The 2002 King of the Ring was the 10th annual

King of the Ring King of the Ring was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The PPV event was held annually in June and was established in 1993 when the promotio ...

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...

(PPV)

event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of e ...

produced by

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...

(WWE) that featured the 16th

King of the Ring tournament 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 M ...

. It took place on June 23, 2002, at the

Nationwide Arena Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Since completion in 2000, the arena has served as the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). It is one of two facilities in Columbus, alon ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

. It was the first King of the Ring PPV and tournament held under the WWE name after the promotion had been renamed from World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to WWE the previous month. It was also the final King of the Ring pay-per-view event and the only King of the Ring pay-per-view to feature the

Raw Raw is an adjective usually describing: * Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made * Raw food, uncooked food Raw or RAW may also refer to: Computing and electronics * .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...

and SmackDown! brand divisions following the introduction of the brand extension in March. It was also the final King of the Ring event to be produced as a pay-per-view, although the King of the Ring tournament has continued to be held periodically. The King of the Ring's June PPV slot was replaced by Bad Blood in 2003. One further King of the Ring event was held in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

, but not on PPV. The main match from SmackDown! was a singles match for the WWE Undisputed Championship in which champion

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...

defeated

Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...

to retain the title. The main match from Raw was a singles match in which

Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...

defeated

Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

in the King of the Ring tournament final to win the 2002 tournament and earn a match for the WWE Undisputed Championship at

SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...

—it has thus far been the only King of the Ring tournament to award a reward other than the title of "King of the Ring." The predominant match on the

undercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

was

Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...

versus

Hollywood Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...

; the other matches on the undercard were

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...

versus

Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero is ...

, a

Women's Championship The Women's Championship (formerly The FA Women's Championship) is the second-highest division of women's football in England. The division was established in 2014 as the FA Women's Super League 2 (WSL 2). WSL 2 replaced the previous level 2 d ...

match between champion

Trish Stratus Patricia Anne Stratigeas (; born December 18, 1975) better known by the ring name Trish Stratus is a Canadian professional wrestler, actress and yoga instructor. She is currently signed to WWE. Often regarded as one of the greatest Women's Per ...

and challenger

Molly Holly Nora Kristina Benshoof (''née'' Greenwald; born on September 7, 1977) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler signed to WWE as a producer, she is best known for her appearances with the said company from 2000 to 2005 under the ring na ...

, and a Cruiserweight Championship match between champion The Hurricane and challenger

Jamie Noble James Gibson (born December 23, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Jamie Noble. He is currently signed to WWE as a producer. In addition to his appearances with WWE, Noble is known for his appearan ...

Production

Background

was a

(PPV) event held annually in June by

(WWE) since 1993. The PPV featured the

, a

single-elimination tournament A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

that was established in 1985 and held annually until 1991, with the exception of 1990; these early tournaments were held as special non-televised

house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...

s and were held when the promotion was still called the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The winner of the tournament was crowned "King of the Ring." Unlike the 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 matches 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. Considered as one of WWE's "Big Five" PPVs, along with the

Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...

WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...

, and

Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...

, the company's five biggest shows of the year, the 2002 event was the 10th King of the Ring PPV and 16th tournament overall. It was held on June 23, 2002, at the

. The 2002 tournament has thus far been the only tournament to award the winner a prize other than the title of "King of the Ring;" the winner also earned a match for the WWE Undisputed Championship at that year's

. The 2002 event was the first King of the Ring tournament and PPV held under the WWE name after the promotion was renamed from WWF to WWE the previous month. It was also the first tournament and PPV held after the promotion introduced the

brand extension Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off. Organizations use this ...

in March, in which the roster was divided between the

and SmackDown! brands where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform. The 2002 tournament and PPV in turn featured wrestlers from both brands.

Storylines

King of the Ring featured

professional wrestling matches Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on ''

'' and '' SmackDown!'' – WWE's television programs. Wrestlers portrayed a

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...

villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. All wrestlers were from WWE's Raw and SmackDown! brands – a storyline division in which WWE employees are assigned to a television program of the same name. The main

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...

heading into the event was between

and

for the WWE Undisputed Championship. On the May 30 episode of ''SmackDown!'', the storyline began when The Undertaker defeated

Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...

to retain the WWE Undisputed Championship. Afterwards, Triple H assaulted The Undertaker, claiming that if The Undertaker would give him a title shot, he would not retain the title. Later that night, The Undertaker distracted Triple H and cost him a match against Test. After the match, The Undertaker nailed Triple H with multiple chair shots targeting his arm with it. On the June 6 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Triple H and

co-won a

battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...

to determine the number one contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship at King of the Ring. The SmackDown! owner

Mr. McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...

booked Triple H and Hogan for a singles match, which was also a rematch from

Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character * ''Backla ...

between the two. In that match, Triple H defeated Hogan to become the number one contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship at King of the Ring. The predominant feud from the SmackDown! brand was between

and Hollywood Hulk Hogan. At

Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

, Angle got his head shaved bald after losing to Edge in a

Hair vs. Hair match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. Later that night, Hogan lost the WWE Undisputed Championship to The Undertaker due to interference from SmackDown! owner Mr. McMahon. On the May 23 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Angle started wearing a hairpiece with a piece of amateur wrestling headgear after being shaven bald. On the May 30 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Angle interrupted a staredown between Hogan and Mr. McMahon when he nailed Hogan with a steel pipe to the back of the head. Later that night, Hogan cost Angle a steel cage match against Edge. On the June 13 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Hogan challenged Angle to a match at King of the Ring, which Angle accepted. Later that night, Angle and The Undertaker attacked Hogan before their

tag team match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

against Hogan and Triple H. After Angle and The Undertaker defeated Triple H by disqualification, Hogan went after Angle and eventually stripped Angle's wig from his head. The predominant feud from the Raw brand was between

and

. For the previous two months, Flair had feuded with

Stone Cold Steve Austin Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...

ever since the start of the

where Austin was a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

and signed with the Raw brand on the April 1 episode of ''Raw'', following advice from Mr. McMahon and Flair. On the May 27 episode of ''Raw'',

Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the WWE, World Wrestlin ...

returned to the WWE from a neck injury that he suffered the previous year at the

event. Later that night, after Guerrero lost the Intercontinental Championship to Rob Van Dam in a

ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...

, Guerrero knocked Van Dam over the top rope with the ladder. Moments later, Austin charged to the ring and attacked Guerrero along with Flair and

Arn Anderson Martin Anthony Lunde (born September 20, 1958), better known by the ring name Arn Anderson, is an American professional wrestling road agent, author, and retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a m ...

until Benoit got to the ring and assaulted Austin, enabling Guerrero to perform a

frog splash Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...

on him. On the June 3 episode of ''Raw'', Austin defeated Flair in a match where Flair became Austin's servant. If Flair would have won, Austin would have forever been on the bench. However, the feud ended abruptly with Austin's unexpected departure from the company on June 10 for his refusal to lose a hotshotted match to Brock Lesnar. That same night, Flair lost his half of the WWE ownership to McMahon and returned to active wrestling. On the June 17 episode of ''Raw'', Flair gave a speech over losing the position of Raw owner to McMahon. The speech was interrupted by Guerrero and Benoit. Flair challenged Guerrero to a match at King of the Ring, which Guerrero accepted. Afterword, both Guerrero and Benoit assaulted Flair, ending with Guerrero strapping Flair in Flair's own

Figure-four leglock Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...

submission hold. A secondary feud from the SmackDown! brand was between The Hurricane and

for the Cruiserweight Championship. On the June 6 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Noble and his

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "vale ...

Nidia made their WWE debut by attacking Hurricane in his locker room. The following week on ''SmackDown!'', after Hurricane lost to Test in a King of the Ring Qualifying match, Noble and Nidia made their way to the ring and took turns finishing Hurricane off with a series of slaps before taking his mask. On the June 20 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Noble defeated

Billy Kidman Peter Alan Gruner Jr. (born May 11, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Billy Kidman. He is currently employed by WWE as a producer. As a wrestler, Kidman is best known for his work with World Champi ...

to become the number one contender for Hurricane's Cruiserweight Championship at King of the Ring. After the match, Hurricane got his mask back after nailing Noble with a

chokeslam A chokeslam is a type of body slam in professional wrestling, in which a wrestler grasps an opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks power ...

. A secondary feud from the Raw brand was between

and

for the

. On the April 1 episode of ''Raw'', after Stratus defeated

Terri Runnels Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels A transcript of the article can be found a (born October 5, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestling manager, television host, and professional wrestler. Runnels began her professional wrestling career in ...

in a Paddle on a Pole match, Holly returned in a drastic attitude change and new look by nailing Stratus in the head with a paddle, breaking it into two. On the May 27 episode of ''Raw'', Stratus and

Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...

defeated Holly and William Regal in a

mixed tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ma ...

. After the match, Holly attacked Stratus with Regal's

brass knuckles Brass knuckles (variously referred to as knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, knucklebusters, knuckledusters, knuckle daggers, English punch, iron fist, paperweight, or a classic) are "fist-load weapons" used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles ...

. Holly would sneak attack Stratus on many occasions, leading to a title match between the two for Stratus' Women's Championship at King of the Ring.

Event

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view,

The Hardy Boyz The Hardys, also known as The Hardy Boyz, are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy, who are currently appearing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The team is currently inactive due to Jeff ...

(

Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team d ...

and

Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...

) wrestled

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...

and

Steven Richards Steven James Richards (born 11 July 1972) is a New Zealand-Australian racing driver, currently competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship. Richards, the son of seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Jim Richards, is himself a five-t ...

in a match that aired live on '' Sunday Night Heat''. The Hardy Boyz won when Jeff pinned Richards after Raven turned on his partner.

Preliminary matches

The event began with the semifinal round of the King of the Ring tournament involving

and

Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...

. The match went back and forth and both men earned momentum against each other. In the end, Jericho applied the '' Walls of Jericho'' on Van Dam, but the latter reached the ropes and executed a '' Five Star Frog Splash'' to advance to the final. The second match of the semifinal was between

and

Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

. Lesnar dominated most of the match until Test got control and attempted a pumphandle slam on Lesnar but Lesnar ducked the move. Test attempted a

big boot Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...

, but Lesnar countered with the '' F-5'' for the victory. In the third match of the event, The Hurricane defended the Cruiserweight Championship against

. Hurricane dominated earlier part of the match until Noble got control. Hurricane regained momentum and finished Noble and went for the pin, but Noble's

Nidia distracted the

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other titl ...

. Noble took advantage and executed a

powerbomb A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted (usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders) and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a sta ...

and attempted a pin. Hurricane put his feet on the ropes, but Nidia knocked his feet and Noble won the title. The fourth match pitted

against

. Flair dominated the earlier part of the match until Guerrero attacked Flair's knee and

kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...

injured it. Guerrero worked on Flair's leg. During the match, Guerrero applied the

on Flair. Guerrero continued to damage Flair's knee until Flair applied a figure-four leglock on Guerrero.

interfered in the match on Guerrero's behalf and distracted the referee. Guerrero began distracting the referee and Benoit applied a ''

Crippler Crossface Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...

'' on Flair outside the ring. The referee noticed Benoit and ejected him from ringside.

Bubba Ray Dudley Mark LoMonaco (born July 14, 1971) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and Impact Wrestling under the ring name Bully Ray. He was previously known as one-half of The Dudley Boyz tag t ...

interfered in the match and executed a '' Bubba Bomb'' on Guerrero. Flair pinned Guerrero to win the match. In the fifth match,

defended the

against

. Holly dominated most of the match, but Stratus got control and began using some of her signature moves on Holly. Holly regained the momentum and delivered a

belly to belly suplex A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and bridging or rolling to slam them on their backs. Professional wrestling featu ...

. Holly went on to pin Stratus while grabbing Stratus' tights to win the title.

Main event matches

The sixth match pitted

against

. Angle dominated most of the match by using his

amateur wrestling Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...

style. Hogan used his

power moves Power moves are dance moves which are loosely defined as moves relying on speed, momentum, and acrobatic elements for performance. They are prominent in B-boying, often the centerpieces of routines featuring the other elements (toprock, downrock, ...

on Angle, but Angle countered with a series of

suplex A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and bridging or rolling to slam them on their backs. Professional wrestling feature ...

es. Angle delivered an '' Angle Slam'' for a near-fall. Hogan began dominating Angle and took off his wig to reveal Angle's bald head. Angle applied an

ankle lock A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot, is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are fe ...

on Hogan and forced Hogan to submit to win the match. The seventh match was the final round match of the King of the Ring tournament between Brock Lesnar and Rob Van Dam. Lesnar dominated Van Dam for most of the match with his

. Van Dam got control of Lesnar and used a series of

kicks A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...

and a '' Rolling Thunder'' on Lesnar. Van Dam flew off the ropes, but Lesnar caught him on his shoulders and delivered an ''F-5'' to win the King of the Ring tournament and earned a WWE Undisputed Championship match at

. The

main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

match was for the WWE Undisputed Championship.

defended the title against

. The match went back and forth until Triple H dominated The Undertaker. The Undertaker earned the momentum over Triple H until Triple H tried a ''

Pedigree Pedigree may refer to: Breeding * Pedigree chart, a document to record ancestry, used by genealogists in study of human family lines, and in selective breeding of other animals ** Pedigree, a human genealogy (ancestry chart) ** Pedigree (animal ...

'' but The Undertaker countered the move and pushed Triple H into the referee. The referee was knocked out, and The Undertaker and Triple H knocked out each other. The Rock entered the arena and replaced

Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight ...

for commentary. The Undertaker attacked The Rock, causing The Rock to interfere in the match and attack The Undertaker. The Rock tried to hit The Undertaker with a chair but The Undertaker ducked and Triple H was hit with the chair. The Undertaker executed a '' Last Ride'' for a near-fall. The Rock executed a '' Rock Bottom'' on The Undertaker and Triple H performed a ''Pedigree'' on The Undertaker and tried to pin The Undertaker, but the referee was still groggy. The Undertaker hit Triple H with a low blow and pinned Triple H with a roll-up to retain the title. After the match, The Rock performed the '' People's Elbow'' on The Undertaker but Triple H performed a ''Pedigree'' on The Rock and The Undertaker performed a

on Triple H, ending the show.

Aftermath

The Rock's involvement in the WWE Undisputed Championship match at King of the Ring made him the number one contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship at Vengeance. On the July 4 episode of ''SmackDown!'', The Undertaker retained the title against Kurt Angle in a controversial fashion as The Undertaker pinned Angle and Angle made The Undertaker tap out at the same time. As a result, Angle was added to the title match, making it a

triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. At Vengeance, The Rock defeated Angle and The Undertaker in a triple threat match for his seventh WWE Undisputed Championship. Due to defeating the Intercontinental Champion Rob Van Dam in the final of the King of the Ring tournament, Brock Lesnar feuded with Van Dam over the Intercontinental Championship. At Vengeance, Van Dam defeated Lesnar by disqualification to retain the title. After Vengeance, Lesnar joined the SmackDown! brand and began feuding with the WWE Undisputed Champion The Rock as he had won the King of the Ring tournament and earned the right to challenge for the WWE Undisputed Championship at

becoming the first winner of the King of the Ring tournament to have done so since Mabel in

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

. At SummerSlam, Lesnar defeated The Rock for the WWE Undisputed Championship, and became the youngest champion in the title's history. The 2002 King of the Ring would be the final King of the Ring produced as a PPV; Bad Blood replaced the event as the June PPV in 2003. WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble in turn reverted to being referred to as the "Big Four" until October 2021 when Money in the Bank was elevated to "Big Five" status. Although the promotion ceased producing King of the Ring as a PPV after the 2002 event, WWE has continued to periodically hold the tournament across their weekly television programs, ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown'', with the finals instead taking place on an episode of ''Raw'' or at another PPV, such as

for the 2006 tournament. Although the 2002 King of the Ring was the final to be held as a PPV event, one further King of the Ring event was held in 2015. The semifinals and finals of the 2015 tournament aired exclusively as an event on WWE's online streaming service, the

WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and ...

, which launched in February 2014.

Results

Tournament brackets

The tournament took place between June 3 and June 23, 2002. The tournament brackets were as follows: 1. Edge forfeited his match to Chris Jericho due to a legitimate shoulder injury.

References

External links

Online World of Wrestling results

{{DEFAULTSORT:King Of The Ring (2002)

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

Events in Columbus, Ohio 2002 in Ohio Professional wrestling in Columbus, Ohio 2002 WWE pay-per-view events June 2002 events in the United States