The Rise & Fall of King William Regal

The Rise and Fall of King William Regal
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When William Regal won the WWE King of the Ring in 2008 while also serving as the Raw General Manager, he become the company's "Most Powerful Entity". Regal had a complete change of character where he would say he's no longer a common wrestler, he now had the power to do whatever he wanted to both the Raw show and the superstars who competed on the brand. To show off this newfound power, Regal would turn the lights off in the arena during matches and he even ended a Raw broadcast early. Triple H vs Randy Orton for the WWE championship headlined an episode of Raw and because of William Regal, fans at home didn't see the end of the main event.
Many believed that William Regal's push (after winning King of the Ring) was leading to a feud with Triple H and, maybe, the WWE Championship. Regal's position on the cards had definitely changed and he was getting featured a lot more on WWE Raw, but it all ended after a few short weeks.
This video looks at William Regal becoming Raw GM in 2007, his mini-feud with Triple H, his King of the Ring victory, and why Regal's push was abruptly stopped.
00:00 - William Regal released from NXT
03:03 - Regal becomes Raw GM / Triple H mini feud
08:06 - King of the Ring
11:32 - "Most Powerful Entity"
19:46 - The Push Ends
22:44 - Final Thoughts / Credits
#WWE #DOCUMENTARY #WRESTLING

[@DyspotikOriginal]

As an adult I started to appreciate regal 1000% more than I did as a kid. The king regal run is epic

[@thesportsman4417]

Facts I'm the same way. I truly wish he had a run at the World Heavyweight Champion during his King Regal run.

[@TheSuperuser49]

100% with you. Really didn't realise just how good of a wrestler he was (perhaps the "Real mans man" schtick soured me) but now, looking back, I completely understand just how good he was

[@prize5ighter]

True man. I've been feeling the same about Regal. Definitely hated him as a character when I was a kid but my respect for him is endless as a skilled professional.

[@zerosaber257]

It was incomplete without the gold.

[@kevinpayton2664]

Same here. I've come to appreciate just how great a wrestler Regal really was.

[@Cultaholic]

This was great, William Regal is one of the most underrated talents ever!

[@d00ks]

Nothing underrated about a wrestler respected by everyone in the business. He was underused because Eric rip-off was blowing the huckster and mcmahon likes roofed up buffoons

[@kevinthatcher2376]

The man I always really loved to hate, one of the best at doing this, also one of the best in the ring.

[@michaelmidax8108]

Totally agreed. No one is better than him. And only few that are as good as he was

[@pablodelgado7919]

A shame that this man never got a run with a main title in his career. Truly a underrated wrestler but a damn good one in his craft.

[@Venemofthe888]

Apparently it was in the cards in 2008 until he got suspended

[@mike04574]

Not everyone will get it, midcarders exist for a reason

[@JosephWax]

Yeah he is like Ted DiBiase.

[@lonewolf_vr]

yea it sucks but its all about timing, this was his chance to shine and he messed up at the worst time and then his chance is gone, think if it kinda like rvd screwing up right after becoming champion, sometimes your given one chance, if you mess it up, thats it.

[@prize5ighter]

@@lonewolf_vr agreed man. No matter how easy it was to say that a man makes the title, Regal for sure deserved at least one world title reign.

[@mikem10481]

This could have been huge!! Regal had pulled it off spectacularly and should have been World Champion with this push. A Champion obsessed with power and glory.

[@roderickmayo9013]

Forreal!

[@tomsawyer7151]

Goldust should also have had a title run

[@roderickmayo9013]

I still want an Akeem title run lol...(wish I was kidding)

[@dontreldontrel416]

@@tomsawyer7151 razor roman destroyed that because he cried like a baby. Goldust was the man. I enjoyed watching him and Marlena together. WWE dropped the ball with Goldust.

[@lordbendtner6404]

@@roderickmayo9013 what if sandman wins raw gm battle royal I would love to see extreme championship raw

[@AMTXXIII23]

William Regal is a very underrated wrestler and a great technician in that ring. Also a damn good NXT General Manager. RIP to him saying “WARGAMES”!

[@jamalsg44ja]

WARGAMES!!!!

[@mrkipling2201]

Crazy when you realise that he’s been wrestling since the mid 80’s. Started on television in the old World of Sport days here in England. He’s always been one of my favourite wrestlers. So good and so underrated.

[@dominiquejones3805]

Regal was my dude n WCW

[@adriancarlos9155]

Late 70s

[@BrandanTheBroker]

Speaking of World Of Sports, did they ever reboot it like they were talking about?

[@mrkipling2201]

@@BrandanTheBroker no they never did as far as I know. Finished in 1987.

[@mrkipling2201]

@@adriancarlos9155 not Regal. He started in 1983.

[@evanhanley6437]

William Regal is an absolute legend. I'm glad he is getting more attention lately. He made NXT work exceptionally well. He and Tajiri were a great tag team. He got WAR GAMES over!

[@abeezysportsxentertainment]

He would be a great fit for MLW, ROH, or Impact.

[@terryeubanks8797]

"...WAR GAMES!"

[@elvinmartes2287]

This version of William Regal had main event potential in my eyes. Regal has always been very good as a dastardly, villainous heel. Could've gone farther if he didn't violate the wellness policy.

[@danielfrongillo773]

Regal is one of the best workers in the history of the business and releasing him was a huge error on their part.

[@danielfrongillo773]

@@michaelsinger4638 absolutely man. when I said worker i meant all around worker. In-ring promos all of it

[@mrwookie72]

Thet had to fire him. His.last name isn't McMahon..if they carry on at the rate they've released wrestlers in the last 12 months they'll only have McMahon family members left on the roster.

[@Elfo_Scuro]

He was the cream of WCW, not only for the presence on the ring but for the pro-wrestling skills.

[@martynodonnell8467]

That’s what set WCW apart from WWF in The Monday Night War era. WCW had such an awesome mid card.

[@zlinedavid]

….but the cream will rise to the top…..

[@superjohn6533]

He absolutely destroyed goldberg.

[@ravenwhiteduck3158]

​@@superjohn6533 yeah that's awesome

[@ChrisManley1994]

This was the gimmick that was gonna catapult William Regal into another stratosphere. It's such a shame how it went.

[@GiganBuzzSaw]

Even if it would have only been a transitional run, seeing Regal as world champion would've been amazing

[@kazuhasgloves]

ugh, this makes me miss him even more.

[@spookerredmenace3950]

William Regal was in my mind so under rated, solid worker great on the mic, great look, he had it all. perfect wrestler.

[@newgenenewgene]

I love how regal would just walk to the ring smiling and waving and everybody would boo him out of the building. You know you have something when you get a huge reaction to something like that.

[@VERDICTInsanity]

I love Regal, he’s like Britain’s Flair 💜💜 I remember seeing raw in England when he was a heel and the pop he got was insane!

[@adamofgrayskull7735]

Regal looks younger with the long hair

[@conferencechicanery7162]

Regal was trained by the legendary Adrian Street as well, an advantage which no doubt helped his professional efforts on multiple fronts.

[@silveredgrunion7196]

Adrian speaks very fondly of Regal

[@beenrue5672]

His fall was the moment he legitimately got down on his knees and kissed another grown man's ass and thought he was still going to be taken seriously behind the scenes.

[@kevinpayton2664]

I never thought about that. As great as Regal was and if he was ever a world champion, he'll be best remembered as the man who kissed Vince McMahon's ass in front of the world. That's still one of the funniest segments I've ever seen though.

[@dominiquejones3805]

With chapstick

[@louisvelez40]

I really enjoyed his in ring work, underrated. I remember that great promo he had with HHH in RAW 2004 during the Eugene storyline. He sold the hell out of that promo.

[@Evil_Noah]

Yeah, it was brilliant. Of course he had to practically get squashed. God forbid anyone else can stand up to HHH who isn't top talent and hold their own.

[@Masterofxtreme93]

I think WWE really wanted a 'no nonsense serious heel' for spring/summer 2008 and Regal was the plan...but his suspension forced them to flip over to Chris Jericho. Is it any coincidence Jericho's suit-wearing character came about almost immediately after Regal's push ended? is it coincidence Jericho became world heavyweight champion by September? it honestly feels like this was the direction for William Regal all along, but WWE had to just call an audible and give Jericho the serious heel champion run instead.

[@ShanAli-sq4rs]

I think u r right🤔

[@arslaanpasha3334]

Why did he got suspended?

[@robbyrdog]

This was a great gimmick for him, however I remember watching as a kid and being upset The Sandman didn’t win lol

[@JadenArchibald]

Flint Marko?

[@Run187]

@@JadenArchibald jim Fullington..

[@Run187]

I remember watching him on my old portable tv that picked up next door's game system signal 😂. Back when he was steven regal..

[@briancook1724]

William Regal to me is the most underrated and simply one of the greatest Wrestlers of all time. When I got back into watching WWF and WCW in 1996, his matches there were always rock solid, but especially his bouts vs. guys like Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko!!! I hated him as a teen because he was a terrific heel and a brilliant, no-nonsense wrestler at the same time. Regal was a shooter, a killer, he did so many unique pins, restholds and submissions that almost no one else did at the time. Shame he got fired from WCW and if he didn't have his struggles and that suspension after with King of The Ring, he would've had at least one World title win. He was that great.

[@pearljam619]

Friggin Legend. Has forgotten more than most people know. Lives and Breathes wrestling. His comedic timing and facial expressions to camera were untouchable. Has been a genuine mentor to so many NXT stars. So many people speak highly of him and he’s trusted by HHH and not many people can say that. A future HOF for sure.

[@drewcross9927]

I'm stunned with how old Regal always looked. In WCW, I swore he was in his mid-40s. And even in this, he looked like he was in his 50s. Nope. Born in 68. He wasn't even 30 when he was in WCW. Blows my mind.

[@themongoosewarlock4307]

He's a sexy beast however old he looks hubba hubba

[@inhop2443]

O.o thats _mad_ !

[@tommydeamon7657]

Regal is way more legitimate than most.

[@peteypops2776]

Had to go back to watch King of the ring again after this. Noticed a "We want Glacier" sign in the audience just after the finlay semi final round that made me chuckle. Lovely stuff.

[@garyrichards9653]

Stephen Regal is an icon. Regal stretching Goldnerg, is a favourite of mine.

[@candoentertainment9118]

"Power of the Punch" was a great angle with Regal. He has some of the best facial reactions of all time. One of my favorite heels ever.

[@ArticulatedDoom]

As a kid I remember Steven Regal...the Real Man's Man. I don't think anybody was fond of that. When they started pushing WILLIAM Regal, I was amazed that it was the same guy. I loved to hate him as part of King Booker's Court. I think his team with Tajiri is universally loved. The dude was so underrated for a long time, and I am glad that NOW people love and appreciate this living legend

[@irishpanic]

I'm a simple man. I see a wrestling bios video and I click it

[@cameronsweirdnaturechannel]

Man imagine if regal had a marketable physique along with his excellent in-ring work. Could have been champion for sure.

[@jamesbounds]

He was one King (in storyline anyways) that had actual power. He was GM at the time and could use that to his advantage.

[@dominiquejones3805]

They missed the boat on that. There were a lot of creative things they could of done match wise

[@jamesbounds]

@@dominiquejones3805 Agreed

[@maur_sault750]

As a kid I dreamt to be trained by Regal and Dean malenko whilst watching them on WCW. As an adult I still would have them train me.

[@MistyDusker]

Regal hands you brass knuckles like, ''you'll know when the time is right.''

[@kaynwells6936]

He’s a legend. It took a while for me to realise this but his influence goes a lot further

[@chrisb6079]

Just a fantastic legend. I am so thankful for all he has done for this sport.

[@khesipresents1885]

WRESTLING AINT A SPORT, BUT REGAL DID GOOD FOR THE INDUSTRY

[@tyresetaylor3048]

Imagine if he became world champion that would have been golden

[@philmccavity3854]

One of those that didnt need a title

[@donovanwilliams9006]

Classic IC champion in the mould of Mr Perfect and Rick Rude

[@gumdeo]

It would have been great.

[@arslaanpasha3334]

Rumors are that he was supposed to win wwe title from Triple H in 2008

[@dylanpennington6105]

Would be neat to see him become All Elite! He would make a perfect manager for Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, and Adam Cole. Then have the 3 of them face off with K.O & the bucks

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Shouts BLOOD AND GUTS

[@ShanAli-sq4rs]

@@claymathewselevator8121 I get chills imagining that

[@benespinosa6725]

I forgot about this because I was watching TNA impact on Spike TV instead because I stopped watching WWE around December 2007

[@JoshNieporte]

He's a maaan :-) Seriously underappreciated guy.

[@prize5ighter]

Seriously, underrated mannnnnnnnnnn. He's a real man's mannnnnnnnnnn...

[@TheSerpentsEye]

SUCH A MMMMAAAANNNNN!

[@DDWES]

Regal was one of those guys I didn’t appreciate during his inring career. Fair play to him he tweeted he loved his time at wwe and bares them no hard feelings. His promo he cut against HHH during the eugene storyline is one I go back to time and time again.

[@seannewberry7941]

You should do a full William Regal biography.

[@prize5ighter]

He already did though in parts (if you're talking about Regal's wrestling career only).

[@ADAMdinho1]

It's a shame for us fans Regal didn't get a run with a world championship. I believe Regal would've been a huge success as a heel champion. Doesn't mean too much to Regal because as a wrestler he made money, was a great worker & is one of the great wrestling minds.

[@sethkaplan]

He ‘s a real man’s man🙂

[@gavinross4395]

I can see the feud with HHH being real as the 2 have a very good relationship with Regal helping Hunter during his early days in WCW

[@rohitcr2k]

William Regal will always have a special place in my list of favorites. I wish to follow his style of leadership and mentorship.

[@skyatollah2skyharder276]

William Regal DEFINITELY has the jam to show up where Bret is.

[@Ashley28822]

He had some of the best facial expressions.

[@ejjk-11]

Thank you for this. You just gave a perfect tribute to William Regal, I hope he finds great success in his future endeavors. The same goes for everyone that was released

[@fernandoescobar6976]

I love your Chanel man. Great content. This is a proposal for you. William Regal vs Dean Ambrose in FCW (2011-2012). Great feud.

[@kendall3417]

you have the best wrestling channel in the entire niche. I am making this comment short as I am working at the same time lol but thank you so much for what you do my brotha. Im 27, just getting back into pro wrestling for the first time in 12 years. currently 27 & a guy who only watches MMA, Grappling, etc I have so much new stuff to look to each week with AEW as well as WWE having to "try" to actually improve there platform as well which they are doing a ton better. All that aside this is in debth nostalgia & learning for me so it's like im getting a new happy vibe each time you drop a video & I get that memory from the good ol days as well. Thanks for the work!

[@ItsShaz1]

Regal was just simply one of the best technical wrestlers of all time and it’s a crime that he didn’t win a major world title in his career.

[@PJBchannel]

You do an incredible job on these videos. The amount of research you do is incredible. The fact that you've been rewatching every episode of The Monday Night Wars is a testament to your passion for wrestling and your channel. Keep up the good work!

[@matthewnunley1775]

I enjoyed watching him wrestle in WCW, a true talent.

[@justinb690]

Thanks again for the content. I really enjoy it all and appreciate it

[@Xehanort10]

"TAKE IT OFF THE AIR. TAKE IT OFF THE BLOODY AIR NOW" would be Regal's reaction to modern Raws.

[@darkspectraa]

DUDE Just want to say I and really appreciate the time you take out of your day to create this incredible content man . These videos take me back to my childhood . I have watched a video or two every day since discovering your channel . Thank you .

[@grammysworld5449]

Regal was always my favorite as a kid.. little things like casually moving out of the way and using common sense in pro wrestling made him so cool in WCW.. honestly didn't like his WWE run until the end because they made a fool out of him (again, I was a kid)

[@thegame7134]

William Regal was so under appreciated and I’m glad people see how great he is these days. When people talk greatest technical wrestlers he deserves to be in that conversation as well. I still can’t believe WWE released him, he’s a huge asset as it pertains to training and helping young talent. If AEW doesn’t pick him up when he’s a free agent I’ll be genuinely shocked.

[@Prckman]

Massive shame. I respect Regal and hope that the WWE lives to regret not giving him the full push and for releasing him. 🇬🇧

[@HudsonValleyVHS]

He's up there with Mr.Perfect and Jake the Snake as world champions that should have been.

[@williammcmahon2482]

that second suspension is so lame - one of those hardened OGs regal would have been a good hand in any era. Imagine him against Bruno Samartino he'd be able to hold his own. A true hand

[@Evil_Noah]

Isn't the term "good hand" kind of a backhanded compliment? Like yeah, you're good kid, but you're not going anywhere.

[@lordcolinb]

Regal was great in both wcw and wwf 🤠🇺🇸👍👍

[@GoddesseyCreations]

4:13 this clip had me in stitches all over again😂😂

[@kingofeverything2159]

Regal is a legend who was greatly underused in my opinion. The way Wrestling Bios breaks down the things that happen is pure quality tho. You seem to understand what was happening right to a tee.

[@angelmunoz2365]

Bro, your channel is pure gold. Thanks for your work.

[@pauldarwinpicklesimer3430]

Great upload. Thanks for so much great content

[@martynodonnell8467]

Another awesome video from the greatest wrestling channel on the planet! Thanks for the upload!

[@sharmellkeane3924]

Hate to say it as much as you'll hate to hear it, but WCW used him better.

[@WarGhoulKharas]

I loved his book too. Always appreciated the man. I marked out when his old WCW music was in WWE 2K.

[@dazda123]

Absolutely loved this video!

[@wingedparagon4448]

Hearing about this from his podcast, you could tell there were plans in place, but the dark place he was going during that run, it was probably for the best that the run didn't go on much longer. We at least got to see it, briefly and see just how great he could be and I feel after this the fans treated him with a whole lot more respect. They saw what we saw: what could have been. And perhaos thats enough. There are plenty of greats who never won the world title. Regal will always be in or near the top of that list.

[@melvyns1975]

Great videos by the way..well put together 👍

[@Kbedard90391]

The legend of William Regal

[@Felipe2000-r6k]

William Regal was phenomenal in 2008

[@grandmodesty]

You make any angle seem so epic through these videos!

[@DarkEliteEric]

One of my absolute favorites and people look at me like I'm crazy when I say that. As happy as I was to see him win KOTR was the amount I was disappointed after the suspension and losing the GM position when it looked the World Title was in his grasp. I'll always support him. The recovery process is no joke.

[@peartreeproductions77]

I'd look at you and say spot on ..what a guy

[@bobmonk64]

Early 90's WCW Steve Regal was my favourite run of his.

[@gmayo114]

Good work as always

[@thejesman]

The first live wrestling event I ever went to had Stone Cold Steve Austin vs William Regal as the main event. I remember Regal complaining about Austin throwing illegal right hands. Then they did some catch wrestling, and Austin out wrestled him. Super entertaining stuff.

[@MrJuggalo909]

The happy little "jump" that Orton does after the RKO on Hunter @ 16:47 priceless.

[@markwilliams984]

Really enjoyed that and agree with everything you said always a big fan of william. SEE here he comes. Cheers bro .

[@jesterr7133]

I think Regal should have been a world champion. When it came to his ring work, he was totally unique. I have never seen anyone else work the way that he did. I didn't get it when I first saw him in the early 90s, but he was one of my favorite wrestlers by the time he retired. He was really special. Like many guys of his era, drugs got in the way, and prevented him from reaching his full potential. It doesn't make him any less great though. He should be in the Hall of Fame.

[@ssssssstssssssss]

Regal should have been one of the greatest heels of all time. A major underachiever.. like Lanny Poffo

[@joelmalone7922]

When I was a kid I loved watching Regal face guys like Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Dustin Rhodes, and Arn Anderson. Also, the matches with Finlay were legendary. In WWE they turned him into a joke.

[@herbert9241]

Exactly.

[@Grayson_Baker]

I would enjoy an entire series on Regal!

[@claymathewselevator8121]

A Real Man’s Man

[@inquespot9368]

Easily one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time. This guy was incredible everywhere he went. I hated him in WCW and then once he won the World Television Championship, I fell in love with him. He like my favorite wrestler of all time Mr. Prefect, was the ultimate heal. They made you hate their very existence and that is a sign of a great heal. No one ever doubted Regal's wrestling abilities. He was and is a mans man. He would rank a 10 out of 10 on the Meng Manly Meter. Sadly he never got the respect he deserved...damn fine wrestler thought.

[@Eric-wu7bp]

William Regal deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame

[@allenthinkingpositively6271]

A CRIMINALLY underrated wrestler!! One of my all time faves! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@n64glennplant]

Regal - the real man’s man 😉

[@markjones5647]

What a great vid as always wrestling bios smash it

[@edwardfetner2513]

thank you for educating me on this Regal moment. I stopped watching regularly right before this happened so missed all of this. Wish I stuck around because it seemed like amazing TV

[@evolvedcopper2205]

The merch at the end looks so cool. I want em all 😭

[@trevmac8362]

this is really informative in depth video

[@augustuswayne9676]

Awesome video 👍

[@imogenaris1697]

Damn that was awesome! I never knew Regal received a legit push/rebirth in wwe. It's sad & mournful what happened to him then & what happened to him recently. That dark King Regal gimmick would have been perfect for him as world champion- one of the greatest shooters ever. For everything that the wwf used to do right, there's a dozen+ things they destroyed- Ricky Steamboat, The Headshrinkers, Mordecai, Greg Valentine, Butch Reed ( R.I.P. ), Hercules ( R.I.P. ), The Road Warriors ( R.I.P. ), Jim Neidhart ( R.I.P. ), TAZ, etc. Hopefully Regal lands on his feet & enjoys the next chapter of his life

[@arslaanpasha3334]

Why his push was dropped?

[@tyj6081]

This is right in the middle of the John Cena baby face run of death, and I absolutely hate the people who’s pushes got sacrificed by his hands. Umaga, Regal, Bray, these guys deserved better.

[@JHC2812]

Regal is another one of those great wrestlers I didn’t appreciate as a kid back in WcW as I just waited to see what the NWO does and when Sting will return . I didn’t get to watch wwf during his prime wwf time. With this release I expect Regal to be soon on AEW.

[@King_Dragmire]

I'd be ok with Regal being completely off screen. I'd still know his wisdom was being used.

[@damonodell9125]

Just put him with Hook and the future is bright.