10 Biggest Breakout Stars Of WWE's Original Brand Extension
7. John Bradshaw Layfield
The most unexpected push in WWE history happened in 2004 when perennial tag team competitor Bradshaw received a makeover, becoming John "Bradshaw" Layfield and taking his place at the top of the SmackDown brand. A loudmouthed Texan pledging allegiance to his new home base of New York, the braggadocios businessman set his sights on WWE champion Eddie Guerrero.
He was a despicable villain, a caricature of the likes of Donald Trump and a modern-day JR Ewing. He vowed to drive Mexicans back to their homes south of the border. He berated Guerrero's mother during a live event in El Paso, causing her to have a "heart attack" in the center of the ring. He was a heel the likes of which the industry had not seen since the 1980s, a welcome addition to a brand in turmoil following the departure of Brock Lesnar, not to mention the injuries to Kurt Angle and Big Show.
The series of matches between JBL and Guerrero would set the bar for bloody, intensely personal grudge matches for years to come.
Layfield picked up the proverbial ball and ran with it, becoming a breakout star that no one saw coming. Three months into his new role, he was WWE Champion. He would carry that title for nearly a year, becoming the character the SmackDown brand was built around. Eight years into his run with the company, he achieved his greatest success and etched his name in the history books alongside industry icons.
Not too shabby for a guy once pegged as a tag team lifer most well-known for his backstage antics, rather than anything he produced between-the-ropes.