Don Muraco won the inaugural King of the Ring tournament held by the WWF in 1985.
The tournament was staged at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 8, 1985. Muraco defeated The Iron Sheik in the final to become the first wrestler officially crowned through the King of the Ring tournament.
The competition was initially a standalone event rather than a regular pay-per-view. Its bracket format gave several wrestlers multiple matches in one night, helping establish the tournament as a recurring feature of WWF programming.
Later winners included Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Brock Lesnar. The 1993 event was the first King of the Ring tournament presented as a pay-per-view, while the 2000s added elaborate ceremonial elements to the winning character’s presentation.