April 11 to May 21, 2006 - Various Cities
Matches aired on Friday Night SmackDown!
| Note: On the 07-Apr-2006 (taped 04-Apr in Peoria, IL) edition of SmackDown!, General Manager Theodore Long gathered Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Randy Orton, Booker T, Matt Hardy, Bobby Lashley and Finlay in the locker room, where he announced the return of the King of the Ring tournament. It would start the next week. | |||
| Match #1 - KOTR Round 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Angle | def. | Randy Orton | via Submission |
| Notes: Before the match, Angle promised that he would be taking out all of his anger, frustration and aggression out on the Legend Killer – and he lived up to that promise. The Wrestling Machine went for the ankle lock very early on, but Orton was able to kick out of it. Orton was able to stave off one more ankle lock attempt, but the third time was the charm for the Angle. Once Kurt applied the ankle lock for a third time, he was able to grapevine the maneuver, and Orton had no other choice but to tap out. Kurt ended up slapping it on five times, and eventually broke Orton's ankle. Match was taped on 11-April-2006 in Green Bay, WI and aired on 14-April. | |||
| Match #2 - KOTR Round 1 | |||
| Booker T w/Sharmell |
def. | Matt Hardy | via Pinfall |
| Notes: Early in the match, the two men battled back and forth and Sharmell had to involve herself. Matt had just avoided a Scissors Kick and hit the Side Effect, but Sharmell jumped up on the apron, and as Hardy went for the Twist of Fate, Booker gave him a low blow behind the referee’s back. Booker then hit the Scissors Kick to get the pin, advancing to face Kurt Angle in the semi-finals. Match was taped on 18-April-2006 in St. Louis, MO and aired on 21-April. | |||
| Match #3 - KOTR Round 1 | |||
| Bobby Lashley | def. | Mark Henry w/Khosrow Daivari |
via Countout |
| Notes: Lashley used every ounce of strength he had to slam Henry, but his attempt at the Dominator was blocked. Henry charged at Lashley, but Lashley pulled the ropes down. Henry crashed to the floor, hitting his head on the announcers’ table. The force of the blow temporarily stunned Henry, and he was counted out to give Lashley the victory. Henry was frustrated, and he took it out on Kurt Angle later in the night. Angle was in a title bout with Rey Mysterio when Henry interrupted. Henry ended up splashing Angle through a table, and as a result, Angle was removed from the tournament. Booker T received a bye into the finals. Match was taped on 22-April-2006 in London, England and aired on 28-April. | |||
| Match #4 - KOTR Round 1 | |||
| Finlay | def. | Chris Benoit | via Pinfall |
| Notes: Despite being busted open, Benoit avoided a charge by Finlay late in the match, and nailed him with a trio of German Suplexes. After Benoit missed a flying headbutt, Finlay grabbed his weapon of choice, the trusty shillelagh; the Rabid Wolverine was able to avoid an attack and send Finlay to the floor, and the Irishman dropped the weapon on his way out. As referee Nick Patrick turned his back to the action to dispose of the shillelagh, Finlay grabbed a chair from ringside and jammed it into Benoit’s throat. He followed that up quickly with his signature Celtic Cross, getting the pin to advance in the tournament. Match was taped on 02-May-2006 in Cincinnati, OH and aired on 05-May. | |||
| Match #5 - KOTR Round 2 | |||
| Booker T w/Sharmell |
def. | Kurt Angle | via Forfeit |
| Notes: Booker T came to the ring to give Kurt Angle one last chance to face him, but with Angle having been escorted from the building earlier in the evening, the "opportunity" was wasted. As a result, Booker "officially" advanced to the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. "Match" was taped on 09-May-2006 in San Diego, CA and aired on 12-May. | |||
| Match #6 - KOTR Round 2 | |||
| Bobby Lashley | def. | Finlay | via Pinfall |
| Notes: Towards the end, Finlay grabbed a chair and tossed it into the ring. Much like his match the prior week, it was a decoy, as when referee Nick Patrick went to dispose of the chair, Finlay grabbed his shillelagh. This time, Patrick saw through the plan, and grabbed Finlay’s weapon away. Always thinking, Finlay waited until Patrick turned his back to dispose of the shillelagh, which gave him the opportunity to once again grab the chair. He nailed Lashley with it, but the blow only seemed to pump Lashley up. Finlay tossed the chair and turned around, right into the path of a speeding Lashley, who nailed the Irishman with a vicious spear. That spear got Lashley the three count, giving him his first-ever victory over Finlay and punching his ticket to the finals. Match was taped on 09-May-2006 in San Diego, CA and aired on 12-May. | |||
| Match #7 - KOTR Final | |||
| Booker T w/Sharmell |
def. | Bobby Lashley | via Pinfall |
| Notes: At Judgment Day, Booker T lived up to his promise, and did just what he said he would when he defeated Lashley to become the new King of the Ring. King Booker got help from his wife Sharmell, and later from Finlay as he used a scissors kick to get the pin on the determined newcomer. However, what happened after the match may be what is remembered the most. King Booker, basking in the glow of his controversial victory, immediately went to try on his newly won crown and robe. Moments later, a furious Lashley, realizing what happened, made his way towards Booker and the throne. Seeing Booker with the crown apparently sent the youngster over the edge, because seconds later, in one of the most memorable moments in King of the Ring history, he speared Booker and his crown through the throne, effectively putting an end to the celebration. | |||
