Xavier Woods Wins 2021 WWE King Of The Ring At Crown Jewel
A new King is crowned
Xavier Woods is the new King of the Ring, after defeating Finn Balor in a tournament final at Crown Jewel in Riyadh on Thursday.
In the final sequence, Woods avoided Balor's Coup de Grace, and rolled Balor up for two. He then hit Balor with an enzuigiri and gutbuster for another near fall. Woods then went up top and hit his springboard elbow smash to win the nine and a half minute tournament final.
Like Zelina Vega with the Queen's Crown earlier, Woods was rewarded with a crown and scepter.
Woods' path to the finals saw him defeat Ricochet in the quarters, and Jinder Mahal in the semis. Balor defeated Cesaro in the quarterfinal, and Sami Zayn in the semis.
The accolade is Woods' first non-Tag Team championship of any sort in WWE. He's an 11 time Tag Team champion with New Day partners Kofi Kingston and Big E, with the King of the Ring crown being his first solo accolade.
Post-Crown Jewel, when the 2021 Draft rosters go into effect, Woods will appear on the SmackDown brand, alongside Kingston.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.