5 WWE King of the Ring runners up that should've won

#1. The Rock should have beaten Ken Shamrock to win the King of the Ring tournament in 1998

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Vs Ken Shamrock

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is someone who unbelievably never won a King of the Ring tournament in his storied WWE career. While he still could as rumors of a return loom, it's extremely unlikely.

However, The Brahma Bull absolutely should have won the 1998 King of the Ring tournament which he lost in the finals to Ken Shamrock. At the time, The Rock was the fastest rising star in the company but WWE clearly wanted to have their cake and eat it with Shamrock winning.

However, Shamrock's reign as King of the Ring winner ultimately amounted to nothing, whereas The Rock would go on to become WWE Champion at Survivor Series later that year.

If the plan was always to crown Rock as the top star in the company, I don't understand why you wouldn't also have him win the King of the Ring tournament to help to elevate him to that position and legitimize him when he gets there.