3 WWE King of the Ring winners whose careers went nowhere

Over the years, the WWE King of the Ring tournament has become synonymous with success. While the tournament started with Don Muraco winning in 1985, it continued with the likes of legendary superstars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H winning the competition.

However, life hasn't been the same for all King of the Ring winners. Even though the majority of the superstars who won the tournament experienced success, there are a select few whose careers didn't pan out the way they expected. In this article, we will take a look at such superstars.

---

#3. Bad News Barrett didn't find a lot of success despite winning King of the Ring

After Bad News Barrett's (aka Wade Barrett) Intercontinental Championship reign came to an end in 2015, WWE booked him to win the King of the Ring tournament. In the competition, Barrett beat fellow Englishman Neville to become King. While many thought this would be the resurgence of Barrett, it wasn't.

While the former Intercontinental Champion did receive title shots, he wasn't booked to win any of them. Eventually, he became part of a faction named The League of Nations alongside Sheamus and Rusev. However, this faction didn't work well for him either, and a year later he was released by the promotion.

---

#2. Ken Shamrock

MMA Legend Ken Shamrock had quite a towering presence in WWE. However, his reputation for fighting never helped him secure a World Championship in the Stamford-based promotion. The one time it felt that Shamrock would get a big push was when he won the 1998 KOTR tournament by beating The Rock.

However, immediately after becoming King, Shamrock was part of feuds against the likes of King Mabel and Bret Hart. While he also became part of The Corporation and The Union, Shamrock's career post-winning the King of the Ring tournament only earned him the Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team Title.

---

#1. Billy Gunn

Billy Gunn, who is currently wrestling for AEW, is a veteran of professional wrestling. Before competing for the Jacksonville-based promotion and several other promotions, Gunn had quite a long run with WWE. However, like the previously mentioned superstars, he never managed to become World Champion.

When Gunn was booked to win the King of the Ring in 1999, many thought this was the start of something massive for him. However, nothing along those lines happened, and Gunn instead held the Intercontinental Title and the Hardcore Championship, after which he was released.