10 Biggest Breakout Stars Of WWE's Original Brand Extension
A Legend Killer, an Animal and a Doctor of Thuganomics owe their careers to it.
On July 19, World Wrestling Entertainment will embark on its second brand extension designed to create new stars and present a live, unedited broadcast of SmackDown. It is not the first time WWE has split its roster in an attempt to better utilise the wealth of talent it has at its disposal.
In 2002, the company was fresh off of the purchase of WCW and a failed Invasion storyline. With so many superstars and only so much television time to work with, WWE produced a draft that split the rosters and allowed some of the most exciting stars of the era to rise above the midcard and prove their worth as credible main event talents.
Championships were won, Hall of Famers moulded and legacies etched in stone as some of the most recognisable stars of the last 15 years broke free from the restraints put on them by management to become the biggest stars in the industry.
As WWE prepares for another draft that it hopes will net similar results, relive the inaugural brand extension with these 10 wrestlers who broke out and made stars of themselves thanks to the unique opportunity presented to them.
10. John Morrison
Before the brand extension of 2002, a performer such as John Morrison would not have had the opportunity to breakout to the extent that he did from 2005 through the end of the decade.
Initially a member of Tag Team Championship-winning MNM (as Johnny Nitro), Morrison broke away from partner Joey Mercury and enjoyed singles success on the Raw brand as Intercontinental champion. It was not until he ended up on the ECW brand and championed it that he truly broke out, though.
In the years that followed, he experienced success both as a singles competitor and tag team specialist before enjoying his greatest push as a top contender to the WWE Title on the Raw brand.
Unfortunately, professional frustration led to his departure from the company in 2011, leaving many to wonder just how much further up a list such as this he could have landed had WWE Creative taken a chance and paid off one of his many pushes with a legitimate main event run.