5 superstars you might not know competed for the WWE Championship

Anyone who has held the WWE Championship, the most esteemed prize in Professional Wrestling today, can claim to be a master of their craft. The belt is so prestigious that even the opportunity to challenge is reserved for the very best in the industry.

However, there have been occasions where a few unexpected names have challenged for WWE's biggest prize. We will look at five such superstars you might not know who competed for the WWE Championship on this list.

Disclaimer: This list will only feature superstars who received one-on-one title matches, so there won't be any Royal Rumbles, Elimination Chambers or Championship Scrambles. Without further ado, let's begin.

#5.Tajiri: Competed for the WWE Championship in 2001

For many years, Tajiri was a fixture of WWE's mid-card. He put on good matches and performed well as both a comedic face and a serious heel.

In 2001, the Invasion Angle was in full swing, and Tajiri was pretty fresh into his WWE run. Presented as the assistant to Commissioner William Regal, he won the WCW United States title and was given a WWE Championship shot against Alliance Leader Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Having been injured by Rhyno a few days earlier, Tajiri was not at a hundred percent. Austin took advantage of the Japanese Buzzsaw's injuries and focused on damaging his ribs further. In hindsight, it was more of a beatdown than an actual match.

Despite the loss, Tajiri remained popular with the crowd and achieved considerable success on the mid-card. He became a multi-time Tag Team and Cruiserweight Champion and continued to wow fans with his unique offense and dreaded green mist.

#4. Zack Ryder: Competed for the WWE Championship in 2010

After an initially promising start as a rising heel on ECW, Zack Ryder was sent to RAW when the brand was discontinued and slipped lower down the card. No longer on a tag team with Curt Hawkins, he struggled to find his footing as a singles star in 2010.

After months without a proper storyline, Ryder was given a WWE Championship match against then-champion Sheamus. At the time, WWE enforced a rule that every champion needed to defend their titles at least once every 30 days. With Sheamus' time soon running out, he selected Ryder, whom he hoped would be an easy opponent.

Sheamus could not be more correct. With a single Brogue Kick, he shattered Ryder's championship dreams in a mere 11 seconds. The latter would then slide further down the card until a resurgence in popularity in 2011.

In the coming years, Ryder became the US Champion Intercontinental Champion and won the Tag Titles one more time before leaving the company. Despite his increased popularity, he never received another shot at the WWE Championship again.

#3.Spike Dudley: Competed for the WWE Title in 2001

Spike Dudley is the perennial underdog of Professional Wrestling. Billed at 150 pounds, the smallest member of the Dudley Family was at a disadvantage against almost any opponent on the card. Despite that, he was the only one among his brothers to receive a WWE Championship match.

In 2001, Spike had begun to branch out from his brothers and entered into a relationship with Molly Holly. Like his time in ECW, his heart and refusal to back down from any challenge endeared him to WWF's audience. He soon ran into WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Austin soon granted his smaller nemesis an opportunity at the WWF Title. Although nobody expected Dudley to win, fans were pleasantly surprised by the fight he put up in the face of such insurmountable odds. As the company's top star, Austin was also praised for his willingness to make his opponent look as good as he did.

Although Spike Dudley never received a main-event opportunity like this again, he remained a member of WWE's mid-card for the rest of his time there and won the European, Cruiserweight, and Tag Team Championships.

#2. Gillberg: Competed for the WWE Title in 1999

Usually, a superstar wanting to compete for the WWE Title must have amassed a respectable winning record. Then there's Gillberg, WWE's parody of Goldberg. His entire character revolved around his ability to win a match rarely.

In 1999, Shane McMahon announced Triple H would defend his WWE Championship against a "bald-headed SOB." While fans were led into believing that this person would be Stone Cold Steve Austin, they saw Gillberg instead.

At the time, Gillberg was the longest-reigning Light Heavyweight Champion, a feat he achieved by never defending the title. He attempted to take an early advantage in the match with an ineffective Spear and rally the fans to his side. However, aside from two more Spears, the match was a one-sided beatdown, with Triple H retaining his title with ease.

Gillberg would soon lose his Light Heavyweight title and would leave the company. He continues to perform from time to time on the Independent scene and has made occasional appearances on WWE TV over the years.

#1. Eric Bischoff: Competed for the WWE Championship in 2005

One of the greatest minds in the business, Eric Bischoff, was never an actual in-ring performer. He was given a WWE Championship match against John Cena at the RAW Homecoming special in 2005.

Bischoff, who was the General Manager of RAW at the time, had been feuding with Cena and had aligned himself with Kurt Angle, whom he tried to position as the next WWE Champion. However, by the orders of Mr.McMahon, Bischoff himself was made the number one contender.

Although not a wrestler, Bischoff did find himself in the ring from time to time, getting beatings from the likes of Steve Austin, Kane, and Eugene. However, he felt confident going into this championship match as he had Kurt Angle by his side.

As there were no disqualifications, Angle attempted to aid Bischoff and give him a chance. Unfortunately, the assist was not enough, and Cena swiftly pinned Eric.

Bischoff was fired from his position as RAW General Manager in December 2005 and spent the next two years making sporadic appearances on WWE TV before leaving the company.

While Bischoff continues to make cameos for WWE today, it is safe to say that we will never see him competing for the title ever again.