5 WWE King of the Ring winners who became megastars, and 5 who didn't

#2 Megastar: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin

The Rattlesnake would deliver his infamous Austin 3:16 promo after being crowned King in 1996.

When Triple H’s King of the Ring victory was postponed for a year due to the Curtain Call, WWE chose to replace the Game with a young Steve Austin.

Arguably one of the best decision WWE has ever made, the Texas Rattlesnake defeated Jake 'The Snake' Roberts in the finals of the tournament, and though the match was fine, what Austin said afterward would make the show a truly historic event.

After defeating Roberts, whose character at the time would use Bible verses in promos, Austin mocked the legend post-match, delivering his infamous Austin 3:16 promo.

From there, the Rattlesnake quickly became one of WWE’s biggest stars, feuding with top tier talents like Bret Hart and The Undertaker.

After winning the WWF Title from Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14, Austin would go on to become arguably the biggest Superstar of all time, which all started with his King of the Ring win in 1996.

Retiring from the ring in 2003 after his WrestleMania match against The Rock, Austin has transitioned into a successful TV and Podcasting career.