We are live at the Nutter Center in Dayton, OH (my hometown) for the first ever King of the Ring! The people we'll be forced to listen to for the next three hours will be Jim Ross, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Bobby Heenan. Tonight, someone will have to win three matches to be crowned King of the Ring, Yokozuna will challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWF Title in a match that is sure to cure the insomnia of thousands, and we have an IC Title Match: Crush vs. Shawn Michaels. And now to the ring to start the KOTR!
King of the Ring Quarter Finals: Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. Razor Ramon
After a couple of collar and elbow tie-ups that get neither participant anywhere, Bret takes the early advantage and works on Razor's arm. Razor counters with a hard clothesline, but misses an elbow drop. Hart continues to work on the arm and shoulder. Razor shoves his thumb into Bret's eye, and hits an elbow off the ropes for a two count. However, Bret counters into a hammerlock. Razor works his way to his feet and elbows Bret in the chin. Hart reverses an Irish whip, but when he tries for a shoulder block, rams himself shoulder-first into the post. He falls to the outside, where Razor wails on him with a couple of elbows. He throws Bret back in and stomps his fingers. Ramon picks up Bret and hits a reverse fallaway slam. He goes for the cover but only gets two. Heenan gets the other commentators' predictions on who will win the KOTR. Heenan's pick leading up to the event was Lex Luger. Savage goes with Mr. Perfect, and Ross isn't sure. Ramon picks up Bret and powerslams him for another two count. He follows it up with stomps and kicks to Hart's ribs and chest. He misses three elbow drops in succession, and Hart comes back with right hands. Bret hits an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline for a two count. Hart with a side Russian leg sweep for two. Hart with a backbreaker for two. Bret ascends the turnbuckles to the second rope and hits an elbow drop for... you guessed it, another two count! Hart with a roll up for another two count. Hart attempts a bulldog, but Razor rams him into the turnbuckles. Ramon calls for the Razor's Edge, and Heenan admonishes him for not going for the pin. Razor lifts Bret for the Razor's Edge, but Bret counters into a backslide attempt, but he can't get Ramon's shoulder's down. He uses the corner to flip over Ramon and small packages him for an oh-so-close two count. Hart argues with the ref, which allows Razor to clothesline him from behind. Razor sets up Bret on the top rope for a belly-to-back superplex, but Hart turns over on him and mid-air and the ref makes the three count! Bret goes on to the semis.
Winner: Bret "Hitman" Hart counters the belly-to-back superplex for the win at 10:43
King of the Ring Quarterfinals: Mr. Perfect vs. Mr. Hughes
Hughes arrives with about 100 extra pounds and the urn he stole from The Undertaker over the weekend. I wouldn't even mention that ridiculous angle except that it's pivotal to the match. Perfect enters and Heenan comments on how he was solely responsible for most of his career. The match starts with a collar and elbow tie up, and Perfect is shoved into the corner. Another collar and elbow tie up occurs with the same result. Hughes runs the ropes, Perfect ducks under him, but hits an arm drag when Hughes comes back. Hughes Irish whips Perfect into the ropes, and Perfect leapfrogs Hughes and nails Hughes with a dropkick. However, the dropkick only staggers Hughes. They lock up again, and Hughes backs Perfect into the corner. He hits a hard right hand which sends Perfect over the ropes to the outside. Hughes retrieves Perfect and takes the advantage, using his power. He gets Perfect in a neck vice, but Perfect fights his way out of it, runs the ropes, ducks a clotheline, but is met with a big boot. Hughes continues to use his power on Perfect, focusing on his neck. He puts him in another neck vice, and Perfect uses Hughes's tie to escape, but is taken down with a hair pull by Hughes. Hughes irish whips Perfect into the corner hard. Bret Hart appears on a split-screen, and Ross asks him who he'd rather face in the semis. Hart says he'd rather wrestle someone with endurance like Perfect than get into a brawl with Hughes, so he goes with Perfect. Meanwhile, Hughes continues to work over Mr. Perfect. Hughes chokes him on the second rope, but when he tries to run the ropes and jump onto Perfect's back, he misses. Hughes holds his groin and has one of the most animated looks I've ever seen on his face. Perfect whips Hughes into the ropes and executes a hiptoss. Hughes goes into the ropes again, and Perfect hits a back bodydrop. Perfect then works over Hughes in the corner. The ref backs him off, and Hughes grabs the urn. When Perfect wanders within range, Hughes nails him with the urn. The ref calls for the bell and awards the match to Mr. Perfect.
Winner: Mr. Perfect by DQ at 6:01
King of the Ring Quarterfinals: Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Bam Bam comes to the ring all business, while Duggan poses for the crowd. They circle each other and lock up. Bigelow puts Duggan in a side headlock. Bigelow is thrown into the ropes and both men collide, but neither of them move. Bam Bam off the ropes again, and again they collide, with no give. Bigelow goes for the ropes again, misses a clothesline, and Duggan retaliates with one of his own, staggering Bigelow. He gives him another, and a third clothesline knocks Bam Bam down. Duggan stops to pose, and Savage tells him to stay on Bigelow. They lock up again, and Bigelow rakes the eyes. Hacksaw blocks Bigelow's punches, and hits him with some rights and lefts of his own. Bigelow reverses an irish whip, and Duggan crashes ribs-first into the turnbuckles. Bigelow charges him, but Hacksaw moves, and Bigelow goes head first into the top turnbuckle. Duggan holds his ribs. He tries to slam Bigelow, but Bam Bam counters with a headbutt. The Beast from the East works on Duggan's ribs for awhile. Heenan asks if Duggan's ribs are really hurt, or whether he's choking on some American apple pie. Bigelow irish whips Duggan into the ropes and puts him in a bearhug. Duggan fights his way out of it, but gets his eyes raked again. Bam Bam continues to work on Duggan's ribs, and Savage notices there hasn't been one cover yet. Bigelow misses a falling headbutt. Duggan tries for a slam again, and Bigelow falls on top of him for a two count. Bigelow puts Duggan back in the bearhug. Hacksaw bites Bigelow, irish whips him and ducks his head. Bigelow tries to kick Duggan, but he moves and Bam Bam is taken off his feet by his own momentum. Duggan tries for a slam yet again, and is successful this time, although it visibly took a toll on his ribs. Duggan gets in the three point stance, but misses the running clothesline and crashes into the turnbuckles. Bigelow wastes no time in going to the top rope and executing the diving headbutt and gets the win over Duggan.
Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow with a diving headbutt from the top at 5:03
King of the Ring Quarterfinals: Tatanka vs. The Narcissist" Lex Luger
The Narcissist enters, posing for the crowd. He has a big mirror set up in the ring so he can admire himself. Savage comments that this should be interesting because both Tatanka and Luger are undefeated in the WWF. The commentators discuss Luger's forearm, which has several steel plates surgically implanted in it. The referees want Luger to put on an elbow pad so he can't use his forearm to his advantage (how putting on an elbow pad for the purpose of covering someone's forearm is going to help is beyond me). Luger doesn't want to put it on, but Howard Finkel makes the announcement that if he doesn't, he'll be eliminated from the tournament. Heenan says it's because he doesn't want his beautiful forearm covered. He also says that when Tatanka comes out, they should tie his shoes together so he can't dance, and handcuff him so he can't throw a chop to make it fair. Tatanka runs to the ring with a tomahawk in his hand. At least the he won't get attacked before the match... okay, never mind, Luger attacks him before the match. He throws Tatanka over the top rope because his posing was interrupted. Tatanka rolls back in and turns the mirror over on Luger. The bell finally rings. Tatanka hits several knife edge chops. The fourth one sends Luger over the top rope. Tatanka slams him on the outside and throws him back in. Luger begs off while Tatanka does one of his war dance thingamajigs. Luger irish whips Tatanka, but it's reversed, and Tatanka hits a back bodydrop out of the corner, followed by a clothesline and a cover for two. Tatanka works on Luger's left arm and shoulder. Luger tries to slam Tatanka, but Tatanka holds on and rolls through with an armdrag takeover. Bam Bam Bigelow appears on the split-screen. Jim Ross asks him who he'd prefer to face in the semis. Bam Bam says it's no secret that he wants Tatanka, since they were feuding at the time. Meanwhile, Luger whips Tatanka into the ropes, but Tatanka hits a high cross body for a two count. Tatanka then goes back to the arm with an armbar. Luger reverses it into a hammerlock, and Tatanka does the same. Luger elbows Tatanka in the face and works him over in the corner. He whips Tatanka into the ropes and hits a kneelift and a forearm to the midsection for a two count. He backs Tatanka into the corner and shoulderblocks him in the midsection. He follows up with a backbreaker and an elbow drop for a two count. He hits a big elbow drop for another two count. Luger stops to argue with the ref, and Tatanka rolls him up for a two count. Luger retakes the advantage with a kneelift and an elbow to the back of the head. Lex applies a reverse chinlock. Tatanka fights his way out of it, but is pulled down to the canvas by his hair. Luger reapplies the reverse chinlock. Tatanka fights his way out of it again, but gets caught with a clothesline. Luger makes his man-breasts dance for the crowd. He forearms Tatanka in the sternum for a two count. He tries to slam Tatanka, but Tatanka counters with an inside cradle for a two count. Luger whips Tatanka into the ropes and puts his head down. Tatanka utilizes a sunset flip for a two count. Luger gets the advantage by bringing his fists down on Tatanka's back. Jim Ross says that four minutes remain before the time limit expires. Luger continues to wear down Tatanka. Tatanka does his invincible war dance and no sells Luger's punches. He runs the ropes and chops Luger. He hits several knife edge chops, and covers him for a two count. He hits a powerslam for another two count. He slams Luger and goes up top. He hits a tomahawk chop for another two count. He goes up again, but misses a flying body press. Luger whips him into the ropes and hits a clothesline for two. He gets whipped again, and Luger hits a powerslam for two. Jim Ross notifies us that one minute remains. Luger hits a back bodydrop and a vertical suplex for a two count. Jim Ross says thirty seconds are left. Luger hits a backbreaker for a two count. The bell rings. The match is ruled a draw, which infuriates Luger. Bam Bam Bigelow receives a bye to the finals. Luger gets the mic and says he wants five more minutes. The ref says no, but Tatanka stasts to do his war dance. Luger rips off his elbow pad and nails Tatanka with the running forearm, knocking him flat. Luger exits the ring, but Tatanka needs to be helped back.
Time Limit Draw at 15:00
King of the Ring Semifinals: Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. Mr. Perfect
Bret and Perfect make their entrances for their semifinals match. Bret's left hand is bandaged as a result of Razor Ramon stomping them earlier. The match starts and we have a collar and elbow tie up. Mr. Perfect with a waistlock go behind. Hart gets to the ropes. They lock up, and Bret gets Perfect in a headlock. Perfect sends Bret into the ropes, ducks under him, but gets hit with a shoulderblock on the rebound, knocking him down. Bret off the ropes, and Perfect attempts a hiptoss, but Hart counters with one of his own. Bret hits a side headlock takeover. Perfect counters with a head scissors. Bret escapes and goes back to the side headlock. Perfect backs Bret into the corner and stings him with a knife edge chop. Irish whip, Bret reverses, and Perfect goes into the corner. Bret with a scoop slam, but Perfect brings his feet up and kicks Bret away. He gets back up and both men go for a slam, and Perfect gets it, but Bret brings his feet up and kicks Perfect away. Hart hits another side headlock takeover. Perfect fights to his feet, and sends Bret into the ropes. Hart applies a crucifix for a two count. Bret with yet another side headlock takeover, and gets a one count. Perfect sends Bret into the ropes, and Hart hits a high cross body for a two count. The kick out sends Bret out of the ring, but he gets back on the apron. He drives his shoulder into Perfect's midsection, and uses the ropes for a sunset flip and a two count. Bret then goes back to the side headlock takeover. Perfect gets to his feet, kneelifts Hart, and stomps his midsection. He kicks Bret's ribs, and when Bret gets up, he hits a standing dropkick. Hart rolls out of the ring. Perfect holds the ropes open for him, but kicks Bret as he comes through. Perfect continues to work over Hart. Perfect hits a kneelift for two, kicks him in the ribs, and Bret rolls out of the ring. Perfect with a knife edge chop on the outside, and rams Hart into the apron. Perfect rolls back in. When Hart gets on the apron, Perfect uses the ropes to slingshot him into the guardrail. Bret holds his knee in pain. Bret gets back in the ring, and Perfect hits another kneelift for two. Perfect goes up to the top rope and hits a missle dropkick for another two count. Perfect covers him again immediately and gets another two count. He whips Hart into the turnbuckles, and Bret takes it from the front. Perfect covers and gets another two count. Perfect goes up top again, but Bret catches him and superplexes him to the center of the ring. Hart kicks at Perfect's knee, and puts him in a figure four leglock. JR mentions that Bret has it applied perfectly. Perfect edges his way to the ropes and finally reaches them. Bret drops an elbow on the knee and grapevines the leg. Perfect kicks Bret in the face and escapes. Perfect grabs Hart by the hair and beels him across the ring. He whips Hart into the ropes and puts him in a sleeper hold. Bret fights it and desperately reaches the ropes. Perfect's knee gives out as he breaks the hold and it knocks him down, but he gets up again (you're never gonna keep him... oh, never mind). Perfect hits a knife edge chop and puts Bret back in the sleeper. He uses the ropes for more leverage. Bret escapes by standing up, running for the turnbuckles and ducking at the last second so that Perfect's head crashes into the turnbuckles. Bret hits a hard European uppercut. Bret beels Perfect across the ring by his hair, just as Perfect did earlier. Perfect's momentum carries him so that he crotches himself on the post. Bret hits an inverted atomic drop, and a Russian legsweep for a two count. He legdrops Perfect, hits a backbreaker, and his elbow from the second rope for another two count. He goes for the Sharpshooter, but Perfect bends the fingers of his left hand, and stomps them. Perfect goes for the Perfectplex, but Bret sprawls his leg so Perfect can't hook it. Perfect tries for a vertical suplex, but Hart counters with one of his own, but they're so close to the ropes that it carries both men over the top. Perfect is the first one in, but he can barely stand. Hart joins him moments later, and Perfect executes an inside cradle. At two, Hart rolls back on top of him and the ref makes the three count. Perfect rolls out of the ring, defeated. The commentators speculate that since Bret is walking fine, the knee injury must have been a swerve (or he forgot he was supposed to be selling it). Perfect reenters the ring, has words with Hart, and shakes his hand before leaving again.
Winner: Bret Hart reverses an inside cradle for the win at 18:54
WWF World Title Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna
A sea of Japanese photographers surround the ring, including a funny looking one wearing a hat, a fishing vest, a brightly colored shirt and a lot of facial hair. The bell rings, and Hogan and Yokozuna just stand there. They circle and just stand there............ yep, they're still standing there. Finally, they lock up. Hogan pushes Yoko back a couple of feet. They lock up again, and Yoko throws Hogan down. Hogan gets up, and they lock up again. Yoko rakes the eyes, and follows up with a chop to Hogan's back. Yoko with a knife edge chop. Forearm. Headbutt. Forearm. Punch. Knife edge chop. Forearm. Bodyslam. Yokozuna: The technical genius before there was a Triple H! Yoko irish whips Hogan into the corner, but misses a reverse avalanch. Hogan comes back with right hands. He whips Yoko into the corner and follows with a clothesline. He attempts a slam, but Yoko forearms him. Irish whip, Hogan ducks a clothesline, and punches Yoko. Then he eyerakes him. He attempts another slam, but Yoko forearms him again. Hogan is thrown into the ropes. He ducks a clothesline, ducks an elbow, and hits a clothesline that staggers Yoko. He gives him another. He whips himself into the ropes, and Yoko hits a clothesline of his own, knocking Hogan down. Yoko off the ropes, misses a big splash. Both men get up, Hogan off the ropes, shoulderblock, but Yoko goes nowhere and Hogan goes down. Yoko whips Hogan in the corner, and bearhugs him. Hogan fights it for about two minutes, and eventually passes out. The ref does the hand drop thing. Hogan raises his arm before no. 3 and escapes by hitting Yoko eleven times. He holds his back. Hogan runs for the ropes, but an elbow by Yoko catches him. Yoko hits a side belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Hogan goes into invincible mode and selling becomes a foreign concept to him. Hogan punches Yoko three times, whips him off the ropes, and hits a big boot. Yoko doesn't go down, so Hogan does it again. Yoko still won't go down, so Hogan does it again. This time Yokozuna falls, and Hogan does his geriatric leg of doom. Yoko kicks out! Yoko's manager, Mr. Fuji, gets on the apron and Hogan knocks him off. The ref turns his attention to Fuji as the funny looking photographer from before gets on the apron. Hogan's manager, Jimmy Hart, tries to pull him down, but gets kicked for his efforts. Hogan walks over to him to give him a lecture on why photographers shouldn't be on the apron. The photographer takes a picture. The camera explodes right in Hogan's face, blinding him. Yokozuna is up, and he gives Hogan a thrust which takes him down. Yoko off the ropes, and hits a legdrop. The ref counts to three and we have a new WWF Champ. Afterward, Yoko continues his attack, and does his Banzai Drop on Hogan. Say, we never did find out who the photographer was. Was he paid off by Fuji? Did he have some sort of enmity toward Hogan? Was he Doink in disguise? I bet he was the one that raised the briefcase.
Winner: Yokozuna with a legdrop at 13:10
Eight-man Tag Team Match: The Steiner Brothers & The Smokin' Gunns vs. Money Inc. & The Headshrinkers
The Gunns/Steiners team enter first, followed by The Money Inc./Headshrinkers team with Afa. Scott Steiner and Ted Dibiase start. They lock up, and Dibiase throws Scott to the mat. They lock up again, and Dibiase armdrags Scott. Another lock up, Scott gets the single leg pick up, followed by a waistlock. He puts Dibiase in a hammerlock. Dibiase reverses it, and puts Scott in a side headlock. Dibiase is thrown into the ropes, Scott ducks under him and then leapfrogs over him. On the rebound, Scott dropkicks Dibiase. He clotheslines Dibiase over the top rope, where Rick Steiner is waiting. He hits Dibiase with a right hand and throws him back in. Dibiase turns to argue with Rick, and Scott clotheslines him over the top again. Rick with another right hand and throws Dibiase back in. Heenan: "The Steiners are playing catch with Money Inc.!" Dibiase rolls out of the ring to regroup. When he gets back in, he tags Fatu. Scott gets an arm wringer and tags Bart Gunn. Bart gets the armbar, but is whipped into the ropes. He ducks a clothesline, and Fatu attempts a hiptoss. Bart tries to counter it, but Fatu blocks him. Bart tries to sweep the legs, but Fatu quickly jumps out of the way. Finally, Bart hits a dropkick. He hits a drop toehold, and gets Fatu back into the armbar. Bart is whipped into the ropes again, hits Fatu with a facebuster, which he promptly no sells, and hits Bart with a crescent kick. Fatu tags Samu, and they hit a double clothesline. Ross mentions that Bart went to school with a rodeo scholarship. Heenan laughs, and asks if he majored in roping. Samu hits a falling headbutt, and tags IRS. Samu hits Bart with a knife edge chop. Bart is irish whipped, and IRS elbows him, and legdrops him in the midsection. IRS tags Dibiase, and they double team Bart. He whips Bart into the ropes and hits him with an elbow, and gives him a vertical suplex. Dibiase tags Samu, and they double team Bart. Samu tags Fatu, and they hit a double back bodydrop. Samu headbutts Bart in the lower abdomen before exiting. Fatu covers Bart for a two count. He then takes a bite out of Bart. On the outside, Afa is saying something in Samoan that leads us to believe he's doing an impression of Ric Flair. Fatu hits a backbreaker and gets another two count. IRS is tagged in, and he hits Bart with a right hand from the top rope. Afa shows the ringside camera IRS's shiny briefcase. IRS legdrops Bart for a two count. Bart is thrown into the ropes, but IRS lowers his head, and Bart does a sunset flip for a two count. IRS and Bart clothesline each other at the same time. IRS tags Dibiase after several moments, and Bart tags Billy Gunn. Dibiase is whipped into the corner, followed by a back bodydrop from Billy. He follows up with two clotheslines off the ropes. Dibiase ducks under a charging Gunn, and catches him on the rebound hanging him across the top rope. Dibiase puts him in the Million Dollar Dream sleeper hold. Billy passes out, but before the ref can do the hand drop thing, Dibiase drops Billy to the canvas. Heenan: "I'll make him [Gunn] feel more at home: (sings) Happy trails to you..." Dibiase tries to slam Billy, but he counters with an inside cradle and gets the victory! A brawl between all eight men erupts and not once does JR mention the phrases "Slobberknocker" or "Beskovi (sp?) on payday weekend". The Steiners/Gunns team eventually get the upper hand and celebrate their victory.
Winner: The Steiners & The Gunns with an inside cradle by Billy Gunn at 7:01
WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Crush vs. Shawn Michaels (c)
Michaels is flanked by his new bodyguard, Diesel. The bell rings and we have a collar and elbow tie up. Crush gets the side headlock. Shawn whips Crush into the ropes and walks right into a shoulderblock, sending the IC Champ right out of the ring. Shawn gets back in and locks up with Crush. Crush again with the headlock. Crush is whipped into the ropes again, Michaels ducks under, and leapfrogs Crush. Crush misses a clothesline, and Shawn jabs at him. They lock up again, and Shawn puts him in an arm wringer which turns into an armbar. Crush whips Shawn into the ropes, and shoulderblocks him, which sends Shawn back into the ropes, Crush leapfrogs him twice, Shawn misses a superkick attempt, and Crush hits a dropkick. Crush dropkicks him again, and it sends Shawn over the top rope. Shawn gets back in and gets a single leg pick up, but Crush kicks him away. Crush hits two single leg pick ups and an armdrag. Crush picks up Michaels and military press slams him. Savage thinks Crush could slam Yokozuna. Shawn is whipped into the ropes, and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Crush. Diesel pulls Shawn out of the ring. Crush goes out to get him, and Shawn hides behind Diesel. As Crush has words with Diesel, Shawn sneaks back into the ring and hits Crush from behind with a double axehandle from the apron. Shawn rolls back in and distracts the ref, allowing Diesel to attack Crush. Shawn gets back out and bangs the back of Crush's head against the ring post numerous times. Crush is out cold. Michaels waits in the ring, but breaks the count before Crush is counted out. Michaels throws Crush back in the ring and covers him for a two count. Shawn goes up top and hits a double axehandle. He puts Crush in a front facelock. Crush fights his way to his feet and throws Shawn off of him. Shawn puts him in the front facelock again, and Crush throws him all the way across the ring. Refusing to believe the move isn't working, Shawn tries it again, but gets dumped on the top rope by Crush and Shawn falls to the outside. Shawn goes to the top rope again, but Crush side steps him as he comes down. Crush whips Shawn into the ropes and hits a back bodydrop. He whips Shawn into the corner and executes a backbreaker for a two count. Shawn is whipped into the ropes and Crush hits a big boot. He legdrops Shawn for a two count. Crush tries a military press slam, but Michaels counters into a waistlock. Crush runs for the ropes and throws Shawn off. He clotheslines Michaels over the top rope. At this point, Crush's arch-nemesis, Doink, and.... Doink make their way to ringside. Crush watches them do a very bad pantomime (the idea was that their movements were supposed to be identical so that it looked like Doink was looking in a mirror, but they were out of sync). Shawn is back in, and he superkicks Crush in the back of the head. Crush's head goes forward and bounces off the top turnbuckle, knocking him out cold. Michaels covers him for the three count, and retains the IC gold. When Crush comes to, he chases the Doinks back to the locker room.
Winner: Shawn Michaels with a superkick at 11:14
King of the Ring Finals: Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Bigelow comes to the ring fresh, while Bret is still suffering from injuries from his previous two matches. When the bell rings, Bigelow charges, but Bret sidesteps him and Bam Bam crashes headfirst into the turnbuckles. Bret hits some right hands. Bigelow counters with punches, and the commentators agree that Bret won't win a fistfight with Bigelow. Bigelow whips Bret into the ropes, and attempts a clothesline. Bret ducks, but Bigelow lifts him for a gorilla press slam. However, Bret shifts his weight and falls on top of Bam Bam for a two count. Bret wrings the arm and works on the shoulder. He puts Bigelow in an armbar. Bigelow rakes Hart's eyes. He whips Bret into the ropes and a shoulderblock sends Bret down. Bigelow lifts Hart for a gorilla press slam and heaves him to the outside. Bigelow gets him back in the ring and hits two falling headbutts to Bret's lower back. He whips Bret into the corner and hits another falling headbutt to the lower back. He covers him for a two count, but Bret's foot was on the bottom rope. Bigelow hooks the leg and gets another two count. Bam Bam continues to work on the lower back of Bret Hart. Bigelow hits a side suplex for a two count. Bret tries to fight back, but gets whipped into the corner. He headbutts Bret, hits a falling headbutt, and gets a two count. He whips Bret into the ropes and puts him in a bearhug. The ref tries the hand drop thing, but Bret fights his way out of the bearhug into a side headlock, but Bigelow hits another side suplex. He covers him for a two count. Bigelow throws Bret out of the ring through the ropes and goes out after him. Bret reverses an irish whip, and Bigelow crashes into the guardrail. Bret rams Bigelow's head into the guardrail and follows up with an elbow from the ring apron. Bret tries for... something... off the apron, but Bigelow catches him in a bearhug and rams Bret back-first into the post. Bam Bam slides into the ring and distracts the ref. Luna Vachon makes her way to the ring with a steel chair. She kaboshes Bret with it and runs off. Bam Bam retrieves Hart and bodyslams him in the ring. Bigelow hits the diving headbutt from the top rope and the ref counts to three at 9:25. However, Earl Hebner runs in and tells the other ref what just happened. They confer with Howard Finkel, and Finkel announces that the refs have reversed the... no, the refs are screaming at Finkel. Finkel says the match will CONTINUE. The match is restarted at 10:25. Bigelow works on Hart's back. He whips Bret into the corner, and Bret staggers. A headbutt by Bigelow sends Bret to the mat. He whips Bret off the ropes and puts him back in the bearhug. Bret fights out of it, but Bigelow headbutts him. Bam Bam lifts him into a backbreaker submission. Bret fights out of it after about a minute, lifts Bigelow and hits a side suplex! However, Bret is so fatigued that Bigelow is the first one up. He comes off the ropes but misses a senton splash. Both men are up, and Bigelow rakes the eyes. He whips Bret into the corner hard. Bam Bam lifts him again into the backbreaker submission, but Bret rakes his face and counters into a sleeper hold. Just before passing out, Bigelow throws Hart over his shoulders to the canvas. Bigelow is staggering. Bret gets up and dropkicks him from behind, sending him into the ropes. Bigelow almost falls out of the ring but doesn't. Bret grabs one of his legs and dumps him over the top rope. Bret hits a pescado on the outside. He throws Bam Bam back in, and clotheslines him from the second rope for a two count. Bret with a side Russian legsweep and a bulldog from the second rope. Hart goes for the Sharpshooter, but Bigelow powers out before Bret can turn him over. Bret charges off the ropes, but Bigelow catches him in the bearhug. Bret escapes by biting Bam Bam. He attempts a side suplex, but Bigelow shifts his weight and falls on Hart, crushing him. He only gets a two count. Bigelow whips him into the corner and charges. Bret sticks his feet up in Bigelow's face and sits on the second turnbuckle. He sits on Bigelow's shoulders and executes a victory roll. The ref counts to three. Bret Hart is the first King of the Ring! Savage runs into the ring to congratulate the Hitman after the match.
Winner: Bret Hart with a victory roll at 18:10
Bret walks up to the podium for the coronation, with "Mean" Gene Okerlund doing the honors. Okerlund puts the cape on him, hands him the sceptor and crowns him. He proclaims him the King of the Ring. However, Jerry "The King" Lawler appears on the scene. Okerlund asks him what he's doing here. Lawler says he's here to confront the pretender to his throne, and that there's only one true king in the WWF. He says he would let Hart be a prince if he would bow to the real king and kiss his royal feet. Bret says he has a lot of nerve to come out here since he didn't have the guts or integrity to get in the KOTR tournament, and asks him where he was when this thing started. He says he thinks the only kind of king Lawler is is the Burger King. Hart leads the fans in a "Burger King!" chant much to Lawler's dismay. Lawler blindsides the Hitman and proceeds to destroy the cape and crown. He hits Hart with the sceptor multiple times and throws the throne on top of him. He then says he's going to make Hart kiss his feet. He sets up Bret and kicks him right in the face, sending Bret tumbling down the stairs. The fans boo Lawler and the PPV fades out.
Overall, quite a good PPV. They knew they had to make the first one good if they wanted people to order them in coming years. The Bret Hart/Perfect match was a classic, **** at least. The Hart/Bigelow, Hart/Ramon, and Michaels/Crush matches were also very good. The eight-man was in the middle, and the Perfect/Hughes and Tatanka/Luger matches were watchable. As for the Hogan/Yoko match: Ugh. * at best. If you think watching it was hard, try writing about it. The interview at the end with Lawler blindsiding the Hitman was kind of ironic considering they met two years later at KOTR '95 (the worst one ever, except possibly for '99) in a "Kiss my Foot" match. I think you can draw your own conclusions about what happened to the loser in that one. Anyway, IMO, KOTR '93 was the best one, rivaled only by KOTR '98 which also had an all-round good card.