King of the Ring (2021)

Last updated
King of the Ring
WWE KOTR 2021.png
Logo for the 2021 tournament
Promotion WWE
Brand(s) Raw
SmackDown
DateOctober 8, 2021–October 21, 2021
King of the Ring tournament chronology
← Previous
2019 		Next →
2024
King of the Ring (2021)
Tournament information
Sport Professional wrestling
Location
DatesOctober 8, 2021–October 21, 2021
Tournament
format(s)
 Single elimination tournament
Participants8
Final positions
Champion Xavier Woods
Runner-up Finn Bálor
Tournament statistics
Matches played7
←  2019
2024  →

The 2021 King of the Ring was the 22nd edition of the King of the Ring tournament produced by WWE. It was held between wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. Tournament matches began on the October 8, 2021 episode of SmackDown and continued to be held across episodes of Raw and SmackDown. The tournament concluded at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view and livestreaming event on October 21. It was the first King of the Ring tournament since 2019. WWE also introduced a female counterpart called the Queen's Crown tournament, which was held simultaneously with the 2021 King of the Ring tournament. Raw's Xavier Woods defeated SmackDown's Finn Bálor to win the 2021 tournament and subsequently became known as King Woods.

Contents

Background

The King of the Ring tournament is a single-elimination tournament that was established by WWE in 1985 with the winner being crowned "King of the Ring." It was held annually until 1991, with the exception of 1990. These early tournaments were held as special non-televised house shows and were held when the promotion was still called the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, renamed to WWE in 2002). [1] In 1993, the promotion began to produce the King of the Ring tournament as a self-titled pay-per-view (PPV). Unlike the previous non-televised events, the PPV did not feature all of the tournament's matches. Instead, several of the qualifying matches preceded the event with the final few match then taking place at the pay-per-view. There were also other matches that took place at the event as it was a traditional three-hour pay-per-view. [2]

King of the Ring continued as the annual June PPV until the 2002 event, which was the final King of the Ring produced as a PPV. [3] Following the conclusion of the PPV chronology, the tournament began to be held periodically every few years, first making its return in 2006, which was held exclusively for wrestlers from the SmackDown brand—the 2008 and 2010 tournaments also featured wrestlers from WWE's other brands. In August 2011, the brand extension ended with both the Raw and SmackDown television shows featuring the full main roster, but in mid-2016, the brand split was reinstated. [4] The tournament's return for 2021 was confirmed on the October 1 episode of SmackDown during the first night of the 2021 WWE Draft. A women's version of the tournament called Queen's Crown was also announced and held simultaneously with the men's tournament. [5] [6] [7]

The 2021 King of the Ring tournament was an eight-man tournament, and like the 2019 tournament, there were two brackets, one each for the Raw and SmackDown brands, and the winners of each bracket faced each other in the final. The tournament began on the October 8 episode of SmackDown and continued to be held across episodes of Raw and SmackDown. The final was held at the Crown Jewel PPV and livestreaming event on October 21, 2021. [8]

Bracket

Xavier Woods, the winner of the 2021 King of the Ring tournament Xavier Woods - 2019-08-18 - 01.jpg
Xavier Woods, the winner of the 2021 King of the Ring tournament
Quarter-finals
SmackDown (October 8) [9]
Raw (October 11) [10] 		Semi-finals
SmackDown (October 15) [11]
Raw (October 18) [12] 		Final
Crown Jewel
(October 21) [13]
      
Rey Mysterio 8:00
Sami Zayn Pin [9]
Sami Zayn 11:25
SmackDown
Finn Bálor Pin [11]
Cesaro 11:25
Finn Bálor Pin [9]
Finn Bálor 9:40
Xavier Woods Pin [13]
Xavier Woods Pin [10]
Ricochet 10:55
Xavier Woods Pin [12]
Raw
Jinder Mahal 9:40
Kofi Kingston 8:55
Jinder Mahal Pin [10]

Aftermath

On the October 22 episode of SmackDown, The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) had a coronation to formally crown Woods for winning the 2021 King of the Ring tournament. Kingston introduced Woods, now adopting the name of King Woods, who was adorned with the crown, cape, and king's scepter. [14] The following week, King Woods knighted Kingston as "Sir Kofi Kingston", the Hand of the King. [15] After taking time off in January due to an injury, Woods returned in March and dropped the king gimmick.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sami Zayn</span> Canadian professional wrestler (born 1984)

Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sami Zayn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becky Lynch</span> Irish professional wrestler (born 1987)

Rebecca Quin is an Irish-American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch. Quin began training as a professional wrestler in 2002. Initially working in Ireland, and occasionally teaming with her brother using the ring name Rebecca Knox, she soon began wrestling across Europe and North America on the independent circuit for various promotions. She most notably competed in Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling and became the inaugural SuperGirls Champion in 2005. In 2006, Quin had a severe head injury during a match which kept her away from wrestling for several years. She returned in 2012 and signed a contract with WWE in 2013, assigned to the developmental territory at NXT. Following her push to WWE's main roster, she became the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion at Backlash 2016 and has held the title five times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xavier Woods</span> American professional wrestler

Austin Watson is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Xavier Woods and is part of The New Day. Watson also makes public appearances outside of wrestling under the name Austin Creed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kofi Kingston</span> Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler

Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston and is part of The New Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zelina Vega</span> American professional wrestler (born 1990)

Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Zelina Vega and is a former member of the Latino World Order. She is a former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, and the inaugural winner of the Queen's Crown tournament (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayley (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (born 1989)

Pamela Rose Martinez is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Bayley. Her 380-day reign as WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, tied with Rhea Ripley, stands as the longest in the championship's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Corbin</span> American professional wrestler

Thomas Pestock is an American professional wrestler, former professional football player, and former amateur boxer. He performs on the independent circuit under the ring name Bishop Dyer. He is best known for his time in WWE from 2012 to 2024, where he performed under the ring name Baron Corbin and was a one-time WWE United States Champion, one-time NXT Tag Team Champion, one-time Money in the Bank winner, and one-time King of the Ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liv Morgan</span> American professional wrestler (born 1994)

Gionna Daddio is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Liv Morgan. She is a member of the Judgment Day stable and a two-time Women's World Champion. She is also the inaugural WWE Women's Crown Jewel Champion and a former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion with Raquel Rodriguez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's World Championship (WWE)</span> Professional wrestling championship

The Women's World Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along with the WWE Women's Championship on SmackDown. The current champion is Rhea Ripley, who is in her second reign. She won the title by defeating Liv Morgan during the Raw premiere on Netflix on January 6, 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianca Belair</span> American professional wrestler (born 1989)

Bianca Nicole Blair Crawford is an American professional wrestler and fitness and figure competitor. As of April 2016, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bianca Belair. She is one-half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions alongside Naomi in their first reign as a team. Belair is one of two women to win at a WrestleMania main event and her 420-day reign as Raw Women's Champion stands as the longest in the championship's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Ring (2019)</span> Professional wrestling tournament by WWE

The 2019 King of the Ring was the 21st edition of the King of the Ring tournament produced by WWE and was held for wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. Tournament matches began on the August 19, 2019 episode of Raw and continued to be held across episodes of Raw and SmackDown over the next month. The tournament final was originally scheduled to be held at the Clash of Champions pay-per-view, but was rescheduled for the following night's Raw on September 16, 2019 at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was the first King of the Ring tournament since 2015 and the first held since the brand extension was reinstated in 2016. The tournament featured 16 wrestlers, evenly divided into two brackets, one for Raw and the other for SmackDown, with the winners of each bracket facing each other in the final. The winner of the 2019 tournament was Baron Corbin from Raw, defeating SmackDown's Chad Gable in the final. Corbin subsequently became known as King Corbin and continued this persona until June 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Ring tournament</span> Recurring professional wrestling tournament by WWE

The King of the Ring tournament is a men's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1985, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Don Muraco. The prize for winning the tournament is being crowned the "King of the Ring"; some wrestlers have incorporated this into their character, such as adorning king's attire and acting and speaking with a regal attitude. On two occasions, the tournament has awarded an additional reward, that being for a world championship match. The tournament is also notable for beginning "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's rise to stardom after he won the 1996 tournament. The most recent 2024 tournament was won by Gunther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extreme Rules (2021)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2021 Extreme Rules was the 13th annual Extreme Rules professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on September 26, 2021, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and was the first Extreme Rules to livestream on Peacock. It was also the first and so far only Extreme Rules event to be held in September, replacing Clash of Champions that was previously held during that month; Extreme Rules was moved to October the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Jewel (2021)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2021 Crown Jewel was a professional wrestling event produced by the American company WWE. It was the third Crown Jewel and took place on October 21, 2021, at Mohammed Abdu Arena on The Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season. The event aired via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming, marking the first Crown Jewel to air on Peacock in the United States, and featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions.

The Queen of the Ring tournament, originally known as the Queen's Crown, is a women's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 2021, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Zelina Vega. The prize for winning the tournament is being crowned the "Queen of the Ring", and beginning in 2024, a future match for a women's world championship. It is the female version of WWE's long-standing King of the Ring tournament for male wrestlers. The most recent 2024 tournament was won by Nia Jax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damage CTRL</span> Professional wrestling stable in WWE

Damage CTRL is a professional wrestling stable that performs in WWE on the Raw brand consisting of Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane and Asuka. The stable have held the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship three times, with Kai and Sky being two-time champions and Asuka and Sane being one-time champions. Sky is a former one-time WWE Women's Champion and was also the 2023 women's Money in the Bank winner, whereas former leader Bayley was the winner of the 2024 women's Royal Rumble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bash in Berlin</span> 2024 pay-per-view and livestreaming event

Bash in Berlin was a 2024 professional wrestling event produced by the American company WWE. It took place on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany and featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event aired via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming, marking WWE's first PPV and livestreaming event to be held in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King and Queen of the Ring (2024)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

The 2024 King and Queen of the Ring was a professional wrestling event produced by the American company WWE. It was the 12th King of the Ring event, but under a new name, and took place on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It aired via pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming and featured wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event hosted the finals of both the 23rd King of the Ring tournament and the second Queen of the Ring tournament, with the last tournaments for each held in 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Beaston, Erik (August 18, 2019). "WWE King of the Ring: Everything You Need to Know About Historical Tournament". Bleacher Report . Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  2. ↑ "King of the Ring 1993". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
  3. ↑ "King of the Ring 2002 results". Online World of Wrestling. June 23, 2002. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  4. ↑ Pappolla, Ryan. "Draft rules revealed: Everything you need to know about the WWE Draft". WWE. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  5. ↑ @WWE (October 2, 2021). "HERE WE GO!! #SmackDown" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ "WWE announces Queen's Crown and King of the Ring tournaments". Pro Wrestling Torch. 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  7. ↑ "WWE Announces 2021 King of the Ring and Queen's Crown Tournaments". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  8. ↑ Currier, Joseph (October 7, 2021). "KOTR, QUEEN'S CROWN TOURNAMENT MATCHES SET FOR WWE SMACKDOWN". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online . Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 Powell, Jason (October 8, 2021). "10/08 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Rey Mysterio vs. Sami Zayn in a King of the Ring tournament match, Liv Morgan vs. Carmella in a Queens Crown tournament match, contract signing for Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks at WWE Crown Jewel". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 Powell, Jason (October 11, 2021). "10/11 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks, WWE Champion Big E and Drew McIntyre meet face to face, King of the Ring and Queen's Crown opening round matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Powell, Jason (October 15, 2021). "10/15 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of the supersized edition with Brock Lesnar, Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks in a non-title match, Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn in a KOTR semifinal match, Carmella vs. Zelina Vega in a Queen's Crown semifinal match, Sonya Deville vs. Naomi". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Powell, Jason (October 18, 2021). "10/18 WWE Raw Results: Powell's live review of Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship, Shayna Baszler vs. Doudrop in a Queen's Crown semifinal match, Xavier Woods vs. Jinder Mahal in a KOTR semifinal match, final hype for Crown Jewel". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  13. 1 2 Powell, Jason (October 21, 2021). "WWE Crown Jewel results: Powell's live review of Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship, Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair for the Smackdown Women's Championship, Big E vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, Edge vs. Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match, Goldberg vs. Bobby Lashley in a No Holds Barred match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  14. ↑ Powell, Jason (October 22, 2021). "10/22 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair swapping title belts, the coronation of Xavier Woods as King of the Ring". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  15. ↑ Powell, Jason (October 29, 2021). "10/29 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs vs. Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss in a Trick or Street Fight, and more". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.