1999 King Of The Ring Review

Next to the 95 edition, this is the King Of The Ring that gets the most negative feedback because of the booking decisions. This was attempt #3 or 4 to get Billy Gunns singles career going. JR and Lawler on commentary.


Match #1

King Of The Ring Match

X-Pac Vs Hardcore Holly


This thing never gets going. Pac misses a charge and Holly takes over. Pac gets powerbombed then fights back and hits the bronco buster. Holly gets pissed and whacks him with a chair to get DQ'd at 2:59 and theyre gonna do the same damn booking with Pac that they did in 94. 1/2 star. Apparantly Pac was legitimately injured recently and it really fkd up the booking.


Match #2

King Of The Ring Match

Kane Vs The Big Show


The only two guys in this tournament that smarks or marks would buy winning it. Show starts and beats down Kane. Kane fights back and drops Show with the flying clothesline. The ref goes down from something and is out of it for literally 3 minutes. Holly shows up and gets nailed by Kane, then Kane chokes down Show for literally 2 or 3 minutes and the crowd starts booing. Kane finally releases it, grabs a chair, blasts Show and the ref just happens to wake up for the pin at 6:48. That was embarrassing. 1/2 star.


Match #3

King Of The Ring Match

Mr Ass Billy Gunn Vs Ken Shamrock


Shamrock got beat up on Heat earlier by heel turned Steve Blackman and was spitting up blood, something he's prone to doing it seems. The officials don't want him going out there but he scares them off then goes to the ring where Gunn squashes him basically for 3 minutes. Shamrock tries the comeback but gets powerbombed and the ref stops it because of the injury at 3:48. They couldn't even make up theyre mind which part of the body was supposed to be injured so Billy just beat on each area. 1/2 star.


This thing is going in the crapper fast.


Match #4

King Of The Ring Match

Roadogg Jesse James Vs Chyna w HHH


The first real match we get tonight. They kill a few minutes with the basic headlocks and hammerlocks. Chyna goes out over the top and Dogg goes after her but a distraction from HHH gets him posted in return. Chyna gets a ddt for 2. Bodyslam and she mocks the shakey kneedrop. Chyna hooks a sleeper then Dogg reverses but HHH puts her foot on the ropes to break it up. Another referee goes down and HHH knocks Dogg cold with a chain. Referee recover for a close 2 1/2. Commish Shawn Michaels shows up and ejects HHH, then Chyna tries a lowblow but hurts her arm because Dogg pulls out a metal cup then gives her the pumphandle slam for the pin at 13:14. Crowd got into this one, and it was the first decent match of the night. 2 stars.


Match #5

Tag Team Match

Edge And Christian Vs The Hardy Boyz w Michael Hayes


Hardyz, longtime tag team jobbers are finally hitting it off with the fans and are now being coached by Hayes. They would eventually turn on him and join Gangrel as the new Brood for about 3 weeks before going face again. Christian gets beat up in the Hardy corner. Edge comes in and hits a slam on Jeff. The Hardyz get the diving splash. Christian comes back with the inverted DDT, and both tag. Gangrel distracts the ref, allowing Michael Hayes to come in and a a brawl breaks out. Edge hits a cool looking spear on Jeff running out out of the corner, and Christian nails Matt with a vaulting bodypress. Gangrel sprays koolaid in Edge's face accidently and Jeff gets the Twist of Fate on Edge for the pin at 4:50. 1 star. Edge used too many spears in this match, a problem from this point on I think, but I still like him, wish he wouldn't pull it out of the bag so often though.



So here we go with round 2 of the tournament. Gunn/Kane/Pac and Dogg are the finalists. It's pretty obvious who will win.


Match #6

King Of The Ring Match

Kane Vs Mr Ass Billy Gunn


Kane kicks his ass and he goes outside and they brawl. Kane grabs the steps but Gunn dropkicks them back in his face. Back in the ring Billy goes for the fameasser but Kane blocks it and Show wanders out and returns the chairshot on Kane and Billy pins him at 5:24. BS ending aside, 1 star I guess.


Match #7

King Of The Ring Match

X-Pac Vs Roadogg Jesse James


Theyre still friends and were feuding with Gunn and Chyna around this time. Pac is really hurting here. It's wrapped up quick as Pac gets a vertical suplex then some kicks and Dogg fights back with the goofy dance punches then the goofy kneedrop for 2. Pac misses the bronco buster and Dogg tries the pumphandle but Pac counters with the x factor for the pin at 3:05. Christ, if Pac was legit hurt in this ppv why didn't they let Dogg win it and have the Outlaw showdown to finish?? 1/2 star.


Match #8

World Heavyweight Championship Match

The Undertaker w Paul Bearer Vs The Rock


Taker knocks the ref out immediately then walks into a rockbottom but there's no ref for the count. Hebner runs in but gets popped by Bearer and the original recovers. Undertaker chokeslams Rocky but the original ref only gets 2. They brawl outside to the entraceway. Rock gets pitched into some extra guardrails then Rock tries a suplex in the runway but Taker wins it. Undertaker works the arm. Rock reverses the ropewalk and does his reptile impersonation. Back to the crowd, Rock gets control. UT blocks a chairshot with the ringbell. Bearer smacks Rock with his shoe and it's WCW 96 all over again. Back in, UT halts a comeback with a DDT, it only gets two. Rock comes back with a samoan drop for two. Rock DDT for two. Ref gets KO'd again as Rock hits the Elbow. Bearer digs out a chemical soaked rag. Rock gets the thing and uses it on Undertaker, but the ref is still out. HHH does the run inPedigrees Rock, and the ref just happens to wake up as UT rolls over but it a suprising 2 1/2. Tombstone finishes it at 19:12. Undertaker wound up losing the belt the following night which also hurts this ppv for him to retain it in such cheap fashion only to give it up for free the following night. 2 stars.


Match #9

King Of The Ring Title Match

Mr Ass Billy Gunn Vs X-Pac


Billy is taking the place of Owen Hart and Pac revises his role as the gutsy injured underdog. Gunn was walking around with one of the tag belts because he thinks he was champion for pinning one of the tag champs in a six man tag or some such bull**** story that was never developed. Gunn attacks the neck then misses a stinger splash and gets clotheslined to the floor. Nice vaulting press to the outside by Pac. Pac gets a top rope high cross body for 2 and Billy takes over again with a front facelock. Gunn hits the fameasser, but it gets two. X-Pac gets the X-Factor but it only gets two. Kicks and broncobuster, but Gunn gets a standing neckbreaker for two. They fight up top and X-Pac loses, and Gunn comes down with a fameasser from the second rope for the King Of The Ring title at 5:35. Next to Mabel Gunn is considered the worst KOTR. Ill go 1 1/2 star


Match #10

Control Of The WWF Handicap Ladder Match

Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs Vince and Shane McMahon


Shane feigns injury so Vince can get Steve Blackman to take his place but that aborted GTV shows Shane is okay and the match is on. Brawling down the aisle right off the bat then back in Austin kills them both. Shane gets posted, then the McMahons doubleteam Austin. Vince goes for the ladder, but Austin beats him up. Shane saves. Austin tosses the McMahons into the ladder built entranceway, until the whole thing topples down on them in a cool spot. Austin hauls the official ladder into the ring, he rams Shane with it and he goes off the ring onto a table. Austin sets up the ladder outside and elbows Shane through the Spanish table. He goes back up, but Vince pushes him over and into the US announce table. Vince climbs the ladder back in the ring, but gets knocked off by Austin. Austin clobbers Shane with the ladder in the corner. Austin slingshots him into it, then stomps a mudhole in Vince. Austin climbs for the briefcase, but the ladder gets knocked over. Stunner for Vince and stunner for Shane. Austin climbs, and we are treated to the WWF's version of the white hummer as some unknown coroporate member raises the briefcase so Austin can't reach it. This allows the McMahons the chance to knock Austin off again. Vince and Austin fight on the ladder, and Shane dumps both off, then climbs up and grabs the case for the win at 16:51. The ending ruined the match because THEY NEVER BOTHERED FURTHERING THE UNKNOWN CORPORATE MEMBER ANGLE!!! just like the white hummer driver in WCW that was never wrapped up. So it's a pretty good match severly hurt by a huge plothole in the storyline. Ill go 2 stars.


Overall Opinion: A sucky ppv but I didn't hate it as much as the 95 edition. Totally forgettable ppv.


Final Score: Im stamping it with a 2.6 out of a perfect 10.0 stars. I scored the 95 ppv a 2.8 as it's matches were overall just a smidgen better. This ppv had a pile of matches that were under 5 minutes and most ended with dq's or interference. I can still handle Mr Ass as a King over Mabel though.