WWE King of the Ring creator Eddie Andelman passes away
Eddie Andelman, a Boston sports radio icon who created one of pro wrestling’s most famous tournaments, has passed away at 89 years old.
The passing of Andelman was announced on Monday through a statement issued by his sons Dave, Mike, and Dan. Though best known for his pioneering radio work, Andelman left a lasting mark on pro wrestling by creating WWE’s King of the Ring tournament. Andelman partnered with Vince McMahon and WWE for the first-ever edition of King of the Ring in 1985. The 1985 and 1986 tournaments were both held at Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Andelman owned some of the land.
Andelman, who was not directly involved with the wrestling business but had known the McMahon family for a while, came up with the idea for King of the Ring as a charity show where the proceeds were donated to multiple children’s non-profits. He was a big supporter of the Joey Fund and Jimmy Fund, which support those suffering from cystic fibrosis and pediatric cancer.
In a 2022 interview with The Lapsed Fan podcast, Andelman recounted creating King of the Ring and said the first event raised more than $100,000.
“I came up with it because I like to do original things. I mean, that’s part of my blood structure,” Andelman said. “I get a kick out of doing things that nobody’s ever done before. And I thought it would be successful. Vince was into it, and the wrestlers I might add were really into it.”
King of the Ring originally existed as an untelevised event before becoming a pay-per-view for WWE. The first two tournament winners were Don Muraco and Harley Race.
Also in 1985, Andelman worked with the AWA for a Wrestling for A Cure charity event.
Andelman was a member of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame for the work he did on sports radio and television. A legend for radio station WEEI, Andelman paved the way for the success that WEEI and its competitor The Sports Hub would find in the market.
“So sorry to hear this,” our Dave Meltzer tweeted about Andelman’s passing. “I enjoyed several visits on his show over the years. I hope WWE acknowledges this as he was the person who came up with the idea of King of the Ring.”
The Andelman family have also been important to the Boston food scene, with Andelman hosting an annual Hot Dog Safari to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Two of his sons host “The Phantom Gourmet,” a popular local food TV show.
WWE King of the Ring 2026 —
Through the years, King of the Ring has gone away and been brought back several times. The current iteration has WWE putting on annual King & Queen of the Ring tournaments that culminate at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. The finals this year are set for June 27.
Oba Femi vs. Dominik Mysterio and Je’Von Evans vs. Jey Uso are the two semifinal matches for King of the Ring, while the Queen of the Ring semis are IYO SKY vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Charlotte Flair vs. Liv Morgan. Tonight’s episode of WWE Raw will feature the Femi vs. Mysterio and SKY vs. Rodriguez bouts.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.