring during his entrance. As Warrior was making his entrance, Lawler started attacking Warrior with the scepter and used many dirty tactics
to defeat Warrior. Lawler tried to finish the match with a Piledriver
but Warrior did not sell and began dominating Lawler with a series of clotheslines. Warrior hit Lawler a Running Shoulder Block and pinned him to win the match.
The fifth match was between The Undertaker and Mankind
. Undertaker started the match by attacking Mankind with a Flying Clothesline. Undertaker followed with an Arm Twist Ropewalk Chop, which he calls Old School. Mankind gained momentum by a Bodyslam. The action continued until it was carried onto outside. Mankind grabbed a chair to nail Undertaker with it but Undertaker kicked Mankind into the chair. Undertaker backdropped Mankind into the ring and the two returned to the ring. Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer distracted the referee, allowing Undertaker to attack Mankind with a chair. Undertaker followed by a Big Boot and tried to finish the match by attempting a Reverse Belly to Belly Piledriver, which he calls Tombstone Piledriver. Mankind slipped out of the move and hit a Swinging Neckbreaker. Mankind tried to finish Undertaker with a Mandible Claw but Undertaker blocked the move and was kicked by Mankind. The action returned to the floor where Mankind smashed his elbow on Undertaker against the steel steps. He tried to attack Undertaker with a Diving Elbow Drop through the apron but Undertaker blocked the move with the chair. Mankind returned to the ring and hit Undertaker a Piledriver. Mankind grabbed Undertaker's urn and tried to attack Undertaker with it but Bearer snatched the urn from Mankind. Mankind focused on Undertaker and applied a Mandible Claw on Undertaker. Bearer tried to hit Mankind with the urn but Mankind pulled Undertaker to prevent from being hit and Undertaker was hit with the urn. This allowed Mankind to apply another Mandible Claw on Undertaker. As a result, Mankind was awarded the victory by TKO.
against Ahmed Johnson
. Johnson dominated most of the match. Goldust had nearly won the match after applying a Sleeper Hold, which he calls Good Night Sweet Charlotte but did not pin Johnson and tried to further assault him but Johnson countered and hit Goldust a Sitout Double Underhook Powerbomb, which he called Pearl River Plunge to win the match and the Intercontinental Championship.
Next was the final round match of the King of the Ring tournament pitting Steve Austin against Jake Roberts. The WWF President Gorilla Monsoon
came to the ring before the match and offered Roberts to stop the match due to his rib injury suffered in his semifinal match against Vader. Roberts regrouped and refused to forfeit. He began attacking Austin and attempted to hit a DDT but Austin avoided the move and began focusing on Roberts' injured ribs. In the end of the match, Austin hit a Stone Cold Stunner to win the match and the King of the Ring tournament. After the match, Austin mocked Roberts' Bible
-preacher gimmick during his coronation as King of the Ring by uttering a quote:
The main event featured Shawn Michaels
defending the WWF Championship
against British Bulldog
. Mr. Perfect
was scheduled to referee the match but WWF President Gorilla Monsoon ordered Perfect to be the outside referee of the match to make it fair and Earl Hebner
was made the referee inside the ring. The match went back and forth with Bulldog's wife Diana Smith
and manager Jim Cornette
interfering on Bulldog's behalf on many occasions during the match. Bulldog's brother-in-law and teammate Owen Hart
served as the guest commentator for the match. In the closing moments of the match, Michaels attempted to hit Bulldog a Hurricanrana but Bulldog countered it into a Sitout Powerbomb. Michaels regained his momentum and hit Bulldog a Flying Forearm Smash, a Diving Elbow Drop and a Superkick, which he called Sweet Chin Music and attempted to pin Bulldog. Hebner and Perfect both began counting the pinfall. Hart left the commentary table and pulled Perfect out of the ring to prevent him from counting the pin but Hebner counted to three, allowing Michaels to win the match and retain the WWF Championship. After the match, Bulldog and Hart attacked Michaels. Ahmed Johnson came to rescue Michaels until Bulldog and Hart's teammate
Vader joined Bulldog and Hart to attack Michaels and Johnson. Ultimate Warrior came out to rescue Michaels and Johnson from Bulldog, Hart and Vader and this ended the show.
, Ahmed Johnson
and Ultimate Warrior
after Michaels' match with British Bulldog
at King of the Ring, the three were scheduled to compete against Camp Cornette
(British Bulldog, Owen Hart
and Vader) at In Your House 9
. However, after his match with Hart on July 8 edition of Raw
, Warrior was released by his WWF contract due to missing several WWF events. As a result, Warrior was replaced by Sycho Sid
as Michaels and Johnson's tag team partner. At In Your House 9, Camp Cornette defeated Michaels, Johnson and Sid.
The Undertaker continued his rivalry
with Mankind
after King of the Ring. Mankind interfered in Undertaker's match with Goldust at In Your House 9, causing Goldust to get disqualified. After the match, Undertaker and Mankind brawled with each other and their fight reached the locker room. This led to the first-ever Boiler Room Brawl between the two at SummerSlam
which Mankind won after Undertaker's manager
Paul Bearer turned on him and helped Mankind in winning the match.
After winning the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, Steve Austin
quickly rose to stardom and his catchphrase "Austin 3:16" became the most popular catchphrase in professional wrestling history. Austin was push
ed as a main eventer as he constantly challenged the inactive Bret Hart
to a match. On October 21 edition of Raw, Hart returned to WWF and made his first WWF appearance since losing the WWF Championship
to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII
. Hart accepted Austin's challenge to a match and defeated Austin at Survivor Series
.
King of the Ring
King of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF). The event took place on June 23, 1996 from the MECCA Arena
U.S. Cellular Arena
U.S. Cellular Arena is an indoor arena, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The main event was a standard wrestling match for the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
defeated British Bulldog
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
to retain the title and Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
served as the special guest enforcer. The undercard featured the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, won by Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
.
Other matches on the undercard included a WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
match between champion Goldust and challenger Ahmed Johnson
Anthony Norris
Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling...
, Mankind
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
versus The Undertaker, Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
versus Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
and a WWF Tag Team Championship match between champions The Smoking Gunns (Billy
Monty Sopp
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
and Bart) and challengers The Godwinns
The Godwinns
The Godwinns was the best known gimmick of the professional wrestling tag team composed of Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury that they used in the WWF. The team has used other gimmicks before they joined the WWF and had a gimmick change in the WWF shortly before disbanding...
(Henry
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
and Phineas
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
).
The event has been cited by WWE as the starting point of the Attitude Era
The Attitude Era
The Attitude Era was a period in World Wrestling Federation and professional wrestling history that began as a direct result of the Monday Night Wars, a television ratings conflict between the WWF and longtime rival promotion World Championship Wrestling that lasted from 1995 to 2001...
.
Background
King of the Ring featured professional wrestling matchesProfessional wrestling match types
Many types of matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, can be found in the form of performing art that is professional wrestling....
that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines
Narrative thread
A narrative thread, or plot thread , refers to particular elements and techniques of writing to center the story in the action or experience of characters rather than to relate a matter in a dry 'All knowing' sort of narration...
that were played out on Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
—World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's (WWF) television program. Wrestlers portrayed a villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
or a hero
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The pay-per-view event featured the annual King of the Ring single elimination bracket tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
. The qualification for the tournament started on the May 27, 1996 edition of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, with Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
wrestling the WWF Intercontinental Champion
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
Goldust to a double count-out and Vader defeating Ahmed Johnson
Anthony Norris
Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling...
. The qualification continued on June 2 edition of Superstars
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
as Justin Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
defeated Henry Godwinn
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
. On June 3 edition of Raw, Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
and Jake Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
qualified for the tournament by defeating Bob Holly
Bob Holly
Robert "Bob" Howard better known by his ring name Bob "Hardcore" Holly, is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for his 15-year stint with World Wrestling Entertainment ....
and Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
respectively. On June 9 edition of Superstars, Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
defeated Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
in a qualification match. On June 10 edition of Raw, the qualification for the tournament ended as Marc Mero
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
defeated Skip
Chris Candido
Christopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido...
and Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
defeated Yokozuna. The first quarterfinal match of the tournament took place on June 16 edition of Superstars, with Jake Roberts defeating Justin Bradshaw. On June 17 edition of Raw, Steve Austin defeated Savio Vega and Marc Mero defeated Owen Hart in the remaining quarterfinal matches. Vader received a bye in the quarterfinals due to Ultimate Warrior and Goldust's qualifying match resulting in a double count-out.
The main rivalry
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
heading into the event was between Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and British Bulldog
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
over the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. At In Your House 8
In Your House 8: Beware of Dog
In Your House 8: Beware of Dog was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , that originally took place on May 26, 1996 from the Florence Civic Center in Florence, South Carolina. Due to a severe thunderstorm, the power went out during the event,...
, Michaels defended the title against Bulldog in a match that resulted in a no contest as both men's shoulders were down on the mat. Although the referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
Earl Hebner
Earl Hebner
Earl William Hebner is a professional wrestling referee currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and the twin brother of Dave Hebner...
awarded Michaels the victory, Bulldog's wife Diana Smith
Diana Hart
Diana Joyce Hart-Smith is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and now his youngest living child. She is also the former wife of wrestler "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and mother of former WWE superstar David Hart Smith. She was also the 1997 Mrs...
, brother-in-law Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
and manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
handed Bulldog the belt. The on-screen
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
WWF President Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
declared the match a no contest. On June 3 edition of Raw, Monsoon announced that Michaels would defend the title against Bulldog in a rematch at King of the Ring and allowed Camp Cornette
Camp Cornette
Camp Cornette was a professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Federation from 1995 to 1997. The faction was named after its manager James E. Cornette.-Formation:...
to choose a special guest referee for the match. On June 17 edition of Raw, Jim Cornette announced that Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
would be the guest referee for the match.
Another predominant feud heading into the event was between The Undertaker and Mankind
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
. On April 1 edition of Raw, Mankind made his WWF debut and defeated Bob Holly. Later that night, Mankind attacked Undertaker during his match with Justin Bradshaw. On May 13 edition of Raw, Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
conducted an in-ring interview segment with Undertaker and Paul Bearer. Mankind attacked Undertaker, who was distracted by Goldust and his valet Marlena
Terri Runnels
Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
. At In Your House 8, Mankind helped Goldust in retaining the WWF Intercontinental Championship against Undertaker in a Casket match. This led to a match between Undertaker and Mankind at King of the Ring.
On May 27 edition of Raw, Ultimate Warrior wrestled the WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust to a double count-out in a King of the Ring qualifying match when Goldust tried to leave ringside and was attacked in the aisle by Warrior. After the match ended, Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
tried to retrieve a director's chair for Goldust's valet Marlena but Warrior grabbed the chair and destroyed it. Lawler had been critical of a comic book released by Ultimate Warrior and made statements about how he was a better artist than Warrior. On June 10 edition of Raw, Lawler interviewed Warrior and apologized to him for costing him his qualifying match against Goldust and offered a portrait of Warrior as a present. Warrior rejected the apology and the present. Lawler smashed the portrait on Warrior's face and attacked him, leading to a match between the two at King of the Ring.
On May 27 edition of Raw, Ahmed Johnson got into an altercation with the WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust in a backstage segment after losing a King of the Ring qualifying match to Vader. On June 3 edition of Raw, WWF President Gorilla Monsoon announced that Goldust would defend the title against Johnson at King of the Ring.
At In Your House 8, The Smoking Gunns (Billy
Monty Sopp
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
and Bart) defeated The Godwinns
The Godwinns
The Godwinns was the best known gimmick of the professional wrestling tag team composed of Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury that they used in the WWF. The team has used other gimmicks before they joined the WWF and had a gimmick change in the WWF shortly before disbanding...
(Henry
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
and Phineas
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. As a result of Godwinns losing the titles, their valet Sunny
Tammy Lynn Sytch
Tamara "Tammy" Lynn Sytch is an American professional wrestling manager, personality,and occasional wrestler. She achieved her greatest success under the ring name Sunny within the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, and is widely considered as one of the first Divas...
became the manager of Gunns. Due to the betrayal of Sunny, Godwinns continued their rivalry with Gunns, leading to a tag title match between the two teams at King of the Ring.
Event
Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, The BodydonnasThe Bodydonnas
The Bodydonnas were a professional wrestling tag team in the WWF in the mid-1990s, consisting of Chris Candido as Skip, Candido's real-life girlfriend Tammy Lynn Sytch as Sunny, and Tom Prichard as Skip's kayfabe brother Zip.-History:...
(Skip
Chris Candido
Christopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido...
and Zip
Tom Prichard
Thomas Prichard is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, working in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling as a trainer using his ring name Tom Prichard...
) wrestled The New Rockers (Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
and Leif Cassidy
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
) in a match that aired live on Free for All
WWE Free For All
WWE Free for All is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It serves as a thirty minute preview show to the promotion's monthly events on pay-per-view , and as such airs freely on PPV channels a half-hour before the actual pay-per-view event starts...
. Bodydonnas won when Skip pinned Cassidy after Bodydonnas' manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
Cloudy kissed Cassidy. The match was followed by a non-televised match in which Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
defeated Aldo Montoya
Peter Polaco
Peter Joseph Polaco is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Justin Credible. He is also known for his earlier stint with the WWF under the ringname Aldo Montoya...
.
Preliminary matches
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
against Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
. During the match, Austin's mouth was badly injured after Mero applied a Sleeper Hold on Austin. Austin managed to escape the maneuver but received a Body Press. Mero whipped Austin through the ropes and backdropped Austin. Austin attacked Mero with a Boot in the corner and tried to throw Mero out of the ring but Mero tossed Austin outside the ring. Mero delivered a Plancha to Austin causing Austin to bleed from his mouth. Mero returned to the ring and hit a Suicide Dive on Austin. Mero tried to pin Austin after a Missile Dropkick but got a near-fall. Austin regained his momentum and tried to pin Mero after a Hotshot but Mero kicked out of it. Austin followed by hitting Mero a Three-Quarter Facelock Jawbreaker
Stunner (professional wrestling)
A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...
which Austin called Stunner to win the match. The next semi-final match was between Jake Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
and Vader. Vader dominated Roberts with a Body Press and a Running Splash. Roberts booted Vader and hit a Swinging Knee Lift. Roberts tried to finish the match by attempting a DDT
DDT (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
on Vader but Vader backed him into the corner and tried to hit a Short-arm Clothesline. Roberts countered and hit a Short-arm Clothesline of his own. Roberts ran through the ropes but Vader hit him with a Running Splash and tried to charge Roberts into the corner. Roberts avoided the charge and tried to hit a DDT on Vader but Vader used the referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
as a human shield to prevent himself from getting a DDT. As a result of using the referee, Vader was disqualified. Vader assaulted Roberts after the match and injured him by hitting a Corner Slingshot Splash which he calls Vader Bomb.
In the next match, The Smoking Gunns (Billy
Monty Sopp
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
and Bart) defended the WWF Tag Team Championship against The Godwinns
The Godwinns
The Godwinns was the best known gimmick of the professional wrestling tag team composed of Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury that they used in the WWF. The team has used other gimmicks before they joined the WWF and had a gimmick change in the WWF shortly before disbanding...
(Henry
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
and Phineas
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
). Gunns got the earlier advantage in the match when Billy distracted Phineas and Bart attacked Phineas from behind. However, Godwinns got advantage and dominated most part of the match. In the closing moments of the match, Bart hit a Boot to Phineas, allowing Billy to pin Phineas with a roll-up.
The fourth match was between Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
and Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
. Lawler brought a scepter to the ring during his entrance. As Warrior was making his entrance, Lawler started attacking Warrior with the scepter and used many dirty tactics
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
to defeat Warrior. Lawler tried to finish the match with a Piledriver
Piledriver (professional wrestling)
A piledriver is a professional wrestling driver move in which the wrestler grabs his opponent, turns him upside-down, and drops into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the opponent head-first into the mat. The most common piledrivers are the basic belly-to-back, or Texas piledriver, and the...
but Warrior did not sell and began dominating Lawler with a series of clotheslines. Warrior hit Lawler a Running Shoulder Block and pinned him to win the match.
The fifth match was between The Undertaker and Mankind
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
. Undertaker started the match by attacking Mankind with a Flying Clothesline. Undertaker followed with an Arm Twist Ropewalk Chop, which he calls Old School. Mankind gained momentum by a Bodyslam. The action continued until it was carried onto outside. Mankind grabbed a chair to nail Undertaker with it but Undertaker kicked Mankind into the chair. Undertaker backdropped Mankind into the ring and the two returned to the ring. Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer distracted the referee, allowing Undertaker to attack Mankind with a chair. Undertaker followed by a Big Boot and tried to finish the match by attempting a Reverse Belly to Belly Piledriver, which he calls Tombstone Piledriver. Mankind slipped out of the move and hit a Swinging Neckbreaker. Mankind tried to finish Undertaker with a Mandible Claw but Undertaker blocked the move and was kicked by Mankind. The action returned to the floor where Mankind smashed his elbow on Undertaker against the steel steps. He tried to attack Undertaker with a Diving Elbow Drop through the apron but Undertaker blocked the move with the chair. Mankind returned to the ring and hit Undertaker a Piledriver. Mankind grabbed Undertaker's urn and tried to attack Undertaker with it but Bearer snatched the urn from Mankind. Mankind focused on Undertaker and applied a Mandible Claw on Undertaker. Bearer tried to hit Mankind with the urn but Mankind pulled Undertaker to prevent from being hit and Undertaker was hit with the urn. This allowed Mankind to apply another Mandible Claw on Undertaker. As a result, Mankind was awarded the victory by TKO.
Main event matches
In the sixth match of the event, Goldust defended the WWF Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
against Ahmed Johnson
Anthony Norris
Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling...
. Johnson dominated most of the match. Goldust had nearly won the match after applying a Sleeper Hold, which he calls Good Night Sweet Charlotte but did not pin Johnson and tried to further assault him but Johnson countered and hit Goldust a Sitout Double Underhook Powerbomb, which he called Pearl River Plunge to win the match and the Intercontinental Championship.
Next was the final round match of the King of the Ring tournament pitting Steve Austin against Jake Roberts. The WWF President Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
came to the ring before the match and offered Roberts to stop the match due to his rib injury suffered in his semifinal match against Vader. Roberts regrouped and refused to forfeit. He began attacking Austin and attempted to hit a DDT but Austin avoided the move and began focusing on Roberts' injured ribs. In the end of the match, Austin hit a Stone Cold Stunner to win the match and the King of the Ring tournament. After the match, Austin mocked Roberts' Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
-preacher gimmick during his coronation as King of the Ring by uttering a quote:
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
defending the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
against British Bulldog
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
. Mr. Perfect
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
was scheduled to referee the match but WWF President Gorilla Monsoon ordered Perfect to be the outside referee of the match to make it fair and Earl Hebner
Earl Hebner
Earl William Hebner is a professional wrestling referee currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and the twin brother of Dave Hebner...
was made the referee inside the ring. The match went back and forth with Bulldog's wife Diana Smith
Diana Hart
Diana Joyce Hart-Smith is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and now his youngest living child. She is also the former wife of wrestler "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and mother of former WWE superstar David Hart Smith. She was also the 1997 Mrs...
and manager Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
interfering on Bulldog's behalf on many occasions during the match. Bulldog's brother-in-law and teammate Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
served as the guest commentator for the match. In the closing moments of the match, Michaels attempted to hit Bulldog a Hurricanrana but Bulldog countered it into a Sitout Powerbomb. Michaels regained his momentum and hit Bulldog a Flying Forearm Smash, a Diving Elbow Drop and a Superkick, which he called Sweet Chin Music and attempted to pin Bulldog. Hebner and Perfect both began counting the pinfall. Hart left the commentary table and pulled Perfect out of the ring to prevent him from counting the pin but Hebner counted to three, allowing Michaels to win the match and retain the WWF Championship. After the match, Bulldog and Hart attacked Michaels. Ahmed Johnson came to rescue Michaels until Bulldog and Hart's teammate
Camp Cornette
Camp Cornette was a professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Federation from 1995 to 1997. The faction was named after its manager James E. Cornette.-Formation:...
Vader joined Bulldog and Hart to attack Michaels and Johnson. Ultimate Warrior came out to rescue Michaels and Johnson from Bulldog, Hart and Vader and this ended the show.
Aftermath
Following the formation of an alliance of Shawn MichaelsShawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, Ahmed Johnson
Anthony Norris
Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling...
and Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
after Michaels' match with British Bulldog
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
at King of the Ring, the three were scheduled to compete against Camp Cornette
Camp Cornette
Camp Cornette was a professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Federation from 1995 to 1997. The faction was named after its manager James E. Cornette.-Formation:...
(British Bulldog, Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
and Vader) at In Your House 9
In Your House 9: International Incident
In Your House 9: International Incident was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , that took place on July 21, 1996 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
. However, after his match with Hart on July 8 edition of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Warrior was released by his WWF contract due to missing several WWF events. As a result, Warrior was replaced by Sycho Sid
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
as Michaels and Johnson's tag team partner. At In Your House 9, Camp Cornette defeated Michaels, Johnson and Sid.
The Undertaker continued his rivalry
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Mankind
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
after King of the Ring. Mankind interfered in Undertaker's match with Goldust at In Your House 9, causing Goldust to get disqualified. After the match, Undertaker and Mankind brawled with each other and their fight reached the locker room. This led to the first-ever Boiler Room Brawl between the two at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (1996)
SummerSlam was the ninth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 18, 1996 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.-Event:...
which Mankind won after Undertaker's manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
Paul Bearer turned on him and helped Mankind in winning the match.
After winning the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
quickly rose to stardom and his catchphrase "Austin 3:16" became the most popular catchphrase in professional wrestling history. Austin was push
Push (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a push is an attempt by the booker to make the wrestler win more matches and become more popular or more reviled with the fans depending on whether they are a heel or a face...
ed as a main eventer as he constantly challenged the inactive Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
to a match. On October 21 edition of Raw, Hart returned to WWF and made his first WWF appearance since losing the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII
WrestleMania XII
-Other on-screen talent:-External links:**...
. Hart accepted Austin's challenge to a match and defeated Austin at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1996)
Survivor Series was the tenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 17, 1996 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York....
.
Results
| # | Results | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free For All WWE Free For All WWE Free for All is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It serves as a thirty minute preview show to the promotion's monthly events on pay-per-view , and as such airs freely on PPV channels a half-hour before the actual pay-per-view event starts... |
The Bodydonnas The Bodydonnas The Bodydonnas were a professional wrestling tag team in the WWF in the mid-1990s, consisting of Chris Candido as Skip, Candido's real-life girlfriend Tammy Lynn Sytch as Sunny, and Tom Prichard as Skip's kayfabe brother Zip.-History:... (Skip Chris Candido Christopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido... and Zip Tom Prichard Thomas Prichard is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, working in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling as a trainer using his ring name Tom Prichard... ) (with Cloudy) defeated The New Rockers (Marty Jannetty Marty Jannetty Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time... and Leif Cassidy Al Snow Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven... ) |
Tag team match Professional wrestling tag team match types Much like singles matches, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace... |
08:06 |
| Dark | Hunter Hearst Helmsley Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... defeated Aldo Montoya Peter Polaco Peter Joseph Polaco is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Justin Credible. He is also known for his earlier stint with the WWF under the ringname Aldo Montoya... |
Singles match | 03:00 |
| 1 | Steve Austin Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler... defeated Marc Mero Marc Mero Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd... (with Sable Rena Mero Rena Marlette Mero Lesnar , better known as Sable, is an American model, actress, and former professional wrestler. She is primarily known for her stints in World Wrestling Entertainment.... ) |
King of the Ring King of the Ring King of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event.... Semi-Final match |
16:49 |
| 2 | Jake Roberts Jake Roberts Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith... defeated Vader by disqualification |
King of the Ring Semi-Final match | 03:34 |
| 3 | The Smoking Gunns (Billy Monty Sopp Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James... and Bart) (c) (with Sunny Tammy Lynn Sytch Tamara "Tammy" Lynn Sytch is an American professional wrestling manager, personality,and occasional wrestler. She achieved her greatest success under the ring name Sunny within the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, and is widely considered as one of the first Divas... ) defeated The Godwinns The Godwinns The Godwinns was the best known gimmick of the professional wrestling tag team composed of Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury that they used in the WWF. The team has used other gimmicks before they joined the WWF and had a gimmick change in the WWF shortly before disbanding... (Henry Mark Canterbury Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:... and Phineas Dennis Knight Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:... ) |
Tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship | 10:10 |
| 4 | Ultimate Warrior Warrior (wrestler) Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior... defeated Jerry Lawler Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional... |
Singles match | 03:50 |
| 5 | Mankind Mick Foley Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he... defeated The Undertaker (with Paul Bearer) |
Singles match | 18:21 |
| 6 | Ahmed Johnson Anthony Norris Anthony "Tony" Norris , better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.-Global Wrestling... defeated Goldust (c) (with Marlena Terri Runnels Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler.... ) |
Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship WWE Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand... |
15:34 |
| 7 | Steve Austin defeated Jake Roberts | King of the Ring Final match | 04:28 |
| 8 | Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... (c) (with Jose Lothario Jose Lothario Guadalupe Robledo is an American professional wrestler, best known by the ring name of Jose Lothario.-Career:Lothario competed in the National Wrestling Alliance for most of his career... ) defeated British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling... (with Jim Cornette Jim Cornette James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling... and Diana Smith Diana Hart Diana Joyce Hart-Smith is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and now his youngest living child. She is also the former wife of wrestler "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and mother of former WWE superstar David Hart Smith. She was also the 1997 Mrs... ) |
Singles match for the WWF Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... with Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World... as special outside enforcer |
26:25 |