A couple of weeks ago on RAW, Kevin Owens won the WWE Universal Championship. After putting on phenomenal matches, and traveling around the world for nearly a decade and a half, Kevin Owens realized his dream of holding a major championship in WWE.
With the WWE Universe chanting “You deserve it”, Kevin stood in the middle of the ring, soaking the adulation and living in the moment. However, Owens wasn’t the first deserving superstar, who waited for years before winning a world title in WWE.
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Today, we take a look at five such stars who were journeymen, working their way to the top before winning the richest prize in the business.
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5. Sasha Banks
At this year’s WrestleMania, everyone expected Sasha Banks to walk out as the new WWE Women’s Champion. When Sasha returned to WWE programming at Royal Rumble 2016, the WWE Universe came unglued, and it was obvious that Sasha was the most “over” women’s wrestler on the roster. WWE then decided to book a triple threat match at WrestleMania, between Charlotte, Sasha, and Becky Lynch.
Another the major development at WrestleMania was the announcement made by WWE that they would be retiring the Divas title, and the three women would be fighting for the WWE Women’s Championship. This signalled the dawn of a new era for women, and perhaps there was no better woman to lead the charge than Sasha.
However, WWE booked Charlotte to win the title, and a couple of weeks before SummerSlam, Banks and Charlotte faced off on RAW for the title. Sasha defeated Charlotte to win the WWE Women’s Championship for the first time but had to drop the title back to Charlotte at SummerSlam due to a back injury.
4. Mick Foley
Mick Foley became a legendary figure for his death-defying stunts, and his “King of Death Match” matches along with the Texas Death match were particularly violent. After giving his blood, sweat and tears for the fans, Mick eventually signed up with WWE, where he debuted as Mankind.
One of the most memorable moments in WWE history was when Mick went airborne, after being flung from the top of the “Hell In A Cell” structure onto the announcer’s table. Mankind was then choke slammed through the roof of the cell, and Mankind somehow managed to finish the bout.
The biggest win of Mick’s career came in January ’99 when he won the WWE Championship; his win was also a pivotal moment in the ratings war when the WCW fans tuned into RAW to watch Mick win the title! WWE never looked back since and sent WCW out of business.
3. Eddie Guerrero
If there was one man who was made for the sports entertainment industry, it has to be Eddie Guerrero. A phenomenal talent inside the ring, Eddie was an excellent mic worker and was one of the greatest entertainers in the history of the industry. His “Lie, cheat, steal” motto made him one of the most lovable characters in the company, and Eddie Guerrero worked his way to the top of the mountain. However, one thing was missing from Eddie’s phenomenal CV – the WWE Championship.
In 2004, Eddie was at the top of his game. After winning the WWE United States title and the tag team titles, Eddie had only one title he didn’t get his hands on, on SmackDown. At No Mercy, Eddie Guerrero faced and defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship, as the fans, Eddie’s family, and Eddie Guerrero shed tears of joy.
Finally, Eddie had won “the big one”. After battling his demons for years, Eddie finally conquered his demons and was known as the WWE Champion!
2. Chris Benoit
Note: We’re not considering Benoit’s run as the champion in WCW.
While the number two pick will be controversial, to say the least, when Benoit won the World Heavyweight Championship, there was no one in the wrestling industry who thought it wasn’t deserved. At Royal Rumble 2004, when The Big Show and Benoit were the final two participants, a fan famously said WrestleMania 20 would be a massive flop regardless of who won the Rumble match.
However, at WrestleMania, Chris Benoit defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a triple threat match, to win the World Heavyweight Championship. As the confetti started falling down, Benoit was met by his best friend, Eddie Guerrero. The two superstars travelled around the world together for nearly a decade and were holding two of the most prestigious titles in the history of the business at the grandest stage.
Tears started flowing down, and both the wrestlers embraced each other in a moment that will go down as one of the greatest scenes in the history of sports and sports entertainment.
1. Daniel Bryan
At number one is the greatest underdog to have ever won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Daniel Bryan. While almost every person Bryan met in his early days told him he would never make it as a professional wrestler, Bryan never gave up. Instead, he chose to be a journeyman, traveling all around the world, earning the right to be called the greatest technical wrestler of this generation.
When WWE came calling, everyone expected Bryan to be the next Jamie Noble. While the WWE management did try to push Bryan to the side, he put his body and soul into his in – ring work, until the WWE couldn’t ignore him anymore. While he won the World Heavyweight Championship before winning the WWE World Heavyweight title, it did not feel special.
Bryan’s “Cinderella Story” came full circle at WrestleMania 30 when Bryan main evented the show and won the WWE World Heavyweight title. While Bryan had to retire soon after, the images of Bryan doing the “Yes” chant with 70,000 odd fans will forever be remembered by the wrestling fans.
